Need help planning a trip.

[katoot]

Ok, bear with me here.

I've got a pretty big task ahead of me. I'm trying to plan a 2-3 week (hopefully 3) trip to America for this time next year. The only thing that is certain right now is to visit family in northern Wisconsin for about 4 or 5 days (see, even that's not 100% certain ). I want to surprise my wife by going to a couple other places for about a week or so at a time (ideally, I'd love to go to WDW for the Christmas events and decorations, and I was thinking either Vegas or NYC...very easy on the pocketbook, I know ). However, without knowing where exactly we will be going, and for how long, it's going to be pretty difficult to plan and budget at the moment.

I'm looking at Greyhound for the majority of the traveling, but we'll be renting a car in Wisconsin.

Anyways, if we were to go on this trip, using current airline prices, just the flight to the US and back alone will be about 3000 for two tickets. Add WDW to that, and that'll be at least 1500 more. Staying in Wisconsin shouldn't be too bad, as I know a place to stay for about 30 a night. Figure roughly 400 for the rental car.

So far, that's roughly $5000, not including the buses to the other cities, or hotels in those cities.

The wife figures we can save about 500 a month, and I get a few nice bonuses at the beginning and end of year, which will help. If we can stick with this plan, we should hopefully have about $8500 or so saved by the time we leave (well, a portion of that will have paid for some of the trip).

So I guess what I'd like to know is, how manageable would Vegas or NYC be on a limited budget during the holiday season?

I've never been to Vegas, but the wife has. I've only been to NYC once before, but that was a little over 20 years ago when I was in 3rd grade. So I don't really know too much about either place. I do know that if we go to NYC, I want my wife to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

Oh, and to make things even more unpredictable/difficult to plan, we're hoping to have a kid by that time (so it could be anywhere up to 3 months old).

Any input/ideas/advice/etc. is appreciated.

 

[Squidgyness]

Well I have never been myself, but I live in a country that relative to the US is pretty expensive (imo) and even people from here complained how much everything was in NY, just to add that view in there.

I dont really thing that Vegas would be the place for a 3 month old child (I know you won't be hitting strip clubs or anything) but I can't really judge Vegas other than that.

Just my (pretty useless) 2p.

 

[Alesia]

I would not travel across the country on a greyhound bus even by myself. There is no way I would do it with a baby. If I were you, I would look into trips that are an easy drive in the rental car from Wisconsin. Chicago is a great city - and much more reasonably priced than NYC.

 

[Marionnette]

Ok, bear with me here.

I've got a pretty big task ahead of me. I'm trying to plan a 2-3 week (hopefully 3) trip to America for this time next year. The only thing that is certain right now is to visit family in northern Wisconsin for about 4 or 5 days (see, even that's not 100% certain ). I want to surprise my wife by going to a couple other places for about a week or so at a time (ideally, I'd love to go to WDW for the Christmas events and decorations, and I was thinking either Vegas or NYC...very easy on the pocketbook, I know ). However, without knowing where exactly we will be going, and for how long, it's going to be pretty difficult to plan and budget at the moment.

I'm looking at Greyhound for the majority of the traveling, but we'll be renting a car in Wisconsin.

Anyways, if we were to go on this trip, using current airline prices, just the flight to the US and back alone will be about 3000 for two tickets. Add WDW to that, and that'll be at least 1500 more. Staying in Wisconsin shouldn't be too bad, as I know a place to stay for about 30 a night. Figure roughly 400 for the rental car.

So far, that's roughly $5000, not including the buses to the other cities, or hotels in those cities.

The wife figures we can save about 500 a month, and I get a few nice bonuses at the beginning and end of year, which will help. If we can stick with this plan, we should hopefully have about $8500 or so saved by the time we leave (well, a portion of that will have paid for some of the trip).

So I guess what I'd like to know is, how manageable would Vegas or NYC be on a limited budget during the holiday season?

I've never been to Vegas, but the wife has. I've only been to NYC once before, but that was a little over 20 years ago when I was in 3rd grade. So I don't really know too much about either place. I do know that if we go to NYC, I want my wife to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

Oh, and to make things even more unpredictable/difficult to plan, we're hoping to have a kid by that time (so it could be anywhere up to 3 months old).

Any input/ideas/advice/etc. is appreciated.

Bus travel is not very comfortable nor is it convenient. Doing any lengthy bus trip with an infant would be a huge headache, imo. TBH, if a having a child is part of your plans for the near future, I would recommend against any attempt at the side trips. I'd think differently if you were in Philly and going to NYC but not a trip that involves a bus trip from WI to the coast.

