Disappointing photos show what it's really like to visit the Hamptons during the summer

From expensive food to long lines, the Hamptons can be disappointing.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

• The Hamptons is a popular summer getaway for celebrities and New Yorkers looking to escape NYC.
• I recently took a trip out east to eat, party, and experience what all the hype is about.

From movies to celebrity paparazzi shots and Instagram photos, the Hamptons seems like an ideal summer getaway.

John Legend performing at The Surf Lodge in Montauk.      Rebecca Smeyne/Contributor/Getty Images

For people who own homes there, I'm sure it is. But for the rest of us, it can be filled with let-downs.

Having a summer home for staying-in and visiting for a weekend of partying can yield different experiences.      Rachel Askinasi/Insider

First off, getting to the Hamptons during the summer isn't easy — even if you have a car. My drive was long and filled with deep pockets of traffic.

I sat in a lot of traffic on my way out east.      Rachel Askinasi/Insider

And once you're there, getting around isn't much easier. Gas was extremely expensive during my visit.

Gas prices at a station in Montauk.      Rachel Askinasi/Insider

But the alternative of taking Ubers was also overpriced. It could cost around $100 to get from parts of East Hampton and Southampton to The Surf Lodge, a popular club in Montauk, on a non-holiday-weekend Friday afternoon.

Uber pricing for a 24-mile drive.      Screenshots from Uber

You may also be looking forward to enjoying some peace and privacy on the beach, but many of them are limited to resident access only.

People sitting on a resident-only beach in Sagaponack.      Rachel Askinasi/Insider

The publicly accessible beaches can get very crowded.

A photo of a crowded beach in Southampton.      Spencer Platt/Staff/Getty Images

While many of the neighborhoods around these private beaches are beautiful, don't expect to be able to ride around looking at luxurious houses all day — many of the large properties have thick hedges blocking street views.

There were some areas where I couldn't see any houses from the street at all.      Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Parking was generally a mess during the day. I lucked out with street parking a few times, but the lots in East Hampton, Southampton, and Sag Harbor towns were packed.

Cars wait for spots to open in a Sag Harbor parking lot.      Rachel Askinasi/Insider

And the traffic in town became quickly backed up late in the day.

Cars were backed up on the bridge that led into Sag Harbor town.      Rachel Askinasi/Insider

I also experienced lots of crowds at restaurants causing long wait times at some of the many spots that don't take reservations.

People waited more than 45 minutes at The Lobster Roll.      Rachel Askinasi/Insider

And lines for bars and clubs were over the top. Partiers waited four hours to get into Stephen Talkhouse (an Amagansett bar) and the scene outside Surf Lodge was overwhelming — people waiting were told they couldn't get in without buying a table for over $1,000.

The four-hour line outside of Stephen Talkhouse.      Rachel Askinasi/Insider

In addition to nightlife, I found that food in general was just really expensive. This single-egg sandwich cost me $6.25 — about double the cost I'm used to paying for the same menu item from a New York City deli or street cart.

Food was expensive, even for someone used to New York City prices.      Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Specifically, those lobster rolls you see all over Instagram come with high price tags (the most expensive roll I ate cost $42). But I learned that much of the meat isn't even local — at four different restaurants known for their lobster, I was told the meat came from Maine.

None of the lobster meat I ate was local.      Rachel Askinasi/Insider

While the Hamptons in the summer can be disappointing in some ways, if I were visiting in future and wanted to save money and time waiting in lines, I'd get groceries from farm stands and cook rather than eating out or consider going back in the off-season to avoid crowds.

Farm stands are all over the Hamptons and have beautiful produce on offer.      Rachel Askinasi/Insider