North Eastern Usa and Canada

"max11" schrieb

What do you think about seeing the falls in the night; is it worth it
to stay a day more?

I wouldn't bother. They look *very* artificial with the illumination.
But that's just my personal taste. Others like it that way.

My idea of the falls in the night:
Pitch black night, standing next to the edge and just hearing, feeling
them. Eerie!

Jochen from Germany

On 18 Feb, 03:04, (Mark Brader) wrote:
"Max":

New York 7 days
Philadelphia 2
Boston 4
Montreal 5

Keith Willshaw:

The route is a bit odd, Philadelphia is south of NYC

It makes sense. Presumably Max can fly into NYC more conveniently or
more cheaply than into Boston, so he has to do some doubling-back to
hit all four of the above cities and then continue west from Montreal.

I would do all of this part by train, and for the trip to Montreal,
I would returning to NYC for an overnight stop and going to Montreal
from there. The railway follows the Hudson River valley pretty much
all the way to Albany, and this is scenery you can't easily see by
road. For the second half of the trip there is more scenery with the
Adirondacks and Lake Champlain.

SO do you mean all this part: Ny to PH and BO and then from NY to MO?
How much is better doing by train instead of by bus. Beacause with the
second option is much cheaper (69$ from Boston to Montreal) and I
must not go back to NY

There are two and a half important notes. First, the train does not
have assigned seating, so get there at least an hour before departure
and try to get a window seat on the left in order to be on the river
side. After Albany it may be better to switch to the other side if
there is a seat available, but probably there won't be.

One and a halfth, last summer when I boarded a train from New York to
Canada, I was told at the station (1) to get in "that lineup", and
(2) that before going to the platform I had to report to a "Canadian
check-in" desk where they would look at my passport. However, the
Canadian check-in desk was not actually at the front of the line --
it was a portable stand, with a tiny sign, next to the gate that led
to the platform. When they announced that the train was boarding,
there was mass confusion as many people from the lineup did not know
where they were supposed to go, with the result that the order of
people in the line was not followed at all. Perhaps this was an
unusual day, but I doubt it.

The second note is that this train is not only slow due to making many
stops, it also takes an excruciatingly long time at the border. When
it gets there, it stops until the border guards have gone through the
train and inspected *everybody* -- which can take more than an hour,
and you're expected to stay in your seat, too. So bring a good book
or some other amusement for the time when you're stopped.

If the train sounds like too much hassle, another way to see the
Hudson River from the train is to take a ride from New York to some
point along the Hudson by commuter (suburban) train, and back. These
are operated by Metro-North and they run as far north as Poughkeepsie
(pronounced "p-KIP-see"), which is about halfway to Albany. Just pick
a town on the route and ride there and back.


6- Is Ottawa worth it, being on the way?

Kingston Ontario or Niagara on the lake would be better bets IMHO

All three places have their admirers; it depends on what you like.

In fact I'm planning to visit too many cities and nor
nature,lakes,etc. I'd like some places easy to get to by bus or train
from the main ciites

Thanks

"Max":
New York 7 days
Philadelphia 2
Boston 4
Montreal 5

Mark Brader:
I would do all of this part by train, and for the trip to Montreal,
I would returning to NYC for an overnight stop and going to Montreal
from there. The railway follows the Hudson River valley pretty much
all the way to Albany, and this is scenery you can't easily see by
road. For the second half of the trip there is more scenery with the
Adirondacks and Lake Champlain.

"Max":
SO do you mean all this part: Ny to PH and BO and then from NY to MO?

Yes. By the way, these abbreviations are not usual and would be
confusing without context.

How much is better doing by train instead of by bus. Beacause with the
second option is much cheaper (69$ from Boston to Montreal) and I
must not go back to NY

(I guess you mean "I don't need to go back". "I must not go back" means
it is not possible for you to go back. Negations of expressions with
different parts can be tricky!)

I made that recommendation because (1) trains are more comfortable than
buses, (2) on the Philadelphia - New York - Boston route the train is
faster, and (3) the train running north from New York shows you scenery
you won't see from a bus. However, I don't know about prices.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | This process can check if this value is zero, and if
| it is, it does something child-like. --F. Burkowski

My text in this article is in the public domain.

On 19 Feb, 07:26, (Mark Brader) wrote:
"Max":

New York 7 days
Philadelphia 2
Boston 4
Montreal 5

Mark Brader:

I would do all of this part by train, and for the trip to Montreal,
I would returning to NYC for an overnight stop and going to Montreal
from there. The railway follows the Hudson River valley pretty much
all the way to Albany, and this is scenery you can't easily see by
road. For the second half of the trip there is more scenery with the
Adirondacks and Lake Champlain.

"Max":

SO do you mean all this part: Ny to PH and BO and then from NY to MO?

Yes. By the way, these abbreviations are not usual and would be
confusing without context.

