Your guide to a Hamptons vacation

BY CAR Traffic in the Hamptons can be brutal in the summer, on Route 27 but also at notoriously crowded spots like the roundabout on Scuttlehole Road in Bridgehampton and the intersection of Route 114 and Stephen Hands Path in East Hampton. Crowdsourcing traffic apps like Waze may help you avoid the worst backups, but they are also funneling more and more drivers into formerly quiet back roads. If you take the Hampton Jitney (hamptonjitney.com) bus, you'll sit in the same traffic, but you'll be able to work or nap during the trip.

ALTERNATIVES The Long Island Rail Road is probably the fastest way to get here, but is often standing-room-only in the summer. When arriving by public transportation, prepare to fight for a local taxi or Uber to take you to your final destination, and to pay a premium for the pleasure.

Polo matches, farm stands, charity benefits — it's all part of the fabric during the peak summer season. 

ARTS Hamptons culture comes in many forms. The Parrish Art Museum (parishart.org) in Water Mill has a world-class collection of modern and contemporary art, including works by such Hamptonites as Fairfield Porter, Roy Lichtenstein, Eric Fischl, and Cindy Sherman. The building itself, designed by Herzog and de Meuron, is a must-see for contemporary architecture fans.

Down the road in Bridgehampton is the Dan Flavin Institute, part of the DIA Art Foundation (diaart.org). Nine of Flavin’s fluorescent light installations glow permanently in a renovated 1908 firehouse.

The 16-acre Longhouse Reserve (longhouse.org) in Northwest Harbor displays sculptures by Willem de Kooning, Buckminster Fuller, and Yoko Ono in an impressive garden.

MUSIC The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (whbpac.org) offers a slate of oldies acts (Southside Johnny) and Broadway performers (Jennifer Holliday). The legendary Steven Talkhouse (stephentalkhouse.com) presents local and national bands in a down-and-dirty setting.

Bay Street Theater (baystreet.org), a 300-seat venue on Sag Harbor’s Long Wharf, presents new plays, musical revivals and comedy shows starring big names, including Mercedes Ruehl, Linda Lavin, and Paula Poundstone.

At the splendidly renovated Guild Hall (guildhall.org) in East Hampton, you can watch a Hamptons International Film Festival documentary or enjoy Melissa Errico singing Sondheim.

A formerly down-and-out motel, Baron’s Cove (from $380, caperesorts.com/barons-cove), was renovated in high style a few years ago. Its location, overlooking the water and a short walk to Sag Harbor’s vibrant Main Street, cannot be beat. The rooms are decorated in spick-and-span nautical style. Amenities include a saltwater pool, yoga on the lawn, and shuttle service to nearby beaches. The Maidstone(from $595, themaidstone.com), a rambling Colonial-era building, has been an inn since the 1920s. Now owned by Jenny Baker, a third-generation Swedish hotelier, its rooms are named after famous Scandinavians (Astrid Lindgren, Sonia Henie) and decorated in clever Swedish style. Plentiful amenities include Kronan bikes (the same ones used by the Swedish Army), and complimentary yoga classes in the garden.

As Hamptons beach houses have become ritzier in recent years, so have hotels. The Quogue Club (from $425 a night in season, quogueclub.com), in the historic Hallock Mansion near Quogue’s extremely charming main drag, provides luxury and privacy. Plush common spaces — library, bar, tavern, restaurant — were designed by Alexa Hampton and are open only to club members and guests. Other amenities include a gym with members-only fitness classes, bikes and beach passes, and use of facilities at local golf and tennis clubs.

Topping Rose (from $600, toppingrosehouse.com) offers luxury accommodations in a fully restored Bridgehampton mansion as well as in studios and cottages designed by renowned architect Roger Ferris. A driver will ferry guests to destinations of their choice in the hotel’s Land Rover.

If you want and can afford to vacation like the 1 percent, choose the Inn at Windmill Lane (from $925, innatwindmilllane.com). Suites and free-standing cottages on a manicured Amagansett property have Duxiana beds, wood-burning fireplaces, and enormous tile and marble baths. The cottages have private gyms and saunas. The 24/7 concierge can deliver dinner from a restaurant or hire a private fitness instructor for you.

