New York’s prime location along the Eastern seaboard enables its more than 8.5 million residents to escape the city and travel by car to a bevy of destinations. Some weekend trips from NYC warrant little planning, making them ideal choices for a spontaneous road trip. These seven places are six hours or less from Manhattan, perfect for a long weekend away. It’s time to pick up your car from storage, gas up, and go.
1. The Finger Lakes
Approximate driving time: 5 hours
Wine drinkers will find the drive worth it once they reach the Finger Lakes NYC—one of the best weekend getaways in Upstate NY. Well known for its 11 finger-shaped lakes, bucolic setting, and wine trails with over 150 wineries and tasting rooms, the Finger Lakes area is also home to Cornell University and the Women’s Rights Movement. This area of New York State is no stranger to culture either. Discover more than 135 art museums, 80 galleries, and over 400 historic sites and landmarks in the region.
2. The Berkshires, Massachusetts
Approximate driving time: 3 hours
Cross the New York State line, and you’ll encounter charming towns like Lenox, Stockbridge, and Great Barrington. Equally lovely in spring, summer, winter, and fall, this slice of Western Massachusetts features gorgeous scenery, farm-to-table eateries, antique stores, and specialty shopping.
Visual and performing arts are essential to the culture of the Berkshires too. In the summertime, the Tanglewood Music Festival – a residency for the Boston Pops and guest artists like Audra McDonald and James Taylor – takes the stage from late June through Labor Day weekend. Meanwhile, the renowned Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival entertains at the same time. Plus, you can cruise from town to town and experience the essence and distinct beauty of the Berkshires.
3. Montreal, Quebec
Approximate driving time: 6 hours
If you travel for food and live to eat, going from NYC to Montreal is one of the best road trips from NYC and should be high on your list of places to experience. Chefs take food and wine seriously, whipping up everything from poutine – the beloved local dish made from French fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy – to organic and vegetarian options, offal specialties, smoked meats, and French staples. Besides offering a bounty of restaurant choices, the city remains laid-back and hip, and it’s only a six-hour drive from NYC to Montreal.
4. Washington, D.C.
Approximate driving time: 4.5 hours
Sure, you can hop on a bus to D.C. and avoid driving in that horrific traffic that the Capitol is known for. But taking a weekend trip from New York allows you to explore some of the city’s more dynamic neighborhoods as well as cross the river into Arlington (where the famed military cemetery is located) and Alexandria, Virginia, so you can explore historic Old Town and peruse the myriad shops on King Street. Of course, you’ll want to wander through Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, and Adams Morgan, and see top sites like the Washington Monument.
5. Lake Placid, New York
Approximate driving time: 5 hours
Home of the 1980 Winter Olympics, this Upstate New York town is ideal for adventure lovers looking for a last minute getaway from NYC. You’ll have the opportunity to hike, ski, ice skate, ice fish, mountain bike, and more when you visit Lake Placid. For the not-so-adventurous, there are spa treatments, shops, cafés, bistros, and even fine dining for the most discriminating foodie. Head north on Interstate I-87 to US-9 and enjoy the scenery along the way.
6. Portland, Maine
Approximate driving time: 5.5 hours
One of the best road trips from NYC is Portland, Maine. Here you can enjoy succulent lobster, a working waterfront, and relaxing foamy ocean waters. In Portland, Maine, you can expect a relaxed yet funky vibe in this seaside town that’s perched on a peninsula stretching to Casco Bay. This coastal city offers plenty to do, including the Old Port, myriad unique shops, not to mention activities for outdoor fanatics – think sailing, fishing, biking, whale watching, and more. If you’d rather be eating and drinking, you’ll have plenty of choices since Portland boasts a flourishing restaurant scene as well.
7. Cape May, New Jersey
Approximate driving time: 3 hours
Painted ladies, sugar sand, fudge, taffy, and the Atlantic Ocean will surround you in Cape May. This shore town at the tip of South Jersey is a great last-minute getaway from NYC. Picturesque doesn’t begin to describe this coastal community where colorful Victorian houses pepper the streetscape. Cape May is as great for families as it is for couples and quiet singles. No, you won’t find the party scene that you would in some neighboring towns, but you’ll happen upon an ideal beach escape in summer, as well as a lovely spot to recoup in the other seasons.
