My husband and I are planning a trip to New York in July with our two children.19,20.As well as New York we are hoping to also visit Washington,Chicago,Boston, Buffalo and Niagara.We have four weeks. Just wondering if anyone has done similar trip. We are trying to gage if all this is feasible and how long we should stay in each place. Would be very grateful for any advice,tips etc.We plan to stay at budget places but are open to suggestions. Thanks in advance.
Trip to America Advice
irishgal on 18/02/2018 - 22:08
Comments
Thank you. That makes sense.
if you're flying from NY to Toronto to do the falls, consider booking a "first class" ticket (it isn't really first) but the fare difference for us was about the same as paying for luggage on the economy. as a bonus you get lounge so you can have a feed before the flight.
a lot of the places are in different direction, so gotta plan the best route around
will you be leaving from NY as well?if you want budget, megabus (there's some equivalents too) on sale means NY to DC / boston is only like $40 return
not the most comfortable thoughThank you. We dont have to leave from New York.We live in Perth.
I think reno was referring to once you get to the US saying once you get to NY state or Boston Massachusetts check out the megabus. LOL to go from one to the other and back again .
Very doable… New York will be your most expensive leg of the trip. If you contemplating a rental car (which I assume you would be just based on those locations), I personally would suggest picking it up when you leaving NYC. A car there will be a burden. Subway, buses and Uber will do you just fine.
I would suggest 4 days in each, and 5 days in NYC. So that you not rushing esp given you with children. Driving between those places will take a half a day to a day depending how you plan. So make sure you factor that in. You could potentially even do a couple over night mid stops to take in the small places in between.
Thank you. Very helpful. We hadn't planned on car rental. Was hoping to do trains. Is that crazy? The time frames sounds like what we had in mind.The children are 19 and 20. It will more than likely be me that will find it hectic .
Public transport in America is abysmal. Outside of NYC, it's non-existent. If you're travelling between cities, driving or flying is the best option. Renting a car is relatively cheap and petrol is very cheap (probably 40-60% of the price in Australia).
4 days each seems excessive. 2 days in Buffalo and Niagara each should be more than enough. At least 5 days each in NYC and Chicago. 4 days each should be enough in Boston (less if you're not into the universities, MIT and Harvard) and Washington (less if you're not into museums and monuments).
Accommodation in NYC is expensive. Stay in the surrounding suburbs rather than Manhattan. Public transport is very convenient in NYC, there's subway stations everywhere.
You’ll have to drive some of it. It’ll be easier. Trains aren’t as much of a thing in the US as they are in Europe.
Personally the route I’d take would be fly into Chicago then fly to Washington , US airways shuttle flight to Boston, then train to New York, then rent a car and drive to Canada.
That way you aren’t back tracking. Flying east to west or west to east is usually the most expensive bit.
Mega bus is good but where you are going there isn’t a lot of point doing that. You don’t want to spend hour holiday doing 8 hour bus trips…
You need to start booking things now though. I’d book accommodation within the next month.
Thanks for your advice regarding accommodation.We have now booked 90% of it.We are staying a mixture of hotels and airbnb and Vrbo.
Not crazy at all! I love train trips (maybe I'm just crazy too) and for some of your legs, trains could be a good option. They're not necessarily the cheapest way to travel, but they're much less stressful than USA airports. Combined with the fact that you'll board/disembark in the middle of town rather than at the airport, I think they can make a great part of a USA holiday.
The train from NYC - Washington is relatively fast, affordable way to travel. You could also opt for the Megabus on this route (fares can be as low as $1/$5 when booking far in advance, although it takes an hour longer).
I've also done the overnight train Washington - Chicago in a sleeper. It wasn't the cheapest option, but it was a nice trip (and travelling in a sleeper means that you're getting a night of accommodation and a meal).
If you haven't looked already, check out https://www.seat61.com/UnitedStates.htm for some help planning your routes.
Sorry, I have only just seen your post. Thank you for all the information. My husband would love to do at least one train ride. He has been checking out Amtrak to check options. On the over night ones , what are the sleeping arrangements like. Did you find it comfortable and safe?It might be nice to throw in a mixture of trains, planes and driving if the budget allows.Cheers
@irishgal: I travelled as part of a group of four, so on the train we were across two "roomettes" (check out the 'superliner roomette' pictures on Seat61) which are essentially a small room with two seats during the day that converts to bunk beds at night. You can also walk down to the lounge car if you'd like to stretch your legs. You could either get two roomettes or a family bedroom if they're available on the train you're looking at.
