Next Stop: Vacation Getaways
At the End of the Rail Line

Want to get out of the city, but don't want to hop a flight or pay a fortune filling up your car with gasoline? A retreat in a town at the end of metropolitan rail line just might be the ticket. Here are three to consider.

• Bay Head, N.J.
• Fox Lake, Ill.
• Plymouth, Mass.

PLACE/PRICE: Bay Head, N.J./$999,900

PROPERTY TAX*: $4,419

THE PROPERTY: A 1943 cottage with 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on a 0.07-acre lot that faces the Atlantic Ocean.

DESCRIPTION: This home, which recently has been updated with new siding, windows and roof, offers a four-season porch with fireplace, a great room, hardwood floors, French doors and a one-car garage. Beach dunes can be seen from the front yard.

NOTABLE: The house is about 100 yards to a train station with scheduled runs to Manhattan. The local train takes approximately two and one-half hours to get into the city. Commuters in a hurry can drive about 15 minutes to nearby Brick, N.J., and hop a one-hour bus to New York City. Bayhead offers a collection of quaint Victorian homes, beaches, more than 40 specialty shops and several restaurants.

Note: *Current owner's payment

Sources: Coldwell Banker Riviera Realty,  RE/MAX Showplace, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

-- Ms. Kim is a senior editor at RealEstateJournal.com.

Email your comments to lauren.kim@dowjones.com.