t0mEsh

Hi,

My (freshly new) wife and I are in the midst of planning our honeymoon vacation. We are in our late 20's, and are thinking about a 1 month long trip (depends mainly on the budget), during this coming May. Based on our past travel experience, combined likes & dislikes, and current desires we decided on the United States.
Since we only have a month, and there is no possible way to see and soak in ALL the great places the states has to offer, we minimized the options to only those that are the most recommended, "must-see", and unique cities in the states (atmosphere, scenery, experience…).

The route we have currently planned is:
• Start in San-francisco and spend ~4 days there -> rent a car for a couple of days, and visit some recommended places in its surrounding like Monterey and Yosemite Park.
• Take a flight to the east coast, where we thought to visit ~4 days each in Washington DC, Boston, and of course Manhattan (not sure on the exact order? Also we are wondering whether to use buses or trains?).
• Take the flight back home from NYC.

But we still have several questions and concerns, and will really appreciate if you guys could help us with them:
Route-wise:
1. Currently it's summed up to only ~20 days out of the 30 planned out. I was wondering if you might have any general suggestions regarding the route? Cities we must add / remove?
2. We don't want to waste a lot of money on domestic flights but also not a lot of time in buses/trains. So considering this, should we reconsider the trip order? What transportation do you recommend between the cities within each coast?

Budget-wise:
We are not at all interested in a fancy 5 stars vacation, the contrary – we prefer to stay in a hostel (private room, honeymoon after all) so we can have enough money to visit more destinations.
3. After some googling we figured that for two people in a private room (at a descent hostel), adding food, transportation, and attractions the daily average budget should be about 300$. Is this sounds right?
4. When multiplying for 30 days we get to the crazy sum of 9000$, before the international flights and shopping!! So we were hoping something is off with the numbers… How much do you think a trip like this should cost?


Thank you very much

garyt22

You have selected to visit the most expensive cities in the US... This will test your budget if you wish to stay in the tourist areas... Consider staying outside the pricey areas and using public transportation to reduce costs...

IMDonehere

Do not forget to include the time that will be lost travelling from city to city.

Cars are a burden in the cities, so only rent them when seeing sights outside the cities.

There are scores of topics on Fodors on what to see and where to stay in NYC so use the search the forums box above.

Although I like Boston, and was just there a few weeks ago, DC has many more attractions for a foreigner.

tomfuller

Where are you coming from? My thoughts: Fly to San Francisco and spend 2 nights. There are 3 HI Hostels in the city.
From San Francisco use the Amtrak bus over to Emeryville to catch a Capitol Corridor train to Sacramento. My favorite HI Hostel in the world is the Victorian mansion at the corner of 10th & H (across the street from City Hall).
You can stay in the River City suite for less than $100/night. There are several private rooms upstairs if the River City suite is not available.
Rent a car in Sacramento and go to see Yosemite.
Return the car in Sacramento and take the California Zephyr train as far as Glenwood Springs Colorado. There are 2 big old hotels within walking distance of the train station.
swim in the world's largest hot spring fed swimming pool.
You might even want to spend 2 nights in Glenwood Springs.
Take the California Zephyr onward to Chicago.
Spend at least one night in the Chicago HI Hostel (US largest)
If you are tired of train travel, fly from Chicago to Boston.
Amtrak does have a USA Rail Pass which could save you some vs. full fare for each ride.

vincenzo32951

Budget:
Honestly, given the destinations you've listed, I think $300 is low. Hotel rooms in Boston, for instance, are crazy expensive. You might consider looking into apartment options instead of hotels. That could save you money of food and accommodations.

cw

May is an expensive month for hotels in Boston because of college graduations. Here's a link to the dates, so you can work around the busiest times: http://www.bostonzest.com/2015/08/bo...ring-2016.html

There is a relatively new Boston Hostel, but even there, private rooms will cost $150-200 a night, depending on dates. You might look at Airbnb in Boston, which may be less expensive. But, before booking, post the location so you can get some feedback on its convenience to downtown.

http://www.hiusa.org/massachusetts/boston/boston

tomfuller

If cw's lead does not work out try 40 Berkley.
http://www.40berkeley.com/?ibp-adgro...FUNgfgodiDoMRw
Last time I was in the Boston area, we stayed in Quincy and rode the "T" into the city.
See the Freedom Trail in downtown Boston.

