Region

Bergen County

Base in one town and drive; Sunday shopping is closed county-wide, so plan Sundays for parks and food.

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Key facts · United States

Best months: Apr–May, Sep–Oct
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: US dollar (USD, $)
Language: English
Plugs: A · B · 120 V
Time zone: Six zones: UTC−5 to UTC−10

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…

North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Bergen County is New York City's northwest suburb: 239 sq mi of towns 10–30 minutes apart, with Manhattan 20–40 minutes away over the George Washington Bridge. Sleep in one town — Paramus or Hackensack for malls and highways, Fort Lee for the bridge and Manhattan views, Ridgewood or Westwood for a walkable main street — and drive between the rest. The one rule that changes plans: nearly all non-food retail closes on Sunday.

Where to sleep

10 places in this region

Sleep base

Fort LeeCity guide
George Washington Bridge, Manhattan views, Korean food.
Best Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
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Open Fort Lee →
RidgewoodCity guide
Walkable downtown, NJ Transit train to Hoboken.
Best Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Ridgewood →
TeaneckCity guide
Bus to Manhattan, cheaper rooms, diverse food.
Best May–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Teaneck →

Day trip

East RutherfordCity guide
MetLife Stadium and American Dream mall; event nights only.
Best Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open East Rutherford →
WestwoodCity guide
Small downtown, Pascack Valley line.
Best Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Westwood →
Park RidgeCity guide
Northern edge, near the NY state line.
Best May–Oct
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Open Park Ridge →
River ValeCity guide
Suburban green space, no train station.
Best Apr–Oct
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Open River Vale →
HaworthCity guide
Small river town.
Best Sep–May
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Open Haworth →
EnglewoodCity guide
Downtown shops and restaurants; light-rail extension planned, not open.
Best May–Oct
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Open Englewood →
WyckoffCity guide
Residential, drive-only.
Best May–Oct
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Open Wyckoff →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

2 nights: Fort Lee 2 — Manhattan day trips over the GW Bridge
3 nights: Ridgewood or Westwood 3 — walkable evenings, train to Hoboken
4 nights: Paramus/Hackensack 4 — malls, MetLife event, NYC by bus

Sunday: assume shops are shut. Buy what you need Saturday.
Bridge and tunnel tolls into New York are charged one way; check the current rate.
Rush hour on I-95, Route 4 and Route 17 runs roughly 07:00–09:30 and 16:00–19:00.Rush hour on I-95, Route 4 and Route 17 runs roughly 7:00 AM–9:30 AM and 4:00 PM–7:00 PM.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
New York City	Fort Lee	40 min	check	GW Bridge by car or NJ Transit bus 156/159 to Port Authority; bridge tolls are one-way into NY.
East Rutherford (MetLife Stadium / American Dream)	Paramus	20 min	check	Drive or NJ Transit; allow extra time on event nights.
Hoboken	Ridgewood	50 min	check	NJ Transit Main/Bergen County or Pascack Valley line; check the last train back.

Bags between cities

No rail link crosses the county east–west; luggage stays in the car or with you on the bus. Hotels in Paramus, Hackensack and Ridgewood are the usual overnight stops.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Fort Lee	×	×	ok	go	go	go	×	×	go	go	ok	ok
Ridgewood	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	×	×	go	go	ok	ok
Teaneck	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	ok	ok
East Rutherford	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	×	×	go	go	ok	ok
Westwood	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	×	×	go	go	ok	ok
Park Ridge	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok
River Vale	×	×	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×
Haworth	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	go	go	go	go
Englewood	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok
Wyckoff	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok
United States (country-wide)	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	ok	ok

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Bergen CountyAll towns	cold	cold	ok	best	best	ok	hot	hot	best	best	ok	cold

best: dry, mildok: workablehot: short walking windows

Bergen County: Humid summers near 30 °C (86 °F), cold winters with snow; autumn is the driest, clearest stretch.Humid summers near 86 °F (30 °C), cold winters with snow; autumn is the driest, clearest stretch.

Late September to early November is the best window; spring is wet. Summer weekends fill parks and malls.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Newark Liberty International (EWR)	Bergen County	Car or NJ Transit	~40 min by car	The main commercial airport for the county.
LaGuardia (LGA) and John F. Kennedy (JFK)	Bergen County	Car or transit via Manhattan	~40–60 min by car	Both within about 40 minutes outside rush hour.
Teterboro (TEB)	Bergen County	Private and business aviation	on-site	No scheduled airline service.
New York City	Fort Lee / Paramus	George Washington Bridge, then Route 4 and Route 17	~20–40 min	Toll is charged entering New York, not leaving.
Upstate New York	Montvale	I-287 to the New York State Thruway, School House Road exit	check	The northern approach into the county.
South Jersey	Bergen County	Garden State Parkway north, exits 160–172	check	The most direct route from the south.

Regional passes

Verdict first

NJ Transit bus and rail tickets

buy

Buy per trip or use the app; a car still covers most of the county.

E-ZPass

buy

Needed for bridge and parkway tolls; rent a transponder with the car.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Korean barbecue and banchan	Fort Lee	The county's densest restaurant strip; many kitchens open late.
Diner breakfasts	Hackensack, Paramus, Ridgewood	New Jersey diners run long hours; Sunday mornings are busiest.
Italian-American and pizza	Ridgewood, Westwood	Walkable downtowns; book or expect a wait on weekend evenings.

Go next

New York

GW Bridge or NJ Transit bus, 20–40 min

The obvious next base; leave the car outside Manhattan.

Jersey Shore

Garden State Parkway south, ~1 h 30

Beach towns for a summer add-on.

Westchester County

Tappan Zee (Mario Cuomo) Bridge, ~40 min

The mirror-image suburbs across the Hudson.

Pocono Mountains

I-80 west, ~1 h 30

Weekend mountains and lakes.

New Jersey

Statewide hub

Plan the rest of the state from here.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 3 bases
Day trips: 3, 20 min to 50 min
Nights suggested: 2–4 nights
Ways in: 6 listed
Best months: Apr, May, Sep, Oct

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

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Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialBergen County — official site
officialNJ Transit
officialPort Authority of New York and New Jersey
officialNew Jersey Department of Transportation
secondaryWikivoyage: Bergen County, revision 5207556 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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