Hello you love people!

We would really use some advice for the above trip:

We are a family with 3 kids (boy 16yrs, girls 14 and 9 yrs), we like fun and scenery and are used to spending lazy summers in warm european villa holidays, but decided to do something more exciting on a one off action packed trip to the USA. As well as fun and scenery we would like to take in the american atmosphere (if that makes sense!). Our kids have never visited USA and my wife and I have only been for brief visits years ago.

The only fixed element of the trip so far is the arrival in JFK on Tuesday 5th Aug at 3:30pm and flight out of LA at 11pm on Wed 20th Aug.

I was thinking of itinerary that looks like this:

• Tues 5th to Friday 8th New York
• Fri 8th to Sun eve 10th Niagra Falls
• Sun night 10th fly to Vegas and stay overnight
• Mon 11th drive to Grand Canyon and stay over night
• Tuesday 12th afternoon drive back to Vegas and fly to LA
• Tuesday night 12th stay in LA or nearby until Sun 17th
• Sunday night 17th drive to Anaheim and stay until 20th Aug when we return on night flight.
• Mon/Tues 18th/19th Disneyland in Anaheim.

I propose to rent a car in Vegas for Grand Canyon and in LA, we would be staying in self catering throughout.

I know that each element of the above will need careful planning and I would love to receive advice on that, but for now I am super keen to hear thoughts on the high level itinerary and any suggestions/criticism/alternatives are all welcome.....

Thank you so much in advance for helping a stranger!

Best Regards,

Moishe

Some may say Niagra Falls is not worth the visit. It would be nice to work in Zion National Park which is only 2 hours from Las Vegas. It is another premiere national park. It is possible to see LA using public transit but most visitors rent a car and brave the freeways. It would be nice if you could either go to Catalina Island or Laguna Beach for the nature and the beaches.

Sounds like a good plan to me. You will want to see the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, so plan accordingly. Although there are some worthwhile things on the American side, you don't actually get a view of the falls (!). How do you plan on getting there from NYC?

Welcome to Fodors! Your 15 days shrink to 12 considering that arrival day, departure day, and transcontinental day will have no significant touring. Additionally, Niagara Falls will require hours of driving each way for the benefit of the few hours at the Falls, but that depends on your desires.

You say you want self-catering for the trip. Be aware that short term rentals a la Airbnb are for the most part not legal in NY City. Staying at or near the Grand Canyon may require reservations long in advance also. Be further aware that in the US there is no national healthcare, while fees are extraordinarily high compared to the UK, so having medical insurance for your family is essential.

Come back here with more of your possible plans for further assistance.

You can easily fly into Buffalo from NYC to see the falls, not sure about Niagara Falls airport itself and either rent a car in Buffalo or you can fly into Toronto and drive down. The Falls are pretty memorable and the boat ride is lots of fun. If coming from Toronto, I would recommend the charming town of Niagara on the Lake, home of the Shaw Festival for summer theater. There are several War of 1812 forts on both sides of the border.

Flying NYC to Buffalo or elsewhere, then renting a car to drive the rest of the way to the Falls is impractical and time consuming. Just getting from NYC lodging to the airport allowing the advised 2 hours for checking in and going through security, then getting to a rental car and driving to the Falls has got to be worse than just driving north from NYC. Every modality change risks an unexpected delay.

Of course, it is my opinion that spending an entire day or more to see the Falls independently is not as valuable as a day in NYC. If the Falls is an absolute must, I would look for a bus tour that takes care of all the logistics, just buy an (expensive?) ticket, and relax. And anyone in their party that prefers not to go can do a NYC day on their own.

Obviously you know your kids better than we do, but I'll just say that at those ages, my son would have been pretty unhappy with that sort of pace. Taking into account long flights, time changes and jetlag, and seriously high heat, I'd be concerned that by the end of this trip I'd need a second holiday, probably in a monastery or convent. Adding self-catering with grocery runs, learning how to navigate several unfamiliar kitchens (which as mentioned might be an unattainable goal in some locations) and complicated logistics... well, good luck.

The places you plan to visit will all be full of people in August, and accommodation options are likely to be pretty restricted. Niagara Falls, while spectacular enough, is not an easy destination, and the fastest travel time from the Buffalo airport to the Las Vegas airport is around 7 hours, not counting pre-flight check-in and security. (There will be a plane change someplace.) You would likely not arrive in your Las Vegas accommodations until after midnight, to be followed by a blazing hot and fairly boring 5-hour drive the next morning. How would you and your kids feel about that scenario?

