Weekend getaway from NY
 

Hi,

My husband and I are planning a weekend getaway around mid-May from NY. We do not want to drive (we are new to the US and hence cannot drive out here)...so we are wondering what will be a good place to go to using public transport (rail/road). Also, it is just a weekend getaway, so, we do not want to get too far from NY either. Well, i know there are too many conditions that i am adding up here :-(
Any suggestions are welcome!
Thanks a lot!!

Washington, Philadelphia, or Boston will all make a great weekend trip and are all cities you can explore without a car.

Foxwoods casino in CT?

There are a fair number of options so it would help to know a bit about your interests. In addition to the idea of the various cities mentioned that you can reach by train, plane and bus, there are some more countrified places that are also reachable by train.

http://mta.info/mnr/html/outbound.htm

There's even a cruise you can take up the Hudson. Kykuit is the beautiful Rockefeller Estate.
http://www.hudsonvalley.org/

TTT
Hi All,
Thanks for the response. We like nature/landscape. We also enjoy casinos etc. It would be great if we can go to a place that is scenic and stay there for a couple of days and see the places around. Any places like this not too far from Manhattan??

Thanks!

nature + casinos = Foxwoods

www.foxwoods.com

Other options might include Metro North packages up the Hudson. Check the MTA's website for more info.

You can take a train to the New Paltz area and stay at Mohonk Mountain. Beautiful scenery, Big porch with rocking chairs, 4:00 tea, hiking, lake, canoeing etc. Great for a lovely weekend. www.mohonk.com Enjoy

Country without a car is a little difficult - since train service is very minimal except for commuter lines.

Mohonk is OK for a self-contained place - where you can do hiking etc (but is very traditional and the food not great) but to see other places from there without a car is very difficult unless you have unlimited funds for long-distance cabs.

And Foxwoods is fine for gambling and looking at the woods - but not sure how you would do anything else (but you might check their web site to see if they do shuttles to Mystic Seaport/Aquarium).

Not sure why you can;t drive - for foreign nationals their local lic is good for renting a car. Considering all the great places there are within a 2/3 hour drive of NYC I would either rent with current lic - or get a US lic asap.

Also the Jitney might have packages to the Hamptons, if that appeals to you.

<i>Deja vu?</i>

Hi All,

Thanks for all the help!! looks like we are very interested in visiting Rhinebeck. Just wondering if May is a good time to be there though. Can anyone please tell us if Rhinebeck is a good choice for May? Also, any suggestions on places to stay, things to do etc. are welcome.

Thanks a ton!

Wrote a long response that never posted this morning. The 2 places in Rhinebeck mentioned most often are the Beekman Arms and the Delmater. The Beekman Arms has been getting very mixed reviews here.

Taken from a trip report here:

<i>We stayed at the Beekman Arms in Room 20 which while quieter than most in the main inn was still a bit noisy. The room seemed a bit long in the tooth. We considered transferring to the Delmater but did not want to lug our suitcases around any more for a while. Breakfast at The Beekman Arms should be skipped. I would just head over to Bread Alone and have decent coffee and any number of great pastries next time. We ate a very good dinner at Terrapin and a good,not great one at Gigi's. Rhinebeck and Woodstock are old stompin' grounds for us both so we drove around and visited old haunts. </i>

Some older threads with good info for you

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34725070

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34695441


http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34683026

I also mentioned, if you're interested in that cruise up to Kykuit and it doesn't go for a weekend, you can easily take it up there and take the train back. I had found an old article in the NY Times about someone who'd done that and mentioned lots of other stops made on the weekend, all with public transport. Do a websearch if you're interested. (you probably have to register for free on the nytimes website)

mclaurie,

Thanks a lot for the response!! Have one more question ...have read in a lot of places in this forum that it is nice to visit Rhinebeck in fall. Will it be a good idea to visit in May?

Thanks!!

The Rhinebeck area is beautiful any time of year. True, the fall colors are especially nice, but the mid Hudson Valley landscape (fields, farms, trees, rolling hills, rocks, and the views of the Hudson River) are nice throughout the entire growing season.

The train ride up from NYC is along the Hudson River and you will see a lot of very pretty scenery.

Alfisol,

Thanks for the information!! Any must dos in Rhinebeck?? (We are going to be there for 2 days).

Thanks!!

I'm trying to think of what you can do without a car in Rhinebeck -- walking around the village is nice (many shops, good restaurants, historic buildings).

I think there are day tours and expeditions from Rhinebeck to nearby attractions. I know Rhinebeck is a train-tourism destination.

Nearby places/attractions I would recommend and have been to are:

Culinary Institute of America (school has restaurants staffed by the students). Lovely location along the river and excellent food. The CIA is located in nearby Hyde Park.

Also in Hyde Park are the historic homes of President Franklin Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. The Vanderbuilt Estate is in Hyde Park too and it's quite the opulent house, also with lovely grounds. If I had to choose one, I'd go to the Vanderbuilts, unless you are a real political history buff.

There are actually many more mansions along this stretch of the Hudson River. Also a few state parks. There are also a lot of farms and orchards, many with markets, but there won't be much produce in May.

One local place I never made it to is the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. They have historic planes and have air shows.

I lived in the Hudson Valley for most of my life, but moved away from the Hudson Valley 13 years ago. I still miss the area so much.

Enjoy the trip!!!

Take the Long Island Rail road from Penn station to Montauk and stay on the beach at the Royal Atlantic or Ocean beach resort. You can walk into town from there. Off season rates are cheap maybe 100/night for an oceanfront room.

Alfisol,

Thanks for the amazing details!!
How does one get to Hyde park without a car?

Thanks!!