East Coast
Jun 14th, 2006 | 12:19 AM
#1
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Joined: Jun 2006
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East Coast
Hi i am planning to travel to the East Coast with my husband and 17 year old daughter. I am trying to find out the main places we should visit or the places which are enjoyable. Any help will be appreciated as we are not from the USA.
Jun 14th, 2006 | 01:28 AM
#2
Joined: Jan 2003
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It would help if you could say how long is your trip, from where you will be traveling, into which city you would be flying.
The 3 major cities - Boston, New York, Washington, DC all have much to offer. There are areas in the south such as Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC which are beautiful. There are also wonderful beaches in Florida and opportunities for hiking in Vermont and New Hampshire.
So give us some more information and we can help.
The 3 major cities - Boston, New York, Washington, DC all have much to offer. There are areas in the south such as Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC which are beautiful. There are also wonderful beaches in Florida and opportunities for hiking in Vermont and New Hampshire.
So give us some more information and we can help.
Jun 14th, 2006 | 01:36 AM
#3
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Joined: Jun 2006
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We are travelling from Sydney, Australia and are planning to stay in the US for 21 days. We don't know where we will fly into, as it will depend on our plans that we will decide. We do know that we would like to visit New York and will be travelling at the end of September to early October.
Jun 14th, 2006 | 05:26 AM
#6
Joined: Jan 2003
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There is a bewildering amount to see and do on the East Coast. Do you mainly want to see the big cities? If so:
Boston - fly in
New York
Philadelphia
Washington - fly out
Drive or take the train between cities. September - October should be great for sightseeing.
If visiting these cities is what you want, you can ask for more specific info about your preferred activities.
Boston - fly in
New York
Philadelphia
Washington - fly out
Drive or take the train between cities. September - October should be great for sightseeing.
If visiting these cities is what you want, you can ask for more specific info about your preferred activities.
Jun 14th, 2006 | 06:21 AM
#7
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 157
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If the opportunity and time allows, make a day of it in Baltimore. It is between Philadelphia and Washington.
There is a beautiful harbor in the downtown area with many nice restaurants. The National Aquarium (which I volunteer) is a first class place to spend a few hours. We are only about an hours drive from Washington.
Please stop by.
There is a beautiful harbor in the downtown area with many nice restaurants. The National Aquarium (which I volunteer) is a first class place to spend a few hours. We are only about an hours drive from Washington.
Please stop by.
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Jun 14th, 2006 | 06:31 AM
#8
Joined: Oct 2005
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Good morning mel - glad you are coming for a visit - we spent several wonderful weeks in and around Sydney several years ago when a family member was working at the university and loved your 'part of the world' - and am sure you will enjoy ours !
A few thoughts:
Much of where you will go depends on how you like to travel - how fast or slow a pace - and if you want to jam as much in as possible and see NY, Boston, DC and possibly Chareston, Savannah - or other parts of New England - or also the rich history in the Virginia area and south - so I would suggest some research, even if initially flipping thru some guide books in library or online and deciding if certain things in specific cities move higher on the list than others - because as always, you can't do it all in three weeks.
You could do 3 days here, 3 dys there, etc and really move along, but are you the type that likes to have a few action packed days mixed with a few leisurely days and do you want to fly between places or train/car or a variety?
And where are you flying into or has that not been decided? If you were flying into Boston first, which is a city I would personally put on the list, then i would suggest an itinerary along the lines of -
Flying into Boston and renting a car. Driving only an hour or so to say, Portsmouth NH for a light day and a good night sleep and for your first 4 or 5 days enjoying a leisurely paced drive thru parts of NH, Maine and Vermont - you would see coastal areas with beautiful views, some museums, mountain regions, and quaint New England towns.
One of the reasons I suggest a leisurely drive part first is that it gives you time to see things but not in a city where one tends to jam a million sites,but offer you a mix of both - with lots of walking on streets, peaceful nights sleep in a mix of quaint towns and New England cities, etc into your first three days here so you don't wear yourself out initially after a long trip.
When you return to Boston after this loop, you could spend say 4 days in Boston seeing the sites and area, then take the train to NYC where you absolutely do not need a car, and spend another 4 days there. Of course, you could fly into NYC too, and do a drive through parts of New York state which are gorgeous and a bit into New England and land back in NYC - or if you are the type that could hit the ground running, do NY City first, and then drive through parts of New England to Boston and see the area that way, returning your rental car to Boston.
Either way, then you could train to DC and spend about 4 days there.
