memefr

hallo to all
we are afamilly of 3 boy ages 10 8 and 4 from israel planning to travel to the states the comming july. we would probably stay on the east cost . i have a dream of an RV trip but this is not a must. can any of you help me to start planning were to go to?
thanks and happiness to all

rm_mn

Please help us help you by telling us what types of things you want to see. Would you like museums, government buildings, mountain scenery, oceans, islands, Disneyworld?

memefr

thanks
we like nature- scenery, hiking, mountains, rivers etc. would love to add Disney but afraid that july is impossible in terms of lines for the attractions (is it?). is renting an RV and traveling from Disney northward all the way to the north east a good idea or RV trips like that are more suitable to the west cost? what are the stops i can make on the way washington? parks? i heard the north east has beautifull nature but havn't been there. how is the weather end june begin july? are there other activities that can "break" the nature trip on the way like water parks luna parks etc? how long should we plan for such a trip?
thanks again and hapiness to all

capxxx

Yes you could do this -- but you three boys will need grownups to do the driving.;-)

The south is very hot that time of year, and it is not a popular time for travel in florida. But if you are from Israel it may not seem so bad.

First, where will you stay? Take a look at the National Park Service sites -- you can get a single pass and then stay in any of them. There are also a chain of KOA campgrounds (they call them kampgrounds) where you can stay overnight with an RV. There is a big book you can pick up in any big bookstore that lists all the campgrounds in different sections of the us.

You would not want to drive the RV in the cities, but you could park in a campground and get a ride into the city, then use public transportation. Or rent a car for a day.

A driving tour from Disney to, say, Boston, stopping only to sleep, would take 2-3 days. Of course you will want to spend some time at interesting sights -- here are some suggestions, moving south to north:

Florida: 4-5 days in the Disneyworld/Orlando.

Georgia: Okefenoke Swamp: take a flatboat tour, see aligators and creepy creatures.

Georgia to New Hampshire: The Appalachian Trail is a continuous hiking trail through 2000 miles -- you don't have to hike all of it, though.

Tennessee/North Caroline: Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Spectacular hiking and views.

Washington DC. Plenty to see.

Baltimore, Maryland: See the museums in the inner harbor area, eat great food.

There is a Six Flags amusement park in Maryland, but I don't know if it is good (some in this chain of parks are kind of lame.)

New Jersey: Visit the boardwalk/ amusement parks in Wildwood or Ocean City.

New York City

The Adirondak Mountains or Pocono Mountains of upstate New York. Lake George.

nytraveler

RVs are an issue if you want to see anything in the cities on the east coast. They're simply not equipped for such vehicles and you will need to stay at an RV park some way from the center and travel back and forth by public transit - which can be very time-comsuming and expensive.

If you want to stay in national or state parks it's much more doable - but man have camp/parking sites that are reserved months in advance.

Also- if you're staying outside the cities renting an RV could well cost more than renting a car and staying in budget motels - esp given the price of gas.

If you search below on queries realted to RVs someone has listed web sites esp for people with a lot of experience with this - who can give better info.

As for a trip from FL up the coast it's certainly doable - depending on how much time you have - since it's about 1,500 miles even without side trips. But FL will be hot/humid as hell and mobbed. Even if you go all the way to the Canadian border you'll often find temps in the high 80's or 90's in the summer.

janisj

RVs pose a couple of problems: 1) getting in/out of cities and finding places to park themfor city stays, and 2) one-way rentals are either impossible or very expensive.

But hotel/motel stays are not difficult nor expensive. In Europe and teh middle east I know finding rooms for 5 is REALLY a problem. Not so in most parts of the States. Here motel rooms are regularly set up for 4 and very often for more.

So you might actually save money staying in motels over renting an RV. Even the cooking in an RV won't be a big $ money saver since there are several budget motel chains that include a kitchen/kitchenette.

So I personally wouldn't plan on an RV - work out your itinerary and we can help you find economical places to sty.

mmouse52

I do agree with the previous posters the Eastern coast is not that RV friendly. Yes you could find campgrounds going up the coast but they would be far from city attractions. Renting a car would make it much easier to sightsee. The summer months can be very hot and humid from Florida all the way to Maine. Since the east coast has so many options I would suggest you pinpoint a certain area say from Washington DC to Maine. Washington DC has so much to offer. Stop in New Jersey see the Statue of Liberty. Continue on to Boston Massachuetts and then on to Cape Cod which has great beaches. If you still want to continue North the coast of Maine is very scenic. You didn't say how long you are planning to stay so that would determine how far you want to travel. Give us some more information and we will all be glad to help you. We have a wonderful country so much to see and many great people that will help you plan your trip.

memefr

thank you all for your replies
we plan a 3 weeks more or less trip. we would probably want to stay a few days by relatives in new york so that leaves 2-21/2 weeks to travel.
your country is so beautifull and full of things to see - my problem is picking-i want to see it all.....
the RV renting company said that 2 weeks are enough for the driving from orlando to new york but they have an interest...
i would love to be in disney and then head up north but maybe the lines in july for the atractions and the feeling i get from most of you that the east is not that "RV friendly" means i better plan a car+ motels trip for shorter distances?
thanks and happiness again

Anya

I also think it would be better to rent a car and stay in motels rather than RV.

If are willing to leave out Disney as it will be terribly hot and humid, how about if you stay more to the North and do a loop including any of the following: Boston, NH mountains, Acadia National Park, Niagara Falls, Washington DC. The weather should be cooler, you hike, raft. If you want amusement parks you can go to to Six Flags Great Adventure in NJ or maybe Hershey Park in Pennsylvania.

nytraveler

If you plan on spending any time in cities the RV will be much more trouble than it's worth. Esp in NYC - there is no place to put one (unless your realtives have a house and don;t mind you taking their entire driveway. They're just too big to park on the street and if you leave it in the RV park outside the city then getting around is an issue.

Also - be aware that in the northeast there are many roads - usually called parkways - on which ou cannot drive an RV . You can;t drive anything larger than a passenger car - since the lanes are too narrow and twisting often with no shoulders and very low stone bridges. (If you get stuck on one of those the fine can be up to $1000 - plus costs if you have to be towed off.)

There are roads that will take RVs - but that's just another issue to deal with.

I wold defiitely do a car rental and motels. Make NYC either your first or last stop to see the relatives and either pick up the car when you leave or drop it when you get there. (A car is not only useless but also very expensive to park and inconvenient in YC.)