Recommended One-Day Rental Car From NYC to Amish Country
Browse more guides: United States travel | Americas destinations Recommended One-Day Rental Car From NYC to Amish Country Last updated: April 2026 · 11 min read Yes, you can do NYC to Amish Country in one day. It's roughly 150 miles to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Two and a half to three hours each way if traffic cooperates. Five or six hours on the ground if you're efficient. That's a 12 to 14-hour day, door to door, and I've done it three times, twice in a rental car and once via Amtrak. Honest answer up front: it works, but it's tight. You'll see two or three stops properly and inhale a Pennsylvania Dutch dinner before the drive home. Better as an overnight. But if you must squeeze it into one day, leave Manhattan by 6 am to beat the Holland Tunnel queue, and plan to return after 7 pm so you skip the evening rush going back into the city. This guide covers both options. But rental car from NYC, or Amtrak Keystone to Lancaster and rent there. Real prices, r...