After I book a flight anywhere my wanderlust always kicks in and I want to know what else I can do or where else I can see while I’m in that part of the world. Today I’ll tell you about the trips you can easily take from New York, two budget options & one that’s expensive but so worth it.
I honestly can’t remember how many times I’ve been in New York City but I can tell you that I’m not done yet & would happily go again in the morning. We have an Aunt based on Long Island so there's always an excuse to scuttle over, even if some times we're so busy that we only get to see her for drinks!
There is so much to see & do in NYC that the list is quite literally endless.
Boston
Just over an hour flight to Logan airport will see you in Boston home of the Red Sox and Cheers bar along with many other cool places to see. We flew with Jet Blue & paid €100pp for flights. There are many ways of getting from the airport to downtown Boston, taxi, bus, limo, train & a few others but my favourite way is my water taxi. Not only are you avoiding the traffic you also get a fab view of Boston from the harbour. Massport run a courtesy bus between all terminals & Logan harbour. Costing just $3.25pp each way it’s also a great budget option.
As always my top tip for seeing a City in a short space of time is to do a hop on hop off tour. We paid $35pp (€30 approx) for a 24 hour trolley tour including a harbour cruise. Plan ahead & choose what stops you’d like to make, ensuring they are open when you plan to visit, this will save you time & stress while on holiday. We stayed on the Trolley for a full loop to see everything before deciding to hop off at Faneuil Hall Marketplace for a spot of shopping before a lunch of a burger & beer in Cheers. No they didn’t know our names!
Boston is a beautiful city with lovely people so it’s on our list for a return visit.
Washington D.C.
Also an hours flight from NYC is Reagan airport in Washington D.C. We flew American Airlines & paid €125pp. I booked all flights before we left Ireland. At check in I asked if there were any first class seats available, we were in luck & they cost only $20pp. This entitles you not only to a far superior seat with lots of room you also get free drink & snacks on board.
I found it gas when we were about to take off there was a short announcement that due to turbulence the in-flight drinks cart would not be in operation, the loos would be locked & passengers need to remain in their seats for the duration of the flight then the air hostess pulled the curtain, turned to us & said “that’s only for economy class, What can I get you to drink?”
There are lots of ways to get from Reagan airport to D.C. just 5 miles away, shuttle bus, taxi & lots of others but we opted to take the Metro to Union Station. Tickets can be purchased in the airport Metro station for just $2.20pp for the 20 minute ride.
Now this is where you really need to plan ahead as you’ll never do it all in a day, the hop on hop off bus has a staggering 57 stops, we paid €45pp. The bus leaves Union Station every 30 minutes. We crammed in lots Arlington Cemetery, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, WWII Memorial, and Historical Georgetown even a quick visit to the White House. I loved Washington D.C. & will be back to do the other trillion stops!
Niagara Falls
I saved one of the best & most expensive till last. Niagara Falls had been on my bucket list forever but I just had to jump at the package deal we got for a daytrip from Viator.com. It cost us €450pp, for this you get an hour long flight to Buffalo airport in Upstate New York where your private chauffeur picks you up on a mini bus for a fully narrated tour of the American side of the Falls before going over the border to Canada to see the Canadian side.
During the warmer months, included in your package is a boat trip on Maid of the Mist where you can get up close & personal with the Falls, they provide ponchos for a reason! In the colder months you get a tour underneath Niagara Falls, both are equally amazing experiences.
Lunch is served buffet style in the Hilton Hotel just across the road. You can enjoy your meal while gazing through floor to ceiling windows overlooking the majestic Niagara Falls. After lunch you have a couple of hour’s free time to explore before being transported back to the airport for your return flight to NYC.
We had a bit of spare time waiting for our flight back so I had some delicious spicy Buffalo Hot Wings with a cold beer in the bar. I loved this day trip so much that I went again a year later with my Mother while we were in New York for her birthday.
Would you consider a day trip outside your destination?
Have you gone on any day trips from the Big Apple?
Care to share?
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