East Cost, West Coast and WDW

[stevechase]

Hi all

I am starting to look into our trip next year. We had agreat hols in Mexico this year, but its just not the US. Anyway, last year we did NY for a week then 3 weeks at POR and loved every minute, NY had always been a dream of ours and it was amazing. Next year we are looking to go one better, NY for 1 week, west coast (LA, SF) for 1 week, then 3 weeks based at WDW with maybe a few days down in the Keys.

Has anyone tried such an elaborate trip, we love spending as much time in the US as possible. In fact even more so, having watched 'Diners. Drive Ins and Dives' lol. Could do with an idea for a base on the west coast enabling us to see as much as possible.

Any help is as always appreciated

Steve

 

[dixonsontour]

Are you dead set on NY again?

If you've not done west coast before i'd be tempted to do it more fully and include san franscisco.

We've done west coast as a touring holiday - LA, drive up coast to carmel and san fran, sacremento, yosemite, death valley, las vegas, san diego.

We did enjoy NY aswell but that was another trip.

Very envious of your long trip!

 

[rpbert1]

We did Florida for 2 weeks in July, then flew from Tampa to Vegas for 5 days, before heading to California for another 2 weeks, before flying home from LAX

 

[sandshal]

Hi Steve,

I'd be really interested to hear about last years trip ........ Did you book your trans-atlantic flights and the internals seperately? Where did you stay in NY and how did you get from the airport to the hotel? (there will be 5 of us so a yellow cab is out of the question).

My son desperately wants to do 2-3 nights in NY next year before flying on to Orlando.

Any help or inspiration would be greatly appreciated.

Sharon

 

[Lizzybear]

I've got to be honest, much as I love the west and east coasts of the USA in their own right I doubt i'd want to combine them in the same trip, the additional time difference would really knock me for six If I was to ever do it i'd do the west coast bit first and then the east. Also, IMO, trying to do LA and SF in one week would be really rushed especially if you drive from one place to the next (SF to LA was/is one of my favourite drives ever ) My California and Las Vegas trip in 2008 was 18 nights and I could have stayed much longer, so much to see and do there

 

[penlanspice]

If your planning on going for 4 or 5 weeks this is plenty of time to take it all in.

Last year we did Washington for 5 days, Vegas for 6 days and then Orlando for just over 2 weeks. We don't mind moving around and it was plenty of time in each place for us, we even drove from LA to Vegas.

We have also done LA, Vegas and Orlando combo a few times.

 

[penlanspice]

Hi Steve,

I'd be really interested to hear about last years trip ........ Did you book your trans-atlantic flights and the internals seperately? Where did you stay in NY and how did you get from the airport to the hotel? (there will be 5 of us so a yellow cab is out of the question).

My son desperately wants to do 2-3 nights in NY next year before flying on to Orlando.

Any help or inspiration would be greatly appreciated.

Sharon

You can get internal flights pretty cheap in the US they have quite a few budget carriers like jetblue, we've flown from NY to Orlando for under $100 each. We paid just over a 100 pounds last year to fly from Vegas to Orlando and that was over a 5 hour flight.

In NY you can get the minibus from the airport (sorry I can't remember what it's called) and it will drop you at your hotel. We've also have a limo pick us up from the airport.

 

[stevechase]

Hi Steve,

I'd be really interested to hear about last years trip ........ Did you book your trans-atlantic flights and the internals seperately? Where did you stay in NY and how did you get from the airport to the hotel? (there will be 5 of us so a yellow cab is out of the question).

My son desperately wants to do 2-3 nights in NY next year before flying on to Orlando.

Any help or inspiration would be greatly appreciated.

Sharon

Hi Sharon

No probs. We had always wanted to go to NY and we wernt dissapointed.

I booked it all separately myself. We booked 3 weeks at Port Orleans Riverside as they have rooms that take the five of us (our kids were 12, 10 and 5 at the time). The international flight was with virgin economy, from Heathrow - JFK and then 4 weeks later from Orlando - Gatwick. I booked the internal flight with Continental from Newark - Orlando.

If you have never been to NY, go, we were not dissapointed at all, we have been to some fabulous places and I have to say it was up there with the best.

Virgin international flight LHR - JFK / MCO - LGW 2 adults, 3 kids £2500.00
Taxi JFK - Hotel $90.00 Chevvy Escalla massive jeep
Affinia Shelburne, Lexington Avenue small suite 5 nights £560.00
Continental Newark - MCO 2 adults, 3 kids, 1.5 hours £480.00
Transfer from MCO - POR £Free Mickeys express
21 nights at POR room only £1880.00
Car hire for 10 nights while in Florida £250.00 Car hire 3000.
Tickets £1200.00
Spending in total inc, tickets to NASA approx, £2500.00

It was around £8500 - £9000, but worth every penny. Go to NY you wont be dissapointed, but you will be when you have to leave, we were in times Square during the Michael Jackson memorial and it was incredible.

We are going next year at the start of a five weeker, including LA, San Fransisco, The Keys, NY, cant wait.

Any other questions, please ask, I could talk about it forever.

Cheers

Steve

 

[stevechase]

Hi again

By the way, someone mentioned on another thread about too much time spent travelling from airport etc, if you're only there for a couple of weeks. We landed at JFK at almost 12 lunchtime, by half 2 we were top of the Empire State. That included, gettin got the hotel, checking in, geting to McDonalds for a quick bite (opp the Empire State) then straight to the roof.

Just wanted to mention it.

Steve