Now you'd have to look at your options, after researchign some of these areas, if you'd like to spend more or less time in NYC, Boston, DC and some drive through New England area or if on the days remaining you'd like to fly into the Charleston/Savannah/Viriginia.
I would suggest if you have not already, searching some of the threads on this board about specific area of the east coast and see what speaks to your individual tastes -
Either way, I would chime in that a drive through parts of NH, Maine, VT are lovely and there are many threads on those areas here also.
Also, as I think Gail mentioned, tell us what activities you are most geared to - museums, historical areas, monuments, city sites only or do you want to see mountain areas, coastal areas, quaint towns, fishing villages, - do you want the chance to do some leisurely hikes or strenuous? kayaking? biking? any outdoor activities?
What an exciting time you'll have just planning !
Feed us all the questions you want ! But it would help if you would say things like - we never want to drive, we only want to train/bus/fly, we'd rather drive, no small towns, no coastal, a little history but not everywhere, etc.
A few thoughts:
Much of where you will go depends on how you like to travel - how fast or slow a pace - and if you want to jam as much in as possible and see NY, Boston, DC and possibly Chareston, Savannah - or other parts of New England - or also the rich history in the Virginia area and south - so I would suggest some research, even if initially flipping thru some guide books in library or online and deciding if certain things in specific cities move higher on the list than others - because as always, you can't do it all in three weeks.
You could do 3 days here, 3 dys there, etc and really move along, but are you the type that likes to have a few action packed days mixed with a few leisurely days and do you want to fly between places or train/car or a variety?
And where are you flying into or has that not been decided? If you were flying into Boston first, which is a city I would personally put on the list, then i would suggest an itinerary along the lines of -
Flying into Boston and renting a car. Driving only an hour or so to say, Portsmouth NH for a light day and a good night sleep and for your first 4 or 5 days enjoying a leisurely paced drive thru parts of NH, Maine and Vermont - you would see coastal areas with beautiful views, some museums, mountain regions, and quaint New England towns.
One of the reasons I suggest a leisurely drive part first is that it gives you time to see things but not in a city where one tends to jam a million sites,but offer you a mix of both - with lots of walking on streets, peaceful nights sleep in a mix of quaint towns and New England cities, etc into your first three days here so you don't wear yourself out initially after a long trip.
When you return to Boston after this loop, you could spend say 4 days in Boston seeing the sites and area, then take the train to NYC where you absolutely do not need a car, and spend another 4 days there. Of course, you could fly into NYC too, and do a drive through parts of New York state which are gorgeous and a bit into New England and land back in NYC - or if you are the type that could hit the ground running, do NY City first, and then drive through parts of New England to Boston and see the area that way, returning your rental car to Boston.
Either way, then you could train to DC and spend about 4 days there.
Now you'd have to look at your options, after researchign some of these areas, if you'd like to spend more or less time in NYC, Boston, DC and some drive through New England area or if on the days remaining you'd like to fly into the Charleston/Savannah/Viriginia.
I would suggest if you have not already, searching some of the threads on this board about specific area of the east coast and see what speaks to your individual tastes -
Either way, I would chime in that a drive through parts of NH, Maine, VT are lovely and there are many threads on those areas here also.
Also, as I think Gail mentioned, tell us what activities you are most geared to - museums, historical areas, monuments, city sites only or do you want to see mountain areas, coastal areas, quaint towns, fishing villages, - do you want the chance to do some leisurely hikes or strenuous? kayaking? biking? any outdoor activities?
What an exciting time you'll have just planning !
Feed us all the questions you want ! But it would help if you would say things like - we never want to drive, we only want to train/bus/fly, we'd rather drive, no small towns, no coastal, a little history but not everywhere, etc.
Jun 14th, 2006 | 08:09 AM
#9
Joined: Jun 2004
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You've gotten great suggestions already (NY, Washington DC, Boston, Charleston).
If you can squeeze it in, the one thing I didn't see anyone mention was venturing inland just a bit to spend some time in the Appalachian Mountains. If you do go to Charleston SC, you could travel south from Washington DC along Hwy 81, stopping in Asheville (a great little mountain city) before you drive to Charleston.
If you can squeeze it in, the one thing I didn't see anyone mention was venturing inland just a bit to spend some time in the Appalachian Mountains. If you do go to Charleston SC, you could travel south from Washington DC along Hwy 81, stopping in Asheville (a great little mountain city) before you drive to Charleston.
Jun 14th, 2006 | 08:41 AM
#10
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,715
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escargot has written eloquently. At this point we really need some direction from you on things like budget, type of travelers (fast/slow, city/country).