If you really want Disney and Vegas, you might want to consider flying in and out of Los Angeles. If you use that as your jumping point, you can visit Disneyland and Las Vegas easily if you rent a car. And you might be able to find affordable airfare from there to WI.

 

[Kellydelly]

In my opinion your plans have you going in way too many different directions . Especially since you don't have your own airplane in which to travel . I don't see a good way of pulling this off without wasting half your trip driving around.

 

[NLD]

A Greyhound bus is going to take f-o-r-e-v-e-r for any of those routes. You'll use up all your time on the bus!

I like the suggestion of flying into California and doing Disneyland. Then fly from there to Wisconsin.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'm looking at Greyhound for the majority of the traveling, but we'll be renting a car in Wisconsin.
.

Bus travel, especially if you might have a child is going to be a MISERABLE way to travel if you are going long distance.

Truly, you'll be much more comfortable, save tons of time and probably not pay that much more to fly if you are going long distances (like from Milwaukee to Orlando). Especially with a child. You couldn't PAY me to go on Greyhound for a long distance.

 

[NLD]

Just to give you some idea on the amount of time on a bus, OP....

I took Greyhound a couple times from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

That is normally at ten-hour drive.

On the bus it took 20-24 hours (I think that was with three layovers).

The bus is TIME CONSUMING. And frankly, it's not that much less $$ than flights if you just keep an eye out for good flight prices.

I can't even imagine how long it would take from Wisconsin to Orlando or New York City!

Edited to add: okay, looked it up, looks like the average from Milwaukee to Orlando is 1 day 8 hours. That assumes all transfers go smoothly. Not as bad as I thought it would be but... what if transfers don't go smoothly? That's what always added time to my bus experiences from MI to PA. And even 1 day 8 hours with an infant... ouch.

 

[Alesia]

I'm not sure where you'll be in Wisconsin, but a greyhound from Eau Claire, WI to Orlando will take 40 hours and cost 160 per person one way. That's probably not much cheaper than flying.

From Eau Claire to Las Vegas would be 48 hours and $200 per person, one way.

 

[mafibisha]

Ok, bear with me here.

I've got a pretty big task ahead of me. I'm trying to plan a 2-3 week (hopefully 3) trip to America for this time next year. The only thing that is certain right now is to visit family in northern Wisconsin for about 4 or 5 days (see, even that's not 100% certain ). I want to surprise my wife by going to a couple other places for about a week or so at a time (ideally, I'd love to go to WDW for the Christmas events and decorations, and I was thinking either Vegas or NYC...very easy on the pocketbook, I know ). However, without knowing where exactly we will be going, and for how long, it's going to be pretty difficult to plan and budget at the moment.

I'm looking at Greyhound for the majority of the traveling, but we'll be renting a car in Wisconsin.

Anyways, if we were to go on this trip, using current airline prices, just the flight to the US and back alone will be about 3000 for two tickets. Add WDW to that, and that'll be at least 1500 more. Staying in Wisconsin shouldn't be too bad, as I know a place to stay for about 30 a night. Figure roughly 400 for the rental car.

So far, that's roughly $5000, not including the buses to the other cities, or hotels in those cities.

The wife figures we can save about 500 a month, and I get a few nice bonuses at the beginning and end of year, which will help. If we can stick with this plan, we should hopefully have about $8500 or so saved by the time we leave (well, a portion of that will have paid for some of the trip).

So I guess what I'd like to know is, how manageable would Vegas or NYC be on a limited budget during the holiday season?

I've never been to Vegas, but the wife has. I've only been to NYC once before, but that was a little over 20 years ago when I was in 3rd grade. So I don't really know too much about either place. I do know that if we go to NYC, I want my wife to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

Oh, and to make things even more unpredictable/difficult to plan, we're hoping to have a kid by that time (so it could be anywhere up to 3 months old).

Any input/ideas/advice/etc. is appreciated.

Go to the forums at www.fodors.com

This kind of trip is planned there countless times, from all over the world. The posters there have amazing and (nearly) perfect advice, since its been done countless times, again, both planned there and then *trip reports* are made that also help future travelers.

LOVE the Dis, but fodors is the best for trips like yours.

Have fun planning!!

 

[Donnainnj]

Any chance you could meet your relatives at WDW or in NYC? If you fly first to NYC you should be able to save some money. The order of things and the days of the week you fly could effect how much you pay. I would plan to fly not take the bus especially if you have a baby traveling. On the other hand, I do not think I would want to travel on a trip of this magnitude pregnant or with a newborn. Even if you have a perfect baby Mom is still going to be recovering birth and both of you may be suffering from lack of sleep. I would not plan to surprise your wife in this situation. Good Luck.
Donna