I'd definitely say it was safe and comfortable, in the middle of a busy holiday it was a really relaxing way to spend an evening. That said, you'd probably want to pack some activities for the kids (or load up Netflix on an iPad) to keep them amused.
Trip to America Advice
please stay safe around americans with guns.
Sound advice. Safety of course is a huge concern.Any more tips would be grateful.
Bullet proof vest
Why Buffalo? Could also do a few days Philly.
Husband just fancies Buffalo.Will have a look at Philadelphia.
I did this trip in 2011 except subbed Montreal and Toronto for your Chicago. (had a stopover in Chicago though!) Started in Boston, went north, then west, then south east, then back north and returned to Boston, all in 38 days, 2 small kids in tow. It was a great trip and was sad to end. Fast paced but fully doable. For accommodation we used VRBO. The roads are great and to drive. Give NYC at least a week, DC 4+ long days, Boston 4 days + couple of days for the beautiful little surrounding towns, Niagara 1 day is enough IMO unless you have specific plans. Have fun!
Thank you. That sounds like a great trip.What is VRBO? We will have to book two rooms in total.Teenagers will pay for most of their own accommodation.I would love fancy but happy to stay cheap as long as it is clean and safe.
VRBO is a rentals website, preceeding AirBnB. I think it has now changed format to be similar to AirBnB with all payments through the website but previously you could just make arrangements directly with the property owner. Examples of our accom, all in $US:
NYC, 1bed apartment across the road from the Flatiron (middle of everything!!!) - $250/night
Boston, 1bed brownstone in Back Bay, down the road from Cheers - $250/night
Boston, last night in a hotel - $160
DC, huge 2bed apartment in Dupont Circle - $300/night
Toronto - 1bed hi-rise apartment, pool, etc. - $120/night
Smicksberg - Amish town in PA, 2bed old cottage in a vineyard - $70/nightAll sorts of options for all sorts of prices. (I stayed in a caravan in San Diego found on VRBO about a year ago - was I think about $65 per night.) We mixed up cheap and fancier. Getting an apartment means you can stock up and cook at home, crash on the lounge to unwind at night, etc. Probably cheaper than 2 rooms most of the time too. We ate out only once per day - that saves a lot.
Thanks for your advice.We have decided to stay in New York for a week and four days in the major cities.
If you're driving just remember… Long Left, Tight Right.
Thanks. Will pass on to the driver.
I have done pretty much the same trip. Started in Chicago for three days, flew to buffalo, took prebooked taxi over border to niagara falls, one day there then train to Toronto. Three days there then flew to Boston for three days, then flew to Washington and ended in New york.
Probably aim to spend more time in new york and Washington as they have more to do there. Boston is still great as well but you dont need as much time there.
Thank you.How did you find all the flying? Did you wish that you had rented a car instead? We drove in Italy years ago and our friends took the train. We kinda of regretted doing that.Driving through Rome was crazy and stressful at times.
Flying in the US is a bit of a pain - their airports and airlines are pretty unreliable and can add to the risk of your travel. I was using some United frequent flyer points and had limited time to travel between destinations so flying was the only real option. If you have the time, renting a car in the US could be fun. Don’t know how handy they’d be in the big cities though and having to worry about parking.
Thanks everyone so much for their help. Lots to think about.If anyone has any suggestions for airlines that would be great.Have already seen flights Perth - Chicago, New York to Perth for around 1,752 with Cathay Pacific.We are just back from Bali so really need to sit down and do some planning quick before we all start Uni. Thanks again.
I lived in Toronto for a while and have done a similar trip I would fly to: New York then drive to Washington-Chicago-Detroit-Toronto-Niagara(CA)-Buffalo-why? then Back to New York. In that order.
I would add a few stops as 4 weeks is a long time and some as the places are not really long stays like niagara and buffalo.Buy rental car excess insurances in Australia before you leave not from car hire company
Consider hotels out near the freeway rather then in the Centre of town to save cash as you have kids and a car no need to be in Centre of town, and cheaper parking.
Buy a 3 mobile sim global roaming sim for google maps or
Buy a cheap GPS in Australia and rent the North America maps.If you are doing the West Coast, we thoroughly enjoyed the drive from San Fran to LA (with a night stopover in some tiny town). We flew LA to Vegas but in hindsight i think the LA - Vegas drive would have been fun too (if time permits).
