Rhinebeck, Hudson and Cold Spring are all nice. We didn't eat in Hudson (it was a weekday in late May and most shops were closed except for weekends), but both Rhinebeck and Cold Spring have any number of really good restaurants, and both have oodles of shops. They're all "charming".

I would pick Rhinebeck. Assume you will have a car, correct?

What kind of hiking do you want to do? 3mi stroll through the woods is different than a 10mi round trip up the mountain. Coldspring / Beacon area is better for the latter.

Great - thanks for the tips! We are thinking of taking the train. Is a car better?

There's not enough to do right in any of the towns for two days without a car. You will wish you had a car when you are there, even if it's just to go a few miles down the road to a different site, or trail.

If you will be taking the train to Rhinecliff, I would stay at a B&B in the Village of Rhinebeck where you are walking distance to many things. Hiking however, you will need a car to get to.

There is great hiking in Cold Spring as well as New Paltz.

For good hiking and a quaint town accessible by train only, Cold Spring is the answer.

http://www.nynjtc.org/hike/breakneck-ridge-trail

Amtrak also stops in Hudson, and the main shopping street is within walking distance of the train station. So you do have options. But I'm not sure you'll have access to hiking trails anywhere if you don't have a car.

It's not just hiking trails that you need a car to access, but also popular Hudson Valley sites. In the Rhinebeck area that means this historic Vanderbilt & FDR Mansions. They are about 10mi south of the Village of Rhinebeck. Quick to get to, but not without a car.

My favorite place in the Hudson Valley is Storm King, an outdoor sculture garden spread out over 100's of acres with name brand scupltors. Then you can cross the river and stay and eat in Cold Spring.

http://www.stormking.org/

Thank you so much! This is all great advice.

I recently discovered offMetro.com - http://offmetro.com/ny/ - which has great getaway ideas from NYC, car optional. You should be able to find Hudson Valley tips there.

I am a Hudson Valley resident, and offer the folloing detail, to help you decide between several good alternatives:

COLD SPRING: closest to NYC; village close to train station. Probably good restaurants, good shops, but I haven't been down there i a while. No nearby museums, except by car; but village do- able sans car.

BEACON: next closest to NYC: village close to train station ; EXELLENT world-class contemporary museum: diaeacon: village a bit further from train station, but walkable; Mt. Beacon steep walking trail rewarded by fantastic view; decent restaurants, a town slowly trying to regenerate as an art center. Do-able sans car

RHINEBECK: farthest from NYC: train stop is Rhinecliff, three miles away, would need cab if no car; best for restaurants: Gigi trattoria; The Local; Terrapin; new one called "Market" - good reviews. Art movie house; hiking at Ferncliff Forest, with Tower for viewing Catskills.
(Rhinecliff has hotel: The Rhinecliff, right on Hudson,expensive rooms with views, food so-so; better restaurant across the street: China Rose, haut chinese, local favorite.)

HUDSON: farthest from NYC; long walk uptown, some good new restaurants; mostly one long street: Warren St, replete with antique and arty almost-antique furniture for home decor. I go often, but would NEVER recommend for a HV typical weekend, but does have a marvelous shoe-string performing arts center, called Time & Space Limited.

Rhinebeck is best all-around, continuously charming, (not struggling to come back, like Beacon and Hudson, with good diverse shops, but do not stay or eat at Beekman Arms, except in their Delameter House Annex, which is right in village. The "Beek" is historic, worth walking thru building, and snapping photos of front gardens.

Sorry, could not edit on my iPad. Under Beacon: " excellent" ; diaeacon is name of museum, that funny emoticon just showed up!

Good luck with planning this weekend. When are you going?

Happy to answer any other questions. By the way, Storm King is fabulous world-class outdoor sculptur park, hard to see without car, on other side of Hudson, doubt if there is public transportation.

-B

I am not even an "art" person or a "museum" person (much) but we absolutely loved Storm King. Didn't make it to the Dia Beacon.

Thanks, J52. Don't know why that happens. The name is written as lower case "dia" then a colon, then a capitalized "Beacon."

colon B

Thank you for this, planning a long overdue visit to the Hudson Valley this coming spring...