Getting Here and Around

If you want to truly explore the Hudson Valley, you'll need a car. Public transportation is available, but a car is the best way to explore the region's scenic back roads and byways. The Palisades Interstate Parkway is your best choice for a major north-south road on the west side of the Hudson River. The Taconic State Parkway, a main route on the east side of the river, is particularly scenic, with good views of the Catskills to the west. Both are easily accessible from Manhattan.

For those arriving by air, the Hudson Valley is served by Stewart International Airport and Westchester County Airport. Albany International Airport, at the north end of the Hudson Valley, is a good option for visits to Ulster, Columbia, and Dutchess counties. Of New York City's three major airports (JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark), LaGuardia is the closest to the Hudson Valley, though all three are reasonably accessible.

Train Travel

The Metro-North Railroad and Amtrak can take you to many of the towns on either side of the river. If you want to do more than walk around the downtown area near the train station, you may want to rent a car once there. Enterprise is a good company to go with in this situation, since staff there will pick you up (not applicable to all stations).