advice needed: which city should i fly to?
 

Ok, so heres the dilemma. I am about to earn a free airline voucher from Southwest Airlines good for RT fare to any city they fly to.

I will admit I was dismayed that they recently lost routes to all Hawaiian destinations that was carried by ATA. (anyone know precisely what happened here?)

So with that being said, Im now confined to the contiguous states that they do fly to.

Im open to visiting really any city, but I want to have a fantastic time. Im here in Dallas, and would like to get away. (So a flight down to south padre isnt exactly what Im bearing in mind)

what primarily attracts me to a city is how tourist friendly it is, (not just local hospitality, but also ease of navigation to nearby sights), lodging expenses, shopping.

My trip doesnt have any exact dates set for when I go. I will earn the voucher some time this autumn, and must use it by next spring. So more than likely, Id say my actual trip would probably be either in Oct or Nov.

My trip duration isnt set in stone either, but ideally would be about 4 days, 3 nights.

In regards to Southwest, Ive studied the cities they fly to, and narrowed it down to some cities Id like to visit: Las Vegas, Reno/Tahoe, Seattle, New York City, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston (via Manchester, NH), Washington DC, Tampa, Ft Myers/Naples, Ft Lauderdale.

Ive been to Vegas twice already,and although Ive listed it, its actually at the bottom of my list just because I want to go somewhere Ive never been to before. Ive also been to L.A. 3 times as well. Everyplace else above I have never been to. But I still have these 2 cities listed being that I wouldnt mind going again if they somehow fared out as being the best option.

Of particular interest, I thought a trip to Reno/Tahoe would be nice. I did some mild study on the area, nothing deep, just some basic info listed on Wikipedia. I saw that the Tahoe is seperated from Reno by about 25 miles (so a rental car would be feasible to commute between the two cities)

I also would like to visit the Cabo Wabo Cantina at Lake Tahoe. In regards to Reno, I was saddened to read that many casinos were torn down (gaming would be an enjoyable aspect of me going to Reno). If anyone can provide me with detailed info on Reno/Tahoe, please do.

I like places where I dont have to depend heavily on a rental car as a mode of transportation. What id really like to do, is find a "tour package" that is all-inclusive and includes lodging fare and all amenities where someone would pick me up each day at my hotel and id get to see various attractions, etc.

As far as the 3 florida cities ive listed, im really open to any city in florida. But since ive never been to florida, i envision my first trip there having some sort of coastline for me to enjoy. (thus my exclusion of orlando). Ive heard Ft Myers/Naples and Tampa are nice, but I do have a preference for enjoying the ocean water over the gulf water, so I was wondering about how things are in Ft Lauderdale?

Seattle also seems nice, but I dont know how transportation fares out there. Would I need a rental car? Id like to see the space needle and also the outdoor fish market.

As far as NYC, ive always imagined my first trip there. Ive heard the city is overwhelming, so naturally I wouldnt know where to go, or what to see. (id probably end up getting lost more than anything). So, naturally I would indeed want to have a tour package lined up should I go there. Id like to savor the locally reknown Grimaldi's pizzeria, times square, manhattan, see Liberty from a distance (as If heard that theres too much hassle involved with taking a ferry over to the island).

San diego: the only thing I know about this town is they have an awesome zoo. is there anything else to do here?

San Francisco: Id like to see chinatown, the golden gate bridge, pier 49, fishermans wharf. (may even make a sidetrip down to Santa Cruz on this one)

so with all said, any suggestions or advice?

The only cities that would be good for a 3-4 day visit without a car would be New York or San Francisco. Every other city, even Boston, you'll need a car for part of the trip. Others like Los Angeles and San Diego, you'll definitely need a car for the whole time.

You should consider Philadelphia. You didn't list it but I'm 100% sure Southwest flies to Philly.

It is a great walking city. You can take the local commuter rail from the airport right into the city. You can get a decent 4* hotel thru Priceline for ~$80-90.

It has excellent (and affordable) restaurants, good shopping, great museums and history. Perfect for a 3-4 day trip. Weather is nice in October.

I've lived in PHiladelphia and Dallas before, so I think I know what I'm talking about. :)

If your ambition is to visit the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Lake Tahoe, you aren't setting your sights very high. And who told you Reno is tearing down cansinos?

It's too bad you've already been to Vegas. It sounds like your kind of town.

First, ATA went bankrupt and ceased operations. Couldn't get financing it needed and with fuel costs, etc...

You're asking for subjective answers so you'll likely get lots of answers based on personal preferences. With that in mind, my list in order would be:

1. San Francisco

2. Seattle

3. Washington

You wouldn't need a car in these places, unless for ex you wanted to do a day trip to the wine country from SF (well worth it IMO).

