Vicki--where in Connecticut is your friend? I do this trip often and getting to CT has become a huge traffic hassle, but if it is close in that might make sense. We drove from D.C. to NYC on the day after Christmas last year and it was great--drove straight to the hotel, they parked it and we never saw it until we left two days later. We would normally take the train but Amtrak is (as you know) so pricey during the holidays.

Mary

If you are anxious and not a frequent traveller, avoid the Chinatown buses. What you save in money is eaten up in anxiety and confusion. I only reccomend them for adventurous back packers and people who live in DC and NYC who have alternatives and options.

Amtrak really is your best bet. Look for their discount area, where they often have companion fares free. Also, sometimes if you adjust your trip by a few hours, the prices become cheaper (Friday before noon and Sunday before noon).

Suki,
I did a Google search and found the web site of the W. Windsor Parking Authority. In one spot they say $3 token for 24 hours, then later they say up to a maximum of 14 days. So, you're absolutely right, and I appreciate the correction. I've never needed to park overnite, but it could come in handy for a short trip via EWR.

It also said don't expect to get a spot after 6:30 AM weekdays and the waiting list for permit parking is 4 years!

I have just about decided we're going to take the Amtrak. Several of you suggested that whatever money I save by taking the Chinatown bus would be eaten up in anxiety, so maybe this time we should pay the extra and ride the train.

But, I am confused about something (already). The train station in Baltimore is Penn Station AND the train station in New York is Penn Station? And what is the train station in Washington called? Penn Station?

Will we be able to walk to our hotel (Mariott Marquis Times Square) from Penn Station or will we need to get a cab?

And, to show again, how clueless I am, what exactly is located in Times Square? We are interested in shopping, and my daughter wants to go to the Today Show studio, although I have reminded her that Matt and Katie usually take off the week between Christmas and New Years.

I think this trip is going to cost us much more than we expected, especially since I noted on another post that $20-25 entrees are considered "low" in NYC.

Oh -- and where is The Strand bookstore located? I have often heard about it and would like to see it.

Thanks a bunch -- ya'll are helping me out sooo much!

Vicki

The train station in Washington is called Union Station, as it was used by more than one mainline passenger trains. In NYC, Penn Station was built and run by the Pennsylvania Railroad (though the original above-ground building had been torn down). It's between 31st and 33rd Street.

Stations for Pennsylvania Railroad were all called Penn Stations. The one is Newark is Penn Station. In New York, there's also Grand Central Station, which was built and operated by Grand Central Railroad, a competitor of Penn. Now, it's the terminus for commuter trains to the North and Northeast.

Time Square is not really a square. It's like a very long intersection of Broadway and 7th Ave, and is from about 42th to 48th street. The Marriott Marquis is between 45th and 46th, right in the middle of that large intersection.

If you don't have much luggage, it's walkable, as it's about 13 short blocks, plus from 8th Ave to 7th Ave. But a taxi will be much easier.

Now that we've introduced the concept of using blocks as a measure of distance, here's the New York basics: The streets north of about Greenwich Village are laid out in a grid of numbered streets that go east/west, and avenues that go North/South; several of hte Avenues have alternative names for all or part of their length (8th Ave. becomes Central Park West, north of 59th St; 6th is known as Avenue of the Americas).

The Streets are pretty uniformly 20 per mile, so north/south distances are easy to estimate in thes "short blocks;" the Avenues aren't spaced as evenly, but are farther apart.

Now is a good time for you to invest in a good street map of Manhattan, so you can get your bearings and plan your specific itinerary.

vicki,

I'm not sure where exactly you live, but you have several options on where to catch the train heading toward NYC. Amtrak has stations in DC (Union Station), New Carrolton, MD (just inside the Washington Beltway off Rt. 50), at BWI airport, and in downtown Baltimore (Penn Station). Just pick the one closest to your house.