ON THE CHEAP For beautiful less-expensive lodgings, consider the Bayview Resort (bayviewresorthamptons.com) in Hampton Bays. This waterside motel has crisply renovated rooms and a pool overlooking Tiana Bay, which you can explore with one of the house kayaks. Just minutes from posh Jobs Lane in Southampton, weekend summer rates start at $240/night.

The ideal Hamptons restaurant serves up excellent food along with a touch of glitz and glamour. Here are some places known for both their menus and their atmosphere:

VACATION VIBES Stylish Cowfish (cowfishrestaurant.com) in Hampton Bays has a patio and bar that overlook Shinnecock Bay. Lobster rolls and Caesar salads are beautifully presented. Silver’s in Southampton is a lunch-only Art Deco gem with black-and-white tiled floors and a marble bar. It's the place to grab an exemplary BLT and a fine perch for people-watching.

Bridgehampton’s Elaia Estiatorio (elaiaestiatorio.com), brings Greek island vibes to the Hamptons. Sample refreshing Mediterranean favorites like grilled octopus in the whitewashed dining room.

FOR CELEB-SPOTTING The O.G. of celebrity hot spots, Nick and Toni’s (nickandtonis.com), is still attracting stars like Gwyneth Paltrow and Steven Spielberg after 30 years in business with pizzas, whole fish, and porchetta from its wood-fired oven.

The owners have just opened what is sure to be the next big thing, Mexican Coche Comedor (cochecomedor.com), in a renovated vintage diner in Amagansett. Ceviches and seafood cocktails can be enjoyed with a large selection of tequilas. Adobo-coated chickens spin on a custom-built rotisserie. On the dessert menu: banana-rum cake and churro sundaes. The low-key Yama-Q (yamaq.com) attracts both civilian and celebrity patrons (Sarah Jessica Parker and Alan Alda are regulars) with sushi, much of it sourced from Montauk fishermen.

Indian Wells Tavern (indianwellstavern.com) is an unpretentious pub serving burgers, sandwiches, steaks, and salads to the likes of Scarlet Johansson and Jimmy Fallon.

Almond (almondrestaurant.com) is almost as much of a landmark as the 1910 Main Street monument it overlooks. It’s been serving a seasonal menu of inventive dishes in a charming dining room with a tin ceiling and a lively bar to appreciative crowds for years.

Estia’s Little Kitchen (estias.com) in Sag Harbor, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a little house on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike, gets vegetables for its healthy Mexican dishes (quinoa, Andouille, onion, pepper, and spinach bowls; vegan tacos) from the garden out back.

Coastal saloon Cove Hollow Tavern (covehollowtavern.com), a relative newcomer to the East Hampton dining scene, has ingratiated itself to foodies by serving an eclectic menu that includes pork cracklings with bbq spices, squid ink spaghetti, and veal schnitzel.

ON THE CHEAP Order a fried egg sandwich ($4.25) at the counter at the Candy Kitchen in Bridgehampton, a classic luncheonette where locals rub elbows with fashion designers and Hollywood types. A lunch option: Hampton Chutney (hamptonchutney.com) in Amagansett, a counter service spot with picnic tables outside, where chicken or potato dosas served with coconut or mango chutney cost $10 to $15. For dinner, there is always Sam’s (samseasthampton.com), in business since 1947, serving old-school dishes like baked ziti ($16) and pizza.

Sample local beer at Westhampton Beach Brewing Company, (westhamptonbeachbrewingco.com), adjacent to Gabreski airport. The combination brewery and tasting room has floor-to-ceiling windows, indoor and outdoor tables, and eight or so beers on tap with new brews introduced all the time.

CLASSIC HAUNTS The original Bobby Van’s (bobbyvans.com) in Bridgehampton was a literary saloon back in the day, attracting drinkers including Truman Capote, George Plimpton, and Kurt Vonnegut. Its current location across the street from the old place has a lively oak bar, excellent bartenders, and a lengthy snacking menu (lobster salad sliders, mini Reubens) to satisfy the sociable day and evening crowds. In the ever-changing hospitality landscape of the Hamptons, the bar at the American Hotel (theamericanhotel.com) is reassuringly timeless. Memorabilia cover the walls, regulars gossip with each other and the bartenders pour potent and well-chilled cocktails.

