Looking for suggestions on combining trip to DC with NYC. Is the train the best way to travel between? Which destination first? Only have 5 days so it will be hitting the highlights both places.

Have you been to either city in the past?

Where are you starting from? A lot of people think the train is best. Depends on how much you want to spend to get from one place to the other.

Sorry, hit post too quick.

What would you be interested in seeing? It seems like you will just be doing a checklist tour which isn't worth it. Probably would be better off choosing 1 city.

Train would definitely be the easiest.

Yes, I have been to both but not recently and my daughter has not been to either. My thinking was to combine and see the best of both. Never have ridden a train so that itself might be adventurous. The cheapest flight is into DC. Open for suggestions.

When is this trip? Time of the year, weekend/weekday? Who is coming--you and daughter (kid? teen? adult?)?

The places you might want to see are popular with different groups of people, so if you can avoid the crowded times for a specific place, you can fit in more each day.

For example, Washington DC can be empty on holiday weekends, and when Congress is not in session, hotel rates can be very low. School groups can crowd the monuments and museums on weekdays, tourists on holiday weekends.

NYC is crowded with locals midweek, weekends are busier with tourists. In the summer, there are many outdoor events, mostly on the weekend. Some times of the year are packed with foreign tourists.

So now we need to know what kinds of things would you consider highlights or must sees?

For me, it would be 3 or 4 museums a day, for others it would be nonstop shopping, or all the theater you can fit in, or going to famous buildings and monuments.

And I agree that the train is probably the most sensible way to go. Flying will probably take just as long, door to door. Buses can be cheap, but sometimes unpleasant and road traffic is an issue. Renting a car and driving is probably not worth it as parking is very expensive in NYC

We are going mid March and are interested in the museums and historical sights. Not sure the NYC will work, might be too tiring...Our daughter wanted to go there so I was just adding it on for a little fun after the educational agenda. I think DC mid week and NYC on the weekend.

Weather in NY (and DC) in March can be very cold or rainy, or could be getting abit warm already, You never know. If you have no urgent need to try to fit in everything, you could certainly come to NY for 2 whole days, 2 days in Dc and basically count on 2 half days back and forth.
In NYC for a couple of days you could:
Go to Broadway show (afternoon or evening), Take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry to see (but not stop at) the Statue of Liberty, do some shopping, walk around neighborhoods that appeal to you (for some that would be Times Square with all the lights, for others Chinatown), take a tour at the NBC tv studios, or something else that interests you, eat some great NYC foods like pizza, deli, etc.
DC to me would be all about the monuments and whatever museums interest you on the mall.

Whether its worth it or not depends on how badly you want to see both cities, whether you expect to be back anytime soon, etc.

I think you could easily enjoy both cities, if you have 5 days. The train trip from DC to NY is only about 3 hours, and the stations in both cities are very convenient to most of the things you want to see. If the flights are cheaper to DC, go there first. Or, you might to better if you fly into once city and out of the other. And you could probably exist without a car in either place.

And you could probably exist without a car in either place.

Not only can you exist without a car in both cities, but a car would be a detriment (you have to park it and parking is expensive). Both cities have excellent public transportation systems (even for diehard California drivers like me!

dmlove is quite right, both cities have very good public transportation systems. However, there are some things in the DC area that many visitors are interested in that are not available by metro, such as Mt. Vernon, Monticello, or any of the nearby Civil War battlefields. Other places are fine for those who can walk long distances, but more difficult for those who can't. For example, Georgetown has no metro stops, but you can easily get a cab from Foggy Bottom or Dupont Circle. That said, there is plenty to see in downtown DC, all of which is easily accessible by metro as dmlove indicated.

But you can also easily drive from DC to New York, I do it all the time. Parking in Manhattan will run you between $25 and $40 per night, but there are subway accessible places you can stay in close-in New Jersey or Brooklyn that will save you money on both parking and hotels. One example is the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott, which is only two subway stops outside of lower Manhattan. And despite what you hear, driving in Manhattan is no big deal, it's the same as driving through downtown in any major city, except it's really large. One other consideration is that there are some nice stops between the two cities, e.g. Philadelphia, that would enable you to make a day of it if you were driving. So if you are inclined to drive, it is an option.

With only 5 days for both cities, it's unlikely that joe will allocate time for Philadelphia, Mt. Vernon, or Monticello (which is over 100 miles west of DC).

...and Georgetown is an easy walk from the Foggy Bottom Metro stop, or you can hop on one of the 30s buses and ride a few stops.

There's also the new Circulator bus with 3 routes that include Georgetown and popular tourist destinations. Fare is $1.

http://www.dccirculator.com/