Boston and NY would be on the list, as long as you keep in mind that (as you noted) you've got to go to Manchester for Boston or in the case of NY you go to Islip, which is 50 mi from Manhattan. That can be a lot of commuting time that you may not want to deal with.

marginal,

wikipedia would be the source that informed me that reno has tore down several casinos and has built condos on the existing ground

the keyword to use on wikipedia for that info is: reno

cabo wabo cantina would just be one of the many things id like to do if i visited reno/tahoe. but since ive never been, naturally i am soliciting feedback on suggestions of what else there may be to do there.

yk,

never really gave much thought on philly, but im open to the idea as well.

a lot of what you said about it does appeal to me.

seems like a great town laden with american history.

besides, an authentic philly cheesesteak is really starting to sound good.

ill have to toss in philly with my bag of other cities to consider now.

Washington DC has great weather in the fall, usually, and you don't need a car here. The metro is great for tourists and we have hop-on/hop-off trolleys as well.

I vote for DC or NY.

Washington DC - very easy to get around - lots of free musuems to go to. Always lots of stuff going on. Great Restaurants and you can find moderately priced accomadations or find some really great, but more expensive places to stay.

New York - I've been a couple of times, and it still overwhelms me. Don't worry about seeing everything - you wont be able to anyway. Just go and figure that you will be back again someday. Easy to get around and lots of different neighboorhoods to visit. This would be a much more hectic trip, it you are trying to relax - I don't think NY is it. Also the price of hotel rooms will go up considerable compared to DC.

Happy Traveling!

Don't fret - Southwest vouchers weren't good for Hawaii anyway.

Wikipedia is not always the best source for the most accurate information.

I just read the information on Wikipedia - actually, it is accurate, but it doesn't say that "a lot" of casinos were torn down and converted to condos. It says many older or smaller casinos were torn down and some were converted to condos. It also says sevral local hotel casinos have gotten significantly larger -- these are the more Vegas-like casino-hotels. The point is there are plenty of casinos in Reno, if that's your interest.

I think the best part about the SW vouchers is how flexible they are. Not only are there no change fees, you can use them last minute if there is availability, for no extra fees.

Ever want to be spontaneous? Want to go away for the weekend? See if Southwest has availability leaving tomorrow and if they do, book it. Then try to get a last-minute hotel room with Priceline or Hotwire hotel. If you succeed (last minute cheap deals can often be had), go for it. If not, cancel your Southwest ticket if you want, since there's no fee or penalty to do so.

And if Seattle is on your list of places, not sure why Portland, Oregon isn't. It's got a great public transportation system, and hotels tend to be lots cheaper than Seattle. Plus, there is lots to do in the city as well as plenty of natural beauty; you could rent a car just for part of the time to drive out to the Columbia River Gorge or see the spectacular Oregon Coast.

Ill have to say that Portland,OR doesnt get much spotlight in regards to other cities. Its not that I wouldnt want to go there, but I am clueless as to what is there to see and do.

I ask that you enlighten me on Portland as it does unfairly seem to bask in Seattle's shadow.

dmlove

actually SW vouchers were valid for Hawaii, but it took 32 credits for a RT, as a standard 16 credit voucher that gets you RT in the 48 states, would only provide one-way to Hawaii.

Well, there are a lot of Portland lovers on the board here - just search for "Portland." I live in Portland and love it. If you want to see some pictures of it (I'm a photographer), try my website, PortlandBridges.com . (also pictures of the Oregon Coast, which is an easy 90 minute drive).

Basically, Portland is much smaller than Seattle but has a great selection of nice restaurants, a decent arts scene, great old neighborhoods, good shopping (no sales tax), and amazing natural beauty. We have our homeless people and bits of crime like every other city, but people who visit invariably comment on how clean it seems to them. We have very few slums - only a few moderately bad neighborhoods but a lot of old neighborhoods with great houses. A lot of character.

Seattle is a great city, too, and it does overshadow Portland somewhat in availability of certain cultural and entertainment events. Portland has no NFL or MLB sports teams (only the NBA). But Seattle is also very crowded especially if you have to drive. Traffic on I-5 nowadays is awful. Portland is much more manageable, a great walking city with excellent public transit (good buses, trains, and streetcars).

If you visited in the summer (which, I know, you probably won't), you could enjoy the spectacular International Rose Test Garden (Portland's climate makes it ideal for growing roses). There are also Japanese and Chinese gardens (all year) and other terrific parks.

If you like books, Portland's Powell's books (a whole city block of books) is the US's largest independent book seller, a must-see here for booklovers.

Not that I'd try to dissuade you from visiting Seattle, but what is it about Seattle you've heard that Portland lacks?

There was another long thread on this a while back to which you can refer. Lots of good info there.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35086008

<i>actually SW vouchers were valid for Hawaii, but it took 32 credits for a RT, as a standard 16 credit voucher that gets you RT in the 48 states, would only provide one-way to Hawaii</i>

I did not know that! Maybe you should save the voucher then for when Southwest decides to enter the Hawaiian market itself to pick up the pieces of the failed ATA and Aloha.

