Luxury holidays in Lake Placid

Synonymous with snow-centric sports, Lake Placid (two-time host of the winter Olympics) has plenty to placate anyone after an action-packed day: specialty coffee from cosy cafés, craft beers from local breweries, and a fondness for farm-to-table food. The authentically Adirondack town is surrounded by conifer-carpeted mountains, glassine lakes (the aptly-named Mirror Lake sits in the centre of town, while the actual Lake Placid lies just beyond) and thigh-trembling trails. Come summer, swap skates, sleds and skis for bikes and hikes; you might even spy Vermont, New York City or Canada from Whiteface Mountain’s summit on a cloudless day.
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When to go

Despite its acclaim for winter sports, each season offers an equally exciting experience of Lake Placid, with snowy summits in winter and sunshine-soaked hikes in summer.

Getting there

  • Planes

    Fly into New York City’s JFK Airport or Boston Logan International Airport, then it’s five hours or so by car to Lake Placid. If road trips aren’t your cup of tea, there are two-hour connecting flights to Adirondack Regional Airport (from JFK) or to Saranac Lake (from BOS), which are both a 30-minute drive from Lake Placid. You could also fly into Montréal’s international airport, which is over two hours’ drive away.

  • Trains

    Amtrak runs a daily rail service from New York City to Westport (a 45-minute drive from Lake Placid), which takes under six hours.

  • Automobiles

    Unless you plan to arrive by car, or explore towns and treks further afield, a car isn’t essential. It’s easy to walk around Lake Placid, plus you can hire bikes, call a taxi or use the town’s free bus service.