Hudson River Valley Boat Trip
 

Please help me. I've been searcing for about eight hours for a day trip / boat trip up the Hudson River past all the great estates (i guess predominantly between poughkeepsie and Hudson?) I'm having a lot of trouble finding someone that does this. Hudson Valley Cruises does but only for groups. Please can anyone help. This has always been a dream of mine. Thank you, Melissa

Out of NYC there is this one-day trip to Bear Mountain/West Point, not as far as the area you want. It is only available in autumn to take advantage of the changing colors:

http://www.circleline42.com/index.ihtml?page=holiday

For lower and upper Hdson, the Clearwater sloop has some public dates:

http://www.clearwater.org/memsail.html

Thanks, I'd found clearwater but it doesn't seem to do the trip up past all the great estates. Really hope someone out there knows how to do this. I found where you can book for groups of ten or more, but not just for a couple.

Go to www.hudsonriver.com and click on Hudson River cruises on the left.

http://www.hudsonrivercruises.com/

We went on this trip last June.It was a nice 2 hour cruise.

Have you thought of combining a short cruise with an auto tour? Many of the estates in the lower Hudson Valley are worth visiting. Even if you only visited Boscobel, with its spectacular view down the Hudson past West Point to the Bear Mountain Bridge, you'd get a feel for what these places are like. Also, Boscobel is the venue for the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, whose season will be in full swing while you're visiting.

Here's a list of mansions with explanations: http://tinyurl.com/cwjpnv

And, here's a link to the HVSF: http://tinyurl.com/c5m54u

Thanks for all this help, i'd found hudson river cruises, but their website said they don't take booking for under 10 people, I am emailing them to see if they have a trip. I've heard that the train line out to near there is a beautiful trip, or maybe we'd be better off hiring a car out of NYC. We also would like to spend a day out on Long Island and head to Montauk. Once again, thank you

" I've heard that the train line out to near there is a beautiful trip, or maybe we'd be better off hiring a car out of NYC. "

A couple of points.

1. You can get a commuter train (Metro North RR) to Poughkeepsie, but no further.
2. You can take Amtrak to Rhinecliff (Rhinebeck), across the river from Kingston, but you still have to get to Kingston.
3. While there certainly pretty stretches of train ride from NYC to POK most if it is a 60mph clackity-clack ride through NYC & surrouds, woods, industrial areas, or along some rather nondescript stretches of the riverfront.

Rent a car - it'll give you far more flexibility and probably cost less to boot. From Manhattan to Kingston is 1.5hrs on the most direct route (I-87/NYS Thruway), longer if you take a scenic route or stop along the way at various sites.

If you're willing to give up the boat trip, then I think a rental car is your best bet. J62 describes the Metro North trip and its limitations quite accurately. I also think that, if you're not planning on staying in the Hudson Valley, you'll need to limit your itinerary to two or three places in order to do justice to them in the time you've allotted.

As for Montauk, I don't recall what time of year you said you are visiting, but Montauk is about three hours from the City in good traffic, far, far more in bad. Much of the trip is on the exceedingly boring Long Island Expressway and the remainder is on traffic-choked two-lane highways through the Hamptons (summer home of the rich and famous), then another hour or so out to Montauk. Not worth your trouble, in my opinion.

Some Jersey Shore communities are much more accessible from New York, including via NJTransit rail from Penn Station, and are equally as scenic as eastern Long Island, absent the Hamptons attitude. If you're driving, you might want to head for the spectacularly beautiful Island Beach State Park.

Just a caution: summer weekend (Friday-to-Sunday) traffic is insane whichever direction you go. Another reason, perhaps, to take the train to the Jersey Shore.

(Oh, and incidentally, here in New Jersey, it's never the coast or the beach (well, other than the state park), it's the shore. And, Jersey is the only "New" state in the United States that is commonly referred to without the "New." You never hear other states referred to as "York" or "Hampshire" or "Mexico," for example.)

Thanks again, So.. if we were to hire a car we could drive out toward Kingston, but we really wouldn't see much of the built architecture I'd imagine, unless we go into each estate which is open to the public individually?
Would it then be a four to five hour drive out onto Long Island and to Montauk? We will be there in the first half of July, So the weather would be quite nice?
If we chose the Jersey shore option... which does sound quite attractive would we need a car, or just use the train, how long would it take to get us out there.
Re the Hamptons, I understand that it's the vacation area of the rich and famous, but we were thinking of it in terms of the built scenery, coastal landscapes and the contrast with NYC? Anyone got any opinions here? Thanks to you all I'm getting a much more fleshed out plan in my head.

