The traffic is pretty much solidly HORRIBLE the entire way from Boston to NYC.

I think you can see some stuff in one day in NYC - enough to whet your appetite - but to drive that is absurd. Take the train.

Empire State Building to Ground Zero is 3.2 miles - it's a hike.

magnumholmes, there's no way you can get to nyc by train or bus to make an 8 am tour-- unless you come the night before.
Ground zero is not far from the ferry to the statue of liberty, but not close at all to the Empire State Building (it's a couple of miles away, about a 20 minute of subway ride plus walk)
That 2 1/2 hour tour makes no sense either, unless its a 2 1/2 hour tour plus separate time for the statue of liberty and Empire state building. A ferry to and from the statue plus minimal time there could easily be the whole 2 1/2 hours!

The 2.5 tour definitely doesn't show you much if it includes going to the Statue of Liberty. Maybe it includes a view of the Statue from Manhattan. You may also want to see if there is anything worthwhile seeing at Ground Zero anymore. I believe its just your typical construction site for right now but I could be completely wrong. Couple of years ago, I went to NYC from Hartford and had just a day to see everything. Looking back there is so much I have missed, I want to go back but haven't found the time. Biggest piece of advice I have is don't try to rush the sites, you won't remember much except for the checklist. The biggest memories I have of trips are the surprises you don't expect in going to a new city.

If I were, say, under 20 I'd probably give this trip a shot. LOL

The Greyhound discount is for nonrefundable e-fares, currently showing $38 RT for Boston/NYC.:

http://www.greyhound.com/home/en/Dea...s/eSavers.aspx

The problem is not driving in NYC - which is perfectly manageable if you're used to city driving - it's spending 10 hours in the car - driving from Boston to NYC and back in one day (including rush hours) - and then trying to see anything during the day - and then driving home - and keeping awake - into the wee hours. (There's little point in doing the whole drive just to spend 4/5 hours in the city.)

With the train you can catch up on sleep on the ride either way - and at least be awake for the 10/11 hours you do have in NYC.

Buses allow you to sit back and not drive and they are cheaper, but they can't go any faster in bad traffic than a driver can. If time is an issue (and it is here), it's the train you want.

I just noticed from the other thread that this trip is taking place in March. Weather might still affect traveling between Boston and NYC.

If you decide to do this, perhaps you should take the bus the evening before. Leave Boston 6-7 pm, arrive in NYC 10-11 pm.

You would just need the simplest hotel for a few hours sleep . . . dare I mention the Milford Plaza, with its lower prices and close proximity to the PA Bus Terminal? A quick check at their web site showed $189 for my sample date of March 10. You could probably do better there or elsewhere with a little searching.

Then you could wake up refreshed, take the early tour you mentioned if it still interests you, spend the rest of the day running around town, and get a later bus back to Boston.

The Greyhound seems to be the way to go. I found one that leaves at 2:15 a.m. and arrives at 8:55 a.m. The last one leaves NYC at 10:30 p.m. The cheapest fare, right now for the date we have listed to go, is $59 R/T PP.

Does this seem to be like the decent, and most economical thing to do to everyone?

No, the 2 1/2 hours of a city tour does not include either the Statue of Liberty or the Observation Deck at the Empire State Building. Those, as I understand it, are basically on your own, just make sure you make a returning bus-- kind of like a hop-on-hop-off thing.

So my expenses then are: $118 for the bus and $134 for the tour in the city. That doesn't look too bad. It would be a full day, though.

The only thing we have to navigate now is the drop-off point of the Greyhound and getting to the starting point for the bus tour. Anybody have a clue how to do that?

I will look up where the drop-off point of the bus is and the starting point of the tour now.

Greyhound goes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 40th St and 8th Ave in midtown.

I'm not sure that I would choose to take the tour you suggest--with so little time I rather not be a hostage to someone else's schedule. I can understand if you feel differently, that it would be an effective use of your time.

Here is the bus tour inside NYC.

CitySightsNY
Broadway between 46th & 47th Streets
8th Avenue between 49th & 50th Streets
www.citysightsny.com

Hop-on, hop-off double-decker tours of NYC. New buses with top-deck seating only for great views of major attractions, neighborhoods, points of interest.

