Trip to New York with road trip to Niagara Falls

[1fast1]

Niagara falls?

 

I prefer Viagra falls.

 

 

Nice write-up.

 

But I seriously hate travelling. I got tired just looking at your images.

 

The only kind of travelling I tolerate involves driving, lol. OK, I don't mind flying to do drive events also.

 

I personally won't go to the US in its current political state - not necesssarily because I'm worried about the border crossing, but simply because I don't want to support their economy.

[Leoeve]

nice sharing and interesting to see that you tried to experience different ride in states. 

nice helicopter view of Niagara fall as well. 

 

thanks for sharing 

[Adrianli]

nice sharing and interesting to see that you tried to experience different ride in states.

nice helicopter view of Niagara fall as well.

 

thanks for sharing

Thanks for the kind words.

[Heartlander]

This is definitely the most detailed writeup about New York I ever read. Good source of info as I going on a 18 days road trip to east side of America this December hoping to cover as north as Niagara Falls and as south as Florida though seems need to drive a lot if so ambitious.

From info gathered, only New York not suitable to drive around due to high parking charges and congestion. Almost all youtube videos discourage that. So I will have to choose a hotel at fringe of the city that has direct bus/train that can bring me into the main parts of New York, for example Time Square. One such lodging I found is Super 8 by Wyndham North Bergen. It has free parking on-site, near a lot of eateries (including iHop) and shopping, and is only 20min to Time Square by a direct bus service.

I considered to return rental car when doing the New York leg, but there is surcharge of USD54 if return car at different location. So total have to pay USD108 for the whole trip if to return car at the city. As I intend to stay 2 to 3 days in New York, this arrangement suit me nicely as I can still use the car to other parts of New York if necessary.

Also just committed renting a Nissan Quest for the trip. I have checked the prices under different rental sites such as Hertz and Thrifty. Finally settles on Thrifty through rentalcars.com as the rates there is much cheaper than going direct, with the same kiasu options ticked, paying on S$75/day for maximum coverage and additional driver.

Anyway, thanks Adrianli  again for the nicely done and very detailed writeup. If the travel was done in December, then would be perfect haha as now still reading up on driving in America in December.

 

Edited October 27, 2019 by Heartlander
Edited first sentence.

[louisbosco]

32 minutes ago, Heartlander said:

This is definitely the most detailed writeup about New York I ever read. Good source of info as I going on a 18 days road trip to east side of America this December hoping to cover as north as Niagara Falls and as south as Florida though seems need to drive a lot if so ambitious.

From info gathered, only New York not suitable to drive around due to high parking charges and congestion. Almost all youtube videos discourage that. So I will have to choose a hotel at fringe of the city that has direct bus/train that can bring me into the main parts of New York, for example Time Square. One such lodging I found is Super 8 by Wyndham North Bergen. It has free parking on-site, near a lot of eateries (including iHop) and shopping, and is only 20min to Time Square by a direct bus service.

I considered to return rental car when doing the New York leg, but there is surcharge of USD54 if return car at different location. So total have to pay USD108 for the whole trip if to return car at the city. As I intend to stay 2 to 3 days in New York, this arrangement suit me nicely as I can still use the car to other parts of New York if necessary.

Also just committed renting a Nissan Quest for the trip. I have checked the prices under different rental sites such as Hertz and Thrifty. Finally settles on Thrifty through rentalcars.com as the rates there is much cheaper than going direct, with the same kiasu options ticked, paying on S$75/day for maximum coverage and additional driver.

Anyway, thanks Adrianli  again for the nicely done and very detailed writeup. If the travel was done in December, then would be perfect haha as now still reading up on driving in America in December.

 

have you not considering a side trip to niagara falls instead? was planning roughly a same 14 day new york trip last year but went back to europe instead.

6 hours drive for me isn't too bad. could be cut down to 4-5 hours once you hit interstate i feel. i feel like maybe pickup early and drop off late. maybe do stay overnight or 2 near niagara falls then come back NYC to drop off rental. then up to you to do whatever you want around new york or drive down to florida.. 