I'll just give a heads up that end Sept/beg Oct. can offer some spectacular leaf changing color opportunities in the northeast. The east coast is really huge and you can't see it all. Whether or you want to drive will have a big impact on where you go too. If you can fly into one city and leave from another, that will help a lot to maximize your time.
Do any of you have any particular hobbies/intersts (ie art, history, music etc.)?
I'll just give a heads up that end Sept/beg Oct. can offer some spectacular leaf changing color opportunities in the northeast. The east coast is really huge and you can't see it all. Whether or you want to drive will have a big impact on where you go too. If you can fly into one city and leave from another, that will help a lot to maximize your time.
Do any of you have any particular hobbies/intersts (ie art, history, music etc.)?
Jun 14th, 2006 | 11:06 AM
#11
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,886
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You've gotten very good advice. Without knowing your intrests it's hard to give specifics - except to say you can;t go wrong with Boston, NYC and DC.
South of DC is a different flavor and you may well enjoy that as well.
Just keep in mind - becaue of weather start in the north and move south (best chance of seeing some leaves turning) and more - not so hot - pleasant weather for touring.
For 3 - and to see anything between cities - car rental is by far the most economical and convenient idea.
Do let us know your interests (museums, outdor activities, history, architecture, people watching - and we can suggest some special activities of the season - for instance you might want to take in a baseball - possibly playoff or world series game - in New York).
Also - be aware this is a popular and expensive time of year - so the sooner you make arrangements the more you can save.
South of DC is a different flavor and you may well enjoy that as well.
Just keep in mind - becaue of weather start in the north and move south (best chance of seeing some leaves turning) and more - not so hot - pleasant weather for touring.
For 3 - and to see anything between cities - car rental is by far the most economical and convenient idea.
Do let us know your interests (museums, outdor activities, history, architecture, people watching - and we can suggest some special activities of the season - for instance you might want to take in a baseball - possibly playoff or world series game - in New York).
Also - be aware this is a popular and expensive time of year - so the sooner you make arrangements the more you can save.
Jun 14th, 2006 | 11:56 AM
#12
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,337
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It depends entirely on how much travelling you want to do. I'd say start in Boston, do 3-4 days, drive to New York City, do 4-5 days, drive to Washington DC (stopping in Philadelphia and Baltimore on the way, but not spending the night) for 3-4 days. Additional days could be added in Maine, the MAssachusetts coast, the VA mountains, Asheville NC, Charleston SC, Savannah GA or Florida.
Jun 14th, 2006 | 11:24 PM
#13
Original Poster
Joined: Jun 2006
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WOW! You all have given such great information. It has helped alot and i am very appreciative. In reply to some of your questions:
- We do not want to drive, preferring to fly into cities and take mini tours.
- We want to see a bit of everything and get a real feel of what the places are like.
- We know that 3 weeks isn't enough to see everything, but if we spend say 3-4 days in 5 different places and take a few days trips to outer sites thats fine.
I'd like to say thankyou again and Washington DC, New York and Boston will definently be a must so far.
- We do not want to drive, preferring to fly into cities and take mini tours.
- We want to see a bit of everything and get a real feel of what the places are like.
- We know that 3 weeks isn't enough to see everything, but if we spend say 3-4 days in 5 different places and take a few days trips to outer sites thats fine.
I'd like to say thankyou again and Washington DC, New York and Boston will definently be a must so far.
Jun 15th, 2006 | 06:32 AM
#15
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,785
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Hi,
OK, now that we know you don't want to rent a car, big cities would probably be your best bet.
I like the Boston, NY, DC plan. This route is easily done on Amtrak (www.amtrak.com).
I'd add a few days in Philadelphia to that basic plan (also by Amtrak from NY). It's a great historic city.
After DC, you could take the train farther south (Williamsburg, perhaps?), depending on how many places you want to see.
For Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com
Karen
OK, now that we know you don't want to rent a car, big cities would probably be your best bet.
I like the Boston, NY, DC plan. This route is easily done on Amtrak (www.amtrak.com).
I'd add a few days in Philadelphia to that basic plan (also by Amtrak from NY). It's a great historic city.
After DC, you could take the train farther south (Williamsburg, perhaps?), depending on how many places you want to see.
For Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com
Karen
Jun 15th, 2006 | 06:51 AM
#16
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,157
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I think factoring your 17 yr old daughter into the mix is pretty important.Have you gotten her input on what she'd like to see? We have a 16 and 18 yr old and I know that for one art museums are a must but the other is more into cool shops and falls asleep in museums and when touring. Neither would be that interested in strictly historic sightseeing.
