Need to go away for 2 days near NYC

I need to get away to save my sanity for 2 days. Here are the requriremnts: Somewhere I can get to via train or bus, someplace that has things I can do within walking distance or a place that offers shuttle bus to nearby attractions.

I would prefer a place with a pool. I need to spend as little as possible as I have very little money to spare. Looking to spend around $100.

Please let me know if you have any ideas. Thank you. Swimming pool preffered.

http://offmetro.com/ny/2009/07/14/beaches-near-nyc-without-a-car/

I would suggest taking the LIRR to a beach, or go to one of the other attractions listed (see link) - it's relatively cheap to get a round trip ticket from Manhattan on the LIRR (leaves from Penn Station which is near 34th Street and 8th Avenue - take the E train to get there). Look up all of these beaches and see if there is a motel nearby with a pool, that is clean and fits your budget. Worse case you don't find a motel, just stay at the beach all day and then come back on an LIRR train back to the city. You will feel like you got away.

Platinum Member Joined: Mar 24 2008 Posts: 6528

You can do what the poster below suggests but try finding a motel through hotwire.com. You can get a decent place for much cheaper. A website like betterbidding.com can help you figure out what you will get before paying so it won't be a surprise.

op, did you end up going anywhere? If yes, pls share. Or if anyone has more suggestions, I'm listening. I dont have the financial constraints of the op, though inexpensive is always nice.

trying once more. Op, care to share? Any other suggestions?

Here's a dream vacation of mine (not sure why, maybe too many Alfred Hitchcock train movies). You probably need three whole days. Take the Amtrak up to Montreal. Supposedly there are stunning views through the Adirondacks - it's possibly their nicest US train route. I think it's pricey, and I am not sure how long the train ride is, but the fall foliage should be great pretty soon. Get off in Montreal, take the subway around town (pretty doable from what I remember from many years ago), climb Mount Royal, go to dinner at a kosher restaurant, and if you really are not budget constrained then go shopping and take advantage of good exchange rate (if this is still the case) ...

By the way, has anyone done this trip????????????? If so, please let me know!

Another idea that I could see trying ...

Revolutionary Railway: Ethan Allen Express
Route: New York City to Rutland, Vermont
Duration: 5� hours
www.amtrak.com

Leave the hassles of the Big Apple behind for some of the East Coast�s most mood-altering scenery as this Amtrak train travels 241 miles north from the city, taking in the Catskills in upper New York State and the Green Mountains in Vermont. The train departs in mid-afternoon, leaving enough daylight for sightseeing (sit on the left side facing the front for the best views) before you arrive in Rutland shortly after dark. Stops such as Rhinecliff-Kingston and Albany-Rensselaer (both in New York) feature hiking, biking, boating, museum-going, and all manner of dining. Stop in Saratoga Springs to visit the racetrack, performing arts center, and mineral spas. Last-stop-before-Vermont Fort Edward is the gateway to Lake George and the southern Adirondack Mountain region. End-of-the-line Rutland is famous for its Halloween celebrations. Noteworthy: The newest stop for the Ethan Allen, named after the Revolutionary War hero, is Castleton, Vermont, which features a historically renovated station housing the Green Mountain Country Depot. Skiers use the train to get to slopes at Killington.

Here's the link to the Adirondack train

http://www.amtrak.com/adirondack-train

Adirondack train is $63 one way. I am assuming it would be $130 round trip. Factoring in a spouse, that's $260 on travel, and then you will need to budget for 2 nights sleeping and other food/entertainment costs. So probably around $500 total, which is pricey for a three day trip. Plus - ten hours on a train, each way ...

Platinum Member Joined: Mar 24 2008 Posts: 6528

Thank You Sky!!!! (Seriously, not kidding).

Now I will need to save my fantasy train vacation for the Canadian Rockies.

However, I have a feeling that the first time might have been novel or interesting, even for your mom. That's how life is.

Here is the movie that for better or worse made train travel seem romantic to me - it's North by Northwest (by Alfred Hitchcock) - probably tied for my favorite movie with Vertigo (also by Hitchcock).