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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 8:11:17 GMT
I disagree that JFK is difficult to get to - as a tourist I found it really simple - subway to Jamaica and then straight on the Air Train, which is signposted and easy to find. The only annoying thing about getting to JFK on public transport is that the New York subway is so much worse than the London Underground for accessibility - no escalators at all, and getting a heavy suitcase down the stairs into the station then more stairs onto the platform is not fun! Most of the stairs can be avoided by getting the subway from Penn Station to JFK, if you pick the right entrance, but getting through the ticket barriers is still a feat. And New York subway tickets are really flimsy compared to Oyster cards! I was last at JFK for the protest at the international terminal a couple weeks ago, but from what I remember, there is an elevator at JFK -- you just need to walk toward the entrance to the Long Island Railroad. (I live near LaGuardia so I use that airport much more often.) For the stairs to the subway platform itself after you swipe, though, you may be out of luck. The East Coast infrastructure is much less accessible than the newer West Coast. Your trains may run less often and not all hours of the night, but you'll probably have an easier time with luggage and/or a wheelchair. Yes, there are lifts at JFK - it's the subway stations in Manhattan that are the problem for those with heavy luggage! |
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Post by Dawnstar on Feb 10, 2017 8:26:12 GMT
I would recommend taking the Amtrak train between Boston, NYC and DC. It's not a pretty ride, except for when it travels along the coast in Rhode Island. But getting to and from the airports in NYC on public transit is oddly very difficult. Unlike London, there's not a direct subway line (you have to transfer to the Airtrain) and a cab can be expensive and time consuming. Yes, we are going to take trains within America. My mother hates flying. It's taken enough time to persuade her to fly to/from the US rather than taking boats. I've already looked up the train fares & while the express trains are very expensive the slower trains aren't too bad ($49 from NY to both Boston & Washington). Thanks for all the hotel mentions everyone. I'm going to go through the thread tonight, note them all down then look them up. |
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Post by steve10086 on Feb 10, 2017 8:29:38 GMT
Don't look like a Muslim! And the award for most unhelpful post goes to... Yay, I won. And I won bigly! |
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Post by Tibidabo on Feb 10, 2017 8:41:36 GMT
Don't look like a Muslim! I bet I am the only person on here who has been denied entry to USA, Oh no you're not!  9 hour stopover in Miami from Costa Rica (to London) and I got my own personal bodyguard who even stood outside the cubicle door when I went to wee......I had been so looking forward to a bit of Don Johnson spotting on Miami beach too.  (Long time ago when I was young(er) and gorgeous(er) (?!) and normally able to bull-poo my way out of anything! Except the Americans it appears.) |
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Post by viserys on Feb 10, 2017 8:52:38 GMT
I would recommend taking the Amtrak train between Boston, NYC and DC. It's not a pretty ride, except for when it travels along the coast in Rhode Island. But getting to and from the airports in NYC on public transit is oddly very difficult. Unlike London, there's not a direct subway line (you have to transfer to the Airtrain) and a cab can be expensive and time consuming. Yes, we are going to take trains within America. My mother hates flying. It's taken enough time to persuade her to fly to/from the US rather than taking boats. I've already looked up the train fares & while the express trains are very expensive the slower trains aren't too bad ($49 from NY to both Boston & Washington). Thanks for all the hotel mentions everyone. I'm going to go through the thread tonight, note them all down then look them up. I'd definitely vote for the train too. You may not enjoy the prettiest sights along the tracks but at least you get to see something and you travel straight from city center to city center without the hassle of getting to the airport, endless security and so on. As for the subway from JFK... ugh, don't. Take the coaches. They're a bit pricier, but you just toss your luggage in at JFK, take your seat and step out in central Manhattan (Port Authority or Grand Central). They also have free wifi, so you can easily get in touch with folks back home to say you arrived safely or whatever. I've found the slog from JFK with a big suitcase a nightmare, first the transfer from Airtrain to normal subway, then the ancient staircases and the turnstiles. I had to push my suitcase through, then hope nobody would nick it before I had gone through myself and got hold of it again. The subway also takes forever to reach Manhattan. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 9:01:14 GMT
I've also never felt unsafe in the City and I've travelled on my own since I was 19 there. Usual 'be aware of your surroundings' advice that you'd have in any big city (or anywhere) but I've honestly never felt in danger, and always found New Yorkers incredibly helpful when I needed it.