Seems a shame to limit a free ticket to a 3-4 day trip. Most people try to use a free ticket to go to the furthest or most expensive place from wherever they live (like Hawaii) and that generally calls for more than 3 days.

If you want a beach vacation, Ft. Lauderdale is doable without too much dependence on a rental car if you stay downtown and use the water taxis. There's not a huge amount of sightseeing there though, it's more a relaxing beach vacation.

I love San Diego and there is a lot to see there. You can manage without a car, but it's easier with one.

You should know Southwest's airport in NYC is more than 1 1/2 hrs. outside Manhattan. Most people don't consider that airport (Long Island Islip MacArthur --ISP)really a NYC airport. Hotel prices in NYC are outrageously expensive and while the weather is gorgeous in the fall, it's an expensive time to visit.

I think for a city visit, San Francisco, Washington and Boston are all good options and cities where you'd feel you'd seen a fair amount in 3 or 4 days. If you went to Phildadelphia, you could actually do a daytrip to NYC by train or bus to get a taste, and that's not a bad option.

I have to add I was somewhat dismayed to see most of these options require you to make 2 or sometimes 3 plane changes. Maybe you're used to that living in Dallas, but I wonder if there aren't any options with a nonstop flight?

SW goes to Phila.

I'd vote for SF or NYC.

Southwest does have flights from Dallas to Portland or to Philadelphia that make only one stop (no change of planes), so presumably the same would be true for most other cities. I think that's pretty good actually.

One thing I don't think anyone else has mentioned is that you could also do an open jaw ticket if you choose. Fly into New York (Long Island), out of Philly, or into Portland, out of Seattle. Just yet one more possibility.

Dallas Love Field &amp; Wright Amendment

That's the reason why most Southwest flights out of Dallas Love Field requires at least 1-stop to get anywhere.

&lt; The Wright Amendment of 1979 is a federal law governing traffic at Dallas's Love Field Airport. It originally limited most nonstop flights to destinations within Texas and neighboring states. &gt;

A better quote :

&lt; What is the Wright Amendment?

In 1979, Congress passed the federal law commonly referred to as the &quot; Wright Amendment &quot;, which restricts travel into and out of Dallas Love Field for commercial flights with more than 56 seats. This federal law makes it illegal to fly from Love Field to points beyond the four states surrounding Texas. The Wright Amendment also contains marketing restrictions, prohibiting Southwest Airlines from offering or advertising the availability of any connecting flights between Love Field and any city outside the Wright Amendment &quot;service area.&quot; In 1997, Congress passed the Shelby Amendment, which added Alabama, Kansas, and Mississippi to the Wright Amendment service area. Legislation passed in 2005 added Missouri to list of states to be liberated from the restrictions of the Wright Amendment. &gt;

I live in Las Vegas and my choice would be San Francisco. You could make a day trip to the Napa Valley while you were there. Our favorite restaurant is Tommy Toy}s (forgive this keyboard - I{m in Mexico right now). It{s pricey, but the food was wonderful. It says it{s French-Chinese but it is nothing like the typical Chinese restaurant. Very nice inside. I loved Lake Tahoe but if you{re going in late October-November you could have problems with snow storms. I was from the Midwest and didn{t have any experience with high elevations and how much snow and how early in the season they do receive it. I wasn{t impressed with Reno, but did enjoy our day trip to Virginia City.

I`d pick Seattle or San Francisco. And I live in Reno, and wouldn`t pick it.

mireau7, No one has mentioned that you deserve a prize for the most carefully crafted, information filled query I've seen posted here. This should be a model that gets sent to posters who idly query &quot;what should I do?&quot; As a result you've gotten some very useful replies as well. Kudos.

thanks Julie. to some people, i would be considered long-winded.

but i view it as &quot;information filters&quot;. you got to know what to ask, what to tell others, and know what to specify to attain the results you desire.

being vague can garner vague responses

Seattle and Portland are both fantastic cities, but IMO aren't at their best in November (early October tends to be nice but isn't always). Seattle's public transpo downtown is good, which might be all you want to see in 3-4 days, but it's great for getting farther afield.

Of your list, I'd pick Boston or DC.

Boston is an extremely walkable city, and the fall foliage should be spectacular. That said, I don't know about transportation from the airport to downtown.

New York would be perfect for a four-day adventure. You get there on day one, maybe go up the Empire State Building for the night view, and then go to bed early. Next day, get on the Staten Island Ferry, then go see the Statue of Liberty. Day three, go get a ticket to a matinee performance of a Broadway show in the morning, stroll around the ethnic villages (Little Italy, Chinatown, or Greenwich Village), then head back for the matinee in the afternoon. Day 4, have a good breakfast at a fancy hotel, and get ready to go home. (-: A day trip to Atlantic City is also entirely possible!