I think I'd fly into NYC - an amazing city for everyone - see a stage play, Statue of Liberty - walk around 5th Ave and Soho do MOMA etc etc and then take a train down to DC and do some of the Smithsonian Museums - which are free the nation's capitol etc etc. Would be a nice time of year to hit the SC/NC or even Deleware Coast - although it is still prime hurricane ttme. You could probably get a flight from DC down to Charleston SC and taxi it into the city but keep in mind that you are not on the ocean in Charleston.
I think Boston is a fine choice, certainly lots of history (American).... again, depends how you want to spend your time.
I think I'd fly into NYC - an amazing city for everyone - see a stage play, Statue of Liberty - walk around 5th Ave and Soho do MOMA etc etc and then take a train down to DC and do some of the Smithsonian Museums - which are free the nation's capitol etc etc. Would be a nice time of year to hit the SC/NC or even Deleware Coast - although it is still prime hurricane ttme. You could probably get a flight from DC down to Charleston SC and taxi it into the city but keep in mind that you are not on the ocean in Charleston.
I think Boston is a fine choice, certainly lots of history (American).... again, depends how you want to spend your time.
Jun 15th, 2006 | 10:22 AM
#17
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,206
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If you want to see some of New England as a side trip from your stay in Boston there are several directions you can investigate.
One would be a loop up into NH, Maine, VT area to see some of quaint New England and the coast. Since you do not want to drive, you may consider a day or several day tour trip. There are also many available to Newport, RI, the Cape Cod Area, lower New England, that are one day trips and some as long as 2 to 8 days.
Many of these can be viewed on
www.bostontoursus.com
and the tiny url to the specific page on one day tours by bus is:
http://tinyurl.com/lmo5p
These one day tours are available to the Cape, a seacoast tour, foliage, lighthouse tour, etc.
One of these might appeal to you as a day trip and a way to see some other parts of New England.
You may decide if you choose one or two of these (to see some north and some south areas) to alternate a day of sightseeing in Boston with a day trip to the Cape, another day in Boston and a day trip to the North, and again another day or more in town.
I would use Amtrak between the cities, esp if you choose NYC, Boston and DC - and do day tours like this to see some of the outskirts.
Once you tackle first, what major cities are a definite, and then investigate any days trips from there, you can decide if you want to add more cities (Philadelphia, Charelston, etc) and then choose train/plane options for those.
Whether or not you actually used any of these tours, the list is a good resource for you to read through, to give you an idea what is out there.
Additional good sites to check out online are the
gonewengland.com and
gonewengland.about.com
yankeemagazine.com
there are many, many others but these are a start.
Also for Boston, to help you decide what might interest you:
freedomtrail.org
bostonislands.org
bostonharborcruises.com
cityofboston.gov (and go to the visitors link)
historictours.com (for Boston and DC)
I also often suggest people look at the web page for gobostoncard.com, whether or not you purchase the card, it is a good site for an overview of what to do and see in town to get ideas.
Certainly there are similar sites for NY, DC and other major cities that I don't know my heart, since I live here (boston) not there, but this type of searching might help you narrow down your preferences.
Happy planning !
One would be a loop up into NH, Maine, VT area to see some of quaint New England and the coast. Since you do not want to drive, you may consider a day or several day tour trip. There are also many available to Newport, RI, the Cape Cod Area, lower New England, that are one day trips and some as long as 2 to 8 days.
Many of these can be viewed on
www.bostontoursus.com
and the tiny url to the specific page on one day tours by bus is:
http://tinyurl.com/lmo5p
These one day tours are available to the Cape, a seacoast tour, foliage, lighthouse tour, etc.
One of these might appeal to you as a day trip and a way to see some other parts of New England.
You may decide if you choose one or two of these (to see some north and some south areas) to alternate a day of sightseeing in Boston with a day trip to the Cape, another day in Boston and a day trip to the North, and again another day or more in town.
I would use Amtrak between the cities, esp if you choose NYC, Boston and DC - and do day tours like this to see some of the outskirts.
Once you tackle first, what major cities are a definite, and then investigate any days trips from there, you can decide if you want to add more cities (Philadelphia, Charelston, etc) and then choose train/plane options for those.
Whether or not you actually used any of these tours, the list is a good resource for you to read through, to give you an idea what is out there.
Additional good sites to check out online are the
gonewengland.com and
gonewengland.about.com
yankeemagazine.com
there are many, many others but these are a start.
