DC is way too far for a day trip. And there is so much to see and do so that one day doesn't make sense. You can easily head down and get a hotel for 2 or 3 nights - and then jump on a train back to NYC.

will i have difficulty getting train tickets ? so i book via acela express ? and which area should i stay in DC ?

You shouldn't have too much trouble getting train tickets, but the earlier you book the cheaper the tickets will be. If you book really early, you can get tickets for $49 each way. Don't waste your money on Acela, regular Amtrak trains are fine, and the time difference isn't worth it.

If you don't mind traveling by bus, you can save quite a bit of money, especially with 4 people. Of the bus alternatives, usually Bolt Bus is best, but Megabus isn't too bad either. The buses do have luggage holds, so traveling with luggage is no problem, but the seats on the bus are small, & if you're wearing coats & carrying some bags you'll find the Amtrak trains much more comfortable.

The benefit o the train is that it is almost always on time - within 15 minutes or so.

The bus is subject to delays - accidents, traffic, bad weather - and if fairly often late. So costs less (but the train is cheaper if you buy in advance) but takes longer - sometimes much longer.

In DC we usually stay near DuPont Circle - unless we get a good deal at Hay Adams.

I fear many have missed the point.

This is not about if tourists want to see Times Square.

Granted most tourists to NY do want to see Times Square since it is different from where they live.

That has nothing to do with how iconic the place is in terms of what New York means to the US. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of NY as a point of entry of millions of immigrants from many dozens of countries - and a symbol of the entire country. And as such is much more deserving of being a must see sight than Times square could ever be.

I will not presume to make a list of 20 places. But I do think I can speak for what New York represents in the larger scheme of things - and it is much more than Broadway shows - as enjoyable as they are.

Sorry - added to wrong thread.

ok thank you smetz1 & nytraveler...
so do i board the train at Penn station in Manhattan to Union station in DC ?
do i go to tickets.amtrak.com to book the amtrak train tickets ?
when i search for azela express it directs me to the same website. The tickets for 3 adults & 1 child (13yrs) is $420 with checked baggage allowed. Is that correct ?
i'm travelling during the Thanksgiving holiday (nov 22-dec3) and will expect the fee to be higher ? As for lodging, should i be finding hotels near the station so that it is easier for me since i have luggages to carry around. i was planning to take a train out of DC on Dec 3rd to catch my flight in JFK which departs on 00:50am Dec4.

There is no checked luggage on Amtak. You have to carry all your luggage on the train or put big cases at the end of the car. If you are returning to your hotel, it might be worthwhile to leave the large cases there.

You should book Amtrak tickets in advance. You will get a better fare on Amtrak the further in advance you book, but I think 90 days out is the most you can really do to save. You pick up tickets at Penn Station on the day of travel, or you can print them out at home. Happily, these fares are generally refundable if your plans change.

If you travel on Thanksgiving Day in the afternoon the trains will probably be quiet, but try not to return tat Sunday, which s the years busiest travel day in the US. That's an incredibly busy weekend to travel. I suggest traveling later in the week after Christmas. This is off season in DC, but the cheaper rates there are on weekends.

I like the area around DuPont Circle for hotels in DC, but near Penn Quarter is also convenient. Lots of good hotels there. They have taxis in DC to deal with your luggage, but I'd urge you to pack light anyway.

If you return to NYC on the day of departure just leave plenty of time. You can switch to the Long Island Railroad right at Penn Station and take that to Jamaica for the airport train.

some schedule in the amtrak showed up with a baggage sign and some indicates no checked baggage. so i assume the one with the baggage sign means i can bring along large baggage.

Northeast Regional & Carolinian - is this the different train lines and does it matter which i book ?

is Penn station (NY) & union station (DC) the only station i can board the trains ?

The Newton is a good choice in a very good location. Plenty of good places to eat nearby and the subway entrance is almost across the street. Also remember that the restaurants will deliver to your hotel if you are tired at the end of the day and just want to relax. The Thai restaurant next door is very good.

Priceline is not a good idea when more than 2 people are traveling. Priceline guarantees sleeping space for 2 people, and they may mean one bed. Use Priceline only if you want to pay for two rooms.