You've listed several specific destinations - Kingston, Montauk, Jersey Shore, each of which could be a long to very long haul from Manhattan.

Can you tell us what it really is you'd like to do? There are options that don't entail driving so far that may fit the bill perfectly. If you're planning on doing these excursions as a day trip or a 2-3 day trip?

If it's a beach then you have numerous options, each with pros and cons.

If it's scenic drive w/ historic estates, then there are places much closer than Kingston. We could map out a really nice 1 day trip or even nicer one overnight route for you.

If it's a hudson river boat ride - (which is what you first mention) there may be options closer than Kingston.
http://www.hudsonriver.com/cruises.htm or http://www.commanderboat.com/


If it's a scenic drive through the countryside - lots of routes to consider.

If it's quaint little towns w/ B&B?

If it's outlet shopping ....(not kidding - some people post here on fodors asking how to get to outlet malls near NYC)

A nice way to see Montauk is to take the train to New London, CT then rent a car and take the Ferry to Orient Point on Long Island. The ferry goes through a pretty part of the sound and puts you closer to Montauk. This avoids most of the driving.

"i'd found hudson river cruises, but their website said they don't take booking for under 10 people"

We were a party of 3.You do not need to prebook,there is a ticket booth at the dock.

Thank you njsusan, hopefully they run everyday. I'm waiting for an email back from them regarding this.

emalloy, thank you re getting to Montauk this sounds wonderful.

J62, what we are considering is leaving NYC early in the morning and heading out to montauk, perhaps via the ferry from CT as suggested above, the next day we would then drive to Kingston, take the cruise with Hudson River Cruises and then head back to NYC.

Does this sound feasible. Also, any inside info you have on routes to take would be appreciated.

Thanks again

I saw American Cruise Lines add in Audubon Magazine but I think they only do the fall. But all their trips sound interesting. Btw, I met my husband at the Clearwater Festival over 20 years ago. But it's more about the environment than mansions! Check it out sometime though. It's a special thing.

No, I don't think it sounds feasible at all.

- Manhattan to New London: 2 1/2 hr drive on a very busy truck route (I-95)
- Wait at New London for next ferry & boarding - 30min - 1 1/2hr, depending on whether you just miss a ferry or not.
- Ferry to Orient Point - 1 1/2 hrs over open water
- Drive Orient Point to Montauk - 2hrs over very slow 2 lane rds.

If you left Manhattan at 6am you'd get to Montauk somewhere around noon. I'm not quite sure what is drawing you to Montauk, especially for what amounts to a day trip or one quick overnight.

The next day it's a 4-5hr drive from Montauk to Kingston - could be worse if there is traffic anywhere as you'd be driving right through NYC again.

You're basically taking a day trip FROM Montauk to Kinsgton, then back to NYC. As others have said the Hudson Valley is nice IF you are in or passing through the area. There is no way I would advise a one day trip from even NYC to Kingston to catch a boat ride, let alone a added 3+ hr drive from the tip of Long Island.

My advice is to pick one or the other & plan on 2 days / 1 night on either Long Island or the Hudson Valley, but if you plan to do both you'll see hours and hours of roadway & traffic.

The NJTransit train ride from Penn Station in New York to many of the Jersey Shore communities is about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, depending upon how far south you choose to go. You would probably want to choose one community to visit, such as Spring Lake (very attractive, beautiful homes; a long non-commercial boardwalk; no convenient changing facilities for day-trippers, however) or Ocean Grove (family-friendly community, non-commercial boardwalk, changing facilities available) or Belmar (commercial boardwalk, lots of activity).

However, you've not made clear why you want to head for the Shore (or for Montauk, for that matter). If, instead of beach communities, you're looking for unspoiled dunes and wildlife, you should consider Island Beach State Park (mentioned earlier in this thread).

I agree with J62 that trying to cram LI or the Jersey Shore and the Hudson Valley into a single trip is inviting long waits in traffic.

Lissa2905,

It's not inexpensive, but have you looked at Smithsonian Journey's fall trip along the Hudson? They use a 49-passenger ship & stop at historic homes of literary, artistic & political figures. Begins & ends in NYC, Oct. 16-24. www.SmithsonianJourneys.org.

Pete

Hi All, thanks so much. Yes I guess in terms of Montauk, we were looking for those stereotypical Hamptons beaches and coastline. Can we get this anywhere else?

We want to see this, and we also want to see the mansions and great estates along the Hudson, would we do better to do both as separate day trips to and Back from NYC?

