Cozy Home Vacation Rentals: Best Travel Destinations Within 5 Hours of NYC

Summer may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't book a vacation before the winter doldrums hit.

It doesn't have to mean taking a two-week trip to the Greek islands — if your direct flight in short enough, a four-day weekend can feel like a complete getaway. In four days, you can enter full vacation mode without spending a fortune on lodging while using only two vacation days.

Plus, a short flight won't take too much time away from beaching, lounging, sightseeing, and eating your way through your chosen destination.

One of the biggest hurdles for those with time constraints is deciding where to go. While I'm grateful for the abundance of travel resources out there on the internet, sometimes the options are just too overwhelming. I could spend a full week on the Kayak Explorefunction and never actually book a ticket thanks to overstimulation and indecision.

Based on your time frame, you've got to just pick a part of the world that makes sense from an itinerary perspective and narrow down your options from there. For those in the Northeast, we've pulled together 10 of the best destinations within a five-hour direct flight from New York City.

1. Bermuda

For New Yorkers, Bermuda is arguably the closest tropical destination. It's a 2-1/2-hour direct flight from New York, with round-trip tickets starting at about $280. Consisting of more than 150 islands, Bermuda is only about 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina. (Just keep hurricane season, June to November, in mind when you book.)

2. Iceland

You can sometimes book a nonstop flight to Reykjavik for under $300. OK, the flight actually lasts closer to 5 1/2 hours, but the bit of extra flight time can get you all the way to the home of the Blue Lagoon and quite a few "Game of Thrones" filming locations. Five hours seems minor when you consider that it gets you all the way to the land of aurora borealis.

3. Miami

You don't need to leave the country for a tropical getaway. With incredible food options and culture galore, Miami is so much more than just beaches and nightlife. Plus, three-hour direct flights start at $250.

4. Austin, Texas

The live-music mecca also has hiking, history, and a budding food scene. You can get deep in the heart of Texas in only four hours for as little as $225. Check out Barton Springs, a 3-acre swimming pool fed by warm natural springs, in Zilker Park.

5. Tulum, Mexico

To get to Tulum, you'll fly four hours to Cancun and then drive an hour south, but the trek is worth it to surround yourself with tropical forests and Mayan ruins. Flights to Cancun start at about $250round-trip.

6. New Orleans

In just three hours, for about $200, you can wind up in the city of live jazz, beignets, and charbroiled oysters. For quintessential tourist spots, head down Bourbon Street, or for nightlife with a more local flair, try jazz on Frenchmen Street.

7. The Bahamas

There are 700 islands in the Bahamas and so much to see, from Paradise Island to Bimini to Grand Bahama. It's a quick three-hour flight to Nassau for about $450.

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8. Montreal

Going south isn't your only option. You'll be in poutine country after only 1 1/2 hours in the air (starting at about $215). Take in Old Montreal and, of course, get your smoked-meat fix at Schwartz's.

9. Charleston, South Carolina

The flights are two hours and start at under $200, round-trip. The port city of South Carolina has Southern charm, and the brightly colored buildings and palm trees make it a photographer's dream town.

Cozy Home Vacation Rentals

Monday, November 5, 2018

Best Travel Destinations Within 5 Hours of NYC