mireaux7

my situation: i have a flight voucher for free roundtrip airfare that i must use between july 2008 and july 2010.

it is only for domestic travel. i can use it to also go to hawaii, but not alaska.

i want to go somewhere for about 4 days,.but i dont know where i should go and when.

what im looking for is a place that is easy to get around in for tourists,.meaning, buses, trains, etc.

also has great sights/attractions to see within about a 20-30 mile radius of the airport, or closer.

some places i am considering are: honolulu, san francisco, los angeles, orlando, seattle, portland maine, chicago, miami, san jose, san diego. reno/tahoe,d.c., denver.

the flight voucher i have doesnt offer any cities at all in the following states: MT, WY, ND, SD, MA, SC, GA, WV, WI, AK, KS, IA, MN, NJ. so obviously i cant go to any places in those states.

i love to shop, eat out, see natural wonders, see historic monuments, amusement parks.

any advice?

panhandle

NYC would be my first choice. Washington D.C. would also be good.
Easy to get around, tons of shopping,sites, and food.
Orlando would be good also with the amusement parks, shopping, dining, and also easy to get around.
Yup I would still vote for NYC I think!!

Kerry392

Where are you from? This will make a big difference since you have only limited time!

janisj

where are you flying from? Have you been to any of them before? What sorts of things do you enjoy? What sort of budget for accomodations?

msteacher

I'm guessing from your post that you're from the east coast, so my vote is for San Francisco. Lots to see and do, and a bit different from most other cities. Take the boat ride over to Alcatraz, stroll Fisherman's wharf, walk thru Chinatown, take a day trip to Muir Woods to see the redwoods...

mireaux7

im from dallas/fort worth. i have thought about nyc, but lodging seems relatively expensive when compared to the other locations i listed.

ive only been to los angeles before, and ive only seen denver from stapleton aiport (yeah,.stapleton,.that long ago)..when i was in l.a., i was primarily in long beach,..so i never really seen much of l.a.,.like mann's chinese theatre, hollywood, beverly hills, etc.

ive heard that a major highway in west l.a. is one of the nation's worst in terms of congestion,.plus with the recent wildfires that have plagued so.cal, id have to say that southern california is probably at the bottom of my list for a while.

i have never been to the east coast before at all,.so touching down on the shores of the east coast excites me..but where to establish this milestone at?

new york does excite me,.but on the same token it seems overwhelming,.like i couldnt do possibly everything in such a short time. i guess its a catch 22, the longer i stay the more i spend in lodging,.if i stay a short duration, to return at a later time,.well..thats another trip ( and at this point im undecided if thats a pro or con)

the fabled beauty of northern california has always intrigued me., and although ive never been to northern california, i still tend to have these visions of some beach,..maybe it was something i saw on t.v.,.im not sure..but a beautiful beach in northern california..relatively uncrowded..picturesque,.where the huge golden sun touches down every dusk and kisses the ocean before retiring for the evening..where is the best beach in northern cali to see this?

gail

When this question is asked, my first take on it is to use it for someplace with expensive airfare. I am not familiar with what cities that would be from DFW.

The flip side is that I would want to spend less on the food and lodging at the destination - why mess up the benefits of free air with expensive stay.

The problem here is that you say 4 days. There must be some time in the next 2 1/2 years when you can find more than 4 days to get away. (If not, my first thought would be to take a hard look at your life!)

Now, to contradict all I have said above - Boston. Easy to get around, lots to see and do. Problem is lodging is almost as expensive as NYC if you want to be near anything - and for 4 days, you do.

mireaux7

gail, when i state four days..im indicating a medium. the length of stay can vary around that. however, its largely determined on where i go, what there is to do, and of course, the costs of lodging accomodations.

