Hi,

We are a family of 4 planning for our very first Road Trip from Dallas to the EAST and back. Planning to visit Boston, Philadelphia and New York.

Total days 10.
Start - June 29th after 5PM
Return - July 10 AM preferably

2 Adults and 2 kids (8 and 3 1/2 of age).

This is our first road trip and want to know what other places we can visit on our way.

Below is what we have planned. Is this doable ? Can you Please recommend some places we can visit on our way...I have heard Nashville,TN and Gatlinburg,TN come on the way are good places to stop.Any other must see places along the way? Any certain places to AVOID?

June 29 - Start after 5 PM towards Boston, halt @ night (12 ish)
June 30 - Drive towards Boston, halt @ night
July 1 - Drive...reach Boston by evening
July 2 - Tour Boston
July 3 - Boston (Rhode island)
July 4 - leave for Philadelphia - (5 hrs)
July 5 - Tour Philadelphia
July 6 - Tour NY
July 7 - Tour NY
July 8 - Leave for Dallas ,halt @ night
July 9 - Drive towards Dallas , halt @ night
July 10 - Return Home Sweet Home

Best Route ? We have Garmin GPS, but heard Google Maps is better for real time traffic updates...our main goal is to reach the place fastest being on safe roads.
We dont mind stopping over to cover a good spot (few hours) on our way. Whats the travel experts recommendation on this ?

We initially planned to visit Niagara first since we will go to Boston via Buffalo, but I am not sure if this will be too much...any advice on this will be helpful.

I have an idea of the main Tourist attractions to cover in Boston,Philadelphia and NY, but need suggestions on hidden gems which the locals would know about...specially places which would intrest kids.

We know where to stay in Boston and Philadelphia. NY we will either commute from Philly or might stay 1 night in the city. Rest of them we are planning to book the rooms on the go.

Thanks in advance for helping us plan the trip !

If you really want an honest answer on if it's doable, consider that you have two full days' driving (or more) EACH WAY, including 4 total nights in roadside hotels on the interstates, and only 6 nights in three of the most noteworthy, busy, and historic cities in the United States. And you're doing all this with a 3.5 year old in the car.

Wouldn't do it. I'd fly to Philly, rent a car, gain 3.5 more days on the ground, and do a trip that would have us circle back to Philly for the flight home (out of state drop charges are steep, especially in the northeast).

I wouldn't do it either or I'd pick one city and stop along the way.

I think it's doable in terms of your division of days among cities. I wouldn't want to spend a third or more of my vacation driving, or moving hotels that often, but that's not the question you asked

I'm sure you know this, but parking rates will be a bit steep in the cities, so budget accordingly. There are a lot of threads here that covers ways to park as economically as possible.

I would not drive to NYC from Philly every day--the traffic will slay you. Take the train or stay in NYC.

When you say "stop along the way", though, there's a quandary: the most direct route will have little of interest along the way, but a more indirect route will take longer. I will leave this question to others...

I'm confused. If coming south from Boston you get to NYC first - about 4 hours best time from Boston (but can take longer if a weekend day or you hit road construction or accident.

Philly is about another 2 hours south of NYC.

Staying in Philly to visit NYC is close to madness - you would be wasting a lot of hours going to and fro on roads with some of the worst traffic in the country (figure 5 hours per day on the road) and parking will not be cheap - figure $50 per day in a garage plus the cost of gas and tolls - $25 to $30 each way each day. Why not take that $100 extra and get a hotel in NYC and avoid all the useless driving time?

Why not fly to Boston, and then take Amtrak to NYC and Philly? This will avoid wasting 4 days/night on the road (with a really cranky 3 year old) and give you some time to actually see some things in these fantastic cities.

As for stopping along the way - on which days? in what hours? You are already jam packed with driving time and have minimal sightseeing in these cities. Adding more places will just make the trip more frustrating.

Well if stopping after 7 hours on day one with good conditions puts you at Memphis or so.

Since you don't want to sightsee until Philadelphia or Boston you are missing out on some things. The Zoo in Memphis is one of the better one along with the Peabody Hotel for the ducks for the kids. Mammoth Caves would be a slight detour but think something similar to Carlsbad caverns in New Mexico.

Flights are probably too expensive this late of notice but probably the best option.

However whatever you decide, I would lake sure maybe the 4th of July not be a long travel day. Both Philadelphia and Boston have some of the best firework shows in America and I would want to see one of those rather than be on the road.

No way I would put Gatlinburg TN on my list if not stopping for an extended time period. The Scenic Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway are excellent for road trips but would take much needed time away from your destination. Also try to time the trip to see Montecello either on the way there or on the way back.

Last I think you are doing a disservice to the trip to try and get in three cities of this magnitude after driving for at least 2.5 days with kids. We do a trip in July every year to see new places and try to coincide our trip with a 4th of July in a new place. Try to make sure you are rested because that is a late evening no matter where of the cities you are planning to visit simply because of the large amount of people that will be in attendance

Good luck and tell us about your trip.