Region

Palm Beach County

Base in West Palm Beach or Delray Beach; drive the coast in 2–4 days, no car-free loop.

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Key facts · United States

Best months: Dec–Mar
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: US dollar (USD, $)
Language: English
Plugs: A · B · 120 V
Time zone: Six zones: UTC−5 to UTC−10

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…

North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Palm Beach County is a 50-mile strip of barrier-island beaches, each town with its own access park and its own downtown. There is no single resort core: Boca Raton and Delray Beach anchor the south, West Palm Beach the middle, Jupiter the north. A car turns the county into a chain of half-day stops; without one you are limited to the Tri-Rail and Brightline towns. Two nights covers the coast, four adds the inland Everglades preserves.

Where to sleep

8 places in this region

Sleep base

West Palm BeachCity guide
Airport, Brightline, downtown restaurants, central for day drives.
Best Nov–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
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Delray BeachCity guide
Atlantic Avenue walkable to the beach; Tri-Rail and Amtrak stop.
Best Nov–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Delray Beach →

Day trip

Boca RatonCity guide
Southern end, closest to Fort Lauderdale airport.
Best Dec–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
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JupiterCity guide
Northern beaches and river parks; 30–40 min from West Palm Beach.
Best Nov–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Jupiter →
Lake Worth BeachCity guide
Developed beach park with pier and restaurants.
Best Nov–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Lake Worth Beach →
Riviera BeachCity guide
Port of Palm Beach and the Peanut Island ferry.
Best Nov–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
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Palm BeachCity guide
One public beach access park; the rest is private.
Best Nov–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Palm Beach →
North Palm BeachCity guide
MacArthur Beach State Park, $5 per vehicle.
Best Dec–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open North Palm Beach →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

2 nights: West Palm Beach 2; Boca Raton and Delray Beach as one southern day
4 nights: West Palm Beach 2 + Delray Beach 2, with a Jupiter and a Grassy Waters half-day

Boca Raton + Delray Beach + West Palm Beach + Jupiter in one day is four half-days of driving on I-95.
Palm Beach town has a single public beach access park; the rest of the shoreline is private.
Inland natural areas flood after heavy rain and some trails close — check before setting out.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Delray Beach	West Palm Beach	35 min	unknown	Tri-Rail and Brightline both stop; drive is I-95 south.
Boca Raton	West Palm Beach	45 min	unknown	Red Reef Park for snorkeling off the reef; parking fills by mid-morning in season.
Jupiter	West Palm Beach	40 min	unknown	Riverbend Park and Cypress Creek for trails; MacArthur Beach for the lagoon boardwalk.
Peanut Island	Riviera Beach	30 min	unknown	Boat access only; short ferry from near the port, about $12. The Kennedy bunker closed to tours in 2017.

Bags between cities

Luggage forwarding between hotels in the county is not standard; pack light or use hotel concierge services if available.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
West Palm Beach	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
Delray Beach	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
Boca Raton	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	ok	go
Jupiter	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	×	×	ok	go	go
Lake Worth Beach	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
Riviera Beach	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
Palm Beach	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
North Palm Beach	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	ok	go
United States (country-wide)	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	ok	ok

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Coastal Palm Beach CountyBarrier islands and the I-95 corridor	best	best	best	ok	ok	wet	wet	wet	storm	wet	ok	best

best: dry, mildok: workablewet: daily rainstorm: typhoon or flood risk

Coastal Palm Beach County: Winter and spring are the dry, busy months; June–September is hot and wet with afternoon storms, and August–October carries hurricane risk. Sea temperatures stay swimmable most of the year.

Winter is peak season: hotel rates and beach parking both climb from January to April.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
PBI (West Palm Beach, Donald J Trump International)	Downtown West Palm Beach	Taxi, rideshare or rental car	~10 min	The county's main airport, about 3 miles from downtown; mostly US East Coast routes plus some Bahamas and Caribbean flights.
FLL (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International)	Boca Raton / Delray Beach	Tri-Rail commuter train or rental car	~40 min to Boca Raton by car	About 40 miles south of West Palm Beach; a longer route list and often cheaper fares.
MIA (Miami International)	West Palm Beach	Rental car or Tri-Rail via Miami	~70 min by car	About 70 miles south; long-haul international flights, usually pricier.
Miami	West Palm Beach	Brightline or Tri-Rail	~1 h Brightline, longer on Tri-Rail	Brightline is faster and costs more; Tri-Rail stops at more county stations.
Orlando	West Palm Beach	Brightline		Car-free link between Central and South Florida; check current timetable and fares.
I-95 or Florida's Turnpike	County-wide	Car	—	I-95 runs through the main cities; the Turnpike a few miles west is less trafficked and tolled.

Regional passes

Verdict first

SunPass transponder

check

Pays off only if you use toll roads repeatedly; visitors can also pay by plate.

Tri-Rail day pass

check

Worth it for a car-free Boca Raton–West Palm Beach day; check current fares and weekend service.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Stone crab claws	County-wide, in season	A Florida season specialty; prices peak early in the season.
Downtown small plates	Delray Beach: Atlantic Avenue	Walkable strip between the beach and the bars; busiest after 19:00.Walkable strip between the beach and the bars; busiest after 7:00 PM.
Waterfront seafood	Lake Worth Beach and Riviera Beach	Casual dockside spots; lunch is cheaper than dinner.
Cuban and Caribbean	West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach	Look for counter-service lunch spots away from the beachfront.

Go next

Greater Miami

planned

Brightline ~1 h from West Palm Beach

Miami Beach and the Art Deco district; winter is the season.

Broward County

planned

Tri-Rail or I-95 south, ~30–50 min

Fort Lauderdale beaches and Port Everglades cruises.

Miami-Dade County

planned

Brightline or Tri-Rail south

Combine with the Keys for a longer South Florida loop.

Florida

Turnpike north to Orlando, or I-75 across the state

Statewide planning page.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 2 bases
Day trips: 4, 30 min to 45 min
Nights suggested: 2–4 nights
Ways in: 6 listed
Best months: Jan–Mar, Dec

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Open Greater Miami Up to United States

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialPalm Beach County — official site
officialThe Palm Beaches — destination marketing
officialPalm Beach International Airport
officialTri-Rail
officialBrightline
officialFlorida Department of Environmental Protection — state parks
secondaryWikivoyage: Palm Beach County, revision 5319834 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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