Please help me plan trip from NYC to Atlantic City/Washington
 

Hi

I have been reading through the forums here and I am very impressed by the wealth of knowledge and how helpful everyone is. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

I am flying into JFK in the early afternoon of a Sunday in mid March. I will be flying from Shanghai. I think it's about a 14 hour flight. I will be in NY for two weeks. I have booked accommodation from the friday in manhattan.

I am now trying to plan the first 5 nights. I really want to go to Atlantic City and Washington DC. I was thinking I could perhaps hire a car At JFK and drive to AC. Have a couple of nights there and then drive to Washington DC for a few nights and then drive back to NYC. Do you think this is a good idea?

Is the drive to AC easy from JFK or is there a better way to get there. I am traveling on my own. Do I have to drive through NYC? I am hoping not! I am hoping it's a pretty straightforward drive on freeways. Maybe I am being unrealistic. I am pretty confident with my driving ability - even though you drive on the wrong side of the road!

By the time I get out of airport it will probably be close to 5pm. I assume it's getting dark then. A part of me is worried I will be exhausted from flight and should stay the night somewhere and leave the next morning but then I think is that a waste of a night? If you think it's a better idea a stay a night somewhere where would be the best place? An airport hotel or go into NYC? If I go into NYC for a night should I get public transport to AC instead? I could then hire a car to drive to Washington DC from AC.

I really need help as trip is less than two months away and I don't know anyone that has done any trips like this. Nor do I know anyone from that area of the world to ask.

Thanks again. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Tara

Personally, I would not try to drive after a 14 hour flight, even if I knew the car and the roads. I try to give myself at least 36 hours to get over jet lag before trying to drive. But people deal with jet lag differently....

From what I can tell, the drive from JFK will take about 3 hours, maybe a bit less, more likely an hour or so more. It seems unlikely that you would reach Atlantic City before dark: it seems that sunset for the times you mention will be about 7 p.m. (here's the site I checked),

http://www.shootingonlocation.com/fi...nset-march.php

Have you considered staying in NYC for the 1st part of your trip instead of the last part? And have you considered flying out of DC instead of returning to NY and flying from there?

One other thing: Are you fully committed to visiting Atlantic City? What is it about Atlantic City that appeals to you?

Good luck!

Hi Kja

Thanks for your response. I booked the flight months ago when I saw a good deal so can't change it.

I want to be in NYC for St Patricks Day which is why I am doing the second part of trip there.

I am starting to think the drive will be too much. I am probably better off just staying somewhere else for a night.

I want to see Atlantic City because I love casinos! Sounds bad typing it! I just love the lights, tackiness etc. have alWays heard about AC so thought I would visit. Hotels are cheap and maybe a better place to get over jet lag.

Maybe I should just head into NYC for a night. Can you think of anywhere else I could go for a night that would be easy to get to from JFK and then easy to head to AC from the next day?

Thanks again

I hope others chime in, but I think you can take a shuttle from JFK to Penn Station and then a train to Atlantic City.

I have been doing some more research. I think I will now catch train to Penn St station. Stay the night in a hotel near there and then catch train the next morning to Washington DC. I can stay two nights there then head to Atlantic City for 2 nights.

Now I have to work out best way to do that. Should I hire a car or train it? Any thoughts also on best way to get back to NYC on a Friday. Car or train or bus?

Thanks again for all help!

I don't think there's any reason to rent a car. There are frequent buses and decent train service (NJ Transit, commuter rail) between AC and NYC or Washington DC. Some are express servics; some options go via Philadelphia, which is the closest city to AC.

The regional buses might be considered slightly more comfortable than the commuter trains, but its a short trip and either choice would be fine.

Here is a link to AC transportion options: www.atlanticcityjn.com/visit/transportation.aspx

After a 14 hour flight IMHO it would be madness to rent a car and drive to AC. Since it's Sunday the traffic may or may not be bad - but it is not a "straight shot" you have to drive to and across Staten Island and then on to NJ - and the drive is very unattractive and boring.

Separately, I wouldn;t go to Atlantic City if you paid me. It is a very unpleasant place - with a few tacky casinos in the midst of a fairly large depressed area. And while DC is certainly a wonderful place to visit - I woudln;t do it right off a plane. (Atlantic City is NOT Las Vegas and doesn;t even have that type of faux "glamour")
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IMHO you are much better off spending your first few days in Manhattan - then taking several days in DC and come back to NYC. (If it had been me I would have flown into NY and back from DC - but I assume you are already ticketed and don;t have the option of an open jaws ticket.) Then you could easily take the train to DC and avoid driving - which doesn;t make sense unless you want to explore the countryside.

Oh - and just so you know - mid March is still winter here. You may be lucky and get temps of 50 - or y0u may get temps in the 20s and snow. You cannot count on getting decent driving conditions (are you used to driving in snow or ice?).

Also - as far as the countryside is concerned - that time of year the trees are leafless, the grass brown and flowers not in bloom - no noting attractive to look at. (In DC the beginning of spring is mid April when the Cherry Blossom festival occurs.)

