Advise on trip
 

I am planning to do a trip with my family (self+spouse+2 kids ages 10 and 15) and below is an overview of the sectors:
Arrive LA - 29th July
3 nights in LA (visiting Disneyland, sea world, universal, Hollywood)
1st Aug - Vegas for two nights
3rd Aug - SF for 2 nights
5th Aug - Washington for 2 nights
7th Aug - Buffalo for 2 nights
9th Aug - New York for 3 nights
I will be doing all the above by flight but needed advise if I am going the right direction. Also need advise on things that I must do at every destination and recommendation on hotels as this is my first time.
Thank you

I would not spend 2 nights in Las Vegas with two children at that time of year. It will be very hot (too hot to spend much time outside) and they will not be allowed on the gaming areas of the casinos if you are planning on that.

Are you planning to rent a car when you leave LA? If so, spend the 2 days driving up the coast from LA to San Francisco.

You do not account for the travel time between places. The flight from SF to Washington will take most of a day and leave you little time for seeing the city. In fact, with the current wait to get through security, even a short flight will occupy more time that you would want, getting to the airport, waiting in line, checking in, flying waiting for luggage, finding a taxi, getting to next lodging, day shot.

Why Buffalo for 2 nights? Niagra Falls?

As said, you are not allowing for travel time and just because you are flying it takes a LOT of time. Two days in these places is just not realistic nor is your itinerary realistic.
I assume you are including Buffalo to go to Niagra Falls. It is interesting, but like Las Vegas, an outlier for a trip like this.
Since I assume you are coming from the Pacific side of the US, spend you time on that coast.
OR, come to NYC to begin and spend your time on the east coast.

Agree you are going to e wasting a good part of your time just geting from one place to another and therefore end up with only one day in most of these places.

Your 4 choices for LA are simply not doable in 2.5 days : 1/2 of July 29, and July 30 & 31. You would need to add at least 2 more days/nights to see these things.

You have the same problem with your other cities: you have 1.5 days for Vegas, which gives you a very rushed one-day bus trip to Grand Canyon if you want - then 1/2 a day in Vegas. Teens can't enter casinos so you are left with mobbed pools in hideous heat or a show - and that's it.

Also you end up with 1/4 days in NYC.

If it were me I would drop Las Vegas (or if you must do Grand Canyon then drop SF) and drop Niagara Falls in order to have even a little time in NYC. IMHO the Falls are just not that exciting - yes, some falling water - but I'm local and didn't see it - until we did a road trip to Toronto. Without that trip I still wouldn't have seen it. I would give it about a 6 out of 10, while NYC is a 10.

If you have time for it fine - but by doing that you are leaving yourself practically no time for places with many more things to see/do.

I'm afraid you are going to have to make some hard choices - or end up with a trip that is an exhausting and very expensive blur of which you remember little except sitting around airports.

As for hotels you need to give us a specific budget per night (not moderate or average - a $ amount) and if the kids can share a bed or if you need 3 beds.

As for what to do at each place - start searching guide books (Michelin green guides are good) or online resources such as destinations above to see what interests YOU.

What is already booked? Are you set flying in to Los Angeles and home from NY?

Since you ask about the 'right direction' can we assume your internal flights are not yet booked?

If you are set on LA and NY because of booked flights, I would ONLY do the Los Angeles area, San Francisco and New York. And even that would be very rushed.

The sites you list in Southern California are in three different counties and nearly 150 miles apart. you would need a minimum of 5 days (6 nights) and a rental car just for those places.

Which three destinations you choose is up to you, but IMO Southern California, San Francisco and Manhattan are about all you can manage -- no Vegas, no Washington DC, and no Buffalo. Or you could do LA, Washington and NYC instead.

You have 11 days "on the ground", right? (excluding the days coming from home and returning home).

If so:

Day 1 Los Angeles area
Day 2 Los Angeles area
Day 3 Los Angeles area
Day 4 San Francisco area
Day 5 San Francisco area
Day 6 San Francisco area
Day 7 Flying all day to get to the east coast
Day 8 New York or Washington
Day 9 New York or Washington
Day 10 New York or Washington
Day 11 New York or Washington

If you decide to do Las Vegas and/or Niagara Falls, something else will have to give.

sf7307's itinerary is good/doable -- but w/ it you would have to cut something from your SoCal wish list -- most likely SeaWorld since it is so far south (or you could skip Universal/Hollywood and just concentrate on San Diego and Orange County.)

Disneyland is not in LA (common mistake) but in Anaheim, one county south of LA and a one hour drive each way in non rush hour traffic from LA. Stay in Anaheim for a couple of days to visit Disneyland and California Adventure.
Seaworld is in San Diego, not a day trip. 2-3 hour drive from LA oneway.

I suggest you get a map of the US and a map at the same scale for where you are from. Compare distances between places you know with the distances on the US map. You may find that you are setting a very difficult trip for yourself. And take the travel time warnings seriously. Security lines at airports can take hours.

We did Seaworld in a day trip from Anaheim, that was on a bus. It is certainly doable.

>>We did Seaworld in a day trip from Anaheim, that was on a bus. It is certainly doable.<<

Sure, that would be fine if they only wanted to visit Anaheim/Disneyland and SeaWorld. But 3 days is not enough for Anaheim/Disneyland, SeaWorld, Universal, Hollywood, etc.

Dear all, thank you so much for your suggestions. We are actually traveling from Doha Qatar so fly in straight to LA. Unfortunately our international flights are all booked and confirmed. 29th July Doha x LA and 13th Aug NYC x Doha. I still haven't purchased the domestic flights so I still have time to make changes. Given the above dates what would you recommend? Given that the kids have heard about Vegas so much we would just like to experience it. Please can you suggest an itinerary accordingly.

Many thanks

What is it about LV that the kids want to see so much?

If it's neon lights - there are plenty to see in NYC - and really how much time can you spend doing that?

If it's casinos - they're not allowed in at all - you have to be 21. The same for the nightclubs - IDs are checked very strictly.

If it's the extravagant shows - NYC has way more and better - unless they want to see the "naked" women - but we have those here on the street in Times Square. The "painted ladies" are topless and for a fee the kids can have their pic taken with them.

>>Given the above dates what would you recommend? <<

Then I would do something like I suggested above.

>>If you are set on LA and NY because of booked flights, I would ONLY do the Los Angeles area, San Francisco and New York. And even that would be very rushed.<<

The children will not be able to do much in Las Vegas. But if you simply MUST see it, then you could fly into LA and stay 4 nights. Fly to Las Vegas Aug 3 (Southwest airlines) and stay just ONE night. Then fly to San Francisco and stay 4 nights. Fly to New York on either Aug 8. Fly home on Aug 13


(I assumed you arrive on the 30 June - if you actually arrive 29 June add another night to LA because the things you want to see are spread over a very large area)

I would cut out the entire "back East" portion. What is it that you want to see or do in Washington, Buffalo, and New York?

14 days:

(3 days) Disneyland and theme parks in Orange County
(3 days) Los Angeles see the city
(2 days) drive up the coast of California
(3 days) San Francisco
(3 days) Las Vegas

suze -- that won't work since they are flying home to Doha from New York.

I think the kids might be a bit disappointed after a day and night in Las Vegas, as stated they are not allowed into the casinos other than to walk through en route to their room, they cannot even watch you gamble. A lot of the shows are also not suitable for kids either. Google the term "porn slappers".

OK, sorry, missed that part.

Then:

(3 days) Disneyland
(3 days) Vegas
(3 days) Washington
(5 days) New York

Point being they have at least two too many stops for the amount of time and distance being covered.