It might sound expensive but it was worth doing the day bus trip to grand canyon from vegas and try and catch a show in vegas too.
If in NY - again try and catch a broadway show. we saw Lion King and it was amazing - there are some website that sell last minute tickets so keep an eye out.
You'll find Airbnb is cheaper than hotels. LA downtown is super dodgy - avoid and stay in the tourist areas.
most domestic flights were cheapish but you get what you pay for :(
Are you visiting Washington DC or Washington State? Big difference as Washington State is clear across the country from the NE part of the country. I would imagine your staying in the NE?
I think trip adviser is a great source for locating and booking your accommodation. https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotels-g28970-zff4-Washington…
I would suggest you rent a car(s) to get around a city and to get from one city to another. You should get a sim card with data when you arrive so you can use your phone for GPS and for booking rooms.
1) I would fly into Chicago O'Hare (my favourite area is along Lake Michigan- maybe Grant Park area) and (rent a car to get around the city) spend a few days, not more then 4 there,
2) Then fly from Chicago to Washington DC, rent a car in Washington to explore DC (though it is very easy to walk around DC, 3 days at most in DC; you will get bored)
3) Drive to Boston (about 8 hours) from DC. The reason is there will be lots of places you can stop and site see along that trip. Maybe even get accommodation along the way and make it a 6/7 day road trip {visiting Baltimore Maryland, Wilmington Delaware, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Manhattan New York, New York New York, crossing the Hudson River (very famous), to New haven & Hartford Connecticut) . You will see a lot of the NE USA by driving. Spend a couple days in Boston
4) Continue to drive to Buffalo New York (about 7 hour trip) again getting accommodation along the way so you can site see (you will drive through up-state NY, through Springfield, Albany and Syracuse turning this one into a 3 day trip
5) Then you can take the car to Niagara for a day trip.
The total driving would be about 26 hours if you did not stop at all. All said the minimum days you could be travelling once you arrive in the US would be about 19 days including days for flying.
You said you had 4 weeks so take your time when your travelling. You can book rooms along the way if you have access to the internet. Most hotels will have it.I really recommend the road trips to get a good feel of the land. Relax along the way make it fun. And yes some of the driving might be boring but not all of it. With at least 3 drivers in the car that should make the driving a bit easier.
There is an airport in Buffalo (rochester-ROC or Buffalo-Buf) you can either fly to Chicago Ohare to fly back home or you can get a flight directly from Rochester to Austrlia
Just to give you a feel of prices (checked using Trip adviser Cheap flights https://www.tripadvisor.com/CheapFlightsSearchResults-g28970… )round trips-
Buffalo ROC or BUF to Sydney approx $2400.
Chicago ORD to Sydney approx $2300.00one way-
Buffalo to Sydney $1600
Sydney to Chicago $1400
Chicago to WAshington DC $550.00
Buffalo to Chicago $350.00HOPE THIS HELPS
Thank you. That is a very detailed post and has given us lots of tips.
Thank you for all your tips. I am slowly going through the ideas and suggestions with my husband. We more or less have decided to drive as we think that we will get to see more places that way and can stop off easily.I really like the idea of air b n b /Vrbo.Is Queens ok to stay at. I have seen some decent places there.Given that we have four weeks is there any where else that you guys think we should visit. Again thanks again so much. Plenty food for thought.
read up on Queens here https://www.timeout.com/newyork/queens
I personally have never been there but being an American I can say it is a popular place in the USA. I think you will find a unique experience with the people who live there unlike anywhere else in the US or even in NY.
10 things you didn't know about Queens https://www.timeout.com/newyork/blog/10-things-you-didnt-kno…Nearly half of the population of Queens is made up of immigrants. That means nearly every type of person living every type of lifestyle lives within its 100 square miles. Queens is like the poster child for human beings living in harmony. It’s beautiful. …is full of prime spots for every single type of international cuisine you could imagine.
Worst thing: It takes forever to get around. Queens is by far the largest borough by square miles, so even with all those express trains, traversing that mass of land takes forever.and if your going to visit Queens you should head on up to Long Island and visit the HAMPTONS where all the extremely wealthy Americans live. But it is 3 hours from Queens to East hamptons and then 3 hours back again.
and as long as your exploring NY maybe think about visiting the Bronx too.. a much poorer part of the state.