It's a long way to come from Australia, and we both have things that we've always thought of seeing when in / near NYC.

Thank you

Melissa

I'm not so sure you'd be able to get much of a view of Hamptons beaches and coastline. Those towns are very protective and restrictive of who is even allowed on the beaches. And they're a long, long drive from NYC.

I'll repeat my suggestion of the Jersey Shore. Spring Lake has a beautiful avenue (Ocean Avenue) between the large homes (some quite spectacular) and the sandy beach. It's a lovely town, worth a drive through, even several blocks from the ocean. As its name implies, there's a lovely lake within the town limits.

Another couple of towns on the Jersey Shore somewhat north of Spring Lake are Deal and Elberon, both of which have huge homes. But the main "drag" (Route 35) is on the shoreward side of the homes, so you really can't see them.

If you want the quintessential Eastern US seashore, head for Island Beach State Park, a long narrow natural reserve on one of the barrier islands that face the Atlantic Ocean, and are across a bay from the Jersey mainland.

And, yes, you should consider making the shore trip (NJ or LI) on a different day from the Hudson Valley trip. Either or both can be good, if chock full, day trips.

Hmm... It's looking like it might be a wasted trip to Montauk. Does anyone have any reasons that make it worth going?

Will do the two as separate day trips now I think :)

For a more convenient location to take a Hudson River cruise, check out www.prideofthehudson.com. Its cruises leave from Newburgh, which is a lot closer to NYC than Kingston. It will also be convenient to visit West Point which is nearby.

Re Deal and Elberon (NJ), I meant to say that the homes are between the highway and the beach, and not so visible, unlike Spring Lake.

The 2hr river cruise that Howard referred you to sounds like a good idea. You would NOT see any of the historic mansions from that cruise. In my opinion, the best way to see the mansions is actually by car where you can drive onto the property, take a tour of the inside, and basically take whatever time you wish.

Here's a possible full day itinerary:
Drive from NYC to FRD or Vanderbilt mansion in Hyde Park - it's ~2hr drive if you take the Taconic parkway. (most direct route but needs some explaining on details)

Tour Vanderbilt, then go to FDR estate & take tour, including the presidential library. For lunch there are several restaurants in the area, including your prototypical east coast diner (Eveready Diner) right in Hyde park & various sandwich shops where you could buy a picnic to-go & eat on the grounds of one of the estates.

After FDR you could drive to Newburgh (~1hr), take an afternoon boat ride. Several good restaurants right on the waterfront in Newburgh for dinner. Return to NYC after dinner.

If you have time for an overnight and not just a day trip let us know and we can offer additional touring, hotel & dinner suggestions in the area.

J62 has given you a good one-day itinerary. Incidentally, We have taken that 2-hour cruise from Newburgh that I mentioned on my previous post and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you J62 if the hudson river cruises doesn't pan out, this is what we will probably do, as it seems we'd get to do more. Unfortunately we won't have the chance to overnight there. As we need to get back to NYC in order to get to DC either late that evening or the day after.

You want to move on to DC that same evening? I would not recommend it. It will take you 2-3 hours one way to reach the area of your cruise--a very long day without adding in DC.

How are you getting to DC? If it's by car then don't bother returning to NYC after the cruise - you'll unnecessarily burn several extra hours including the hassle of getting both into and back out of NYC. Simply pack up and leave NYC that day, do what you want in the Hudson Valley, then drive to DC.

Newburgh is right on a major N/S highway (Interstate 87) that can get you on your way to DC by car. It's about a 5hr drive on a good day. A little longer if you hit traffic along the way.

Thanks J62. I've been looking at the location of Island Beach State Park and I was tossing up whether we should pick up the hire car early, head out to Newburgh or Kingston depending on which boat tour we do, then leaving there mid afternoon and driving to Island Beach State Park and staying somewhere close by then spending time there in the morning before driving to DC via atlantic city and philadelphia, arriving DC late evening probably. How does this sound? Any clues on good places to stay near Island Beach State Park? Any particular rental companies that are good for one way rental? National has a $199 one way fee, i'd imagine this is pretty standard? The train was going to cost $120 anyway I guess. BTW This forum is great :)

Are you now saying you want to spend time at the Jersey shore, then visit Atlantic City, then visit Philadelphia, all in the same day while en-route to DC?

Your itinerary is making me dizzy, but if that's what you want to do I'll try to help as best I can.

Do not try to make this trip to the shore on a Friday afternoon, Saturday, or Sunday morning in the summer. No way, no how. You'll be stuck in miles and miles of traffic with tens of thousands of other beachgoers.

