Start spreading the news... Mitty's Leaving Today!!!!!!

[Mitty]

Well not quiet today, but I and my partner are in the early stages of planning a trip to the USA in late August/early September.

At the moment flights are ridiculously cheap. I could book right now to fly to New York on UA for $1000 AUD (which is just nutsly cheap).

Anyway our must visit places are San Francisco, Las Vegas, Washington DC and New York City. We're currently trying to work out the cheapest way to do this and in what order (or if it's even possibly). For San Francisco we probably want three or four days... Las Vegas probably only 2 days max. Washington not sure but I'd say 3 days (we get bored of stuff really quickly). As for New York I'd say a week easily. We're considering doing Washington as a side trip from New York and travelling by train possibly as well.

So I guess I'm looking for any and all advice from everyone in that neck of the woods Particularly any cheap but nice accommodation you might know of in any or all of those places. I'm guessing New York is just going to be impossible but you never know you're luck in the big city!

Oh and just so we're clear I'm not looking to crash on anyone's couch or anything, much prefer to have our own place to stay in but it would by nice to catch up with any BBSer's who aren't axe murderers

 

[Sky]

I am looking for a cheap hotel in NY as well.. the flights are under €400 from my part of the globe at the moment and I always wanted to see New York.. haven't been to the US in 9 years!

 

[FrontLine]

Call hotels.com. I did a few years ago and found a fantastic deal on a 2 bedroom apartment for 2 weeks right behind the Lincoln Center. I think the place was called the 64 or something like that. Its old apartments that are now rented out as extended stay suites. Anyways its was great. The price was fantastic and you are right off of the subway. but you gotta call them cause they dont normally list these places.

 

[nevermore]

Well not quiet today, but I and my partner are in the early stages of planning a trip to the USA in late August/early September.

At the moment flights are ridiculously cheap. I could book right now to fly to New York on UA for $1000 AUD (which is just nutsly cheap).

Anyway our must visit places are San Francisco, Las Vegas, Washington DC and New York City. We're currently trying to work out the cheapest way to do this and in what order (or if it's even possibly). For San Francisco we probably want three or four days... Las Vegas probably only 2 days max.

Look at Southwest for cross-country flights. A few of the airlines are also running deals right now with roundtrips at about $150-$200.

Washington not sure but I'd say 3 days (we get bored of stuff really quickly). As for New York I'd say a week easily. We're considering doing Washington as a side trip from New York and travelling by train possibly as well.

Trains from Union Station in DC to Penn Station in NYC take about 3 1/2 hours and cost about $140 R/T. There is a sale on the high-speed Acela trains as well for $100 each way; that shaves about 45 minutes off the trip. Go to Amtrak.com and search for the dates you want.

There is also the MVP Bus, which is $35 R/T from DC or Baltimore to Penn Station in NYC.

I would suggest side trips to Baltimore (MARC train from DC on a weekday is $14 R/T) and, if you have a car, go to Annapolis and maybe over the Bay Bridge, but not on a Friday...

FYI, unless you see a great deal, you do not have to book the trains ahead of time. They don't sell out, and there is no penalty for just getting your tickets at the station.

Particularly any cheap but nice accommodation you might know of in any or all of those places. I'm guessing New York is just going to be impossible but you never know you're luck in the big city!

You're frankly more likely to find something cheap in NYC than in DC. Good luck with that...

I am looking for a cheap hotel in NY as well.. the flights are under €400 from my part of the globe at the moment and I always wanted to see New York.. haven't been to the US in 9 years!

Define "cheap"...

 

[Mitty]

Cool thanks for that I'm beginning to think a train journey (maybe even San Fran to Chicago) would be a great way to see a lot of the country side, and to go through places we would otherwise never visit. Anyone ever done that? Not sure how long the train stops at stations, but apparently it goes through Omaha, maybe someone here could come and show us a good place to get coffee

 

[Lindley]

I've done a couple of train rides from Boston to California. Get a sleeper car for sure if you're going to do even *half* of that!

 

[Timby]

Cool thanks for that I'm beginning to think a train journey (maybe even San Fran to Chicago) would be a great way to see a lot of the country side, and to go through places we would otherwise never visit. Anyone ever done that? Not sure how long the train stops at stations, but apparently it goes through Omaha, maybe someone here could come and show us a good place to get coffee

I'm a huge fan of train travel -- but if you're looking at a cross-country journey like San Fran - Chicago (which I think would be on the California Zephyr line -- which does not in fact hit San Francisco, but rather Emeryville), you really, really want to get a sleeper car roomette, because a trip like that (easily in the 30-hour range) in coach would be a new lesson in hell. The problem is that those accommodations are horrendously expensive ... easily near a thousand bucks for a one-way trip.

The other problem with Amtrak is that its Superliner cross-country fleet is just in a shitty condition right now, with antiquated equipment that's about ten years past needing overhauls. Between that -- and the frequency of breakdowns that goes along with it -- and the fact that Amtrak doesn't own most of the rail it uses, but rather rents it from the freight companies that do (and as a result, Amtrak trains must often stop and allow freight trains priority passage through an interchange), it's probably not the best idea to use Amtrak as an "I'm departing from City A at this time on this day, and I expect to arrive in City B at this time on that day" plan. You can expect to be at least a few hours late to your ultimate destination.

 

[Mitty]

Yep i checked the Amtrak Website and you have to catch a bus to Emeryville to catch the train (35 minute trip apparently).

The train trip itself is 52 hours... the Amtrak site makes it all look very nice, the trains look old but clean and tidy.

It leaves Emeryville at around 9.20 on the first day, and gets to Chicago about 3.00pm on the third day (at least that's what it says). I'm guessing a few hours of lateness isn't that bad as long as it doesn't arrive at midnight or something...

thanks for the warning about the condition of the train carriages though, will have a think about it. In a "Roomette" it would cost us $738 for the journey for both of us, but that does include meals etc so I guess it's not that bad value when you consider you're saving on two nights accommodation.

 

[Candlelight]

Bah.

Do Canada instead.



Or New Zealand

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

I did Baltimore to San Francisco on Amtrak once and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. It took three days and I didn't have a sleeper car. Three days of no shower and sleeping in a chair. By the third day I was hanging out in the smoking car all day long because I was reeking so bad. They make you pay for your food as well. So all total I ended up spending as much on that as the eight hour flight would have been. Never again. Not trying to dissuade you just echoing that you absolutely MUST get the sleeper car.

I envy you. I lived in SF for 14 years until I recently moved down here to LA. I liked SF much better. When my girlfriend would come up to see me she's always use Southwest. It's the cheapest on the West Coast. To book hotels we would always go to Hotwire.com. The are a lot of very nice hotels in San Francisco that kind of border not so nice neighberhoods so be sure you know which areas are the ones to avoid.

 

[Mitty]

Bah.

Do Canada instead.

LOL well I've seen every episode of Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, Supernatural and Degrassie Junior High so I kind of don't have to though other half does want to do a side trip to Montreal if possible!

 

[SmoothieX]

A cheap way to stay 'in' NY is to get a room in Jersey City just across the river. Plus you get a great view of the skyline to boot.