Hotels wise Holiday Inn Express are a good chain that tend to have reasonable prices. There's one in Hell's Kitchen that's a 15 minute walk to the theatre district. Otherwise I'd highly recommend staying in Long Island City- much much cheaper and you get on a Subway direct to Times Square in the same time it'd take to walk it. We stayed at the LIC Hotel last time for literally half the price of a Manhattan one. Worth considering maybe.
I will say that the Tripadvisor forum for NYC is very knowledgeable on hotels if you have specific questions- I lurked there quite a lot planning my last trip! (not that our good people here aren't fabulous too!)
I haven't been to DC in a while but I love it- I stayed at Dupont Circle last time, which was perfectly fine and accessible to the city. But I also went in July, which I wouldn't recommend because it was hotter than hell and humid. If you enjoy history though Washington is your place.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 9:24:49 GMT
Don't take a big suitcase! If you roll your clothes really tightly, you can get at least a week's worth of clothing (buy toiletries after you land) in a hand-luggage sized case, even in the dead of winter. Your luggage then can't be lost by the airline, and is much more portable when you get to your destination than a massive case.
I personally find the subway fairly confusing. I'm used to the tube, which has the clearest signage I can possibly imagine, and I spent the first half of my last trip to NYC unfailingly getting on the subway heading in the wrong direction or getting on the wrong line and heading off somewhere weird. I think this can be overcome by simply paying attention, but it's worth bearing in mind. Also I feel like the thing that *really* gave me away as a British tourist was that I would keep my Metro card out once I was on the train, as though it was an Oyster card I'd have to use to tap out again at the other end.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 9:41:07 GMT
Can't be the only one who's fascinated to know what Jan and Tibidabo did to be refused entry!
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Post by Tibidabo on Feb 10, 2017 9:47:50 GMT
Can't be the only one who's fascinated to know what Jan and Tibidabo did to be refused entry! .......answers on a postcard, 'cos I'd also like to know! |
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Post by d'James on Feb 10, 2017 9:47:51 GMT
Can't be the only one who's fascinated to know what Jan and Tibidabo did to be refused entry! Well, I didn't want to say  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 12:04:05 GMT
Can't be the only one who's fascinated to know what Jan and Tibidabo did to be refused entry! .......answers on a postcard, 'cos I'd also like to know! Possibly (if you were a young person!) they didn't believe your reasons for coming to the US and thought you were planning to work illegally. I heard of someone there on a business trip who made the mistake of saying they were there "for work" rather than "for business" and were refused entry. Agree that US immigration is the most stressful part of any journey to the US, before the current issues! |
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Post by kathryn on Feb 10, 2017 12:07:45 GMT
I've also never felt unsafe in the City and I've travelled on my own since I was 19 there. Usual 'be aware of your surroundings' advice that you'd have in any big city (or anywhere) but I've honestly never felt in danger, and always found New Yorkers incredibly helpful when I needed it. Hotels wise Holiday Inn Express are a good chain that tend to have reasonable prices. There's one in Hell's Kitchen that's a 15 minute walk to the theatre district. Otherwise I'd highly recommend staying in Long Island City- much much cheaper and you get on a Subway direct to Times Square in the same time it'd take to walk it. We stayed at the LIC Hotel last time for literally half the price of a Manhattan one. Worth considering maybe. I will say that the Tripadvisor forum for NYC is very knowledgeable on hotels if you have specific questions- I lurked there quite a lot planning my last trip! (not that our good people here aren't fabulous too!) I haven't been to DC in a while but I love it- I stayed at Dupont Circle last time, which was perfectly fine and accessible to the city. But I also went in July, which I wouldn't recommend because it was hotter than hell and humid. If you enjoy history though Washington is your place. I've stayed in Long Island City before now, too. It's not as shiny and touristy as Manhattan, and so feels a bit more run-down, but I was perfectly safe there. If you want to be in central manhattan for less, and are not terribly picky about the actual hotel you're in, then Priceline Express Deals (where you don't find out the name of the hotel before you book) can be good. We got the Holiday Inn Express in hell's Kitchen about 5 years ago through that. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 12:20:50 GMT
I second kathryn on the Priceline (or Hotwire) used them many a time- if you're not fussy about exact hotel and just want 'generic 3* in x or y area' you can get great bargains!