Enjoy the Newton.

Yes the Amttrak goes from NYC Penn Station to DC Union Station. If you take the train back make sure you don;t get off at Newark Penn Station - only about 10 minutes before NYC Penn Station.

Also be aware in NYC there is only a few minutes to board the train coming in from Boston. If you taking more than a small carry-on do get a Red Cap to haul your luggage downstairs to the platform. They can get you down there before the train is announced to the general public. No fee but you must tip - I do $5 for a large bag - but if you have several give more.

I'm going to try to address a couple of your lingering questions here.

1. Bag Size: The size of your bags is immaterial. You carry on bags both large and small.

2. Different trains and Checking Bags: I cannot recommend the Carolinian to you since the NE Regional and Acela trains are superior. Realize that you may not be able to check a bag to DC even if the service is offered on the Carolinian. Bag checks are a bit eccentric on Amtrak. You would need to check on that very carefully.

3. Train Stations: I'm just not understanding why you might want or need to board the train at a different station, but this is definitely possible. The trains make many stops along the way (notably Philadelphia and Baltimore).

Hi all, thanks for all the help. I'm finally done with my hotel bookings in NY & DC as well as have my Amtrak train seat reserved. Looking forward to the visit to the Big Apple though i'm not exactly excited about my long haul 23hrs flight

Next i'm looking at the must see in NY. There's a New York City Pass that i saw with great price reduction currently. I also seen the New York city Hop-On-Hop-Off tour.
Which will be a better option ? any other advice ?

There is lots to do for free or low cost in New York. For example see this Lonely Planet article.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/new-...articles/76493

Or this from Time Out.

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/thing...s-to-do-in-nyc

(Time Out online magazine for New York is a great resource as you can search by date, by type of event or site, by "free", by "kids", by "critics choice".)

Also rather than ho ho bus (for $), consider this article about free tours in NYC from the other travel guide company that starts with F (its' dated 2010 so I would double check anything there directly on the web for more current information):


Or make your own tour using regular public transportation. Here is Manhattan bus map:

http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/manbus.pdf

Others have recommended the M15 bus which runs most of the length of Manhattan.

Citypass is not generally a good deal in NYC unless you get the multi-day pass (at least 3 to 5 days), can buy it at at least a 40% discount, and plan to see every single thing on the list that's free. It doesn't really save you much time, and very few people really want to pack that many sights into a few days.

It's better to see the things you like and to make reservations (now) for the Statue of Liberty if that's one of the things you want to see.

My opinions about Hop-on-Hop-off buses are not very positive, particularly during the busiest times of the year. You will spend the majority of your time tied up in gridlock traffic (the Thanksgiving period is all gridlock alert days, which means that traffic can move at a standstill ... and it may take 45 minutes just to go across town on a bad day via surface roads). Instead, buy a Metrocard that will allow you to make unlimited rides on both the subway and buses for a week. Four Metrocards for your family may cost about the same or less than one Citypass.

I have mixed feelings about the whole "hop on, hop off" bus thing.
While I agree it is a HORRIBLE method if your goal is to get around in the city, none of the other methods allow you to SEE everything as you go -- even from a normal bus window, it's a lot different than from the top of an open bus. So you get stuck in traffic? How else can you actually SEE all the architecture and feel the "heartbeat" of the city streets?

I realize that many here would say get on a subway around Columbus circle and ride UNDER Times Square to get off on the south side somewhere, but actually, more tourists would rather be sitting on top of a bus riding through Times Square -- perhaps even better than walking it.

So to me, if you want to get a real feel for the areas of the city and all the landmarks, I doubt that you can get a better feel than riding the top of an open top bus and both seeing and feeling the vibe of the city. If on the other hand your goal is to check off the list of "must see" places in as short a time as possible, then my all means take a subway and get from point A to point B to point C and miss all the "mundane" stuff in between which really is (to me) a major part of the city.

But once you've done the hop on, hop off bus, then of course, forget about it as a means of speedy transportation -- for that, it really sucks!

