New York Advice Please :)

[pixie-gem]

Firstly, if this is in the wrong place, sorry and feel free to move it

Hi guys,

My husband and I are going to New York in Feb for our wedding anniversary and there are a couple of day trips that we would really love to do.

1st is a trip to Washington DC - now this costs $308 each from the holiday company (Virgin) and most of the websites, but i went on Amtrak myself and the cost of 2 return tickets to Washington DC is $196, which is obviously a massive difference of nearly $400 (i think my maths is right lol) and doesn't leave until just before noon so you only get a couple of hours there, whereas if going by ourselves then we could arrive for 11am and not leave until 8pm so would have much more time.

2nd is a trip to Niagara which is again around $350 pp, but works out about $250 doing it alone.

How easy is it to do this ourselves do you think? Will we lose out/miss out on anything by not going with a tour company?

I'm very much the type of person that thinks there are far too many amazing places in this world to keep returning to the same place year after year, so highly doubt we would be going back anytime soon.

Also any helpful tips/ideas/info would be very much appreciated!

Thanks

p.s - my hubby works for network rail, if anyone has any knowledge of the fips (think thats what it's called) and whether you are entitled to any discounts on US trains, that would be super helpful please

 

[Happy Holidays]

It will be dead easy to arrange the trips yourself I do it all the time.

OH works on the railway & I think you both get 50% off rail travel in the US, that's if my memory serves me right.

 

[pixie-gem]

Thank you I always love to save money

I know it's cheeky but do you know where i start regarding getting the fips (?) discount please?
Hubby asked every one in his office but they've only used it for Europe and gone through Deutch bahn (sp?) so no one seems to be able to tell us.
I think it is run by ATOC if my memory serves me right?

With regards to buying train tickets abroad, do i buy them when there, or is it possible to book now and pick them up at the train station the day before or something?

Sorry for all the questions

 

[Happy Holidays]

Thank you I always love to save money

I know it's cheeky but do you know where i start regarding getting the fips (?) discount please?
Hubby asked every one in his office but they've only used it for Europe and gone through Deutch bahn (sp?) so no one seems to be able to tell us.
I think it is run by ATOC if my memory serves me right?

With regards to buying train tickets abroad, do i buy them when there, or is it possible to book now and pick them up at the train station the day before or something?

Sorry for all the questions

I'm at work at the mo, but will ask OH about the tickets when I see him (probably tomorrow now). You can either go through work & get them to buy the tickets for you, but you do have to be specific about dates & times or you can buy them when you get there using your FIPS card thingy. I'll find out more & let you know.

I think my earlier note was a little abrubt, which I didn't mean it to, but I was rushing.

As for arranging trips yourself, google is amazing for find out companies for your trips, I have a little excel spreadsheet & gather all the info, prices etc then when I want to book just consult that for the cheapest/best. Like other things bought on 'net you'll get email confirmation, I've never had a problem arranging trips etc for our travels & we have traveled lots, we've traveled around India & China all done by myself.

Let me know if you need any other info, in the meantime I'll ask OH about FIPS.

 

[pixie-gem]

I assume everything will be back to normal in New York by then? It looks like something out of a horror movie right now :s

We have friends that live out there that we can't get hold of, hopefully they are tucked up safe somewhere.

i would assume so Jezzi, it's not for 3 months and the news websites say the worst has passed. Very sad though and I hope everyone who has family/friends there manage to get hold of them

 

[pixie-gem]

I'm at work at the mo, but will ask OH about the tickets when I see him (probably tomorrow now). You can either go through work & get them to buy the tickets for you, but you do have to be specific about dates & times or you can buy them when you get there using your FIPS card thingy. I'll find out more & let you know.

I think my earlier note was a little abrubt, which I didn't mean it to, but I was rushing.

As for arranging trips yourself, google is amazing for find out companies for your trips, I have a little excel spreadsheet & gather all the info, prices etc then when I want to book just consult that for the cheapest/best. Like other things bought on 'net you'll get email confirmation, I've never had a problem arranging trips etc for our travels & we have traveled lots, we've traveled around India & China all done by myself.

