Location Transport

New York/US holiday?

Hi all, I'm from Australia and thinking of holidaying in the US for 3 weeks around christmas period. I wanted to stop over at New York, so would anyone know how many days is needed for a decent enjoyable look round the city? Also would staying in say New Jersey (for cheaper hotels) be a bad idea? i.e. does it take ages to travel to New York from there via public transport? (any other suggestions?) Thanks, some info from locals would be nice :) ps: Other destinations I thought of include Los Angeles, San francisco, Las Vegas. Are these Good choices? bad? Was thinking also of Chicago & Boston but not sure what to juggle. Any suggestions would be great! :) thanks

Public Comments

1. You can stay in (northern and central) New Jersey and commute to NYC without a problem via trains operated by New Jersey Transit. Once in NYC you can also travel to both Boston and Philadelphia for around $20/$40. There is no 'recommended' time to spend in NYC this is because each day you will never stop finding something new that you want to see or do but I would say a good 10-12 days would be sufficent enough time to see most things, give a couple of extra (about 15/16) if you do want to see Boston and Phily also. If you want a west-coast trip then I would skip L.A. - Do Las Vegas, San Francisco and then fly to either Portland, Oregon or Seattle, Washington. If you want something a little different on the west-coast, try San Francisco, Las Vegas and Denver - you could even fit a trip to the Grand Canyon in between Las Vegas and Denver if you like.
2. All of the cities you list are good choices, but New York is an absolute must. It's the most iconically American city, and you really shouldn't miss it. If you intend to spend three weeks in the U.S., I'd devote at least five FULL days to New York, although you could certainly spend more time and not run out of things to do. It was very enterprising of you to think of staying in New Jersey. You will indeed save money (at least 50%), and getting into New York is easy from towns like Hoboken or Jersey City. You'll simply take the PATH train, which is far easier than driving, and it takes you right into the heart of the West Village, one of New York's best neighborhoods. Alternatively, you can take a ferry across the Hudson River, which is a very scenic way to make the short trip. I've been to all of the cities on your list, and of them I would recommend San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston. Between them and New York, you will capture a great deal of the history, depth, diversity and character of the American experience. Enjoy your trip! Kango Traveler