If it's only you that doing this visit, then driving a car between NYC and Washington DC is insane. You'll save time, money, and aggravation by taking a bus or a train between these two cities -- and that's assuming you DON'T get stuck in an endless traffic jam or mis-directed to the wrong highway. Buy a direct Greyhound ticket a couple weeks in advance (you MUST specify the departure time each way at time of purchase), for instance, and the round-trip cost will be $32 -- less than gas and tolls!

After arriving near dusk after a fourteen hour flight, my recommendation is to take a cab to the hotel you reserved for that night and just sleep it off. *IF* you are a person who can keep your wits about, even after a long flight, then take public transport. If you're sure you can handle some nightlife after arriving at your hotel, then book it in Manhattan and do a stroll around the theater district after you check in. After a good night's sleep, head for AC and the casinos, but do it by bus or train.

Comparing Atlantic City to Las Vegas is like comparing DC to NYC. Two different cities; pluses and minuses for both.

I've been to Las Vegas a few times and always enjoy Atlantic City even though I'm not a gambler. I've stayed at the Bellagio and Four Seasons in Las Vegas and had better rooms in the Borgata and Caesar's in Atlantic City.

You'll find "faux glamour" at Borgata, Water Club, Caesars, and Tropicana. Lots of restaurants by famous chefs, shopping at the outlets or the Pier Shops, relaxing and rejuvenating spas.

Take a walk on the boardwalk and watch the waves break onto the beach, watch the sunset from the deck of the Caesar's pier, have a roast pork sandwich at Tony Luke's in the Borgata (you won't find that in Las Vegas...yet).

There is a lot that Las Vegas has that Atlantic City does not but it's also not within two hours of NYC and Philadelphia. I would also say that Atlantic City does not have the constant "in your face" sex that Las Vegas has. No one pushing hooker cards into your hands on the strip, no hooker ads on cabs, no Pussy Cat Dolls dancing in the middle of casinos. That may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on our point of view.

If you enjoy gambling, go ahead and visit Atlantic City. It's not as bad as some here make it out to be.

The link capxxx provided does not seem to work. Try this:

http://www.atlanticcitynj.com/visit/Transportation.aspx

Thank you all very much. I have ditched the idea of driving. I will catch trains between all places. It makes a lot more sense. Without your help I could have been in for a not so great trip. I certainly hadn't thought of snow or ice!

I am looking forward to AC But it's nice to have the different perspectives. I know casinos are not everyone's cup of tea.

Thanks again.

It's not that casinos are not everyone's cup of tea. It;s that Atlantic City is a major depressed area with a lot of crime as soon as you get a block or two from the casinos. And for people used to casinos in other areas - do understand that a these are not glamorous - a lot of the visitors are senior citizens wearing housedresses or shabby casuals losing the rent money. (Yes, this is a stereotype - but in fact, senior citizens are bussed in from all over the area every day.)

This is nothing like casinos in Monte Carlo or other wealthy areas.

TaraMaree, if I were you, I'd stay at the Caesar's in Atlantic City. It's just down the street from the train station and in the middle of the boardwalk. Ask for an oceanview room in the Centurion Tower. It's off-season so you should be able to get what you want unless they have a large convention in town.

You won't see any depressed areas during your trip from the train station to Caesars. The entire street is now an outdoor outlet mall with shops such as Michael Kors, St. John, and DKNY.

The Borgata and Water Club are not on the boardwalk so you would have to take a taxi or shuttle to get to the boardwalk. You might want to go out there for dinner at Bobby Flay's and a little gambling. It's not a far drive.

Make sure you walk out to the Pier Shops. Coming from Shanghai and staying in NYC I don't know if you'll be interested in shopping but there is a nice view and a water show on the half hour that is worth watching.

The way to get to Atlantic City from NYC is to take the Amtrak train from Penn Station (NYP) to Philadelphia 30th St. station (PHL). From 30th St station you take the NJ transit train to Atlantic City for $10 per person.
The ACES train from NYC to Atlantic City will not be operating until May.
Take the NJ Transit back to PHL and decide if you want to spend any time in Philadelphia before taking the train to Washington.

By the way, hotels in Atlantic City aren't at all cheap on weekends, so if you are going, doing the trip on a Monday and Tuesday is best. Stay in a major casino hotel, not in a scary motel off the boardwalk even if it's more expensive.

Did you know that we now have a giant casino on the subway line in NYC? Or if you wanted to see casinos and have a much much more pleasant atmosphere, you could go to Foxwoods and/or Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and then shoot by Mystic and the outlet mall near there, which would make a very enjoyable trip of a couple of days.

Although Atlantic City is not the hellhole it used to be, it's still not very exciting and, arguably, not a little depressing, and it's going to be cold there.

However, you really would want to get a car if you went to Connecticut. You couldn't get to all the places you'd want to visit without one.

Dont drive anywhere, especially not to AC, after such a long flight. Rest for 2 nights, then go to The Port Authority Bus Terminal and pay $36 for a ticket to AC. You get $25 back from any hotel. But Taj Mahal/Resorts does not use Total Rewards unlike other casinos in AC&Vegas.

Vegas is too hot May-Sept, AC is cooler, so I suggest booking 5 days in Vegas instead of AC. There is crime in both AC and Vegas; walk 3 blocks from casinos in any town and you get skid row, in LA's Hollywood same thing.