 

Edited October 27, 2019 by louisbosco

[Heartlander]

30 minutes ago, louisbosco said:

have you not considering a side trip to niagara falls instead? was planning roughly a same 14 day new york trip last year but went back to europe instead.

6 hours drive for me isn't too bad. could be cut down to 4-5 hours once you hit interstate i feel. i feel like maybe pickup early and drop off late. maybe do stay overnight or 2 near niagara falls then come back NYC to drop off rental. then up to you to do whatever you want around new york or drive down to florida.. 

 

Niagara Falls is a must do, and i thinking if to stay 1 or 2 nights at Canada side. But December not really a good time to visit the place as most of the attractions will be closed. A bit wasted lah.

My trip will start from Washington DC, move up to Boston area for the lobsters then go Niagara Falls, then move through some mountainuous area to reach Smoky Mountain in Tennesse, then move South towards Florida before hitting back washington DC.  Now still planning, might skip Florida if not enough time. Although Disneyland is quite alluring, but i am not keen to drive more than 4hrs everyday. Planning to stay 2 nights in certain places to avoid the 赶鸡赶鴨 type of feeling.

A bit shack doing the planning. Anyone drive in  this part of America during December boh? Can shed some lights on driving speed? I understand the North part like near Niagara Falls could be snowing, so what is the average driving speed?  I scare put down 4hrs drive but actually will need 8hrs to complete due to road condition, like that faint already haha.

[louisbosco]

7 minutes ago, Heartlander said:

Niagara Falls is a must do, and i thinking if to stay 1 or 2 nights at Canada side. But December not really a good time to visit the place as most of the attractions will be closed. A bit wasted lah.

My trip will start from Washington DC, move up to Boston area for the lobsters then go Niagara Falls, then move through some mountainuous area to reach Smoky Mountain in Tennesse, then move South towards Florida before hitting back washington DC.  Now still planning, might skip Florida if not enough time. Although Disneyland is quite alluring, but i am not keen to drive more than 4hrs everyday. Planning to stay 2 nights in certain places to avoid the 赶鸡赶鴨 type of feeling.

A bit shack doing the planning. Anyone drive in  this part of America during December boh? Can shed some lights on driving speed? I understand the North part like near Niagara Falls could be snowing, so what is the average driving speed?  I scare put down 4hrs drive but actually will need 8hrs to complete due to road condition, like that faint already haha.

i feel if you do that. the most time consuming thing that you have to worry about is the US-Canada border crossing.

my longest drive is about 15hrs non stop from adelaide to sydney. i left 7am in the morning and reach about 10 at night. covered 1000+km. and australia is not so tolerant on their speeding. i'd say you'll be fine in US where it's much more relaxed. most interstate speed from knowledge is about 70-80mph (110km/h) depending on which state you're in. i've travelled safely at 110km/h hour in snow in hokkaido but of course you have to make sure the rental company provide the appropriate equipment. (awd/snow tires etc)

sounds like a good trip. some suggestions:

maybe look to renting your car before and after new york. since that's the places with easy driving and parking. or from my experiences in europe, i just found a place with daily cap on parking (eg. £20/day) then left it there when i was in london for a few days then onwards to paris. before went down south to portsmouth to visit a friend. maybe something like that could be viable for you.

 

[Adrianli]

8 hours ago, Heartlander said:

This is definitely the most detailed writeup about New York I ever read. Good source of info as I going on a 18 days road trip to east side of America this December hoping to cover as north as Niagara Falls and as south as Florida though seems need to drive a lot if so ambitious.

From info gathered, only New York not suitable to drive around due to high parking charges and congestion. Almost all youtube videos discourage that. So I will have to choose a hotel at fringe of the city that has direct bus/train that can bring me into the main parts of New York, for example Time Square. One such lodging I found is Super 8 by Wyndham North Bergen. It has free parking on-site, near a lot of eateries (including iHop) and shopping, and is only 20min to Time Square by a direct bus service.