Let me know if you need any other info, in the meantime I'll ask OH about FIPS.

Thank you, that's very helpful and very much appreciated
shall look into doing the things we want to do, I find the holiday companies really do try and rip you off sadly

 

[Happy Holidays]

I spoke to OH & network rails fibs work differently than his does anyhow this link may help

ATOC - Rail Staff Travel

Good luck with self booking trips, you can really save lots of money & you can chose to come and go as you please

 

[pixie-gem]

Thank you

will have a good look through tomorrow and also do lots of googling

 

[Texty_F]

I've not been to the states, but I would never book at trip through the holiday company/reps again, your right they do rip you off pixie. I usually find the ones you book yourself through local agents are better as they take you to places the reps wouldn't. We have done it a few times in Greece and Cyprus, and the little tours have been amazing and you get much more local history if that's also what your interested in. We got to go to little monasteries where they make kumquat wine, we also went to a restaurant off the beaten track and the food was absolutely fantastic and at a fraction of the price.

 

[pixie-gem]

Thank you Texty, i totally agree with you, and i don't know why they do it...like they don't make enough out of us as it is

 

[rootsfran]

Niagara is a very long way from NYC, you can organise it yourself but it is a very long trip and you will not get much time there. You are best to fly Jet Blue from JFK to Buffalo and then hire a car at Buffalo Airport and drive to the falls.

Washington will be easy, Amtrak train from Penn Station if you are staying in Manhattan, some good prices in advance.

We had two weeks in NYC Sept/Oct, we organised the whole holiday ourselves, flights, hotel booked separately saved us £300, transport from JFK to Manhattan by Airtrain and Long Island Railroad could not have been easier, and $12 each unlike the $70 plus for a yellow cab to get stuck in traffic!

We booked show tickets and Empire State Building tickets in advance, the ESB one in particular is great as you can use any time and if you go very late at night you miss the huge queues, its open until 1am at weekends. If you want to do Top Of The Rock as well do it in daylight so you can see Central park and not a big black hole.

The subway was fantastic, a seven day unlimited Metro Card $29!

We also got a train from Grand Central out to Tarrytown and Sleepy hollow, the train followed the Hudson river and it was beautiful scenery all the way.

Some pics of the wonderful food here https://picasaweb.google.com/105515986761752168230/AFoodTourOfNYCOrHowToGain12lbsIn14Days

 

[Potato]

Hi Pixie-Gem! I went to NY, washington & Boston for my honeymoon 3 years ago in December, we had a lovely time apart from that we got stuck for a few days in Washington national airport because of freak snow! All public transport was cancelled & no cars could get to the airport.
After a few days we shelled out $$$ for some loony taxi driver (one of the very few willing to risk it) and we ended up getting the Amtrak from Washington to Boston just so we could get home for Christmas. The train journey was great, the conductors were brilliant craic, we went through NY on the way & the journey was really lovely. We booked the tickets on the Amtrak website & it was easy peasy, I can heartily recommend it.
Washington DC itself is lovely- a day trip is appropriate as long as you wear comfy shoes, it's a bit of a hike between attractions. Think of all that body magic though!
NY is just as awesome as everyone says it is although I think I'll go somewhere sunny for my next honeymoon

 

[kingleds]

You can buy tickets with Amtrak which cover you for a set number of trips & are fairly reasonable. I would also make a stop in Boston if you're going up to Washington DC!

Well Jel btw!

 

[Texty_F]

Daughter flew out to Vegas this morning, then shes moving to California and Mexico she was so high lol I thought she had been taking E's lol

Not long now for you pixie I hope you get sorted with tickets, trips etc you will have an amazing time x

 

[woowoo83]

I was in NY in january and it was AMAZING! You will love it, I can't wait to go back! Just a top, if you're planning on visiting lots of touristy stuff, have a look at the New York Pass, you basically buy a pass for a number of days and it's get you free into loads of attractions including empire state and statue of liberty, we got the 3 day one and did loads of stuff that we probably wouldn't have done if we'd had to pay!

