Fall trip: NYC and leaf peeping
 

We have a couple of NW airlines coupons we have to use by next week (fly by year's end). We're considering a fall trip to NYC with a side trip to see some fall foliage. The flight would be into/out of LaGuardia. I need some help with transportation from there.

We'd like to start in the country. Is there somewhere near the airport we could catch a train to the "countryside" to pick up a rental car? We really don't want to start a vacation driving in NYC. We would like to return the car to the same location and train into the city for our last few days.

Thanks. JB

topping

The problem is that LGA does not have any rail access.

Your best bet would be to take a car service to someplace in Westchester (I think White Plains has a bunch of car rental places) and you could take a trip north of the city from there to look at the leaves. Then, return the car to White Plains and take Metro North into the city.

(In the interests of full disclosure you could get to White Plains by taking a New York City bus to 125th street and get on Metro North there. But it would involve dragging luggage onto a bus with no room for it - and possibly you - as well as dragging it up several long flights of stairs - since the 125th st Station is elevated.)

For car services try carmel or tel aviv.
Or perhaps someone from White Plains can reco a regular shuttle from that area.

NYT:

Is a "car service" like a shuttle? Sorry, but I'm not familiar with the term.

NYT is speaking of a car/limo service.
I second the recommendation of Carmel.

Otherwise, I believe you would have to cab it to the Train Station and go on from there, which would be exhausting to me and you would miss the nice ride up. If you could stay your first night in town, then take the train, you might be more rested and ready for your adventure..
Where are you planning to stay upstate?
Have fun..there is nothing like autumn in NY :)

I don't think you should be too concerned about renting a car at LaGuardia and driving from LaGuardia to upstate New York. You don't have to drive through Manhattan.

However, I think that Northwest flies into Westchester County Airport (White Plains) and Stewart (Newburgh), so that you might be able to skip flying into NYC.

Westchester County Airport to NYC is a cab fare from the airport to the train station with very frequent commuter trains into NYC.

I believe that Stewart Airport has buses to Beacon and then a commuter train from Beacon into NYC, which will be a longer ride and less frequent than White Plains.

Mmmmm... autumn in NYC... we went for the first time in early to mid November last year and the views from the plane on the way in (we flew into JFK) were just spectacular. I believe we looped over Westchester (is that the right name of the fancy county just North of the city?) and OH MY the foliage was SPECTACULAR. We stayed on the UES and Central Park was just ablaze in color. We were there for marathon weekend, which made it all the more awesome.

I don't have much advice, but you sure will enjoy it.

Where are you flying from? I believe that there is some NW service to White Plains Airport. Check it. You could then rent a car at that airport and drive north for the foliage.
Otherwise, it would make more sense to rent a car at LaGuardia and drive over the Whitestone Bridge to the "country," avoiding the city altogether. To get from the airport to catch a train to rent a car seems a lot more of a hassle and much more time consuming.

Fall is far more spectacular in Vermont and New Hampshire.

LaGuardia is one of the destinations fully covered by the coupon. Smaller destinations are considerably more.

We've done Vermont and the Berkshires a few autumns ago. Would love to go back...especially since we didn't get over to NH.

I'm just starting to put this trip together. Will consider the suggestion of driving out of LaGuardia. Still have to decide where we're driving TO, though. We can go anytime in October or November. Any tips on other places to see great foliage?

If you want to see foliage, do it in October, not November. Last year was a real exception when the foliage was late.
As for where to go, anywhere from the lower Hudson Valley in New York, the Berkshires in Massachusetts and up through Vermont and New Hampshire.

Since you are using coupons have you considered flying into LGA and out of Albany, or vice versa? That would save you from backtracking.

Driving out of NYC from LGA isn't really too bad. If you need help with directions to a specific place, just post a question here and we'll be glad to help.

is newark an option? There you can rent a car and bypass NYC.

No, Newark isn't included. Perhaps it would be best to simply stay in the city the whole time. We could take a train day-trip to somewhere to see some foliage, returning to the city that night.

I would fly into LGA, rent a car and drive North. You could stay in the Hudson Valley or drive as far up as, say, Vermont. I would recommend taking a flight that gets you in early on a weekend as you will experience less traffic. You could also rent a car on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and then hop on the West Side Highway going North.