How To Plan An Outer Banks Vacation

The Outer Banks of North Carolina has made it to the top of your vacation destination list. Great choice if you ask us. Our expansive beaches and family and pet friendly details of our unique coastline make it the ideal place to vacation with your crew. If you’re a first time OBX vacationer or are just looking to simplify your planning process; no worries, Resort Realty is here to help! We’ve got a fool-proof planning guide that’ll help you plan for your Outer Banks vacation and get going on the right foot!

One Year Out…

Find Your Home & Book it Fast

Finding your Outer Banks vacation home early is the best way to ensure you and your group gets the home you want, with the amenities you require, at the price you need!

We cannot stress this enough; book your home early! Booking your home early allows for flexibility and allows you first choice for the dream home with all the amenities you wish for. With Resort Realty, you can reserve your home for only $50 down (plus tax). Booking your home early also ensures that you’ll have the house that you want when it’s time for your vacation! We recommend booking your home at most a year out and at the least 6 months out from your vacation date. A lot of our bookings take place around the holidays so when you find something, book it fast. We also highly recommend you purchase travel insurance. You can read more about that here.

Start Saving Immediately After Booking

Saving for an Outer Banks vacation doesn't have to be hard, but in the end, it's totally worth it!

Vacationing on the Outer Banks doesn’t have to break the bank at all, but it does help to have extra spending money so you won’t have an empty wallet after a week. You can start an OBX Fund just by setting aside money out of every paycheck. For example; if you book your vacation a year out; and save $20 a week for 1 year, you’ll have $1,040 to spend on the OBX! That way you and your family can dine out, grab souvenirs, and adventure however you like during your stay.

A Couple Of Months Out…

Plan Out Your Sightseeing

Planning on seeing different historical and educational sights during your stay? Plan ahead! — SONY DSC

There can be so much to see and do on the Outer Banks and sometimes it can be overwhelming. Sit down with your group and list out options of places that everyone wants to visit. With the features of some sites, you can visit two in one day without overdoing it. If you’re staying for a week, dedicate 2-3 days of sightseeing and the rest of that time sitting on the beach or hanging out poolside!

Start A Packing List

Planning an Outer Banks vacation comes with packing. Creating a list to help organize your needs helps so much with this process!

About 1-2 months before your vacation, start a list of what you need to pack. Alot of forgotten items can be purchased on the OBX but to be honest, it’s going to be more expensive than you would find at home. By creating a list and checking it while you pack, you’ll be sure to bring all of your essentials. We have a blog with the top 10 items that people forget to pack so you’ll be sure to have them in your bag!

A Couple Weeks Out…

Plan Out Meals

Not everyone can afford to eat out every night on vacation and that's totally fine! Plan out which restaurants you want to visit when you're on the Outer Banks then cook the rest of the time.

Not everyone can afford to eat out every night on the Outer Banks and that’s totally okay! Do some research on restaurants and see which ones would fit your party’s interests. Then figure out which nights you’ll dine at home. This will help you figure out how much you’ll have to buy at the grocery store.

Relax

You’re about to be on VACATION on the Outer Banks. Paradise on Earth as John B says. While planning helps a ton in the process and now you know how to plan for an Outer Banks vacation, be sure to take some time to relax, and go with the flow when you get here. Trust us, being on vacation is nothing to stress about; especially when you’re in great hands with Resort Realty. So relax, catch some sun rays, and enjoy your vacation. You planned so well for it!