Sent from my iPad using MiniMins

 

[pixie-gem]

Niagara is a very long way from NYC, you can organise it yourself but it is a very long trip and you will not get much time there. You are best to fly Jet Blue from JFK to Buffalo and then hire a car at Buffalo Airport and drive to the falls.

Washington will be easy, Amtrak train from Penn Station if you are staying in Manhattan, some good prices in advance.

We had two weeks in NYC Sept/Oct, we organised the whole holiday ourselves, flights, hotel booked separately saved us £300, transport from JFK to Manhattan by Airtrain and Long Island Railroad could not have been easier, and $12 each unlike the $70 plus for a yellow cab to get stuck in traffic!

We booked show tickets and Empire State Building tickets in advance, the ESB one in particular is great as you can use any time and if you go very late at night you miss the huge queues, its open until 1am at weekends. If you want to do Top Of The Rock as well do it in daylight so you can see Central park and not a big black hole.

The subway was fantastic, a seven day unlimited Metro Card $29!

We also got a train from Grand Central out to Tarrytown and Sleepy hollow, the train followed the Hudson river and it was beautiful scenery all the way.

Some pics of the wonderful food here https://picasaweb.google.com/105515986761752168230/AFoodTourOfNYCOrHowToGain12lbsIn14Days

Oh wow, thank you!

I think we might leave Niagara this time round from what you say, and we want to visit Canada so may wait until we do that i thinks.
Washington is a def as it is so close, only a couple of hours and couple of hundred bucks for both of us, i think it will be well worth it.

I wish i'd done it all myself now from what people are saving but i will know better for next time! The Virgin guy said to get a cab from JFK to our hotel (Manhattan) what is this Airtrain can i ask please? x

Side note, i have that Cropredy tee too guess we went the same year lol

 

[pixie-gem]

Daughter flew out to Vegas this morning, then shes moving to California and Mexico she was so high lol I thought she had been taking E's lol

Not long now for you pixie I hope you get sorted with tickets, trips etc you will have an amazing time x

Wicked Texty! I hope she has a fantastic time, we are doing Vegas and LA next September and super psyched about that one x

 

[pixie-gem]

I was in NY in january and it was AMAZING! You will love it, I can't wait to go back! Just a top, if you're planning on visiting lots of touristy stuff, have a look at the New York Pass, you basically buy a pass for a number of days and it's get you free into loads of attractions including empire state and statue of liberty, we got the 3 day one and did loads of stuff that we probably wouldn't have done if we'd had to pay!

Sent from my iPad using MiniMins

Thank you for this, muchly appreciated i was looking at the NY passes but didn't know if they were worth the money but will go ahead from what you say

 

[pixie-gem]

Thanks guys for your great replies

We've decided to leave Niagara this time around and just have the one day in DC and the other 6 in NY
There are a few places we would love to visit, ground zero memorial, the met, hubby is a shutterbug so anywhere with a decent shot lol.
I'd love to go to Broadway just to say i can lol, the only thing showing i would want to see would be Wicked as we haven't been able to catch it over here, does anyone know the cheapest place to get tickets for this or should we wait til we get out there? Same goes for the passes etc?
It's always nice to get things sorted before i leave i think, that's what we did for Florida and it leaves you with all your spending money, which is grand

Anymore tips, please keep them coming, thanks so much i'm going to NY *squee* :bliss: xx

 

[Potato]

If you have time - take a reasonably short subway ride out to Williamsberg (Brooklyn) to get amazing coffee and see all the hipsters in their habitat. The bars are great & generally cheaper than in Manhattan. There are loads of really cool vintage shops... I could go on... it's just such a cool area. Wish I was going again!

I might make a deal with myself to go again when I get to target - so jealous of your trip; it'll be amazing!