FUN BARS Fans of tequila and the celebrities who love tequila can head to the Blue Parrot (blueparroteasthampton.com), where Bill Murray, Martha Stewart, and Jon Bon Jovi (who is one of the bar’s owners) have enjoyed the bar’s signature Dirty Bird Margarita along with Tex-Mex bites.

Once a humble bar called Jungle Pete’s, where Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock mingled with the hoi polloi, the Springs Tavern (thespringstavern.com) is today a gastropub serving unpretentious but well-made comfort food like nachos, Tater Tots, and deep-fried Twinkies along with craft beer and cocktails.

ON THE CHEAP There are plenty of places in the Hamptons where you can get a $20 martini, but there is only one Corner Bar (cornerbarsagharbor.com) a humble Sag Harbor watering hole on a prime piece of Main Street real estate. Grab a seat at the window and enjoy the view along with discounted drinks at happy hour.

Unlike other summer vacation destinations, where tacky souvenir shops selling ugly T-shirts compete with each other for visitors’ dollars, the Hamptons have dozens of beautiful places where you can buy a piece of the area’s upscale lifestyle.

GIFT SHOPS Imrie Industries (imrieindustries.com) in Westhampton Beach is a model beach boutique, stocking timeless T-shirts, cover-ups, jewelry, and leather goods. The general store Good Westhampton sells home goods and hostess gifts including scented candles, cocktail napkins, coffee table books, and penny candy.

HOUSEWARES Southampton’s Mecox Gardens (mecox.com) is the place to shop for reproduction 18th-century limestone fountains, concrete faux bois benches, and ceramic jars in sizes up to 8 feet tall.

Loaves and Fishes Cookshop (landfcookshop.com) in Bridgehampton is a must for cooking enthusiasts, with its selection of copper pots, hand-forged knifes, summery table linens, and cookbooks. Long-running Ruby Beets (rubybeets.com) stocks a rigorously curated selection of antiques and vintage décor as well as offering made-to-order furniture, rugs, and lighting, for that perfectly Hamptons mix of old and new. Monc XIII (monc13.com) is interior designer Natasha Esch’s showroom of antique, vintage, and new furniture and accessories, all in neutral colors and touchable textures, a soothing but stimulating mix.

SPECIALTY In the sea of international brands in East Hampton, the Monogram Shop stands out as a local retail original. It sells personalized beach bags, linens, glassware, and stationery as well as other unique gift items. In contrast to the blinged out boutiques of East Hampton, Amagansett’s Tiina the Store (tiinathestore.com) offers minimalist, artisanal — and pricey — beachwear, footwear, fine leather goods, and jewelry from such brands as The Elder Statesman, Ancient Greek Sandals, Jan-Jan Van Essche, and Valextra. Nellie’s of Amagansett (nelliesofamagansett.com) distinguishes itself from other area antiques stores by offering brand-new goods like maple cutting boards from Simon Pierce and ceramics by Judy Jackson, alongside a great selection of Americana.

ON THE CHEAP Pick up some gently used designer rags at Collette Consignment's four locations (colletteconsignment.com), where Oscar de la Renta gowns and Hermes belts and bags are resold.

The South Fork’s main attraction is its unparalleled white sand beaches. Some top picks: Cupsogue Beach County Park in Westhampton Beach is on one of Long Island’s easternmost barrier islands, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Oriches Inlet and Moriches Bay. It is lifeguard-supervised and features a snack bar, restrooms, and changing rooms.

Coopers Beach in Southampton, often cited as one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, is a short bike ride past elegant shingled mansions from Southampton village (daily parking for nonresidents is $50).

Lifeguard-protected Sagg Main Beach in Sagaponack is so popular with locals that it only sells daily nonresident passes on weekdays. The same goes for Atlantic Beach in Amagansett, a good weekday choice for nonresidents.

You can walk or bike to Main Beach in East Hampton, just a mile from downtown East Hampton, or catch a free shuttle car (nonresident daily parking costs $30). A pavilion features lockers, restrooms, and a snack bar.

FOR KIDS If you are visiting with small children, you might want to seek out a bay beach, like Sag Harbor’s Long Beach, with its warm, shallow water and gentle waves. Nonresident daily parking at the sandy strip connecting North Haven to Noyac costs $25.