Last time I did the Newburgh - Jersey Shore - DC thing in a single day was in April when there was no beach traffic, and I didn't stop in Philadelphia or AC.

One step at a time. After a full day in the Hudson Valley it'd be about a 3 hr drive to the Jersey Shore. Your options include going all the way or part of the way. The beach town of Seaside Heights has numerous hotels. All of them are small, and I don't know any by name. It's a typical NJ beach town, with a honkey tonk boardwalk with arcade games & gift shops & fast food joints. Island Beach St. Park is an undeveloped stretch of land at the southern tip of that same barrier island - great place for a day at the beach. Not the kind of place I would just 'spend time in the morning', but rather a place for a full day at the beach.

You could stay part way. The area around Woodbridge has numerous chain hotels. It's at the junction of several major highways so it's busy, not terribly attractive area, but would fit the bill for a night. It's only about 1hr from there to the shore (Island Beach st. park area).

If you're going to stop in Atlantic City anyway then it makes no sense to me to go to Island Beach St. park for just a stop over. Atlantic city has the same ocean, same sand, same sun. You can get a taste of the beach, see the casinos and boardwalk.

If your destination is DC then diverting to the shore is actually somewhat out of the way. I only did that detour as I needed to check out a rental property for later in the summer. It added several hrs to my trip to DC.

You're squeezing a lot into your trip. I hope you have set aside some time to actually enjoy where you are going and not just spending countless hrs that will add up to countless days zigging and zagging between places. To me the Shore is a nice place for a relaxing day trip to the beach, but not worth the several extra hrs it'll add to your drive to DC if you just want to stop by.

J62 sorry for making you dizzy, I'm taking in the info from this forum, doing other research and coming up with new ideas I guess.

Originally we were just going to spend the time in NYC and head to DC by plane.

Although we won't have much time along this extended two day trip between NYC and DC we'll see more than we'd see from a plane or train.

Being from Australia (and as I'm recovering from a melanoma) I'm not really thinking of spending a lot of time on the beach.

I guess we just want somewhere to stay on route, and a nice two day drive from NYC out to the Hudson Valley, then down along the New Jersey shore to Atlantic City, in to Philadelphia then across to DC.

I would like to see the beach at Atlantic City, and also in a more unspoilt form, I'm open to suggestions as to where would be the best place for this.

Looking at the distances if we stay somewhere close to the shore the next day we can spend some time driving and looking around, then head for atlantic city (have lunch and a walk there) then get to Philadelphia mid afternoon for a few hours then on to Washington?

What do you think?

You really are trying to cram a lot into a two-day auto trip. In my opinion you should think about limiting your itinerary or lengthening your trip. You mention that you've been checking distances, but, on the East Coast of the United States, you really want to be checking travel time, not necessarily only mileage.

For example, you could drive north out of NYC up to the lower Hudson Valley, but you wouldn't want to go too far north, as you'd be turning around to head south to the Jersey Shore and, ultimately Washington, DC.

With a very early start and a lot of driving, with pauses to actually see what you are hoping to see, you might get as far as the Jersey Shore on the first day. If, as you said, you want to see unspoiled beaches, then virtually the only spot you'll want to visit is Island Beach State Park.

J62 describes its surroundings correctly; it is on a barrier island (as I mentioned earlier) just below the town of Seaside Heights, which is, depending on your perspective, lively or honky-tonk. If you want to stay overnight in calmer surroundings, you could backtrack north a relatively few miles and stay in a bed and breakfast in another of the Shore towns, Ocean Grove or Spring Lake.

That gets you as far as about a third of the way down the coastline of New Jersey. But getting to Atlantic City is not as easy as simply "driving down along the Jersey Shore." The roads in the immediate vicinity of the ocean are local, two-lane highways that pass through town after town, most of them contiguous, with many traffic lights and low speed limits. If it's important for you to visit Atlantic City at all, the most logical way to drive there would be via the Garden State Parkway, a high-speed toll road that parallels the Shore but really isn't particularly near to it.

The trip from the North Jersey Shore to Atlantic City would take you about two to two-and-a-half hours. Reasonably speaking, you could arrive in time for lunch and a look around before leaving for Philadelphia, about one to one-and-a-half hours away. Philly is a large city with fairly extensive suburbs you'd be passing through and heavy rush hour traffic both in and around the city. If you left Atlantic City mid-afternoon on the second day of your journey, you would be fighting rush hour traffic once you arrived in the Philly area. Even though you would be entering the city when rush hour travelers would be leaving it, the New Jersey suburban area around the city has its own traffic-choked areas you would have to contend with. Were you to persevere through this, you'd likely arrive in Philly at about dinner time. The historic sites, museums, etc., would likely already be closed, necessitating that you stay overnight in a Philadelphia area hotel in order to see them on the morning of your third driving day.

