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Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Fund Summary
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The fund seeks to provide a high level of interest income exempt from federal income tax, while seeking preservation of shareholders' capital.

Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in certain funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the Shareholder Guide section beginning on page 9 of this prospectus and in the How to Buy Shares section and the Additional Information About How to Buy Shares section beginning on page II-1 and page III-1, respectively, of the fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination 2015-02-01
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 35.03% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 35.03%
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text] rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in certain funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount] rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount $ 50,000
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

The Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund's operating expenses remain the same. The one-year example and the first year of the three-, five- and ten-years examples are based on net operating expenses, which reflect the expense limitation by The Dreyfus Corporation. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text] rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategy
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in municipal bonds that provide income exempt from federal personal income tax. The fund invests exclusively in fixed-income securities rated, at the time of purchase, investment grade (i.e., Baa/BBB or higher) or the unrated equivalent as determined by The Dreyfus Corporation, with an emphasis on high grade securities. The dollar-weighted average effective maturity of the fund's portfolio generally will be between 3 and 10 years, but the fund may invest in individual securities of any maturity. The portfolio managers focus on identifying undervalued sectors and securities. The portfolio managers select municipal bonds for the fund's portfolio by using fundamental credit analysis to estimate the relative value and attractiveness of various sectors and securities and actively trade among various sectors based on their apparent relative values.


Although the fund seeks to provide income exempt from federal income tax, income from some of the fund's holdings may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.

Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. It is not a complete investment program. The fund's share price fluctuates, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money.


· Municipal securities risk. The amount of public information available about municipal securities is generally less than that for corporate equities or bonds. Special factors, such as legislative changes, and state and local economic and business developments, may adversely affect the yield and/or value of the fund's investments in municipal securities. Other factors include the general conditions of the municipal securities market, the size of the particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. Changes in economic, business or political conditions relating to a particular municipal project, municipality, or state, territory or possession of the United States in which the fund invests may have an impact on the fund's share price.


· Interest rate risk. Prices of bonds tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in rates will adversely affect bond prices and, accordingly, the fund's share price. The longer the effective maturity and duration of the fund's fixed-income portfolio, the more the fund's share price is likely to react to interest rates. For example, the market price of a fixed-income security with a duration of three years would be expected to decline 3% if interest rates rose 1%. Conversely, the market price of the same security would be expected to increase 3% if interest rates fell 1%.


· Credit risk. Failure of an issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, or a decline or perception of a decline in the credit quality of a bond, can cause the bond's price to fall, potentially lowering the fund's share price. The lower a bond's credit rating, the greater the chance – in the rating agency's opinion – that the bond issuer will default or fail to meet its payment obligations.


· Liquidity risk. When there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities, it can become more difficult to sell the securities in a timely manner at or near their perceived value. In such a market, the value of such securities and the fund's share price may fall dramatically, even during periods of declining interest rates. The secondary market for certain municipal bonds tends to be less well developed or liquid than many other securities markets, which may adversely affect the fund's ability to sell such municipal bonds at attractive prices.


· Call risk. Some bonds give the issuer the option to call, or redeem, the bonds before their maturity date. If an issuer "calls" its bond during a time of declining interest rates, the fund might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield, and therefore might not benefit from any increase in value as a result of declining interest rates. During periods of market illiquidity or rising interest rates, prices of "callable" issues are subject to increased price fluctuation.

Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney The fund's share price fluctuates, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text] rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The bar chart shows changes in the performance of the fund's Class I shares from year to year. The table compares the average annual total returns of the fund's shares to those of a broad measure of market performance. The fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future. Sales charges, if any, are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would have been less than those shown. More recent performance information may be available at www.dreyfus.com.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress www.dreyfus.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Year-by-Year Total Returns as of 12/31 each year (%) Class I
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text] rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads Sales charges, if any, are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would have been less than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

Best Quarter
Q3, 2009: 6.08%


Worst Quarter
Q4, 2010: -2.55%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 6.08%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2010
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (2.55%)
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text] rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown After-tax performance is shown only for Class I shares. After-tax performance of the fund's other share classes will vary.
Performance Table Narrative rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock

After-tax performance is shown only for Class I shares. After-tax performance of the fund's other share classes will vary. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.


