5 best day trips from New York City

Day trips compared

The day trips

95 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by train

1.Beacon and Dia Beacon

Dia Beacon, in a former Nabisco box-printing factory on the Hudson, displays large-scale minimalist and conceptual art by Richard Serra, Donald Judd and others. The town of Beacon has antique shops and cafés along Main Street, and the riverside train ride is part of the pleasure.

Getting there

Metro-North Hudson line from Grand Central to Beacon

Best for

Culture, Couples, Quiet stays

45 km · About 45 minutes by train

2.Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown

The villages that inspired Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow have the Old Dutch Church and its burying ground, the Philipsburg Manor farm and Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate. Autumn brings Halloween events and the Hudson Valley's seasonal pumpkin displays.

Getting there

Metro-North Hudson line from Grand Central

Best for

Families, Culture, Couples

150 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by train

3.Philadelphia

America's first capital holds Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, the city's art museum with its 'Rocky Steps', and Reading Terminal Market, where you can try a cheesesteak.

Getting there

Amtrak from Penn Station, or NJ Transit and SEPTA

Best for

Culture, Food lovers, First-timers

360 km · About 3 hours by train

4.Washington, D.C.

A long but doable day: the National Mall's monuments and the free Smithsonian museums, including the National Air and Space Museum, are within walking distance of Union Station. Start early on a fast train to make the most of the day.

Getting there

Amtrak Northeast Regional or Acela from Penn Station

Best for

Culture, First-timers, Families

150 km · About 2 hours 30 minutes by train or coach

5.The Hamptons

The villages of Long Island's South Fork — Southampton, East Hampton and Montauk at the tip — have wide Atlantic beaches, farm stands and the Montauk Point Lighthouse. Summer weekends are busy and expensive, so an overnight stay works better than a day trip.

Getting there

Long Island Rail Road or Hampton Jitney coach

Best for

Beach, Couples, Luxury

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Buses run along the avenues and across town, useful for east–west trips the subway covers poorly; Select Bus Service routes are faster, with all-door boarding.
• Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North commuter trains from Penn Station and Grand Central reach the beaches, the Hudson Valley and the suburbs.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask