# Daytrips/short breaks out of New York



## 1927 (Jun 15, 2005)

just for a few days tho!!

Planning my next trip to NY,prob October or next March, and want to get out of town for a couple of days. Only gonna be stateside for 7/8 days and wondered where I could go. Would like to see Niagara maybe or pop up to Boston.Anyone got any ideas for somewhere to go and cheap as poss. Train or plane,what u reckon?


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## lang rabbie (Jun 16, 2005)

1927 said:
			
		

> just for a few days tho!!
> 
> Planning my next trip to NY,prob October or next March, and want to get out of town for a couple of days. Only gonna be stateside for 7/8 days and wondered where I could go. Would like to see Niagara maybe or pop up to Boston.Anyone got any ideas for somewhere to go and cheap as poss. Train or plane,what u reckon?



Train to upstate New York and Niagara would be my suggestion.   There is some spectacular scenery within New York state, and it is probably less crowded than New England during the fall "leaf-peeping" season.

Amtrak Empire Service - New York - Niagara - takes about seven hours all the way.    

You'd need to research local buses to get to the most interesting bits of the state, but most guidebooks have reasonable details.
http://www.greaterniagara.com/
http://fingerlakes.org/index.htm


Trains to Boston may still be slow and possibly crowded - Amtrak's new high speed 'Acela' fleet that ran on the Washington-NYC-Boston route had to be withdrawn from service because of a brakes safety scare.   This has also had a knock-on effect on filling up the shuttle air services at peak times and raising fares.

There is supposed to be a full restoration of Acela services "by the fall", but keep a look out.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/06/10/acelas_return_expected_in_july/


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## t0bytoo (Jun 17, 2005)

Trains look kind of expensive. If you drive, you could think about renting a car.

I get them from hotwire.com or priceline, and try to pick up from laguardia airport. Works out pretty cheap, 'specially if you share it. And gas is obviously a lot cheaper than you're used to.

The countryside in upstate new york is beautiful, 'specially the adirondacks, as are parts of masachusetts.


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## Rua (Jun 17, 2005)

Yep,

You should definitely drive if you can.

American public transport is limited and it's not that cheap either.

A car can be dirt cheap to rent and it will give you so much more freedom.


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## D (Jun 17, 2005)

Rua said:
			
		

> American public transport is limited



That's true of most of the country, but I have to disagree when it comes to the East Coast and particularly to and fro NYC.  There's plenty of public transportation.

For Boston, I'd drive or take the bus, not the train.  The train is needlessly expensive.

You could also think about Montreal - 9 hours overnight by bus, sleep the whole way.  Awesome city.


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## lang rabbie (Jun 17, 2005)

D said:
			
		

> For Boston, I'd drive or take the bus, not the train.  The train is needlessly expensive.



You're recommending that someone drives into Boston - the metropolis with possibly the worst drivers in the entire North American continent


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## D (Jun 17, 2005)

lang rabbie said:
			
		

> You're recommending that someone drives into Boston - the metropolis with possibly the worst drivers in the entire North American continent



It's true *and* anyone from the UK would be absolutely horrified to see what American drivers do in the face of a roundabout/traffic circle.   

At least in Boston drivers are cavalier enough to barrel through 'em, whereas they're just a giant mess of congestion in Washington, DC.

And, truthfully, if you're just going to be in Boston for a day or two, then there's no reason to have a car.  The T is great even though it shuts down early (but so does Boston!).

And, actually, I think LA drivers give Bostonians a run for their money (or lives, as the case may be).


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## 1927 (Jun 17, 2005)

Its gonna have to be public transport unfortunatlely,driving licence is not exactly clean and wont be able to rent!!!  

But keep the ideas coming folks!


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## Rua (Jun 17, 2005)

Don't forget about New Jersey!

It gets a bad deal in films, where you only get to see the industrial heartlands of Newark and Jersey City.
But Central Jersey is really gorgeous and for a small state, it has no end of space and open countryside.  

You could always go to the Jersey shore and if you don't like outdoor stuff, there's Atlantic City!


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## t0bytoo (Jun 17, 2005)

A mate of mine has a thing about Sandy Hook. I haven't been, so this is a second hand recommendation.

Anyways, you can get there on a ferry from downtown :

http://www.nywaterway.com/sightsee_fullday.html#sandy

Probably not a winter thing, though.


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## Rua (Jun 17, 2005)

Philadelphia is also a great city and it's only about 2 and a half hours from New York by local cheapo train.


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## D (Jun 18, 2005)

Rua said:
			
		

> Philadelphia is also a great city and it's only about 2 and a half hours from New York by local cheapo train.



Good call.  NJ Transit to Septa? (we always called it "septic")


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## Rua (Jun 18, 2005)

That would be the one!

Oh the joys of Septa.

A word of advice, if you do decide to go to Phila, you can buy tickets for Septa on the train at no extra cost.
So don't waste your time faffing with the machines that don't work on the platform when you have three minutes to change train.

Actually, if I were you, I would definitely go to Philadelphia.
It's a great, great city.  There's loads of history, loads of great bars and restaurants and it's small, cheap and easy to get around the main parts.  
It also has a really friendly feel (well, most parts).
Better yet, you can still smoke in bars in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
And eat a Philly Cheese steak.

And if we are still in New Jersey, you could always stop in and see what quiet, suburban chocolate box America is like.


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## 1927 (Jun 18, 2005)

Rua said:
			
		

> And if we are still in New Jersey, you could always stop in and see what quiet, suburban chocolate box America is like.



You wanna be careful what you say on message boards! I might just take you up on the offer.I seen a lot of major US cities on business and stuff but never seen "real" America.


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## laptop (Jun 18, 2005)

t0bytoo said:
			
		

> Trains look kind of expensive.



Investigate buying a rover ticket *from here*. Years ago they were much cheaper than buying there...  www.amtrak.com

That could take you to Niagara (scenery on the trip seconded) and Philly/Boston.


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## 1927 (Jun 18, 2005)

laptop said:
			
		

> Investigate buying a rover ticket *from here*.



From where?????


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## laptop (Jun 18, 2005)

1927 said:
			
		

> From where?????



From the UK. If you're in the UK. From outside the US. 

I suggested the Amtrak page as a starting point to look up where in the UK you could get one.


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## Rua (Jun 18, 2005)

1927 said:
			
		

> You wanna be careful what you say on message boards! I might just take you up on the offer.I seen a lot of major US cities on business and stuff but never seen "real" America.



Well, we live in rich SUV NIMBY America, where the girls are skinny and the boys are fresh-faced jocks, so I'm not sure how representative it is.
Let me assure you, we are neither rich and nor do we own an SUV.

But if we are still around, you're always welcome to come and visit.
There are at least three bars we can go to, so you won't be bored...


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## mhendo (Jun 19, 2005)

D said:
			
		

> You could also think about Montreal - 9 hours overnight by bus, sleep the whole way.  Awesome city.


If you can handle the relatively long train journey, i would thoroughly recommend this. Montreal is a fantastic city, with a great subway system for getting around.

If you don't want to go so far, then i'd definitely think about Philly. Great town. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of my favorite museums in the US, and if you go you can run up the same steps as Rocky!


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## lang rabbie (Jun 19, 2005)

D said:
			
		

> Good call.  NJ Transit to Septa? (we always called it "septic")



i.e. changing at *Trenton* from the NJ Transit to SEPTA's R7 "regional rail" trains.   Edited to add: On the way back make sure that you don't catch the R3 to *West Trenton * which takes a completely different line and which (AFAIK) is a couple of miles from the other Trenton station.   

For what it's worth...


> Regional Rail tickets can be purchased at the time of boarding, and conductors will make change. However, a $2.00 surcharge will be applied to tickets purchased on trains when a ticket office is open or a functioning ticket machine is available at the boarding station.


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## D (Jun 19, 2005)

*and...*

If you should desire to see the unfortunate city in which many important decisions are made, the District of Columbia is just a short bus/train ride away (4-5 hours).

Truthfully, DC is a pleasant and interesting place to visit even if it is an awful place of residence.


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## past caring (Jun 21, 2005)

Was there last year, staying with the girlfriend's husband - right in the middle of that "15 year cicada" thing they were swamped with. DC is fine, but why stick with a city, anyway? 

We only used DC as a base, and headed off down to proper hillbilly country around Norton and Wise - great scenery, many national parks within easy reach (with proper log cabins you can rent by the night) and some top bluegrass festivals....

Still yet to do one of my holidays of a lifetime - take a month or two driving around the places in Peter Guralnick's "Lost Highway" - in an appropriate vehicle, obviously. One day.

Otherwise Chicago. Been a few times - always had a great time.


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## D (Jun 22, 2005)

DC is a great city to navigate on a bike and there are lots of longer rides in the area of varying levels.

Another option, of course, is to go up to Vermont or New Hampshire area, especially if you're a skiier/snowboarder and you visit in March.  Well, that's assuming that the weather isn't completely ass-backwards.  If there's a decent amount of snowfall in winter, there should still be mountainous fun to be had in March.


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## mhendo (Jun 22, 2005)

D said:
			
		

> If you should desire to see the unfortunate city in which many important decisions are made, the District of Columbia is just a short bus/train ride away (4-5 hours).
> 
> Truthfully, DC is a pleasant and interesting place to visit even if it is an awful place of residence.


