Flee New York: Weekend Getaways, Day Trips, Vacations and More (Beta)

President's Day Weekend Getaways From NYC - Take a Long Weekend Vacation

President's Day weekend- falling as it does in darkest February - gets short shrift among its more muscular patriotic cousins in July and September. However, this holiday and three day weekend getaway opportunity offers some great opportunities for very affordable getaway travel. A good place to start for suggestions for getting out of NYC is Weekend Travel Ideas - Presidents Day Destinations.

Airfare spikes a bit for the holiday, but, compared to the other major holidays, President's Day is an incredible bargain to most U.S. destinations and many other international locales besides.  Additionally, if sticking in the tri-state area appeals to you, then you're in luck.  From the Adirondacks to Atlantic City, to the Hudson Valley and the New Jersey Pine barrens, most B&Bs, cabin rentals, and hotel rooms are cheaper on President's Day weekend than on Fourth of July or Labor Day.  

What better way to celebrate the heritage of Dewitt Clinton, Al Smith, George Pataki, and ... oh, right. Those were some of New York's felled Presidential timber. However, let us not forget that Franklin D. Roosevelt, maker of most Presidential top 5 lists, hailed from the Empire State.  Why not honor Roosevelt with a trip to see his estate at Hyde Park? There's tons of great bed and breakfast opportunities nearby, and the country is beautiful even in the NYC vicinity's ugliest winter season.

"All that is within me cries out to go back to my home on the Hudson River," Roosevelt once said, shortly before developing a terrific headache and dying.  And what a home it was. It's also a national park service administered attraction. 

If something closer to NYC's stretch of the Hudson River appeals to you, then you can always take the Weehawken Ferry over to New Jersey and re-trace the famous Aaron Burr vs. Alexander Hamilton death match.  

Whatever you do, we wish you a great long weekend and a happy respite from the NYC work week.

NYC Winter Time - Cold Weather Wintertime Getaways

NYC in winter can be a rewarding, but trying experience. Anyone who's lived through a shut-down-the-city snowstorm knows that a cold winter's day can be the best of times and the worst of times.  Of course, many people opt to leave the city entirely - either on the weekend or for the entire winter season. The NYC winter time season can mean getting away to Puerto Rico or riding it out in Manhattan - or some combination of both. Flee New York has several options for making your time in the New York winter worthwhile.

Planning a winter escape? Have a look at Weekend Travel Ideas suggestions.
[Winter Getaways From NYC - Weekend Travel Ideas]

If snow, mountaineering, and frigidly beautiful scenery appeal to you, then the Catskill mountains should be your destination. [Catskills in Winter] 

For the polar opposite, consider a last minute flight to the Caribbean.  Often during the winter, airline will slash their rate to some amazing destinations in Mexico, the Virgin Islands, and beyond.  To watch for timely bargains, airfare watchdog's New York page is your best bet. [Airfare Watchdog NYC]

Want to stay closer to home but still have a cold weather adventure?  The outer reaches of Long Island are actually quite charming if you visit Montauk after the mercury drops. [Montauk in Winter]

Ready to Getaway From NYC This Winter?

Though autumn in New York City is a delectable time of year to enjoy the charms of the Manhattan metropolis, the pristine season is over all too soon. Once old man winter descends on NYC, any longterm resident knows that the key to sanity is a regular schedule of forays out of town.

A great place to start looking for cozy escapes within a day's drive of the big apple or warm beaches in reach of a medium-length flight is New York Magazine's winter travel getaways guide. They break down winter escapes from NYC for families, couples, foodies, adventurers and several other categories. All, of course, in the well-written, urbanely-sophisticated style of the birthplace of New Journalism.

Another excellent resource for fleeing New York City in the winter is the New York Times 12 winter weekend getaways guide.Whether its Hudson or New Palz in NY state or Merion or New Hope in Pennsylvania, the grey lady offers some solid suggestion for enjoyinig small town charm within a few hours drive of NYC. 

