as a first time traveller to NYC from Australia - how long would be a reasonable stay in NYC to see the main highlights? Is it feasible also to take a train trip to boston for the day?? and what about Washington DC??

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...mtrak/HomePage

That is the site for train schedules. There is the Acela and the regualr trains. Acela to Boston is a waste since they cannot run at the higher speed for almost half the trip.

I have done it many times for business but not as a tourist. The advantage of the train over a plane is that train takes you from city to city without cabs to and from the airport.

Given that hotels are so expensive in NYC, I think it would make more sense if you have the time and wanted to visit DC or Boston, to take the train to either and spend a night or two there. It doesn't seem practical to pay NYC hotel rates and then leave the city for a full day, in my book.

To answer you question about how long to see the main highlights in NYC? At least a month! Seriously. But three or four days there can give you a nice taste of what it has to offer.

I don't know how much time you have or if this is a total trip from Australia (or just part of a longer trip), but if you have the luxury, the ideal would be to fly into DC for a couple or three nights, take the train to New York for four or five nights, then another train to Boston for a couple of nights and fly home from there.

IMO Boston isn't a day trip from NYC. It takes too long to get there, and there's too much to do/see, to just spend a a few hours and go back, unless you really don't mind the length of train trip.

Depending on how much time you have (please tell us), NeoPatrick's suggested itinerary in the final paragraph of his post is pretty good.

To see a reasonable number of major sights in NYC you need at least 5 days, 7 wold be better.

Neither Boston nor DC is a day trip from NYC - they're simply too far. Boston is 4 hours each way. It doesn't matter if you fly - due to distance from city center and time for security lines - drive or take the train it's 4 hours. So - leaving 8 hours minimum for travel you have very little time on the ground.

DC is similar.

To do either one you need to stay at least one night - and frankly Boston deserves at least 3 days and DC at least 4 or 5 to see major sights.

You also don;t say when you're coming - if in winter travel time can be significantly more.

If you give us more info on your interests and the whole plan of your trip people can make specific recos.

Philadelphia is the only city nearby that's truly doable on a day trip.

To ask for a length of time to see the main highlights really depends on whether you mean to pass by, or explore and what you consider the main highlights. You could spend 2 weeks in NYC and not see close to everything, but at the same time, people come for a long weekend and may feel they saw "the highlights." Come for as long as you can afford/spare.

I would work my way south.

Start in Boston for 1-2 days.

Take the train into NY. If you are into Museums - they are giant in NY and you will spend more time than you think. Other wise the main highlights can be done pretty quickly - everything is close together. I would schedule 3-5 days.

You may want to spend a day in Baltimore - a fun city to spend a day.

I would do 3 days in DC - lots of free museums and buildings to see. And Dulles Airport is a great place to grab an international flight back home.

You said this is your first time to NYC - I'm not sure if you have spent any other time in the states - but you will find that NYC is completely different than other parts of the US. To get a true sense of what the States are really like - find a small town to hang out in for a day - maybe a day trip somewhere out of Boston.

Ptolly I have been to NYC from Oz for the past 4 years for 7 - 10 days at a time and still not seen and done everything I want to. To do just the main sights probably 5 days but you could spend a lot longer.

Baysidegirl - is that Bayside victori? Me too! l have decided on 6 nights and will concentrate on NYC and leave Boston and DC to my next visit because there is sure to be one by the sounds of it. Thanks everyone for yuor input.