I was in New York when I was a poor college student, so this itinerary reflects cheap thrills and a reluctance to go out at night (-:. But seriously, New York is a great city in small doses. You'll want to go again someday, so you might as well use this as a scouting trip.

San Francisco is also very beautiful, and I had a great time there. It's very walkable in the Fisherman's Wharf area.

But if you have your sights on Reno, you should go for that.

I think of all the cities Ive listed, i seem to be gearing much attention towards the prospects of Fort Lauderdale and San Francisco.

This is not to say that Ive automatically excluded all other cities from continual consideration, cause thats hardly the case. But my area of current study is lying in these two towns primarily as it stands for now.

Of all the Floridan cities Southwest flies to, Fort Lauderdale strikes me with the most interest. One of the main reasons is that since ive never stepped foot in Florida, I want to say that my first trip there I got to experience the beach. (and also the Atlantic coast). From what Im reading about it, I like that it offers a vibrant nightlife (this is important as Im a single guy)

It was also interesting to read that Fort Lauderdale has an intricate system of canals, and is so dubbed &quot;Venice of America&quot;. Are there boats that travel these canals? If so, whats the fare to ride them? (anything like San Antonio's Paseo del Rio?)

San Francisco has always intrigued me with its scenic beauty nestled in the hills by the bay. The fact that the city is somewhat small is also favorable. I am particularly interested in visiting Chinatown, Japanese Tea Gardens, pier 49, fishermans wharf, golden gate bridge.

Anyone have any recommendations for decent lodging in the heart of San Francisco (walking distance to attractions named above) that wont break the bank, so to speak.

Im not familiar with what rooms go for in San Francisco, but I have heard San Francisco being labeled as a &quot;New York City of the west&quot;, and if thats the case, Im expecting to pay at least $100.00 a night for a room or more.

I have also even thought about getting a rental car to take a sidetrip down to Santa Cruz to visit the famous Beach Boardwalk. Is this a good idea?

For some reasons, Fort Lauderdale strikes me as being a more friendly and hospitable place to visit than San Francisco would be. Of course this would just be a random speculation (stereotypical observation perhaps) that i couldnt possibly support since Ive never visited either locale.

with that being the case, im reliant upon feedback of those who have been to either (or preferably both) places to provide their input and/or comparisons.

I spent some time in Ft. Lauderdale and I really don't think it is what you are looking for. The Venice part is not as cool as it sounds. All the canals are in people's back yards. It really isn't like Venice or even San Antonio that way.

If you are heart-set on Florida, I would recommend Miami Beach. Great beach, better hotels than Ft. Lauderdale and much more to do in a walkable way.


San Fran is wonderful and always worth a visit.


I'm going to throw my two cents in for Chicago. Wonderful place to be and no need for a car.

If you choose Boston, consider flying into Providence instead of Manchester. Not sure of transpo from either airport into city.

Boston is very walkable, scenic and interesting if you're into Revolutionary War history. Also, public transportation (the T) can get you around. Downtown hotels, however, are quite expensive but you might catch a deal on priceline or similar.

I would also recommend South Beach in Miami.... plenty to see, do, eat and the people watching is the best... you could side trip to the Keys or everglades... it offers all of the requirements you set in your post and is a must see destination for any traveler...

I'm going to lobby for BOSTON!
I live here and I love it here! In 4 days there is a TON to do. You don't need a car whatsoever. I love Boston cause it has a big city feel, but you can actually walk anywhere. Just for a day it's fun to get off the train at Kenmore (Fenway Park) and just walk to the ocean..taking you through Newbury Street, Copley Square, Boston Common, Beacon Hill, Washington Street, State House, Quincy Market, Aquarium, and the North End.
It's a blast, SO much to see, a lot of history. It's really a beautiful city, and honestly, has some of the best food I've ever had.
You would have a lot to see and it's a beautiful city!

I have been to all the cities except Flordia..I have used SWA for 12 years...
I would pick Boston over all..except it is time consuming getting from Manchester to town
My picks are San Francisco or Seattle --You would not need a car..
SF--Bart from airport to downtown
You can book a day trip to wine country..many online sources
IMO into Long Island to get to NYC--is a pain.
note..my current free RT was earned last month and is good for a year...
The idea for &quot;open&quot; jaw is a great idea..
I flew into DC and 2 days later took train to Philly to fly home..
Letr us know what you decide...

Just a couple of additional points.

I don't consider Ft Lauderdale to be any more or less friendly than San Francisco. We love both places and they're both very hospitable.

Costs in NY and SF are high, but think you're going to find it VERY difficult to find a central location in SF for $100. Maybe others have some different/better experience than we and can give you some suggestions, but I think you need to double that at a minimum.