(Note weather might indeed be a factor in both NYC and in the LA area - high heat and in NYC possibly high humidity. It can take its toll on those unused to those conditions.)

Can I make a suggestion for a major departure from this plan? Of course you're free to ignore it, but thinking about it and some research is easy.

I assume the trips to Niagara Falls and to the Grand Canyon are so see some of our country's natural wonders, and they are indeed wonderful. But there are many thousands of natural wonders that you could visit in the same time frame, some of which would impose less complicated logistics and which MIGHT be more kid-friendly. (My son's 12-year-old reaction to his first sight of the Grand Canyon was, "Great. Now what?")

I tend to repeat myself on this destination but hear me out. Just east of Portland, Oregon lies the Columbia River Gorge, and just south of the Gorge is Mount Hood, a 10,000-foot stratovolcano that looks like Mt. Fuji.

The Gorge is extremely scenic, with numerous waterfalls lining the south edge of the big canyon. They're not like Niagara, but they offer excellent short hikes and some superb views. Just past the "waterfall zone" along one of America's most scenic roads is the town of Hood River, Oregon, which is regarded as the "windsurfing capital of the US" by whoever names such things. It's not just windsurfing on the great river, however, it's paddleboarding, white water rafting, or just splashing on one of the sandy riverside beaches. Just west of Hood River is the Bonneville Dam complex, complete with a very iconic fish hatchery where the kids can visit Herman the Sturgeon (a huge and ancient fish) or feed the baby trout.

The weather will be warm but not as hot as the desert, Hood River is a major center for wineries and craft beer.

South of Hood River, a fabulously scenic road passes through the orchards and vineyards of the Hood River Valley and with an hour's drive from the town is Timberline Lodge on the side of the big mountain. (Parts of "The Shining" were filmed at the lodge.) From the lodge you can take a chairlift up the "Magic Mile" to the permanent ice fields on the side of Mount Hood, where they will likely still be skiing. East of Hood River, through stunning red rock "old west" scenery, is the Maryhill Museum of Art, a small and quite remarkable museum with a very eclectic collection. Nearby is a weird replica of Stonehenge, overlooking the great river.

All of this is within easy driving range (1 - 2 hours) from the Portland airport, from which you could catch one of numerous daily (and inexpensive) flights down to Los Angeles. So what if you consolidated the Niagara and Vegas/Grand Canyon days with some days around the Gorge, followed by a flight to LA and Disney to conclude the trip?

Just a thought.

Welcome to Fodors.

A few comments -- you could choose any number of places in your two weeks, but some of the places you mention are close to the last places I'd visit on a short holiday . . . with children . . . in August. Las Vegas is probably in the plan mainly for the Grand Canyon. But I'd still 100% (actually 100000%) avoid it. I'm a Californian who is used to 40°- 43° much of the summer. But Vegas is totally off my radar in the summer. It can easily hit 48°+. The only saving grace is room rates are tiny in August (higher on weekend). But it is too hot to even use the pools really and at night it can still be 30°-35°.

The Grand Canyon merits being called 'awe inspiring' to be sure. But on that short a visit what you'll be able to do is take the H-o-H-o shuttle buses along the rim stopping at the main view points. But they will be very busy and you may have to wait for a shuttle with seats.

Niagara Falls is dramatic to be sure. But as mentioned up thread -- the logistics are not at all in your favor.

For some of your destinations self-catering either isn't the best option or is pretty much non-available.

In Anaheim there are soooooo many moderately priced (higher in August though) motels/hotels that have kitchens/kitchenettes and are geared to sleep entire families in one unit. Some withing walking distance of the parks.

Many California schools return to classes in mid-August so Disneyland/California Adventure may be a little less crowded than earlier in the month.

Gardyloo's suggestions are good -- though an entire reimagining of your itinerary. If I wanted to keep the theme parks and if JFK/LAX are set in stoneI'd maybe consider NYC, San Diego area, Orange County/DL, and finish up in LA.

I really like Niagara Falls, especially with kids. I know on the American side you can walk down to the bottom of the falls and you will get very wet (though they give you a poncho). Very exciting. Also on the American side, there is a walk to islands above the falls, which I recommend.. The big views are on the Canadian side (astonishing at night as well since the falls are lit), and you can take the boat ride up to the falls.

Since you are not planning to hike the Grand Canyon, then summer is a fine time to go.

My favorite landscape in the US is the Eastern Sierra Nevadas in California. Where the tallest granite peaks drop down dramatically to a high desert plateau. Lots of exciting geothermal activity, and where many Western movies were made. But I do not know how this area was affected by the fires or what fires might happen in the future.

