• Take the train for a cheap getaway out of Philadelphia.train image by Geoff from Fotolia.com
  
  Sometimes you want to take a cheap, quick trip away from the city. If you live in Philadelphia, you have several inexpensive options for a weekend getaway. New York City is only a two-hour drive or bus ride away, the beautiful Poconos mountains are a quick drive away, and Pennsylvania Dutch Country is a short train ride or drive.
  
  

Lancaster County

• A visit to Lancaster County, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is full of possibilities. Amtrak trains go directly from Philadelphia's 30th Street station to downtown Lancaster and cost as little as $30 round trip in 2010. If you would rather drive, the trip takes about an hour and a half.
  
  Once in Lancaster County, you can explore downtown Lancaster, which is home to Central Market, a year-round farmer's market that has been in existence since the 1700's. Lancaster is farm country and several restaurants in the downtown area specialize in locally grown, seasonal meals.
  
  Just outside the city of Lancaster, you can experience the Amish way of living. Several companies offer buggy ride tours of the area. Buggy rides take you on the back roads through the county. Many stop at working Amish farms and allow you to picnic and pet the animals.
  
  Lancaster has a variety of free activities. Several museums, such as the Heritage Center Museum, have free admission. You can also tour the area's covered bridges, visit Herr's snack factory, or take a tour through Nissley Vineyards and Winery Estates, all for free.
  
  Central Market
  23 North Market Street
  Lancaster, PA 17608
  (717) 291-4723
  centralmarketlancaster.com
  
  Heritage Center Museum
  5 West King Street
  Lancaster, PA 17603
  (717) 299-6440
  heritagecentermuseum.com
  
  Nissley Vineyards and Winery
  140 Vintage Drive
  Bainbridge, PA 17502
  (717) 426-3514
  Nissleywine.com
  
  Herr's Snack Factory Tour
  271 Old Baltimore Pike
  Nottingham, PA 19362
  (610) 932-6400
  (800) 637-6225
  herrs.com
  
  

New York City

• While New York City itself isn't cheap, getting there from Philadelphia is. Several bus companies offer round trip tickets from Philadelphia to New York City for $20 or less. Tolls, the cost of gas, and parking make driving to New York City a bit more expensive, but the drive is a short one--only about two hours, depending on traffic.
  
  Once in New York, you can find inexpensive things to do. If you want to see a play or musical, you may be able to find half price tickets to popular shows at the TKTS booths. There are three booths, one in Times Square, one down by the Seaport, and one in Brooklyn. The booths sell tickets for same day shows and the available selection changes regularly. If you want to spend your time in the Big Apple downtown, Off-Off Broadway productions generally have less expensive ticket prices than Broadway or Off-Broadway shows. SoHo is home to several theaters that produce unique and edgy shows, for less than half the price of a Broadway musical.
  
  The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Brooklyn Museum, and the Children's Museum in Manhattan offer free admission occasionally, thanks to a program sponsored by Target. Brooklyn Museum has free admission on the first Saturday of the month, MoMA is free every Friday evening, and the Children's Museum offers free admission on the first Friday of the month.
  
  TKTS
  226 W 47th St
  New York, NY 10036
  (212) 221-0013
  tdf.org
  
  Bolt Bus
  1-877-265-8287
  boltbus.com
  
  New Century Travel
  55 N. 11th Street
  Philadelphia, PA 19107
  (215)-627-2666
  2000coach.com
  
  Museum of Modern Art
  11 West 53 Street
  New York, NY 10019
  (212) 708-9400
  moma.org
  
  The Brooklyn Museum
  200 Eastern Parkway
  Brooklyn, New York 11238-6052
  (718) 638-5000
  brooklynmuseum.org
  
  Children's Museum of Manhattan
  The Tisch Building
  212 West 83rd Street
  between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway
  New York, NY 10024
  (212) 721-1223
  cmom.org
  
  

Poconos

• The Poconos Mountains are full of things to do throughout the year and are only a two-hour drive from the city. In the winter, the Poconos offers several places to ski or snowboard. In the summer, you can water-ski, canoe, or tube at one of the many lakes in the area, such as Lake Wallenpaupack, the third largest lake in the state.
  
  The Poconos mountains are a great place to go for a quick romantic getaway. Depending on your taste, you can select from hotels that are couples only, all-inclusive resorts, quaint bed and breakfasts, or several spa resorts.