Budget-friendly getaways from MacArthur Airport

MacArthur Airport offers budget-friendly flights to destinations on the East Coast, featuring beaches, excursions, museums, foodie hot spots and more for those seeking an escape.

Consider these four destinations that depart from the Town of Islip airport for adventurers looking for a quick getaway by price point and budget. 

For $250: MacArthur Airport to Atlanta 

FLIGHT DURATION: Starting at 4 hours and 20 minutes (not direct/stops depending on date and time)

These days, you can pay $100 just to drive off the Island between gas and tolls, which is why finding a cheap flight for a quick jaunt is such a treat. Frontier Airlines offers plenty of options for the budget traveler, including sub-$50 fares. Just plan on booking ahead of time, making a stop and sticking with a single, free personal carry on to keep costs down. If you can stick to these guidelines, it’s not difficult for a couple to jet off for a weekend without breaking the bank. For example, flights to Atlanta on the airline launch March 1 with fares starting from $33 each way. Be prepared to stop in Orlando before continuing on to Atlanta.

THINGS TO DO 

Landing at Atlanta Airport puts you right in the middle of the city. Use mass transit — MARTA — to get around. Choose from $2.50 bus or train routes. (Streetcars are $1) A two-day pass will cost you $14 per person.

During your visit, do the iconic Atlanta sites by buying a CityPASS ($99, $79 for kids 3-12), which gives you admission to five attractions. Choose from the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Zoo Atlanta, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, College Football Hall of Fame and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. CityPASS tickets are good for nine days so you can come and go as you’d like.

Cheap eats in Atlanta are easy to find and plentiful. Find tasty lunch options at Michelin-rated Bomb Biscuits including grits ($4) or scrambled eggs and Cheddar on a biscuit for ($6). LottaFrutta, a pan-Latin fruteria, is a healthy option for lunch or an early dinner. Salads, giant fruit cups and smoothies round out the mix.

WHERE TO STAY 

Staying under $250 a person means eating inexpensively and, if you’re staying overnight, choosing budget lodging. The Hampton Inn Atlanta-Buckhead, which starts around $104 per night and includes free breakfast, saving you a little more cash. Airbnb and VRBO offerings start even lower, with some apartments clocking in at around $65 per night.

For $500: MacArthur Airport to Baltimore

FLIGHT DURATION: 1 hour and 25 minutes

Tracy Turnblad sang the praises of Baltimore in "Hairspray" for good reason. The city, about 45 minutes outside of Washington, D.C., is a fun place to spend a night or two. Southwest Airlines offers flights to Baltimore for $140 one way, which means you can board your flight and arrive an hour and 25 minutes later. If you take the earliest flight, you’ll arrive around 7:15 a.m. leaving you plenty of time to take in the sights.

THINGS TO DO 

Getting around is pretty easy, even without a car. Take the airport shuttle to the BWI Rail Station. Once you’re in the center of the city get around using free public transportation including its Charm City Circulator buses and Harbor Connector water ferries, which take you from Locust Point to Canton Park.

Start with breakfast at Blue Moon Cafe where you’ll find Cap’n Crunch French toast as well as Sweet Baby Jesus — extra crispy hashbrowns topped with crabmeat, diced tomatoes, Cheddar, two eggs and hollandaise sauce — and a crab spinach tomato Benedict. Grab a Sin Roll (cinnamon roll), too, while you’re at it.

When your belly is full, walk over to Fell’s Point, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city for a little exercise — and a history lesson. There are more than 300 historic buildings in the area including Robert Long House, which can be toured by e-mailing ahead of time and the American Visionary Art Museum ($20, $11 ages 6 and up). The H.P. Rawlings Conservatory and Gardens (free) and the Baltimore Museum of Art (free but reserve tickets in advance) are close by, too.

The Maryland Science Center — right in Baltimore Harbor — is perfect for families with its three floors of exhibits, a planetarium and an observatory, but its adult evening events are also a big draw. Think Rolling Stones planetarium shows, adult game nights, drinks and science games.

Lunch at Miss Shirley’s Café, featured in The Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," doesn’t disappoint. Choose from any of the fun Southern dishes like pineapple upside down pancakes or chicken n’ Cheddar green onion waffles. Shirley’s gumbo, made from chicken sausage, chicken, shrimp, crawfish meat, okra and tomatoes, is big enough to fill you up. Dinner can be anything waterfront but don’t miss grabbing a pit beef sandwich — thinly sliced, charcoal-grilled round roast on a bun. Chaps Pit Beef has its own pit beef on a bun ($11.50) as well as burgers, ham sandwiches, fried cod and turkey Reubens.

WHERE TO STAY 

Since you saved so much money touring the city, stay someplace fabulous at night. Rooms at the William Fell Baltimore, part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection, start at $192, while the Pendry Baltimore starts at $629 a night. Both feature rooms and suites and are in Fell’s Point.

For $1,000: MacArthur Airport to Fort Myers

FLIGHT DURATION: 3 hours and 15 minutes

JetBlue recently added new departures to Florida including seasonal flights to Fort Myers that launched in December. Base fares for this Sunshine State location start at $64 one way, which means a family of four can fly and stay for a few days while sticking to a budget.

