Whether you live in NYC and need a change of scenery or you’re traveling through the city as a major transportation hub, there are plenty of car-free day trips within reach. A day trip can be enough. That’s why this list focuses on car-free day trips from NYC that you can reach by train or bus in 2 hours or less. When you only have one day, you don’t want to spend most of it getting there. All have plenty of opportunities to experience Black history, culture, businesses, and local gems along the way.

While I love a good trip, I don’t always want to use up my precious PTO just to get away for the weekend. So I’m always looking for destinations I can reach by train or bus in 4 hours or less, where I can get around on foot or via rideshare once I arrive. That’s exactly what this list is about: car-free weekend getaways from New York City that won’t require you to use PTO or spend half your weekend getting there.