Even though I'm a native Philadelphian, I'm tempted to ask exactly what it is you want to do or see in my hometown.

Now, assuming you did stay overnight and did some sightseeing in Philadelphia--and dealt with mid-city (in Philly, it's called Center City) traffic not unlike NYC--you'd leave Philly maybe around noon, having spent only a couple of hours actually seeing anything.

The trip from Philly to DC is about two-and-a-half to three hours in good traffic. It's all superhighway driving on Interstate 95, but you pass through another relatively large East Coast city, Baltimore, Maryland, with its own traffic and congestion. I-95 can be a fairly easy trip or a difficult one. You'd be in one of the most heavily traveled corridor in the United States, and traffic delays for no apparent reason can be common.

But OK, you again persevered and made it down to DC. Again, you would be arriving in or near the afternoon rush, which, in DC, begins earlier than in most cities because of the number of Government workers whose day ends at 3 p.m. Traffic in and around DC is nightmarish.

That's how I see your proposed itinerary--a lot of driving on boring Interstates with very little time to do any actual sightseeing.

I would suggest an alternative itinerary: One-day drive to the lower Hudson Valley and return to NYC. A second day drive to Island Beach State Park and return to NYC. A third day Amtrak Acela Express trip from NYC to DC. Skip Atlantic City and Philadelphia.

bspielman thank you, this is the information you can't get anywhere else. I'll take the time to digest your thoughtful information I think and see what we come up with. I don't want to spend the whole time in the car, but we both do like driving holidays (and it's just this two days). However, I do like the idea of the two separate trips. Thank you once again.

i live in the lower hudson valley, and frequently visit my family in n.y.c, jersey shore and d.c. i totally agree with bspielman, very good advice. i wouldn't combine any of these destinations in one day, even for a driving holiday. many of these highways can be difficult, unsightly and with the occaissional bad smell.

We've decided to catch the train back to NYC after the river trip and then the train again to Washington, we'll use the extra time elsewhere on our trip. Thank you for all the help here

I'm not trying to confuse you but here's another option to consider.

Since you're planning on a day trip to Hudson Valley, then the next day take train to DC, you could also do this:

Depart NYC for Hudson Valley (by train or car). Take boat tour, visit other sites by car, stay overnight in Rhinebeck area. Next day take Amtrak train from one of several places in the Hudson Valley, including Rhinebeck or Poughkeepsie, into NYC, then simply connecting to NY-DC Amtrak train. Advantages - more leisurely day upstate, cheaper (one less night in NYC). Disadvantages - luggage (would not be a problem if you rented a car, either right in NYC or in POK.) & you'd lose a night in NYC if you wanted that one last night there

Hi,

I 'm wondering if you ever figured out the Hudson River Tour from Manhattan or a neighboring town? My husband is quite interested in this. I, too, called Hudson River Valley Boat Tour, and agree it doesn't seem like exactly what we are looking for.
If you found one that will do a small group, and you haven't already gone, perhaps we could book something and create a group? We are 2 adults, 1 child.

Your insight is greatly appreciated.

Best regards,
Terri

I'm a year late in responding, but for future reference, Tivoli Sailing does 2 to 6 people charters on a lovely sailboat. We chartered for six (four adults, two children), including lunch. Had a great time. http://tivolisailing.com. They do set tours as well, including one to see the mansions along the river. They sail out of tivoli or saugerties. and if you can manage a booking, you can stay overnight at the saugerties lighthouse b and b. Beautiful place to stay. http://www.saugertieslighthouse.com/.

Although you're looking at the maps I don;t think you're allowing for traffic.

You need to understand that the NYC Metro area is about 25 million people - who are all always going somewhere - either to or fro work or to/fro the shore or the country on weekends.

And the area between NYC and DEC is about 50 million people - traveling ditto.

Esp on summer weekends you can easily end up in traffic jams that are hours long. And any weekday between 6:30 and 9 am and 4 - 7 pm will have a lof ot commuter traffic.

It's a great idea to want to see these things but you have to allow for the traffic you will meet. (A couple of weeks ago it took us almost 11 hours to get from VA back to NYC due to traffic, construction - always happens in the summer - and a major accident.)

This post is a year old and was topped by the OP to offer a trip report.