MichelleY

Stay inSF and visit the city for the 4 days. Then rent the car for a week and visit Yosemite, Monterey, Big Sur coast and environs. Return car then fly back east.

nytraveler

Remember the OP said they are staying in hostels - which will cut back on their costs a lot. Assuming they also do lots of budget food (just a sandwich or a slice at lunch and a local cafe at dinner) I think $300 a day is doable. (It wouldn't work if they wanted hotels - which is a lot of places would take most of the budget).

On the east coast you want to start in DC, then head to NYC, then up to Boston. You might also want to stop in Philly for a day between DC and NYC. Amtrak is the most comfortable and reliable means of transport on this route - but you must buy tickets several weeks in advance to get the discounted prices. There are very low-priced buses (prices vary by time and when you buy) but they are subject to traffic and accidents on the VERY heavily traveled roads in this area which can add an hour or even two to the transit time.

I cannot reco Amtrak in other parts of the country. Tom does because he is a train buff and for him the train trip is all. But for most people it is very expensive (usually more than flying) takes forever (and is often late - sometimes many hours) and has truly dreadful food.

Putting Boston last is important to get the best hotel rates - since May is college graduation and Boston is typically mobbed with highest hotel rates of the year.

Suggest you look at the Let's Go Student guides since they have a lot of info on traveling on a tight budget. Do look for things that are free (a LOT in DC) and in NYC look for museums that allow you to pay what you wish - so you can get in for a few $ rather than the $25 full price.

Sorry - your $9K is VERY tight - don't plan on spending less than that.

janisj

>>1. Currently it's summed up to only ~20 days out of the 30 planned out. . . .

clarkgriswold

Unless you think this is going to be your only trip to the States, I would concentrate on just the west coast this time...you'll have a much more leisurely and enjoyable honeymoon. And the California coast is quite budget-friendly in May.

San Francisco...Mendocino Coast....Yosemite....Monterey/Carmel.....Central Coast....Santa Barbara/Santa Ynez....Los Angeles/Santa Monica....Laguna Beach....San Diego...Palm Springs/Joshua Tree/Desert...........

You can hire a car for approximately $900US per month, all insurances and fees included (depending on country of your driver's license).

jamie99

Do you have reservations for Yosemite or are planning on staying at the Yosemite Bug Hostel? Lodges inside the park book up to a year in advance, you may have to keep calling daily to snag a cancellation.
I personally would drive further south than Monterey so you can visit the Big Sur, go at least as far as Cambria or Pismo Beach even if you do not want to drive all the way to LA. I agree with two nights in Monterey. If your trip is before Memorial Day Weekend (last weekend in May) you may well be able to afford a 3 star motel at someplace like Best Western or Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn.
Your budget sounds about right to me, $@50-300 per night. IF that is tight then drop a few destinations. Fly, not drive or train from west to east if you keep both coasts.

tomfuller

There is a HI hostel in Monterey. It does have a few private rooms. http://www.hiusa.org/california/monterey/monterey
The Yosemite Bug hostel has a few cabin type rooms with shared bathroom. The Bug hostel also has a small restaurant if you don't want to use their kitchen/dining room.
There is a YARTS bus stop at the foot of the Bug hostel driveway.

vincenzo32951

>>Assuming they also do lots of budget food (just a sandwich or a slice at lunch and a local cafe at dinner) I think $300 a day is doable.

Christina

I would think for a major trip to the US that is taking a month, one could certainly see more than the west coast (and would want to, I presume). And sure, those are the most expensive cities but that's for a reason and it's natural if someone hasn't been to the US, that you would be going to the most expensive cities as they are likely of main interest. Of course you would have a more leisurely time if you only visit California, but I wouldn't do that for a month if you want to see more of the US.

As for trains vs buses on the east coast, it's hard to say. Buses are a lot cheaper than the train between DC and NY and I would presume between NY and Boston, although I haven't done that. But I've taken the bus several times between DC and NY. If you don't have a specific time deadline, it's a good way to save money as it is a fraction of the cost (about 1/3) of the train and doesn't really take that much longer, maybe an hour. I've taken Washington Deluxe, DC2NY and Bolt and they were all fine. Megabus does a lot of cities and some people don't think it's as good as some others like the ones I've taken, but on some routes, it may be the only choice. Fares are between $15 and $30 one-way, depending on time and date. I believe Megabus and Bolt also do NYC to Boston, probalby some others.

