Sircharles75

Hello!

We'll be in late setember in the USA, 2 days in Boston, 2 in Niagara, 2 in Washignton, and the last 4 in NY.

My main doubt is whether going from Boston to Niagara in one go and spend 2 nights there, or if it would be better to make one night for example in Seneca Falls. I heard that Finger Lakes are very nice, maybe if we sleep in Seneca Falls we could go there and see the area.

What do you think? Any sugestion is wellcome!

gail

How are you getting from city to city? And does your number of days include travel time between cities?

You are trying to do a lot in the first 6 days - but I know that is what people do with limited time and a lot they want to see. I would Fly Boston-Buffalo, NY (Niagara Falls area) and do a 1-day car rental. Twenty-four hours at the Falls is enough and forget Seneca Falls. That give you a little more time in Boston.

Then fly Buffalo-Washington (preferably DCA/Reagen National rather than IAD/Dulles - and definitely not BWI/Baltimore). Spend your time there and take the train to New York.

I checked random end of September dates for non-stop flights BOS-BUF-DCA and you can do this triangle for $150-180. Probably less expensive than a 1-way car rental, even with a 1-day car rental at Niagara Falls.

Seneca Falls and the Finger Lakes are nice - but not so nice or unique that you should compress your itinerary even more.

emalloy

Good advice from Gail. You might even find you could spend only one day at Niagra Falls and add a night to either Boston or DC.

nytraveler

Absolutely agree with the above.

I know foreign visitors seem to be obsessed with Niagara Falls - but frankly it's just a bunch of water falling - and IMHO about a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10 - while Boston, NY and DC are all 10s - and have a plethora of unique and wonderful sights.

KathyK

If you stick with your original plan of two days in Niagara Falls you will not have any trouble filling those days. Are you staying in Canada? A short drive from the Falls is the beautiful town of Niagara on the Lake. Spend a day there in the shops, restaurants and wineries. I would also visit the park on the US side of the Falls. It's a much different experience than the Canadian side. You are right beside the Falls and the rapids.

Sircharles75

Thank you for your advices!

We'll rent a car at NY airport, the 20, until the 26, when we'll visit NY. So I plan to drive to all that places. Gain, you are right, the planning it's quite big, but I don't know when I'll be back in the USA (I'm from Spain) ... In Niagara I plan to be in the Canadian side, I heard it's better, it is right?

gail

If your 6 days include driving time, you absolutely do not have time to do all this. Here is the math
arrive in Boston night of 20th/early 21st - (drive is 4-6 hours)
This give you about 24 hours in Boston
leave Boston 22nd in AM - drive to Niagara Falls. Arrive that evening
This gives you 36 hours at Niagara Falls
leave Niagara Falls on the 24th - drive to Washington. This drive will take a very long day.
This gives you 36 hours in DC
leave Washington on the 26th for New York

This is not a good plan - you will spend twice as long in the car, driving along highways that either have a lot of traffic or are incredibly boring or both. Please reconsider.

Lookin_Glass

welcome to the forums.

this plan is bogus. to drive from NYC to Bost to Niagra to DC makes no sense, unless you like traffic, long boring highway rides and auto fumes.

sf7307

You'd be much better off if you skip Niagara Falls (spectacular falls, but still "just a bunch of water falling"). From NY, either train or drive (or better yet just get on another flight upon arrival) to DC, then train or fly to Boston, and train to NY. You don't have enough time to stop along the way anyway.

panecott

The Canadian side is where you should spend overnight at Niagara Falls, but as kathy said, it is well worth visiting the NY side as well. You can just take a walk across the bridge, and don't forget your passport.

gail is right about the driving times, especially Niagara to Washington. That's a lost day.

Rethink the suggestions in gail's first post about flying from place to place. It's excellent advice.

The only place a car might be useful is at Niagara since the cab fare from the airport is around $75 OW, and if you want to visit Niagara on the Lake.

Otherwise, a car will be more of a nuisance in the other cities Public transportation is the best way to get around most major US cities, especially on the east coast.