Also for Boston, to help you decide what might interest you:
freedomtrail.org
bostonislands.org
bostonharborcruises.com
cityofboston.gov (and go to the visitors link)
historictours.com (for Boston and DC)
I also often suggest people look at the web page for gobostoncard.com, whether or not you purchase the card, it is a good site for an overview of what to do and see in town to get ideas.
Certainly there are similar sites for NY, DC and other major cities that I don't know my heart, since I live here (boston) not there, but this type of searching might help you narrow down your preferences.
Happy planning !
Jun 20th, 2006 | 10:40 AM
#18
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,222
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Definitely take the train between Boston and NYC, and between NYC and Philly (it'll take you MUCH less time than catching a plane). The train service is Amtrak.
From Philly to Washington DC, it's a toss-up between flying (an hour, plus all the airport boarding/waiting/etc) and Amtrak.
Since you have three weeks, I'd recommend spending some time in Florida too. It's relatively cheap to fly there from Washington DC, and you could do Disney World (for touristy fun) and/or Miami Beach (celebs, boutique hotels, palm trees).
Of Philly, Boston, NYC and DC, I'd personally spend the most time in NYC, followed by DC.
From Philly to Washington DC, it's a toss-up between flying (an hour, plus all the airport boarding/waiting/etc) and Amtrak.
Since you have three weeks, I'd recommend spending some time in Florida too. It's relatively cheap to fly there from Washington DC, and you could do Disney World (for touristy fun) and/or Miami Beach (celebs, boutique hotels, palm trees).
Of Philly, Boston, NYC and DC, I'd personally spend the most time in NYC, followed by DC.
Jun 20th, 2006 | 11:20 AM
#19
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
If you are determined to not a rent car, I would recommend concentrating most heavily on NYC and Washington with Boston and/or Orlando as a third city – depending upon your interests. My personal choice would be Orlando over Boston if you are looking to put together a varied U.S. experience.
But you really should consider renting a car for at least a portion for your stay. The Northeast United States (NY and New England in particular) are in peak foliage season in October and that is tough to do without a car. To see some of the majestic beauty of the U.S., you might also consider a side trip from NYC to Niagara Falls. The coastal southeast will still be warm but outside the normal tourist season- there are plenty of great beaches as well as historic towns like Charleston & Savannah – again what are your interests?
If you enjoy sports, our major league baseball season runs through the end of September and there are teams in NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore & DC – you can go to mlb.com for schedules. American football season starts in September, though those tickets can be harder to come by because the games are far fewer in number. Broadway show tickets can also be obtained in advance of your arrival.
Let us know your interests – museums, scenic beauty, shopping, small towns, large cities, warm weather beaches, etc. and you might get some more specific recommendations on locations and duration per location
But you really should consider renting a car for at least a portion for your stay. The Northeast United States (NY and New England in particular) are in peak foliage season in October and that is tough to do without a car. To see some of the majestic beauty of the U.S., you might also consider a side trip from NYC to Niagara Falls. The coastal southeast will still be warm but outside the normal tourist season- there are plenty of great beaches as well as historic towns like Charleston & Savannah – again what are your interests?
If you enjoy sports, our major league baseball season runs through the end of September and there are teams in NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore & DC – you can go to mlb.com for schedules. American football season starts in September, though those tickets can be harder to come by because the games are far fewer in number. Broadway show tickets can also be obtained in advance of your arrival.
Let us know your interests – museums, scenic beauty, shopping, small towns, large cities, warm weather beaches, etc. and you might get some more specific recommendations on locations and duration per location
Jun 20th, 2006 | 12:59 PM
#20
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 268
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I think the Boston - NYC - DC frame is good. Fly into Boston and leave from DC. I'd take the train between the three.
As said earlier, it would help us if you told us what the three of you are interested in. From this website, see what attractions/activities in each city interest you all. Pick four or five.
After that, I recommend exploring residential neighborhoods not so frequented by tourists -- Beacon Hill and Southie for Boston; Upper East/West Sides and Greenwich Village in Manhattan plus Brooklyn for NYC; Georgetown, Adams Morgan and the U District for DC. See the locals in their native habitat.
As said earlier, it would help us if you told us what the three of you are interested in. From this website, see what attractions/activities in each city interest you all. Pick four or five.
After that, I recommend exploring residential neighborhoods not so frequented by tourists -- Beacon Hill and Southie for Boston; Upper East/West Sides and Greenwich Village in Manhattan plus Brooklyn for NYC; Georgetown, Adams Morgan and the U District for DC. See the locals in their native habitat.