I considered to return rental car when doing the New York leg, but there is surcharge of USD54 if return car at different location. So total have to pay USD108 for the whole trip if to return car at the city. As I intend to stay 2 to 3 days in New York, this arrangement suit me nicely as I can still use the car to other parts of New York if necessary.

Also just committed renting a Nissan Quest for the trip. I have checked the prices under different rental sites such as Hertz and Thrifty. Finally settles on Thrifty through rentalcars.com as the rates there is much cheaper than going direct, with the same kiasu options ticked, paying on S$75/day for maximum coverage and additional driver.

Anyway, thanks Adrianli  again for the nicely done and very detailed writeup. If the travel was done in December, then would be perfect haha as now still reading up on driving in America in December.

 

No problem, you are welcome. Great that my FR helped in your own trip planning.

[Heartlander]

I would like to get advice on  driving in east coast of USA in December.

As December always have likelihood of blizzards along the North belt, like what is happening now, may I know if anyone has personally experienced that in NY/Niagra/Tennessee areas? I assume it would stop traffic for a day or 2 due to poor visibility. This would be the greatest nightmare for me as my plan would be derailed and very hard to recover. 

Also if need to have tire chain/tire chain when driving in snow condition in those areas. I read that only a few states permit its use during winter. I would think that perhaps Smoky Mountain area and Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park might require if heavy snow. Anyone been there during mid December to share your experience?

Would be covering about 200miles per day for my coming trip. Really keeping fingers crossed for good weather. Many thanks in advance.

 

[Adrianli]

6 minutes ago, Heartlander said:

I would like to get advice on  driving in east coast of USA in December.

As December always have likelihood of blizzards along the North belt, like what is happening now, may I know if anyone has personally experienced that in NY/Niagra/Tennessee areas? I assume it would stop traffic for a day or 2 due to poor visibility. This would be the greatest nightmare for me as my plan would be derailed and very hard to recover. 

Also if need to have tire chain/tire chain when driving in snow condition in those areas. I read that only a few states permit its use during winter. I would think that perhaps Smoky Mountain area and Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park might require if heavy snow. Anyone been there during mid December to share your experience?

Would be covering about 200miles per day for my coming trip. Really keeping fingers crossed for good weather. Many thanks in advance.

 

Better ensure that the rental car is fitted with winter tyres and get a car with AWD/4WD/4matic/Quattro, you get what I mean. Also a tow company or rental company on speed dial. Do not speed and follow the speed limits, safety is number one as we are not used to driving in winter.

Otherwise, enjoy the freezing weather.

[inlinesix]

3 hours ago, Heartlander said:

I would like to get advice on  driving in east coast of USA in December.

As December always have likelihood of blizzards along the North belt, like what is happening now, may I know if anyone has personally experienced that in NY/Niagra/Tennessee areas? I assume it would stop traffic for a day or 2 due to poor visibility. This would be the greatest nightmare for me as my plan would be derailed and very hard to recover. 

Also if need to have tire chain/tire chain when driving in snow condition in those areas. I read that only a few states permit its use during winter. I would think that perhaps Smoky Mountain area and Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park might require if heavy snow. Anyone been there during mid December to share your experience?

Would be covering about 200miles per day for my coming trip. Really keeping fingers crossed for good weather. Many thanks in advance.

 

1st of all, I think you need to scale back 200miles/day. It’s very tiring. You need full concentration during winter.

I don’t think you need snow chain on most road as snow will be cleared before road is opened.

[Alau3978]

I don’t think car rentals companies allow you to put tire chains on their cars. Better confirm with them before booking your car. Also check the wiper rubber is in good working condition. Take caution of Cross Wind.

[Alau3978]

I visited New York and Niagara Falls with American Asia Tours. Take a look at how they organise their tours. Half of bus tourists are from China and they are the educated Chinese. Their purpose is to take a close look at all the TOP universities in Boston. I remember the tour guide telling the Europeans - 1 more time you are late, he is going to leave them behind. The American tours are unlike our local tours. Half the time waiting for each other either at the rest rooms or shopping.