For the fund's Class A, C and Y shares, periods prior to the inception date reflect the performance of the fund's Class I shares adjusted to reflect any applicable sales charges. Such performance figures have not been adjusted to reflect applicable class fees and expenses; if such fees and expenses had been reflected, the performance shown for Class A and C shares for such periods would have been lower.

Caption rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption Average Annual Total Returns (as of 12/31/13)
Barclays Capital 3-, 5-, 7-, 10-Year Municipal Bond® Index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.25%)
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.51%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.00%
Class A
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice 4.50%
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of lower of purchase or sale price) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther none [1]
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.40%
Distribution (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other expenses (including shareholder services fees) rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.49%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.89%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.19%) [2]
Total annual fund operating expenses (after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement) rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.70%
Expenses Deferred Charges [Text Block] rr_ExpensesDeferredChargesTextBlock Class A shares bought without an initial sales charge as part of an investment of $1 million or more may be charged a deferred sales charge of 1.00% if redeemed within one year.
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 537
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 721
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 921
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,497
Expense Example, No Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 537
Expense Example, No Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 721
Expense Example, No Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 921
Expense Example, No Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 1,497
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (5.26%)
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.74%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.06%
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Mar. 31, 2009
Class C
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of lower of purchase or sale price) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther 1.00%
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.40%
Distribution (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.75%
Other expenses (including shareholder services fees) rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.50%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.65%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.20%) [2]
Total annual fund operating expenses (after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement) rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.45%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 248
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 501
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 878
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,938
Expense Example, No Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 148
Expense Example, No Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 501
Expense Example, No Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 878
Expense Example, No Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 1,938
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (2.48%)
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.96%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.17%
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Mar. 31, 2009
Class I
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of lower of purchase or sale price) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther none
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.40%
Distribution (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other expenses (including shareholder services fees) rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.21%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.61%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.16%) [2]
Total annual fund operating expenses (after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement) rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.45%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 46
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 179
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 324
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 747
Expense Example, No Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 46
Expense Example, No Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 179
Expense Example, No Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 324
Expense Example, No Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 747
Annual Return 2004 rr_AnnualReturn2004 2.94%
Annual Return 2005 rr_AnnualReturn2005 1.82%
Annual Return 2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 3.88%
Annual Return 2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 3.69%
Annual Return 2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (0.33%)
Annual Return 2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 10.22%
Annual Return 2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 3.58%
Annual Return 2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 8.63%
Annual Return 2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 3.65%
Annual Return 2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 (0.56%)
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.56%)
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 5.03%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.70%
Class I | After Taxes on Distributions
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.56%)
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.96%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.66%
Class I | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 0.72%
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.75%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.63%
Class Y
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of lower of purchase or sale price) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther none
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.40%
Distribution (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other expenses (including shareholder services fees) rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.18%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.58%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.13%) [2]
Total annual fund operating expenses (after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement) rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.45%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 46
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 173
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 311
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 713
Expense Example, No Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 46
Expense Example, No Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 173
Expense Example, No Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 311
Expense Example, No Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 $ 713
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.53%)
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 5.04%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.70%
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jul. 01, 2013
[1] Class A shares bought without an initial sales charge as part of an investment of $1 million or more may be charged a deferred sales charge of 1.00% if redeemed within one year.
[2] The fund's investment adviser, The Dreyfus Corporation, has contractually agreed, until February 1, 2015, to waive receipt of its fees and/or assume the direct expenses of the fund so that the expenses of none of the classes (excluding Rule 12b-1 fees, shareholder services fees, taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, commitment fees on borrowings and extraordinary expenses) exceed .45%. On or after February 1, 2015, The Dreyfus Corporation may terminate this expense limitation at any time.