The reason I had suggested flying up to see the Falls is that it is a long drive although it is a scenic drive. If you were to drive up you can stop and see Watkins Glen perhaps or several other sights depending on your interests. That being said, driving in/around NYC is something those of us who live here do by necessity and you would need to pick up the rental car someplace. I gather you need to return to NYC for a flight to Las Vegas so you could return the rental car at whichever airport you are flying from.

Not necessary. WN (Southwest) flies non-stop from Buffalo to Vegas.

Watkins Glen is eye-popping beautiful and an easy hike. The Corning Glass Museum is also a rare delight, and they have special activities for kids.

Two full days in NYC is not much.
I haven't been to the US side of the falls but I would find it hard to believe it is as good as the Canadian side. I got there on a shuttle from the Toronto airport.
The connecting flights from Buffalo to Las Vegas should be inexpensive on a Sunday.
BUT, it can be cheaper to fly nonstop from Toronto to Las Vegas
(so, fly NYC to Toronto, rent a car, see a nice steel mill on your drive to NF and drive back to drop the car and fly to LV)
Expect hot weather in LV with daytime high of 40C/104F

There are daytrip flight tours from LV to Grand Canyon Airport and then a bus that visits a few of the best viewing points. The flights use one of the small airports in LV, not the big one. Pickup at hotel very early and return by 2PM. Views of Hoover Dam on the way. Airplane, not helicopter.

The drive takes a bit over 4 hours if you don't stop at Hoover Dam. You could drive from GC to LA though flights from LV would be cheap in mid-week in August.

How are you getting from NYC to Niagra Falls? How are you getting from Niagra Falls to Las Vegas? Why are you going to Las Vegas (the desert in August ?!?!?

What kind of "self catering" are you going to arrange in all these places? 9 days days in Los Angeles and Orange County at the end seems a bit too much with so little time for all the other places across the country you mentioned.

I guess no reason you couldn't manage to get your family to both coasts of the USA in only two weeks. But you are packing in a lot. And yes I can only agree that each piece is going to need work to plan. And this is going to be an expensive trip to move 5 people around to all those places!

Welcome, and I wish you happy planning and smooth travels.

Your plan sounds exciting! One suggestion: book a speedboat ride like The Beast in NYC, the kids will love racing past the Statue of Liberty!

Will the OP return and modify the impractical initial itinerary plan? Is there a sufficient daily budget (in dollars)? Will we find out where the family will be lodging? I half expect the NYC segment is to be housed in New Jersey or on Long Island, condemning the family to hours of commuting every day. Will they drop August in the desert heat? Will they ignore the ill-advised side trips that always crop up in responses to inquiries such as this one?

May this turn out to be a trip of a lifetime in a good way, not as a near disaster that was survived.

One way to Toronto | Google Flights
One way to Las Vegas | Google Flights
Las Vegas to Los Angeles | Google Flights

The OP here!
To clarify, the plan is to stay in Manhattan from Tues to Fri.
take a flight on Fri to Toronto and hire car there to reach niagra returning to Toronto on Sun evening for a flight to Vegas. Using Vegas only as base to go from to GC. Staying nr Vegas Airport Sun overnight and renting car to travel to GC on Mon overnight, driving Tues either back to Vegas or Phoenix to fly to LA Tues night or driving to LA over Tues/Wed direct from GC.
The rationale for packing a lot into first week and less into second, is to allow the latter half of vacation to be more restful before we return to life!
The rationale for incl NYC/Niagra/GC is to visit landmarks that we have always heard of their beauty on the only family trip we are ever likely to make to the states...
Re budget we will spend what we need to see the sites in a comfortable but not luxurious manner.

"is to allow the latter half of vacation to be more restful before we return to life!"

Sorry but in August LA and DisneyLand will not be restful. Fun but a hassle because of the crowds. I'm a Californian who travels all over the US but actually spends many of my holidays in the UK -- go figure (most of my Brit friends think that is a bit crazy)

For a once in a lifetime trip to the States I 1) wouldn't choose August but it is totally understandable that is when the school hols are so not a lot of choice. 2) wouldn't pick Niagara Falls, and 3) would avoid Las Vegas at all costs.

If you skip the Toronto/Niagara Falls excursion you could fly directly from NYC to Phoenix to hit the Grand Canyon. Then fly From Phoenix to John Wayne Airport in Orange County for the theme parks and fly home from LAX

Drive time Phoenix to Grand Canyon is about 1 hour shorter than Las Vegas to Grand Canyon. I did not think of this substitution to the itinerary.