BronxBest thing: It’s beautiful and full of culture. Seriously. Amazing parks, sunny beaches, awesome cultural institutions where you can avoid the crowds of the lower boroughs… it’s probably the most underrated borough, and the perfect place to explore without crazy lines and overcrowded streets.
Thank you for all that information. The amount of bother that you and the others took to answer is very much appreciated. We are going to write up an itinerary up at the weekend. Then look out for some deals on flights. Check out accommodation and then continue to save. Any more tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.
Your very welcome. I was born in Ohio and from the age of 13 lived in Georgia. So the North East is not my expertise. I have visited Chicago and Poughkeepsie (upstate) NY but otherwise I am a southern Gal, LOL. Oh and I lived in Kansas, Alabama and California for a time as an adult.
Hi guys,
We are getting closer to a plan and just wanted feedback.
Fly Perth to New York Jfk- Stay 7 days
Collect hire car and drive to Washington dc-stay 5. If we get bored we will drive to nearby places and explore.
Drive to Philadelphia and stay three.
Drive to Boston for 6 nights. Three days exploring and use Boston as a base to explore Maine etc
Drive to Niagara Canadian side and hoping to drive and stay in Smicksburg for one night
Then drive to Chicago
and spend remaining time there and fly back to Perth from Chicago Ord.
We plan on using VRBO for places to stay.
Looking at Queens/Brooklyn for New York.
Does this sound like a good plan.? Is it way too much driving? The teens wont be driving.Will parking be difficult and expensive.
Any suggestions or feedback would be much appreciated.
Thanks guys.Not a bad plan but my only question is why fly into New York?
If you do, you will be driving 5 hours south to Washington then returning 5 hours north on the same road to go to Philadelphia. Redundant I think.
Why not fly into Washington then drive North to Philadelphia then to New york staying the 7 days then travel as you planned there-after?
Or do the trip backwards from Chicago to Smicksburg Pennsylvania, Niagara Falls Canada, Boston MA, Philadelphia, Queens NY, Washington DC. Flying home from Washington DC? {approx 30 hours of driving}
I think if you work it so that you can stop along the way and explore for a day or so spending the night before moving on to the next destination (never driving move then 5 hours most days) then it is workable.
The hardest part will be driving between Smicksburg (did you mean Pittsburgh, as there may be nothing in Smicksburg) and Chicago which is a good 9 hour trip. I suspect it will be a straight non-stop haul as there is not much to see along the way.Thanks for your reply.One of the reasons I looked at flying into New York was the cost.The tickets are around a 1,000 extra per adult flying to either Chicago Or Washington.Im still trying to narrow down dates as I have to fit it in around uni for two of us. Thanks again.
Hi guys, just want to ask a question regarding the esta. One website is giving us a price at 14 us and another at 89 us. I presume that theses are the same and should just go for the cheaper one. Any advice please?
The $14.00 will be off the US Gov website and the other is likely an agent - site leads me to believe its a government run website. Go with the $14.00 website as i have done mine for about the same price with no issues.
Great, thank you. I thought as much but just needed it confirmed.
Hi guys, just thought I would give you guys an update on our trip, especially to those that helped and hopefully it might help other people.We got home on Wednesday and we had an amazing time. It was fabulous.
New York was my favorite. I couldn't believe how much there was to see and how friendly and helpful people were to us.Locals would approach us at the subway to see if we needed directions. We stayed in Brooklyn. In hindsight I wished we had stayed closer to my sister in Times Square to avoid the trip every day in to catch up with her.She got a far nicer place and cheaper .But it was only a small issue.
Philadelphia was amazing too as was Cincinnati.I don't ever need to visit Indianapolis again and that's probably the only place we didn't like.We took the grey hound bus to Philly and Washington and that worked out easy and in expensive. A few interesting characters but we had no dramas.
We perhaps could have done one less day in both Boston and Chicago to give us more driving time and stops.Niagara falls was amazing and we watched them from both sides.
Overall our accommodation was good apart from one or two places.For entry into some museums we all got discounts as students. Driving wasn't an issue for my husband and he did really well.The battery did go on our hire car and delayed us by 4 hours.I will submit a complaint for that.
We didn't find the Us particularly cheap but it just had more variety on some things.
All in all it was a super trip and we came home with some fantastic memories. Thanks again to all for your help.
Do Niagara Falls from the Canadian side. It's. So. Much. Better.