KL467

I live in the Finger Lakes region and agree with many of the others. I recommend staying in Boston. It is a lovely city with so much to do. Driving in it can be a nightmare. Niagara Falls is nice, too, but it is very far away from Boston. Some may easily run out of things to do there. The Finger Lakes area is absolutely beautiful, but there is not much in Seneca Falls except for those of us who are fascinated with the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". If you decide to keep your itinerary, possibly stay in Corning, Ithaca, or Watkins Glen, New York, instead. However, they are further from the interstate that you would be driving on.

nytraveler

I am afraid that distances in the US may be much greater than you anticipate - and you need to allow for - highway speed limits (much lower than in europe), and time for construction (which they tend to do in the summer) and traffic (you will
find that around all the cities - some of it horrendous).

I have visited Spain several times, including road trips - and the distances between cities there are much less than the ones you are talking about. Believe me - you will be wasting a lot of your limited time just sitting in a car looking at not very interesting landscape (much of the way).

tomfuller

My advice for what it's worth: (not much in some peoples view).
From New York take the Amtrak Maple Leaf to either Niagara Falls Ontario or all the way to Toronto. See Niagara Falls the next day.
Fly from Buffalo to Washington (Reagan National or BWI).
Between Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston your best transportation option is either Amtrak or MegaBus.
If you wanted to go from Boston to Niagara Falls, It would be the Lake Shore Limited from Boston South station to Buffalo.
The problem with this route is that the train gets to Buffalo at about midnight.

gail

Please listen to us and change your plans. Not one person here thinks this is a good trip plan. We want you to enjoy your visit to the US and are really trying to help to make it so. Even tom's plan, using the train, has you spending most of your awake time on transportation. We think you would enjoy more of the US than highways.

Still hoping whatever you decide you have a good trip.

Dukey1

What nobody who thinks the distance between Boston and Niagara Falls "is a long way" and "too far to drive" has actually told you is the mileage: 468 miles and an estimated 7-8 hour drive.

It is certainly a lot more than "just a bunch of falling water" just as New York City is more than "just a bunch of buildings filled with people who think anything outside of town is Third World."

gail

The issue is not that the drives between points A, B and C are intolerable or the value of the proposed destinations. The issue is that this traveler wants to arrive in Boston some time on 8/20 and arrive in NYC sometime on 8/26 - 6 days - and during that time wants to Spend 2 days each in Boston, Niagara Falls, Washington - and those 6 days would include transit time between these 3 places plus transit time to NYC.

Sircharles75

Thank you again for all your good advises, I really appreciate them!. Althought now I`m a bit confuse because I thought that I had a good planning but I see that it wasn't so good at all!

I need some time to reconsider the trip following your advices.

I checked the option of flying from place to place. Using Rumbo, It would be around 475$, for sure not more expensive than renting a car including gasoil, highways (are they expensives?), gps, etc.

Another option could be to do everything by plane except Boston - Niagara. With this option we could see some of your countryside and not only big cities, maybe part of finger lakes, and have a car in Niagara to see both sides of the falls. What do you think?

I will reconsider also the option of one more day in Boston and/ or DC

nytraveler

I'm not saying there is no value to Niagara Falls. I'm saying it's much less interesting than Boston, NYC or DC.

If the OP had 3 weeks, landed in Boston, had 12 or 13 days to do Boston to Niagara to DC and then time to go to NYC and visit - that would be rushed but possible. The problem is all those places in so little time.

panecott

As noted above, the distance between Boston and Niagara is 468 miles. That's about 753 km. and will take about 7-8 hours on major highways.

The "countryside" you will see will be mostly trees alongside the road. If you were to take secondary roads, it would take you much longer and you still wouldn't have time to see much.

I don't know if the Finger Lakes are directly on the route, but if they are, you'd still only have a couple of hours there.

snowgirls

I live an hour from Niagara.I mean, its a big waterfall. After that, meh- junky, overpriced "atttractions", lousy food. Stay in the Boston or DC areas, explore and enjoy the ocean, top notch museums and great food.