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I’ve just booked a 2 centre trip to New York and Washington for next Feb/Mar using BA and Virgin vouchers for flights.
This will be my first visit to both places, and looking for some guidance on where to stay, and how best to travel from NY to Washington.
1.New York – i arrive around 7.30pm into JFK which looks to have good transport links and is not too far out. I intend to stay here 5 nights and do the usual touristy things. So am looking for somewhere central(ish) that’s easy to get to/from, is a safe area (solo, mature female) and not too expensive.
Which areas would be recommended or perhaps to be avoided?2. NY to Washington. Is it best/easiest to fly or train it? If flying, how far out can I rely on schedules (I believe domestic US routes are incredibly prone to rescheduling)
3. Washington – is think the Silver line metro now serves Dulles airport? Again, am looking at 5 nights here and being able to easily see the main sights. Recommendations for locations to stay/avoid?
In NYC look at CitizenM, Hyatt Place and Moxy hotels.
Wow that’s a lot to ask.
OK JFK is an hour-ish from Times Square depending on how you travel. Cheapest is getting the Air Train to Jamaica and then Long Island Railroad or Subway to the centre depending where your hotel is but I wouldn’t really recommend it for a 1st timer. Next cheapest is the new Uber Shuttle van. If you want the real NY experience then a good old yellow cab or a Limo is the best way but it’ll cost you $100 or more these days with taxes, tolls and tips.
NY to Washington, I would take then train. You really don’t want to go an hour out to JFK, hassles of security, and close on an hour in from Dulles to the city even with the Silver line.
Train from Penn to Union.
…NY to Washington…. You really don’t want to go an hour out to JFK, hassles of security, and close on an hour in from Dulles to the city even with the Silver line.
You don’t, I agree.
Other airports are available. Namely La Guardia LGA and Reagan DCA.
Train to Washington is fine and very reasonable when booking in
advance (note you have the option of paying just a little more
and having a fully refundable ticket).The price varies wildly depending on the season, but we’ve had good/reasonable stays
at the Fairfield Inn Midtown/Penn Station. Right opposite the station, next
to the very useful 34th St. subway and walkable to many places.For a first timer wanting to see the sites I would recommend making a plan and buying one of the city passes, just google for NY/Washington Pass. You can buy them at a discount at Costco if you’re a member.
Don’t underestimate the time it’ll take to get from one location to another, the Citymapper app for your phone is great if you don’t already use it.
Safety isn’t generally a problem in the centre of either city but the suburbs can be rougher. Like anywhere just be aware of your surroundings, don’t act like a dumb tourist and if in doubt ask a policeman 🙂
And btw, “not too expensive” is not a phrase that’s associated with either city. I’m headed there in a couple of weeks bracing myself for the assault on my wallet.
I did once write a very long document once on how to do NY on a budget for a first timer but it’s out of date and too long to post here. My 1st timer advice would be not to bother with Liberty Island to see the statue, just get the Staten Island Ferry for free, sail past it to get your photo and then come back.
Also if you really want to go up the Empire State building, go early but to be honest the views from the new Edge building and the Rockerfeller centre are better. Last tip will be to walk the Highline but in feb/march do it on a when the weather is good.I would recommend making a plan and buying one of the city passes
advice would be not to bother with Liberty Island to see the statue, just get the Staten Island Ferry for free
We bought a 10 attraction pass. Didn’t manage to find enough suitable places so ended up using one of the slots on a Statue of Liberty tour, which I thought was actually well alright. Enjoyed the museum there.
BTW I thought the USS Intrepid was incredible. But probably only of interest if you enjoy ww2 and war planes and stuff
@Aston100 Just depends which pass you buy, they take some research to get the one that fits your needs and it also depends on how much you want to cram in. Intrepid is excellent, I agree.
A lot will depend on the weather. Can easily get stuck in your hotel for a day in Feb/March because of heavy snow.
I’ve been there on a snow day, it’s an experience.Are you flying to NY and back from Washington? if so, as you’re a single traveler, I’m wondering why you used both a BA and a Virgin voucher. The BA voucher on its own would allow you to halve the Avios on both legs. (I assume you’re talking about a BA 241 voucher, and also that reward availability existed on BA flights in both directions. If not, ignore me.)
Lovely stuff folks, this is helping me.
@Richie – all the Moxy hotels are charging a destination fee of $175 so they are being discounted!
@Scott – yes, I’m into JFK and back from IAD. Using both as both expire next April and I won’t have any other use for either, so using both. Doing my first First on BA on the way out (34k Avios) and first Upper on Virgin on the way back (40k points net of voucher).