The bus arrives in NYC, I guess, at New York, New York

Address
PORT AUTHORITY
625 8TH AVE

Any suggestions on how to get from Point A to Point B? What's the best way?

You guys have been great on this unmatched undertaking in our travelling past.

Thanks again for all of the posts.

Please let us know who is on a Greyhound bus at 2:15 AM - I am sure it is safe, just curious. It has been years since I traveled that way.

I might also mention to Danvers hotel that you will not be there for 24 hours so they do not think you have disappeared.

One thing you forgot to factor in for expenses and logistics - getting to/from Greyhound in Boston. No public transportation at 2 AM

Another option would be to drive part way to NYC the night before and get a hotel someplace along 95, which would be cheaper than NYC and then drive in early the next morning. This way you get a better night sleep. Even look towards New Haven, CT and take an early train into the city.

Point A to Point B

Follow the signage inside the bus terminal to exit onto 8th Avenue (bet 40th and 42nd). Turn left (north) on 8th Avenue and walk to 49th St. Should take about 8-10 minutes.

If you choose to try the other option mentioned--driving to New Haven and taking the train from there--be sure to check the MetroNorth commuter rail schedules as well as Amtrak. Both train system stop at New Haven.

Forgive me, but all this reminds me of one trip I took with a beloved but batty brother of mine who gets so into the how-to-get-there that he loved making it ever more complicated, just because he could.

The more outrageous the itinerary -- with lots of stops, lots of tricky arrangements, lots of hair's-breadth connections, lots of special-deal cheapie deals -- the more excited he got. Getting up in the middle of the night and racing breathlessly across town to see something that we didn't really care about in the first place, just to prove he could and didn't need a taxi to do it -- it all only made it a better trip for him.

I wonder if he remembers anything about that trip other than his "marvelous" management of the logistics.

tchoiniere has a good idea.

Don't forget Magnum, that you might already be worn out a bit from your visits to Boston and this could be much more difficult/tiring (esp. if you plan to drive) than it would be if you were doing such a trip while not on vacation.

Taking the bus would leave me only an 8- to 10-minute walk to where the bus tour starts? That's it?

If you're sure ellenem, and I have no real reason to doubt you, then this sounds like the only way to go.

I guess having a really good street map of New York City would be a plus, right?

Here are some things you could do in a day. (I used to do exactly this when I was wayyyy younger, and have done this with guests.)

1. Morning. Walk through the south part of Central Park. Stroll down 5th avenue for a while. Look around the Times Square area.

4. Late morning. Bus or cab to Empire State building. If it is a too-long wait in line, you can see the lobby, which is impressive. I think it is worth the wait, though. Eat lunch in this area.

5. Early afternoon. Bus or cab to the WTC Ground Zero site. Walk to Battery Park, look at the Statue. Take the Liberty ferry, but don't get off at the Statue Island, stay on it and visit Ellis Island museum.

6. Late afternoon. Stroll around Chinatown; Dinner in Chinatown, or if you have a bus/train to catch, head back to the theater district and have dinner while people-watching.

7. Evening. Head home.

magnum,

Please get a map so all of your plans begin to make some sense. For such a day as you have planned, knowing the geography of the city will make things go much more smoothly.

The walk from bus terminal to bus stop is perhaps the most basic of NY walks--on one avenue in one direction from about 41st St to 49th St. It takes about a minute to walk one block of this type. The only snafu would be if you didn't come out of the bus terminal on 8th Ave--just follow the signs and you should be fine.

You listed these bus stops:
CitySightsNY
Broadway between 46th & 47th Streets
8th Avenue between 49th & 50th Streets

The Broadway one might be slightly closer, but not much because when you walk between avenues the distance is longer, plus it might be slightly more confusing.

Your tour includes 24 hours of hop-on/hop-off a route that takes 2.5 hours; Statue of Liberty ferry ticket; Top of the Rock or Empire State Building ticket. Personally I would choose Top of the Rock, since it gives you a great view of the Empire State Building and is much quicker to do with your limited time.