Escape from New York! 5 sizzling summer road trips to beat city heat and the usual beach crowds all on just one tank

Summer has come to NYC, leaving us locals yearning to breathe freely as the steamy weather settles in and hordes of wide-eyed tourists take Manhattan — and too much space on the sidewalks.But where to retreat — and cool off — in 2026? Headache-making fuel prices are turning precious trips to the beach into pricey pitfalls, while further afield, inflation is hitting popular European destinations hard — and that’s before you deal with the bureaucratic border drama causing nightmare waits at airports from Lisbon to Copenhagen.Suddenly, doing battle on the burning Big Apple pavement doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.

But before you rebrand a run through the fire hydrant a “spa day” — or start calling your building rooftop an “urban resort” — consider this: With a car and a tank of gas, you can easily disappear to some great close-to-home spots that’ll scratch the travel itch without the hefty bill.From the mountains to the seaside, you can choose your own adventure — here are five close-to-home gems to get you inspired.Less than three hours from Gotham, you’ll find a bucolic rural region with lush forests, clear blue lakes and a popular farm-to-table food scene.

Hike on the Appalachian Trail, ride mountain bike trails or take in a concert at Tanglewood.The Berkshires have it all.Start at the top, on Mt.

Greylock — the roughly 20-minute journey takes travelers to the highest point in Massachusetts for sweeping, 90-mile views where folks can spot up to five states.To cool off, towns across the Berkshires have swimming holes, open-water swimming, guarded or non-guarded public beaches and swimming pools all open to the public.To find one where you’re staying, check out Open Water Swimming.The spot is also quite an arts and culture hub.

Art aficionados can check out two of the many acclaimed museums in the area: Mass MoCa and The Clark.End the night at the perfect hotel, Prospect Berkshires.Dubbed a “modern lakeside retrea...