THINGS TO DO 

Fort Myers is on the West Coast of Florida, so beaches are a main draw. The Sanibel Island, Fort Myers Beach and Captiva Island white sand beaches are gorgeous and mostly restored to normalcy after Hurricane Ian. Fort Myers Beach maintains 29 public beach access points, so it’s easy to swim, lie on the beach and watch for dolphins or take a walk to look for shells. If you want to get closer to the dolphins consider renting a kayak or going on a 90-minute waverunner dolphin adventure tour ($180, $200 or $220 for one, two or three people).

Since visiting Fort Myers in the winter and spring means that it’s still warm enough to swim but not too warm to hike and enjoy other nature spots, leave time for other options, too. Bowditch Point Park, located on Estero Island in Fort Myers Beach, is a 17-acre nature preserve right on the bay that has a hiking trail. Park early ($2 per hour) and bring sunscreen, bug spray, and walking shoes since there is still debris lying around from Hurricane Ian. You can also partake in some fishing and bring your cleaned and filleted catch to restaurants like the Bimini Bait Shack where they will cook it up for you. You’ll pay $13.99 per person for the service that includes grilling, blackening, or frying the fish, one side, and a Cheddar biscuit. The waterfront tiki bar also has fabulous smoker fare like brisket and ribs, live music, and lots of seafood offerings.

If you get tired of being outdoors, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates ($28; $20 ages 13-19 and $15 ages 6-12) are open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. The winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford can be toured as well as the surrounding gardens, museum, and laboratory dedicated to the inventors. Look at antique cars and don’t skip the interactive elements.

WHERE TO STAY 

When it’s time to go to sleep DiamondHead Beach Resort ($$399 per night) gets lots of praise from the locals for its views since the high-rise is right on the ocean. (Not to mention that the beach trolley to bring you to close by restaurants and shops stops right in front.) The Lani Kai Island Resort, ($400 per night) which recently reopened, is another option. Every room has its own private beachside balcony and there’s a heated pool, playground and live music.

For $2,000: MacArthur Airport to New Orleans

FLIGHT DURATION: Starting at 5 hours (not direct/stops depending on date and time)

One of the latest additions to MacArthur — Breeze Airways — flies from Ronkonoma to New Orleans (no direct flights/some flights with stops don't require passengers to change planes). While some of the airline’s one-way flights are as low as $52 one way, the more common round trip weekend fares clock in at about $350 per person, which still leaves your family plenty of cash to have fun in this Louisiana city.

THINGS TO DO 

While many people focus on the revelry and craziness of Bourbon Street, there’s more to do than just drink and dance. New Orleans is historic — it was founded in 1718 — so there are dozens of museums and guided tours to take in. The best part: the city’s four streetcar lines ($3 for an all-day pass) help you move around quickly from the Quarter to the Garden District’s mansions to the Mississippi Riverfront.

Take the St. Charles Avenue streetcar or the Riverfront streetcar lines to the National World War II Museum ($36, $26 for students K-college). You can spend two hours or two days in its galleries, theater, and pavilions where you’ll learn about the war, see world war planes, and take a 4D tour voiced by Tom Hanks. The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum ($10, $7 for kids and seniors; guided tours $20) is another popular destination. Dedicated to the history of pharmacy and medicine in the 19th and early- to mid-20th centuries, you’ll find thousands of weird and interesting things to see here.

If outside adventures are more your jam, tour New Orleans from the Mississippi River. Steamboat Natchez offers sightseeing cruises starting at 11 a.m. The last boat departs at 6 p.m. and includes live jazz music and dinner. Simple sightseeing cruises with live jazz start at around $58.

If you want to get closer to the action, consider taking a two-hour swamp tour with Cajun Encounters (starting at $34.99). You’ll get on a flat bottom boat see the swamp as well as alligators, raccoons, wild hogs and birds. When you get back to the city stroll over to Jackson Square, a French Quarter park where you’ll find statues, artists, musicians and vendors and gain access to St. Louis Cathedral.

From there it’s easy to pop over to the Pontalba Apartments, the oldest apartment buildings in the country. This iconic building current also houses shops, museums, and plenty of restaurants such as Cafe Pontalba, Corner Oyster House and Monty's on the Square. Grab beignets at Monty’s ($13) for breakfast, a fried poboy sandwich for lunch at Corner Oyster House ($15 for Southern catfish filet) and Café Pontalba’s crawfish étouffée ($20.95) for dinner.

WHERE TO STAY 

For a good night’s sleep, skip the hotels on Bourbon Street. Instead, try the Hotel Peter and Paul, which is a 10-minute walk from the lights and noise of the Quarter. The boutique hotel was built in an old Catholic school and 19th century church and is exquisite and functional. Rooms start at $275 per night and guests have access to its bar and restaurant. A new pool is opening this summer. Another option, the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery (rooms start at $135 per night) is in the Warehouse Arts District three blocks from Bourbon Street. Every room features art from local high school students and there’s an award-winning restaurant, Compere Lapin, right on property.