I agree with NeoPatrick. I think the HOHO bus is a great way to relax, move around the city and SEE the city. No, it's not the fastest way to get around. No, the commentary may not be 100% accurate. But if you aren't familiar with the city but want to move around the city to see things AND see things along the way, it's a great option.

You'll read a lot of negative comments about the HOHO bus from locals on this forum. I really don't understand that and guess I never will. When you know where you want to go and how to get there, other options may be faster/better. When you don't, using those other options can be confusing and at times overwhelming. I was in the city a couple of weeks ago and caught glimpses of the HOHO buses in the Upper West Side and was reminded that it's a great way to sit back and relax and see the differences in the city.

It's been years since I've been on one but if I were in the city with someone who had not been there before, buying tickets for the HOHO is one of the first things I'd do. I like them that much.

There are 2 additional problems with the HoHo bus that time of year (besides the very high cost and the fact that they don;t run very often);

You will be sitting out in the cold (you need to be on top to see anything - if you sit inside you my as well take a city bus). You could be lucky and get 45 and sunny - or you could get 35 and rain/sleet - or very cold weather or snow.

The time you will be there is a VERY busy time of year with mobs of traffic everywhere. You will find yourself moving very slowly in much of the city - watching primarily watching locals go about their daily business.

And they don;t tell you that there are several parts of the city that the buses are not allowed - since they are too large intrusive - you can;t see Greenwich Village, Central park and some other residential areas.

"There are 2 additional problems"

They may be "problems" for locals and those who do not like them, but they are not problems for those who are visiting.

"You will be sitting out in the cold (you need to be on top to see anything..."

We bundle up.
Believe it or not, even the cold can be a welcome change for those who don't experience your weather at "home". I remember the faces of joy from visitors from Jamaica who saw snowflakes for the first time in their lives. Yes, as they sat in the top of the HOHO bus.

"if you sit inside you my as well take a city bus"
Sure. Exactly the same.
Well, not really.
In order to take a city bus, one needs to sort out the routes and decide which buses to take in order to see what one wants to see. Then there's the waiting on the sidewalk, in that cold weather, waiting for a city bus.

There are a LOT of people who visit NYC who have NEVER been on a city bus.
I still can't comprehend why that's so difficult for the locals to grasp but "just taking a city bus" is not natural to those who live in the majority of this country where city buses to not exist.
I suppose it's as weird to you as it is to read posts for people who want directions to get from Point A to Point B in states without public transportation.

"The time you will be there is a VERY busy time of year with mobs of traffic everywhere. You will find yourself moving very slowly in much of the city - watching primarily watching locals go about their daily business."

Where's the problem?
That's pretty much the benefit of using the HOHO.
Unlike the locals, the speed is not a concern. Moving "very slowly" is not a problem. Folks are on vacation. There's no deadline nor a reason to rush to the next place. A day (or morning or afternoon) on the HOHO bus is the PERFECT way to get around the city.
The more slowly it goes, the better for watching "locals go about their daily business."

Anyway, locals wouldn't be caught dead in Times Square, right?

How is it that the HOHO buses are moving more slowly in traffic that city buses? That's a interesting premise.

"And they don;t tell you that there are several parts of the city that the buses are not allowed - since they are too large intrusive - you can;t see Greenwich Village, Central park and some other residential areas."

Sure they do.
That's pretty much the point of the HOHO bus.
You HOP OFF to walk around Greenwich Village or Central Park or those other residential areas and then HOP ON the bus to go to a different section of the city.

LOL!
Your "problems" are actually reasons to USE the HOHO bus

Starrs, there's no point in arguing about what tourists would enjoy with someone who thinks Times Square is the "armpit" of NYC and should be avoided if at all possible.

Comments for locals and comments for tourists are two wildly different things.

But I especially appreciate your comment about the PURPOSE of the Hop on, hop off bus -- to get off and explore areas like Central Park and Greenwich Village.

Frankly, however, in most cities (and I've done them in a LOT of cities around the world) the best use of a Hop on, Hop off bus is to get an overall view of the layout and the feel of a city and "see" the major sites, then later go back and explore those you want.