[Voodooman]

9 hours ago, Heartlander said:

I would like to get advice on  driving in east coast of USA in December.

As December always have likelihood of blizzards along the North belt, like what is happening now, may I know if anyone has personally experienced that in NY/Niagra/Tennessee areas? I assume it would stop traffic for a day or 2 due to poor visibility. This would be the greatest nightmare for me as my plan would be derailed and very hard to recover. 

Also if need to have tire chain/tire chain when driving in snow condition in those areas. I read that only a few states permit its use during winter. I would think that perhaps Smoky Mountain area and Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park might require if heavy snow. Anyone been there during mid December to share your experience?

Would be covering about 200miles per day for my coming trip. Really keeping fingers crossed for good weather. Many thanks in advance.

 

Skyline drive may be closed in December, depending on weather. You will need a plan B.  Once snow chain is required (rental car contract usually disallows snow chain), suggest to park and chill.  The drive will be excruciating slow and driving along the ridges won't be exactly  fun under such harsh weather condition to warrant snow chain rule.

Average 320 km drive per day is too much, the days will be shorter during winter and you end up spending too much time on the road and not enough on what you want to do. You may need to think of a drive cum flying combo. 

[Tohto]

Revived this thread.

Will be traveling to NY in mid to end Aug for 2 weeks+. 

1st time traveling to NY and 1st trip to US since 1997.

Will be accompany my daughter there for her Uni, priority will be let her settle now and in between free time find some place to visit. Start doing my homework now.

First will need to figure out how to travel from JFK to Brooklyn where we have book a AirBnB. I am not renting a car. 

All advice to what to do and visit are welcome. 

This thread from @Adrianli already provide a very good information. 

Have not travel to US for 25 yrs this give me some phobia... especially on the safety. 

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by Tohto

[Voodooman]

On 6/4/2022 at 10:55 PM, Tohto said:

Revived this thread.

Will be traveling to NY in mid to end Aug for 2 weeks+. 

1st time traveling to NY and 1st trip to US since 1997.

Will be accompany my daughter there for her Uni, priority will be let her settle now and in between free time find some place to visit. Start doing my homework now.

First will need to figure out how to travel from JFK to Brooklyn where we have book a AirBnB. I am not renting a car. 

All advice to what to do and visit are welcome. 

This thread from @Adrianli already provide a very good information. 

Have not travel to US for 25 yrs this give me some phobia... especially on the safety. 

 

Go Washington DC and Niagara falls. If time permits, drive down to Charleston. 

Since you are in Brooklyn, must go eat at Peter Luger (book now as it is almost impossible to get a reservation at prime hours at the last minute). 

I love NY, so vibrant and so much energy.

[Tohto]

On 6/6/2022 at 11:39 AM, Voodooman said:

Go Washington DC and Niagara falls. If time permits, drive down to Charleston. 

Since you are in Brooklyn, must go eat at Peter Luger (book now as it is almost impossible to get a reservation at prime hours at the last minute). 

I love NY, so vibrant and so much energy.

Thanks for the recommendations.  

I am actually not a city person for holiday planning.  If not going with my daughter to let her settle down, I won't even go NY.

That is exactly the problem now don't know what to plan for if I have free time. 

[Voodooman]

9 hours ago, Tohto said:

Thanks for the recommendations.  

I am actually not a city person for holiday planning.  If not going with my daughter to let her settle down, I won't even go NY.

That is exactly the problem now don't know what to plan for if I have free time. 

I am not much of a city person too (I hike during my holidays) but it is NY. 

If you like to eat like me, NY has much to offer.  The roast duck in Chinatown is really good, I had very good henan spicy noodle there as well, the bagel is the best in the world, original NY cheese cake, pizza, etc.

If you prefer the outdoor and nature, lots of options in the surrounding region too. 

Ok... I got to go back soon. Maybe next year.