rajteck

Hi all !! We ( means family with wife and 2 adutl kids ) are in Toronto in May for a month and would like to visit East coast for around 10-11 days preferably NY / DC and Niagra falls.
Pls guide us travel by road by bus or train and on return by flight. We plan to start from

11.05.15. leaving Toronto to Niagra and staying 1 nights
12.05.15. taking a bus or train and going to NY and staying for 3-4 nights
16.05.15. taking a bus or train and going to Atlantic city
17.05.15. taking a bus or train and going to Washington
20.05.15. flying back to Toronto.

Pls advise if this itineray sounds OK ( if not, pls help with atlernate ) and what could be the best mode of transportation between this cities, bus or train.
Also if you would suggest any other city to be added inbetween.
Thanks to all/

nytraveler

Well, first I would bag Atlantic Cty - which is a very unpleasant places where local seniors go on bus trips to bet the rent money. Several of the casinos have closed due to lack of business and it's just not worth the time. I would substitute Philly instead with a ton to see and do.

I would not do bus - since train is much more comfortable as you can get up and walk around instead of just sitting in a seat for 8/9 hours - but train from Niagara Falls to NYC is, I think, only once per day. We drove and that's all I would consider.

Once you hit NYC you can easily take Amtrak to Philly and DC - many trains per day. And ticket prices are much lower in bought in advance. There are also bargain buses on this route - but they are subject to long delays due to traffic, construction, accidents, etc and IMHO the extra cost of a discounted train ticket is well worth it.

garyt22

Megabus travels from Toronto to Niagara Falls at very good rates and then from Niagara to New York City... if you don't mind riding the bus...

tomfuller

I am the train advocate. There is a GO train tat takes you close to Niagara/Horseshoe falls on the Canadian side. I think you have to take a bus to get to the falls on the Canada side.
Once you are on the US side you can take the Amtrak Maple Leaf to go to New York. There are several interesting cities in New York State along the route to NYC.
Leave NYP (Penn Station) and go to Philadelphia (30th Street Station). From that station you can take a New Jersey Transit train to Atlantic City if you must. I like Philadelphia much better than AC.
Return to PHL and take the train to Washington.
If you run out of time for Washington, take the train to BWI and fly home to Toronto from there. The easier airport to fly out of DC is Reagan National which has its own Metro stop.
The thing I don't like about buses is that they have one bathroom and the trains have at least 4 per car.

rajteck

Thanks very much and I skip AC and replace it with Philadelphia.

Also I will use train for commuting instead of bus.

Reg. hotel accomodation in these cities, can you help me with prices not above 150 dollars a day each room.

Also for local sightseeing in these cities, which tour company would you suggest ? Tks in advance.

nytraveler

$150 is very low for a double room in NYC - possibly more doable in Philly and DC depending on days of week.

I would look immediately at the various discount hotel sites to see who is offering deals (and assume you are a couple who can share one double bed - the usual room configuration in eastern cities.)

tomfuller

Once you leave Philadelphia, you have some options for cheaper hotel rooms outside Washington DC. I would choose New Carrolton since it is served by both Amtrak and MARC on the Penn line.
http://mdtrip.org/DesktopModules/Sch...e=376&User=282
It can be hard to get a taxi from Union Station (WAS) to a reasonably priced hotel.

rajteck

Thanks all.
Finally we fine tuned the itinerary and instead of travelling too much, decided to stay for 4-5 nights in NY and explore the city and 2 nights in Niagra. DC and Phil have more museums and historical places rather then sight-seeing or exploring the city. Pls advise if this would be right ? Alternatively we thought of Orlando or Miami from NY by flight but this would be making the trip too long.

rajteck

Hello all,

Since all the hotels in NYC are expensive (No less than 200 USD/night), is it advisable to stay at a hotel in Secaucus, NJ and travel to and fro NYC for 5 days?

P.S. The price of Meadowlands River Inn, that I am getting is 75 USD per night.

Thanks in advance

nytraveler

Commuting from Secaucus can be very inconvenient, time-consuming and expensive.

I've never heard of that hotel so have no idea where it is in relation to transit into NYC - which is either train (fast but not cheap) or bus (takes longer). Both are focused on commuters and may run rarely if at all outside of commuting hours and your lodging may be near neither nor any services like restaurants. (Normally one would get around Jersey by car).

Separately, that is a VERY low rate and I would investigate the place on tripadvisor to see why it's so cheap.

And I would search for the schedule of the nearby transit - you don;t want to stay in the city for dinner or a show and then find you have to wait an hour to get a bus or train back to the area near the hotel.

tomfuller

You might want to look east of Manhattan. Look for something near a LIRR station. http://web.mta.info/lirr/Timetable/lirrmap.htm
If you have a vehicle to park, the Kew Garden station has free unrestricted parking.

nytraveler

There are other budget options in Long Island City - about 10 to 15 minutes from Manhattan by subway. Country In and suiutes gets good rates - but I'm not sure if it's that low. But it is convenient to the subway - although the area is mixed use - but Secaucus is that as well.

maxima

You will need your passports to enter the USA from Canada, but I am assuming that is not a problem for you and your family. Whether you take the train or Megabus from Niagara Falls, it is basically an all day ride. You can have delays on the train as well.

I would not stay in Secaucus. Its too far and not easy to get to/from NYC for sightseeing. Nor would I stay in Kew Gardens in Queens. The LIRR is far more expensive than the subway.

There are motels/hotels in Queens that may fit your budget some are on Queens Boulevard, in Sunnyside; others are in Long Island City. There are also some newer hotels in Flushing. Some are in commercial areas but are close to the subway. But if they are only on the number 7 that can be a problem if you are in NYC over a weekend as the 7 line repairs seem to be endlessly done on weekends and make travel from Queens into Manhattan an issue. Check the MTA website for information on anticipated work on the various subway lines.

rajteck

Hi all,

finally we booked Hyatt Place New York Midtown South for 4 nights. Pls now help us with local support I mean, local tours and which all places to cover in this 4 night stay in NY. We are travelling to Montreal then ( not decided if by Amtrak or by flight ), pls kindly give your suggestions.