Times Square is very convenient to shopping, NBC studios (arrive VERY early to get your tickets and then come back later for the tour - the NBC tours are timed entry tickets but often sell out very early in the AM), and the Broadway theaters (you really should include a show on your visit). The convenience of Times Square makes it a good hotel location for a first time visitor.

Yes, yes, yes. NYC is the third most expensive city in the world - just behind London and Tokyo. Worth every penny!

I agree that walking from Penn Station is a good idea. Especially if the wait for a taxi seems forever it may actually be quicker to walk. Don't get in any car except an official yellow taxi - even if the line for one is long. If anyone offers you an alternate form of car just say NO!

Thhe Strand book store is located at the corner of 12th Street and Broadway.

Hours
Monday-Saturday 9:30 AM-10:30 PM
Sunday 11:00 AM-10:30 PM

Take the N R Q W 4 5 6 or L train to Union Square. Walk two blocks South to 12th street.

828 Broadway
(at 12th St.)
New York, NY. 10003-4805

212-473-1452
212-473-2591 fax


And yes, I strongly agree that you need to go to Borders, Barnes&Noble or somewhere and get a tourist street map of Manhatten ASAP.

Another dumb question....

Do all cabs cost the same? Is there a standard per mile cost? I have only been in a cab once in my life -- in Atlanta many years ago. And how much do you tip the cabbie?

Daughter wants me to ask how we get into the crowd that is shown outside the NBC studio, chatting with Al Roker? Does this require tickets?

I think the BWI location is where we will get the Amtrak. I just looked at the Amtrak site and found that the cost of a round-trip ticket is $120 if you leave before 7:00 a.m. The fare goes up to $160 after that. We can easily make it before 7:00 a.m. Could the fare have actually decreased in the last few weeks? Last time I checked it was $200.

Thanks so much for the help.

Vicki

Cabs start at a $2.50 minimum. After that, it is $0.40 for every quarter mile (approx 4 short - north/south - blocks or 1 long - east/west). The meter also clicks approx every minute that you are sitting stuck in traffic. There is a $1 surcharge for weekdays between 4:00 and 8:00 pm, and a $0.50 surcharge for nights and weekend. There is no surcharge for luggage or extra people. Cabbies, by law, cannot take more than 4 people in a cab. They are not required to take bills greater than $20.

Tip approx 10-20%. Most cabbies do not like to deal with coins, so from a practical perspective, the easiest thing is generally to round the fare up to the nearest dollar and than add one (for fares less than $10) or two (for fares between $10 and 16) dollars. For example, if the fare is $7.60, round up and add 1, so give the cabbie $9. Of course, if the cabbie helps you with luggage or is otherwise helpful, the tip should be increased.

Try not to get overwhelmed - I hope you have a wonderful time!

Also, as for the comment about $20-25 being low for a NY entree - while it is certainly true that you can easily spend $25, or much more, per entree in "big name" tourist or expense-account places, NY also has THOUSANDS of neighborhood places with entrees in the $10-20 range. Most of these restaurants - many of which are quite delicious - will be found in neighborhoods where New Yorkers actually live, such as the UES, UWS, LES, East Village - rather than the corporate/tourist atmosphere of midtown.

Getting into the crowd outside the Today show is as easy as showing up early--really early! No tix required. How you get their attention to come chat with you is another matter--it's up to you how far you'll go!
Have fun!

I am going to close out my post for the time being and resume next month as the time for our trip to New York City nears. The purpose of my posting initially was to try to decide if this trip was something I should consider, and with the help of you good people here who answered some of my basic questions, I began to think "well...yeah...maybe I CAN do this." What I have learned from this board: That I probably should skip the Chinatown bus this time, since it is our first trip, and that Amtrak is probably the best choice to get us to the city; our hotel is approx 13 blocks from Penn Station, and it is walkable as long as I don't have too much to carry. I know how to tip the cab driver and not to get into any cab unless it is yellow. Before I posted here, I knew zilch.

So the plans are laid, and as the time draws nearer, I am sure I will have more questions. I hope that ya'll will still be kind enough to help me out when I return.

Vicki