@Michael-C the Fairfield Penn Station is not available for my dates
@davefl – appreciate costs in both cities are not exactly cheap – but looking to keep accommodation at reasonable level.With that in mind, I’m currently looking at Voco Times Square, Towneplace Suites/Fairfield/Springhill Suites ManhattenChelsea for NYC.
Will check out trains for transfer
Lovely stuff folks, this is helping me.
@Richie – all the Moxy hotels are charging a destination fee of $175 so they are being discounted!…Is that for 5 nights?
I’ve stayed in various places over the years, this time it’s the Candlewood Times Sq (which really is nearer Penn Station than TS). Booked it via Expedia rather than IHG because it was much cheaper that way and I’ll happily forgo the points and not have to deal with IHGs scandalous best price guarantee team. £177/night for June in that location is very good. Only a small destination fee of £17/night.
I’m pretty sure it’s a rebrand of one of their other brands and I’ve stayed there before. Hotels with kitchens in the rooms are a good idea if you want to save money.
If you don’t want to eat out alone then use google maps to find local restaurants and there will be an online ordering button next to all of them. Doordash and other links will get you food to the door, or you can pick up.
@freckles, an excellent, free, option is the guided tour of the Capitol in DC. You have to pre-book and there’s a bit of waiting around when you arrive, but it’s fascinating and well worth it. We’ve visited in August and December, and the latter was much preferable, despite a torrential downpour one day.
Suites with kitchens are also a favourite of mine – some properties like HIX Suites and Homewood Suites also include a basic breakfast if you want that thrown in as well.
I would do the train between cities, for the experience!
Is that for 5 nights?
@Richie – yes@NorthernLass, I’ve got previous threads on things to do in Washington bookmarked and will revisit, but Capitol is already on the list – I think you can only pre book 30 days, so one for later.
A couple of options for NY accommodation sorted and will make final decision in due course – both under £150 per night. @davefl Candlewood was over £200 for my dates, so left it as TS vs Voco
Will spend tomorrow looking at Washington……
As others have mentioned, staying somewhere central like Times Square is ideal. From there, you can easily use the New York subway to reach various tourist attractions. If you’re not seeking luxury, there are several Hilton properties in the area around the $250 mark.
Traveling between New York and Washington, D.C. by Amtrak is convenient, efficient, and more cost-effective than flying, especially when factoring in luggage. In D.C., there are two InterContinental hotels that are often reasonably priced (by U.S. standards) and are well-located near many major attractions. I found that using Uber or Lyft is more convenient than public transportation in Washington, D.C.
I found that using Uber or Lyft is more convenient than public transportation in Washington, D.C.
Ah yes, the ride from Dulles in an Uber with a driver that was trying to be helpful, except I couldn’t easily understand the lingo.
At one stage he pointed at a body of water and said something like “see dat down dare?, dat do be da poughdamak dough”.I know it’s not what you are asking but have you considered spending a couple of nights in Philadelphia? It would break the journey from NY to DC, and it’s a lovely city with great architecture and a lot of history.
Personally, I would find 5 nights in DC to be too much (unless I was spending a lot of time in museums).
Hotels; make bookings that you can cancel and monitor prices to see if you can save money by cancelling and rebooking later. The USD could sink further as Trump continues to wreck the economy.
Lots of good advice re: Washington on this previous thread:
https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/advice-on-washington-orlando-trip-options/
The USD could sink further as Trump continues to wreck the economy.
Whilst this is true, it also has the risk of being more than offset by spiralling inflation, so I’d be booking now to lock in the rate (with the option to cancel incase the mother of all recessions hits and underlying prices do have to fall).
Thanks for that other thread, I hadn’t picked up on that before.
Hotel prices in Washington seem currently more expensive than NY so am wondering if there’s something happening the first week of March…
Anyway, for now I’ve reserved a lowly HI in downtown area. I did look at Alexandria and surrounding but they are more expensive, and if I’m arriving by train it looks to be more difficult, so for now have gone for an easy option (if somewhat soulless).
And yes, all hotels are flexible/refundable and prices will be monitored – I’m well versed in the cancel/rebook cycle when it pays!
The USD could sink further as Trump continues to wreck the economy.
Whilst this is true, it also has the risk of being more than offset by spiralling inflation, so I’d be booking now to lock in the rate (with the option to cancel incase the mother of all recessions hits and underlying prices do have to fall).
… which is precisely what I was saying!
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