Flee New York itself has an excellent guide to Montauk in winter - for some offbeat Long Island fun it's worth checking out.

Finally, you'd do well to check vrbo.com for a newly-revamped cabin, b&b and rental property search and booking engine. Another great spot is Travelocity's last minute getaways section. Though the engine is incredibly well know, you're usually hard-pressed to find better deals to warm-weather climates like Miami or Las Vegas.

Check back soon for additional nyc weekend getaway suggestions!

NYC Spring Getaways, Vacations & Daytrips Near New York City

Spring has sprung in New York City, and a New Yorker's thoughts naturally turn towards day trips out of the city and weekend getaways away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan and the five boroughs.  Flee New York can recommend some excellent resources for planning Spring escapes - whether it's a daytrip or an extended Spring vacation.  Start with some Spring Weekend Travel Ideas.

A drive out to Long Island can yield great, pre-Memorial Day hotel rates, while a trip to Atlantic City offers special pricing as well.  It's also a good time to explore upstate NY - with prime hiking season in effect in the Catskills and Adirondacks. 

A good place to start your Spring getaway research is the official New York State tourism board.  They have a ton of hotel and lodging specials and side trip suggestions to destinations all around NY State. [Official NY Tourism Board]

The New York Daily News has a rundown of solid Spring destinations. [NYDN Travel]

The New York Times travel section has good suggestions and resources as well -- especially on the day trip front. [NYT Travel]

Spring Showers Power Nigara Falls

With the onset of a rainy Spring season, it's important to remember that this precipitation brings not only May flowers, but water for our rivers, streams and reservoirs, and of course our state's colossally popular tourist attraction.  The rain got you down?  Enjoy this video of the Niagara Falls in action. 

If you're looking to get away to Niagara for the weekend, you can find some really good deals at hotels.com if you book a little in advance.

Spring Will Spring Soon! Plan Your Getaway From NYC Now

Spring is just two days away.  Watch this space for getaway and daytrip tips from the New York City area. We'll have the lowdown on bed and breakfast deals, adventure sports discounts, golf packages, and more.  Whether you want to bike on Long Island, hike in New Jersey, antique shop in Pennsylvania, or go mountain climbing in upstate New York, we'll have something for everyone. 

MLK Weekend Getaways From NYC - Martin Luther King Long Weekend Trips

The first long weekend of the year is quickly coming upon us.  When Martin Luther King day rolls around every year in mid-January, New Yorkers start itching to get out of town and enjoy a three-day long weekend in more relaxing quarters than cramped apartments and souless office buildings.  Want to get away for MLK Day? Flee New York can help.  

The good news is that traffic should be comparatively light this weekend compared to other holidays.  More people will stay in the city than usual, because everyone is getting into the swing of the new year and might not be able to leave there business or families for a long weekend so early in the year.  So - leaving Friday afternoon for upstate or accross the Hudson doesn't have to be as big of an ordeal as it normally might.  

Where should you start your search for an MLK Day getaway from NYC?  Well, you're in luck. The New York Times just published an incredibly useful article on the top 20 travel utility sites.  From booking a bed and breakfast to structuring an optimal bid on priceline, it's all there.  [NYT - 19 Websites for Travel Savings in 2012.] 

As well, you might look in the surrounding area on Hotel Tonight's mobile app. This is an intriguing new player in the last minute travel space.  And, of course, there are always the old standbys of VRBO and Airbnb.

Either way, we hope you have a wonderful long weekend celebrating the reverned doctor Martin Luther King's great American legacy.  It's a sign of the times that many folks now only know of MLK as a long holiday weekend forefather that is an excuse for a trip or vacation or three day getaway from NYC.

If we had a week to spare, this might be something we'd look into - as well as investing in upscale Elliman Long Island Real Estate Properties.