The US doesn't have as good hostel options as in Europe, but there are some in the very major cities. That's another reason that these cities aren't that bad an idea, as you won't find hostels in a lot of places. US$300 a day for a couple? Seems pretty high to me unless that is rolling in all transportation costs, not just wihtin an area. Let's say you spend $100 for food for 2. I don't even usually spend more than that when I travel in the US and I'm not trying to pinch pennies. I don't know about attractions much, but if you spend $100 on that and local transportation per day (seems a bit high, not every day would you spend that -- in DC, for example, many of the museums are free and you shouldn't need more than a couple metro or bus trips per day), that leave $100 for a room. Of course that is low for a hotel in these major cities, especially NY. But you can find that in DC somewhere on the metro line if you aren't picky. I'd just search something like www.booking.com, although even priceline might work. Even the HI hostel in DC charges about $100 a day, though, for a private room and I think you can do a little better than that.

So I think $300 a day can be a bit high if you don't spend much on food and know you can find hostels in some places cheaper than $100 a day for both of you. But I wouldn't count on less than $250, probably.

I'd break down your costs into those 3 categories to see which can't be changed -- food, accommodations, all else (excluding "shopping").

marvelousmouse

I agree with janisj about Monterey and Yosemite. You really don't have 10 remaining days. I'd do a minimum of 3 nights at Yosemite (I liked Yosemite Bug Hostel- it's a good deal and has a decent cafe).

You need at least 1 night stay to drive the big sur coast. But 2 would be better and you could easily do 3. Maybe spend one night at one of the lighthouse hostels (Hostelling international) in California- those are pretty romantic. Also cheaper than SF hostels. If there's anywhere you shouldn't stay in a hostel, it's Monterey. Try staying somewhere in Carmel instead. I wasn't impressed by the Monterey hostel at all. There is so much to see on the California coast and I would definitely make that a priority. The views can't be beat, and it's relatively inexpensive compared to SF.

You could also stay somewhere along the big sur- waking up to the view is well worth the extra money.

Boston, DC, NYC- 4 days is kind of short for all of those. You could easily do 5 in each. Boston IS expensive- I was there for 5 and I really wished I had the full week. It's extremely walkable, and I loved the history and museums. But I haven't been back because it definitely broke my budget. If nothing else, add a day onto DC because so many attractions are free and the hostel there is on the less expensive side.

I don't know how you would fit it in or if it would be worth it, flight wise, but look at Chicago as well. If you like cities, it's a lot of fun. Amazing architecture. And I'm mostly mentioning it because the Hostelling international there is hands down the best hostel I've stayed in, in terms of modern convenience, price, and location.

clarkgriswold

Hosteling for one I understand.., but for two you can often find a nice clean private motel room for about the same price or $5 to $10 more, especially on weeknights off-season along the coast. For Monterey, try Lone Oak Lodge. For San Francisco, try booking.com for the best rates at the Marina Motel.

Compared with Europe...hostels are few-and-far-between in the states and most have few or no "private rooms".

marvelousmouse

Also forgot to mention that the only way you would be in trouble with that budget is if you are including your rental car in California. That's the one place I can definitely see going over budget. Or if you both really, really like your food and drink. I usually budget 100 per day for food- in major cities, I very occasionally go over that because I enjoy the occasional fancy restaurant, and I like craft cocktails. But it's usually more like 50 for food and 50 for museums.

What usually gets me is taxi fare- budget in some "just in case" money in case one of you gets sick or injured. I went over budget in SF because I wasn't physically capable of walking everywhere (usually my transit budget is really low, because I walk or bike everywhere).

janisj

The Bug is fine -- however you need to understand times involved. It is 35 miles from Yosemite Village -- doesn't seem far but that 35 miles takes a little over an hour. So an hour each way just driving into the Valley. (or at least it will take an hour+ when hwy 140 reopens - is closed due to a rock slide right now but by May it will be open) So factor that in - with the distance/time I'd want an absolute minimum of three nights there.

steve1526

If you want to center your travel on the east and west coasts, agree it might be best to begin on east coast in May for optimal weather: DC, possibly Philadelphia, NYC, Boston, possibly southern Maine. Best done by bus (except for Maine) for cost savings/to avoid expense of having a car in metropolitan areas. On the west coast, SF and the surrounding areas are awesome. Check out Carmel and hiking Point Lobos. Consider traveling north to Redwood Forest, (Napa - wine country - might be cost prohibitive on a budget) and Portland, Seattle. Also, if you are flying cross-country and can stopover in either Chicago or New Orleans, you would have great experiences. For visitors from another country, each of these destinations holds great opportunities to experience very diverse parts of the US