I tend to start stalking tickets about 3 months out, unless you're wanting a SUPER hot ticket that's usually the point to get a sense of availability and what you can wait on discounts for. Most Broadway discounts run about a month ahead in my experience but of course for ones you aren't bothered about you can wait.
I'd also advise taking the odd 'night off' from theatre, partly because NYC has so much more besides, partly because don't underestimate how tired you'll end up if you're full throttle touristing as well.
Another tip- don't bother turning up to theatres early, you'll just end up in a long queue down the block. Find a nearby shop/bar/café to loiter in until they're going in!)
ETA while potentially a bit confusing, the Subway isn't scary at all. It's busy at all times full of people and plenty of Police/Staff. Do be prepared for there being no escalators and lifts in most stations though. In terms of it being confusing the main issue people fall foul of is the Express Train which misses out stations. Otherwise just know whether you're heading up or down and you'll get there eventually! |
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Post by Tibidabo on Feb 10, 2017 13:35:33 GMT
.......answers on a postcard, 'cos I'd also like to know! Possibly (if you were a young person!) they didn't believe your reasons for coming to the US and thought you were planning to work illegally. I heard of someone there on a business trip who made the mistake of saying they were there "for work" rather than "for business" and were refused entry. Agree that US immigration is the most stressful part of any journey to the US, before the current issues! Honest Miss, I dun nuffin! After a year working in Costa Rica I had a one way ticket to London from San Jose, with a 9 hour stop-over in Miami. I wanted to go and see Miami as I'd landed early in the morning and could have had a whole day doing touristy things. It just wasn't to be as they simply attached me to a bodyguard and refused to let me go through passport control. Maybe I was sweating overly profusely after the flight in the Costa Rican flying machine that had more ups and downs than a wh.......um.....fiddler's elbow..... or maybe they were bored. I have no idea. I had tried to get a visa at the American embassy in Costa Rica beforehand but ...oh I'm not political but Libya, Gaddafi and Reagan were mentioned before a big REFUSED stamp hurtled down onto my passport!  The bodyguard, ironically Spanish speaking with very leeeetle Ingleeesh - they'd let him in then(!) lost his job if he lost me! He was, however, absolutely gaaaaawwwww-juuuuuuuus! Reader I married him....... just kidding....but I would have if he'd asked! Great thread btw - sorry to drag it off topic - wish I was off to NY with so much fantastic advice.  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 16:07:26 GMT
After a year working in Costa Rica I had a one way ticket to London from San Jose, with a 9 hour stop-over in Miami. Interesting. Do you know the way to San Jose though? I've been away so long. I may go wrong and lose my way. |
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Post by Tibidabo on Feb 10, 2017 16:12:18 GMT
After a year working in Costa Rica I had a one way ticket to London from San Jose, with a 9 hour stop-over in Miami. Interesting. Do you know the way to San Jose though? I've been away so long. I may go wrong and lose my way. Thanks Ryan......that's replaced One Way Ticket to the Blues from going round in my head...... |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 16:16:00 GMT
Interesting. Do you know the way to San Jose though? I've been away so long. I may go wrong and lose my way. Thanks Ryan......that's replaced One Way Ticket to the Blues from going round in my head...... Here to help. |
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Post by viserys on Feb 10, 2017 16:32:09 GMT
After a year working in Costa Rica I had a one way ticket to London from San Jose, with a 9 hour stop-over in Miami. I wanted to go and see Miami as I'd landed early in the morning and could have had a whole day doing touristy things. It just wasn't to be as they simply attached me to a bodyguard and refused to let me go through passport control. Oh God, just the story I need right now as I'm going TO Costa Rica in two weeks and need to go through US immigration in Houston for the connecting flight to San Jose. At least on the way home I'll be transferring in Toronto. Never had issues anywhere so far at least, though I find JFK immigration is by far the slowest. I think I once spent about two hours in the queue... |
