Hello All!

Need help in planning a family holiday (3 adults in the Family), from Sydney to US East coast (like New York and Washington DC, am open to any other suggestions in the surrounding areas of interest) and Canada. We plan to travel between 8th August and 4/5 September.

We would be relying on public transport, Uber, Taxi and flying between the major cities. It is our first time to these places. And we all are very excited

It would be really helpful if you could help me build an itinerary from Sydney to US and Canada ?

Safe and economical way to travel around New York and in Canada?

Also safe, clean and affordable accommodation ideas?

Thanks in advance

Do you want to see any of the East Coast south of Washington DC? Will you be using Los Angeles or some other airport as your port of entry?
If Washington DC is as far south as you want to go, fly to Reagan National from your port of entry. Reagan National has its own metro stop which get you into the heart of DC.
Leaving Washington DC, you should use an Amtrak Northeast Regional train to either Baltimore or Philadelphia. Depending on your schedule, you could do both in the same day.
Take the Northeast Regional into New York City (Penn station). You can get on the subway or take an Uber/Lyft from Penn station to your hotel.
Leaving New York, take a NE Regional to Boston. Spend at least a full day in Boston. There is a train going west from Boston called the Lake Shore Limited (daily). Take it at least as far as Albany NY.
From Albany you have a choice of taking the train north to Montreal or a train called the Maple Leaf west to Niagara Falls and into Toronto.
There is a train called the ViaRail Canadian that leaves Toronto 3 days per week that goes all the way to Vancouver via Winnipeg and Jasper (Canadian Rockies).

For NYC and DC, I would use Amtrak – and I would add Philadelphia in between the two.

A good guidebook will serve you very well.

Your options are pretty much endless. I’d probably head north rather than south- Boston, Cape Cod, Maine.

DC and Philly are certainly doable and I love both but I don’t really enjoy DC during the summer, and wouldn’t spend a lot of time there. The humidity can be a killer. If that doesn’t bother you, though, then you also could head south.

The train is fine between big cities but I would rent a car for anything outside of those.

I think a guidebook is a good idea. There’s so much to see and do on the east coast, even before you add Canada, that we can’t really give you an itinerary. Too much depends on your interests. I’ve been several times and I still have probably 6 months worth of trips I’d like to do there. And that’s just stuff I haven’t visited. I’d go back to a lot of the places I’ve been too.

Thanks Kja, sounds like a good idea

Thanks Tomfuller I will look into the options you have suggested

yes thanks @marvelousmouse