I love DC. I'm only an hour away up in Baltimore, and my partner and i get down there periodically to go to the museums or eat in one of the great Ethiopian restaurants in Adams Morgan. 

One great thing about DC for the tourist on a budget is that almost anything that you might want to do is free. Most of the museums, galleries, and government buildings are free, and just walking around on the National Mall is a lot of fun by itself. My next visit, i think, will be to check out the new Museum of the American Indian on the Mall.


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## Gavin Bl (Jun 24, 2005)

> Truthfully, DC is a pleasant and interesting place to visit even if it is an awful place of residence



I thoroughly enjoyed a good route-march round all the monuments. If you go, see Arlington cemetery too, especially the Marines 'Iwo Jima' memorial just outside. Outstanding.

Bostons great, New Englands great, go up to Niagara (definitely go on the Maid of the Mist), Toronto, Montreal - loads of great breaks to be had.


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## rachamim18 (Jul 15, 2005)

*Cheapest way...*

Not for Niagra but almost anywhere else on the East Coast , especially Boston...Take the Chinatown or Uptown Dominican buses. the Chinatown buses are always in a small area bordered by Canal St., Third Ave [Bowery], and Allen St. Do not be afraid to ask bystanders but do not ask drivers because as a non-chinese you WILL get gouged. Many non-Chinese use the buses as they are very well accomodated [DVD movies, etc.] and the peopleare a caliber above the usual bus and train set. Beleive me, you do not wnat to "go Greyhound." The buses hit all the major cities up and down the coast for a fraction of either the mainstream buses or the train [Amtrak]. 

The Dominican Buses are an option as well but would never be a first choice. They are not well accomodated and there are all types of people[ Domincans are huge in the cocainbe and heroin trade here and often use these buses for transport because they are not subject to the random searches that "Greyhound," et al allow. They can be found all along Broadway near the Uptown Port Authority bus terminal [Broadway and 180 I believe]. The distance uptown is a big putoff as well. Again though, prices are very attractive.


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## rachamim18 (Jul 15, 2005)

*Just a thought...*

Rua mentioned Central New Jersey. I have a great deal of family there [Freehold, Tomsriver, Bradley Beach, Englishtown, yada yada]. It is about 45 minutes to an hour outside of Manhattan and is very accesible. Commuter trains service the seaside towns and frequent commuter buser run along main arteries into NYC.

The main selling point would be for those who plan to stay for a sort while. Especially those that plan on being here in either the autumn or winter.All the seaside towns offer winter rentals at fabulous prices [think 600 US with all utilities included for a 3 bedroom house on the beach]. In NYC that would run around 4 to 5 thousand at anytime of the year! MAny of them are available for short term rental as it is hard to fill them that time of the year. They can be found oon a ton of sites but one you might think about is the "Asbury Park Press" site. The "Press" is the largest Central N.J. periodical and as such has a wide variety. Do not have the url handy but it should be a snap. Good luck.


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## editor (Sep 21, 2005)

I've bumped and renamed this thread, because I fancy knowing about some daytrips out of NYC when I (hopefully) go out there later this year!

I'd like to have a look around New England - but not the hideous Ye Olde Touristo bits - and I still would love to visit Canada (but that's a bit much for a weekend, no?).

Anyhow, keep the suggestions coming!


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## phildwyer (Sep 21, 2005)

Another vote for Philadelphia, where I live.  A beautiful town physically, loads of clubs, bars and restaurants, plenty of sites of historical interest, and *much* cheaper than NYC.  A lot of people say its like NYC was 50 years ago--still a big white working class presence, quite laid-back and genteel in atmosphere.  You can get the Chinatown bus from NYC for $20 round trip, takes 90 minutes to 2 hours.  Let me know if you do come, I'll show you around.


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## 1927 (Sep 22, 2005)

editor said:
			
		

> I've bumped and renamed this thread, because I fancy knowing about some daytrips out of NYC when I (hopefully) go out there later this year!
> 
> I'd like to have a look around New England - but not the hideous Ye Olde Touristo bits - and I still would love to visit Canada (but that's a bit much for a weekend, no?).
> 
> Anyhow, keep the suggestions coming!



Pleased you explianed that Ed I thought I was going mad cos I started the thread but didnt recognise the title


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## davesgcr (Sep 22, 2005)

Get the train to Cold Spring on the Hudson Valley line - scenic trip - circa 40mins or so - pretty riverside town with 19thC feel. train goes from Grand Central.

Near West Point


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## lang rabbie (Sep 25, 2005)

After catching The Great Gatsby on late night telly...

What about taking the Long Island Railroad either to the North Shore - wineries and Gatsby era mansions - or the South Shore - for strolling along the beaches of "The Hamptons"  off-season.   

Apparently, accommodation plummets in price, and the weather is usually still pleasant enough until mid-October.


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