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Post by Tibidabo on Feb 10, 2017 16:37:44 GMT
After a year working in Costa Rica I had a one way ticket to London from San Jose, with a 9 hour stop-over in Miami. I wanted to go and see Miami as I'd landed early in the morning and could have had a whole day doing touristy things. It just wasn't to be as they simply attached me to a bodyguard and refused to let me go through passport control. Oh God, just the story I need right now as I'm going TO Costa Rica in two weeks and need to go through US immigration in Houston for the connecting flight to San Jose. At least on the way home I'll be transferring in Toronto. Never had issues anywhere so far at least, though I find JFK immigration is by far the slowest. I think I once spent about two hours in the queue... it was a LONG, LONG time ago.....Reagan....remember him? Nope, thought not. The last thing I wanted to do was stress anyone out. (And I did have a lovely time with my bodyguard ) |
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Post by viserys on Feb 10, 2017 16:48:34 GMT
Haha, I actually do remember Reagan I'd also think things got only stricter post-9/11, but alright, here's hoping they'll let me through. |
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Post by kathryn on Feb 10, 2017 17:17:52 GMT
Haha, I actually do remember Reagan I'd also think things got only stricter post-9/11, but alright, here's hoping they'll let me through. I think the problem might have been the Visa being rejected? They must have thought that he was going to try and enter the country permanently instead of just staying for 9 hours. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 17:34:49 GMT
Haha, I actually do remember Reagan I'd also think things got only stricter post-9/11, but alright, here's hoping they'll let me through. I think the problem might have been the Visa being rejected? They must have thought that he was going to try and enter the country permanently instead of just staying for 9 hours. Yeah I never got detained but travelling from Canada via US for Europe/beyond I've seen others held up for simialr reasons on flights...depending on the mood of the officials that day most often... |
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Post by Michael on Feb 10, 2017 17:47:27 GMT
Never had any problems with CBP officers. Tbh, I always found them friendlier and more welcoming than our German Bundespolizei. Some of them even practised their little remaining German (they served in Germany) with me.
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Post by Dawnstar on Feb 10, 2017 21:38:49 GMT
I'd also advise taking the odd 'night off' from theatre, partly because NYC has so much more besides, partly because don't underestimate how tired you'll end up if you're full throttle touristing as well.
I'm not being allowed to go every night! Actually, having looked up the list of current Broadway shows, there isn't masses I want to see. I started reading the list & wondered if it was actually a West End one as so many of the shows are running over here. I'll definitely be seeing TPTGW more than once & I'd like to see Groundhog Day to see if/how if has changed since the Old Vic. I also am intending to go to the Met at least once, possibly twice. Other than that, there's not much that appeals. I don't want to see stuff like Wicked or Phantom with American accents & most of the Broadway-only shows don't sound like my cup of tea. Thanks to whoever (can't seem to find the post right now) gave the tip about taking the coach rather than the subway from JFK. I'll definitely look into that. I'm terrified of the US airport immigration, as I have OCD & would have a complete meltdown if they wanted to search me, so I hope they're less suspicious of holidaymakers than possible workers. |
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Post by sophie92 on Feb 10, 2017 21:49:59 GMT
I've just got back from New York - we thought immigration would be horrendous and were giving ourselves 2 hours when making plans. Instead, we breezed through in about 20 minutes! I don't know if it was to do with the time of the year but there were practically no queues. We didn't even have a wait to collect our cases (British airports, take note!)
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