Holiday Weekend Getaways From NYC - Escape From New York

If the prospect of spending another holiday left to the devices of possible snowstorms and traffic snarls on the L.I.E. sounds about as appetizing as dinner at the in-laws, then you're not alone. Probably 8 million of your fellow New Yorkers are thinking the same thing.  At lease once very other year, fleeing New York for a sunnier, or at least quieter, clime is an indispensable part of staying sane during the holiday season in NYC. If you need immediate advice, you'd do well to check out the Weekend Travel Ideas site's list of Holiday Getaways from New York.  

Assuming you can be somewhat flexible in your travel plans, there really aresome amazing destinations available for weekend holiday escapes from the city.  It may not involve travel the Friday before Christmas Eve with a return Sunday nigh, but in some cases even these ideal miss-no-work dates are available to the savvy travel searcher.  Below are some additional resources for coordinating a Christmas, New Year's, or general holiday trip out of NYC.

GoNYC has a list of Easy Daytrips from New York City.

Time Out New York has a great list of New Year's Eve escape plans.

For timely, up-to-date hot tips on getting the heck out of time, you should try the New York Times travel main page.

Or you can browse this site for additional ideas and tips for executing a last minute, or even well planned holiday trip out of NYC.  Happy searching, happy holidays, and don't forget to pack your swimsuit!

Summer Getaways From NYC: Escaping the New York Heat

The humidity (really, we can't stand it) is spiking, the days have grown long, and the L.I.E. between New York and the Hamptons is a freaking zoo from Thursday to Monday.  You've got to get away, and where else but the Internet can you turn for leads and suggestions on how best to escape your own personal music video hell of "Hot Town: Summer in the City."  Flee New York is here for you: Check back all summer long for a regularly updated list of where, when, and how to find the best summer getaways, escapes, and other weekend summer travel suggestions from NYC. 

LISTS

Flee New York to a beach within two hours commute time:The Weekend Travel Ideas site has some suggestions.
[Weekend Beach Getaways Close to NYC] 

The L Magazine's list includes six great suggestions ranging from Hudson River Tubing to Kate's Lazy Meadow Motel in the Catskills. 
[Summer Weekend Getaways: Escape NYC]

New York Magazine's 52 Weekends page is an absolute gold mine.
[52 Weekends out of NYC]

All Getaways has a list of 77 straightforward suggestions...
[New York Weekend Getaways]

Gridskipper has lots of slightly off-center Hamptons coverage and tips.
[Gridskipper Hamptons page]

NYC Pulse has a list of 10 top beaches in the NYC area.
[NYC Summer Beaches]

UTILITY

Airfare Watchdog keeps a close eye on flights out of town.  Some of their discounts are astonishing.
[Airfare Watchdog NYC list]

Travelocity's last-minute packages can sometimes be a good option for getting you up to Maine or Canada.
[Last Minute Packages]

VRBO is a great place to start looking for house and cabin rentals upstate and everywhere else.
[Vacation Rentals By Owner Online]

Montauk in Winter

We're a big fan of Montauk in any season, but the tip of Long Island can be a particularly relaxing, sedate getaway in the dead of winter.  (It's cheaper to stay out there too.)  And did you know there's ice-skating at the lighthouse?

We did a bit of research into Montauk in the cold months and found some helpful sites for you.

General Background:
Trip Advisor Forum: Montauk in Fall & Winter
Montauk Online Guide

Lodging:

On Montauk -- search available properties.
Montauk Manor -- Tudor-style resort with lots of character
Long Island Host Directory -- Nice list of Montauk hotel options

Excursions:
Article on winter cod fishing excursions from Montauk

Must Visit:
The Montauket Restaurant and Bar  We flag this as a must visit for the great coast and sunset views and highly recommend visiting for at least a drink, if not dinner one night.  The decor is a bit divey, but the character and the views more than make up for this. 

Video:
Here's a some footage detailing one local's love affair with Montauk in winter. [UPDATE: This video is no longer available.]

Need more suggestions?  We have a few: 

More NYC area winter getaway tips here.