The Best Road Trips from NYC
We are one of the chosen few — we live in New York City AND have a car haha. We love having a car because it’s an easy way to escape the city for the day, the weekend, or even for a short trip. We’ve taken a lot of road trips over the years, and thought we would compile a list of our favorites. When you need that quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life, don’t worry, we got you covered.
Beacon, New York
Distance from NYC: 70 miles
Time: 1.5 hours
Beacon is a cute, hipster, little town in the Hudson Valley. We actually dedicated an entire blog post to Beacon which has all of our favorite things to do there so make sure you check that out! It was recently named America’s favorite small town by Budget Travel and we get why. Our highlights include walking up and down Main Street into all of the quaint little shops & restaurants, hiking Mt. Beacon, and drinking some craft beer at Draught Industries. There are some amazing restaurants in Beacon too like the Doctor Who themed restaurant The Pandorica, Tito Santana Taqueria, and The Towne Crier which also has live music performances! Beacon is the perfect town for a quick getaway and you most definitely won’t run out of things to do.
2. New Paltz, New York
Distance from NYC: 90 miles
Time: 2 hours
New Paltz is one of those towns that has everything you could ever need. Their Main St. is filled with tons of cute shops and restaurants, but there are also amazing cider houses (with an epic view pictured here) and nature galore. Our New Paltz blog post covers everything we did while we were there, but our favs were hiking to a waterfall in Minnewaska State Park, eating delicious plant based diner food at Main Street Bistro, and tasting some cider at Kettleborough Cider House while watching the sunset. We visited for only a weekend and felt like we could have stayed longer. New Paltz is such an easy ride from NYC and the town is filled with culture, you’ll definitely want to visit if you’ve never been.
3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Distance from NYC: 95 miles
Time: 1.5 hours
Philly was actually the first trip we ever took together! It’s jam packed with things to do from some of the oldest sights in U.S. history to modern day, trendy, cafes and art. Philadelphia also has an amazing LGBTQ scene and we felt super comfortable being ourselves there as a lesbian couple. Some things you can’t miss in Philly are the the amazing mosaics at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, the Liberty Bell aka the iconic symbol of American independence, and tasting all the delicious food at Reading Terminal Market. Another big plus for all you plant based people out there — Philly is one of our favorite cities for finding vegan food! There is so much that you never have to worry about what you’re going to eat. Our favorite? The vegan Philly cheesesteak at Blackbird Pizzeria.
4. Boston, Massachusetts
Distance from NYC: 220 miles
Time: 4 hours
While Boston takes a bit more time to get to, it’s 100% worth it. We have a whole blog post on our favorite things to do in Boston, but our absolute must-do’s are explore Faneuil Hall, go shopping on Newbury Street, visit the Harvard campus, and grab and beer & tour the Harpoon brewery. You could also do a quick trip to Salem (the home of the infamous Witch Trials) since it’s only about 40 minutes away by car. It is hard to park your car in Boston so we recommend staying at an accommodation where you have a parking space and then walking everywhere. Boston is a super walkable city with so much to do, so much to see, and so much history, making it one epic road trip destination.
5. Woodstock, New York
Distance from NYC: 115 miles
Time: 2 hours
Woodstock is a chic little town in the mountains of upstate New York, so chic in fact that tons of NYC expats and artists have decided to live there. Woodstock (known for the iconic 1969 festival held nearby) is small, but it’s perfect for a weekend getaway and something about the town just keeps drawing you back in. Our blog post on Woodstock covers it all, but our top things to do are to hiking Overlook Mountain, walk into the local shops on Main St. & Tinker St., and listen to some live music at The Village Green. Woodstock is the perfect place to unwind, relax and truly feel at peace. Yes, it’s quiet in the mountains, but the vibe of the town brings you right back to 70s and we absolutely love it.
6. Cold Spring, New York
Distance from NYC: 60 miles
Time: 1.5 hours
The town of Cold Spring is pretty small, but there is so much surrounding it that makes it perfect for a quick trip. Our Cold Spring blog post covers everything, but our stand-outs are antique shopping on Main Street, hiking Bear Mountain, and walking along the Hudson River waterfront. There’s also a few cute shops and restaurants but again, it’s a tiny town. Cold Spring is definitely worth visiting for that weekend when you just need to get out of the city and into some nature.
So those are our favorite road trips from New York City! What’s your favorite road trip destination? Let us know in the comments, we’re always looking for new places to visit!