panhandle

Lodging in New York really dpends on what you need. If you need a large room with all the foo foo stuff then yes NYC can be expensive. At the right time of year and with a little research you can get reasonable lodging. Our last two trips we didn't pay over 125.00 a night in the heart of the theater district at the Paramount Hotel. It is a VERY VERY small room. It is stylishly decorated and clean in a great location. We dont spend alot of time in the hotel when we are there so as long as the bed was comfy...personal choice I suppose.
4 days if you are active can be enough to get a good tour in NYC as well. It will make you want to go back every year though...at least it did me.
Orlando does make a call for you though....=)
We are headed to Orlando in early December for our third trip so obviously we enjoy our time there as well. If you are a theme park junky like we are....it really is the ultimate destination. Again...we pay less for lodging and stay longer.

maryanntex

I wouldn't use a free ticket to go to New York City. There are frequently really cheap flights to NYC, so you wouldn't be getting the maximum from your free pass. You'll maximize your benefit from the free pass if you go to a place where the plane fare is expensive--like Hawaii. That's what I'd do.

virginia

i'm from maine so hawaii sounds good. but you have hot all the time and it's a long flight for 4+ days.

so here's my 2 cents. come to boston or portland - in the summer.
portland is a fun, safe small city that you could easily get a good look at in 4 days. fairly inexpensive. within in an hours drive of the ocean. you might need to rent a car, but the roads are extremely well marked.
boston is a big city with way more to do/see. great shopping, tons of historical sites, excellent transportation and great dining.

if you go to DC i'd go in spring to see the cherry blossoms in addition to all the usual spots. good transportion around town.

denver would be nice in fall so you could take a drive into the mtns to see the aspen in yellow. not so good public transpo.

you could stay in nyc for 4 weeks and still have a lot left to go do.

i'd say hotels in any of the cities you list are going to be expensive, (except portland & tahoe depending on season) to be near to all the sites and places to go. but you do have free air so perhaps you can splurge a bit more for a room and not feel to badly about it...

tovarich

With only 4 days I would vote for San Francisco.Paul

mclaurie

Most people would use a free ticket for the most expensive destination (usually far from home) but since you seem to be restricting your trip to 4 days, that suggests going too far doesn't make a lot of sense. Then factor in time of year/weather. What do you like? Beach? City? Shopping? Museums?

Btw, what does "...sights within a 20-30 mile radius of the airport..." have to do with anything? I hope you're not thinking of staying at an airport hotel.

suze

Honolulu offers exactly everything you seek... easy to get around on public transportation, fantastic sights and attractions within 20 miles of the airport, world-class shopping, natural wonders, historic places, great restaurants. And nice weather -which you didn't even mention- thrown in!

NeoPatrick

I would think that cheap flights from DFW to New York would be commonplace, so I wouldn't consider "wasting" this freebie on something I could get for cheap normally.

Four days is a nice amount of time in Seattle. DC is another good alternative, and I think usually not as cheap a destination as many others, so it might be a good use of the certificate. Or fly to Miami and spend four days in the Keys. Will they let you connect and go on to Key West?

Amy

Four days is a lovely amount of time to spend in Philadelphia; you can do a lot in the time (although you could certainly stay for years and not "do" everything, of course) and it's certainly less expensive than New York.

It's very easy to get around by public transportation and walking, starting with your train ride in from the airport.

There's history, nature, architecture, shopping, wonderful restaurants; world class museums and eclectic collections; music, neighborhoods, and some truly great street food.

And I'm just gettin' started...

suze

I know I already had my vote, but I'll go again anyways... San Francisco and Seattle are both great choices for a long weekend. I live in Seattle and visit SF often. BUT with a free ticket, to get the most bang for my buck I'd go to Hawaii. It has more "real vacation" written all over it than any of the choices on the mainland imo.

mireaux7

virginia, portland ME or OR?

my girl hails from southern maine, and she consistently brags about the wonderful small eateries,.and that oh so fresh lobster.

man!..i think im hungry.

mlgb

If you can get a good hotel rate for Washington DC that would be good choice, since the museums are free and transportation won't cost more than $6.50 with a daily metro pass. I'm going for a similar short trip next week and like the same things you do.

Try going off season (sorry no cherry blossoms) or staying out in the suburbs near a transit station.

Austin

I think NYC as well. NYC lodging isn't any more expensive (and possibly less so) than San Fran, honolulu, LA, to name a few. Sounds like the perfect fit for you and since you haven't been to the east coast, another reason!