How much is better doing by train instead of by bus. Beacause with the
second option is much cheaper (69$ from Boston to Montreal) and I
must not go back to NY

(I guess you mean "I don't need to go back". "I must not go back" means
it is not possible for you to go back. Negations of expressions with
different parts can be tricky!)

I made that recommendation because (1) trains are more comfortable than
buses, (2) on the Philadelphia - New York - Boston route the train is
faster, and (3) the train running north from New York shows you scenery
you won't see from a bus. However, I don't know about prices.

I consider your advices!
I'm thinking that it would be worth it to visit the parks,little
cities, villages, nature between and around Quebec and Toronto instead
of visiting only big cities and metropolis (I'm thinking to drop
Chicago and have more days; also I would have not to book flights and
I will be more free: I could do Buffalo-Philadelphia-washington by
bus).
But I think moving without a car is much more difficoult so I could:
a)could I rent a smart? I can't find it!
b) It will take more time, but i'll travel by bus or train hoping
thaose place are served by pubblic transport or organized bus tour,
being some tourist I think! Do you know about public transport and bus
tour?
c)I could join to some cars with people I will met in hostels.

What do you think about?

In article ,
max11 wrote:

I consider your advices!
I'm thinking that it would be worth it to visit the parks,little
cities, villages, nature between and around Quebec and Toronto instead
of visiting only big cities and metropolis (I'm thinking to drop
Chicago and have more days; also I would have not to book flights and
I will be more free: I could do Buffalo-Philadelphia-washington by
bus).


Yes, the countryside and nature parks will be nice in May. (But late May the
black flies can come out.)

Yes, a car is most convenient to do this. Beware that travelling from Quebec
to Toronto and visiting a few parks will be over 1000km. You really want
unlimited kilometres allowed, or a high number.

As I have a car, I have not tried taking buses to small towns or parks. Except
for Victoria Day long weekend (May 17-19) it is still too early for much
vacation service to "cottage country".

But I think moving without a car is much more difficoult so I could:
a)could I rent a smart? I can't find it!

Smarts are premium-priced cars in Canada. Look to rent a "subcompact". This
will be comething like a Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, etc. You may get a larger
car for the same price anyway. With a lot of travel outside of the city, it
will not cost that much more for fuel.

b) It will take more time, but i'll travel by bus or train hoping
thaose place are served by pubblic transport or organized bus tour,
being some tourist I think! Do you know about public transport and bus
tour?

You can search, but I am not aware of any regular tours, especially in May.
("Vacation season" is usually July and August.)

c)I could join to some cars with people I will met in hostels.

In hostels and other places where there are budget travellers, there is often a
notice board with rides offered by people who are going places and want to share
cost and often the driving. I have offered rides a few times. The problem is
that you do not know what will be available until you are at the hostel or other
place that has these notices. So you can not make definite plans, and you must
be quite flexible with your times--people offering a ride will usually leave on
their schedule, not yours. However, the advantage is that you will be going
with someone who knows local conditions and driving laws (you hope!).

If you are thinking of actually renting a car with other travellers, again
you have to find the right travellers! And the decision making may be tricky;
at least if someone is offering a ride they know where they are going so there
is less question about where and when to go.

.....Ed

"Ed Treijs" schrieb

Smarts are premium-priced cars in Canada. Look to rent a "subcompact".
This will be comething like a Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, etc.

Right.
You definitely wouldn't want a smart for long distances. As nice as they
are in city traffic, at highway speed they aren't:
- Because they are so short they are very susceptible to side winds, on
a windy day you have a hard time keeping them on your lane
- Highway speed means pushing those tiny engines to the limit. The
fuel economy is worse than with any standard subcompact under those
conditions - and the tank is very small so you'd have to stop at every
fuel station on the way. And it gets noisy at that speed.
- No cruise control

I rented a Smart once for a longer journey in Germany, just for the fun
of it... In a way it *is* fun on the Autobahn, but... never again.
Downtown: Anytime! It's hard *not* to find a tiny space to park
that thing, albeit at 90° angle to the curb because it's not longer than
other cars are wide ;-)

Jochen from Germany

On Feb 17, 11:59*am, max11 wrote:
Hi at all! I need again your help
I booked the flight on the end of April, my trip will be 40 days and 2
days more for flights.
I'll travel alone, stay in hostels and travel by bus (or train ),
because it's expensive to rent being alone. ( from Buffalo/Toronto-
Chicago and Chicago-Washington by plane)

1- I think the number of days is ok, isn't it? maybe the number for
Boston is too much?
New York 7 days
Philadelphia 2
Boston 4
Montreal 5
Quebec 3
Ottawa 2 ?
Toronto 3
Niagara Falls
-flight- (from Buffalo)
Chicago 4
-flight-
Washington 3-4 ?

2-eventually, is it worth to see any city between Chicago and
Washington, as Detroit,Columbus, Cleveland, Pittsburgh or others?
3-Because now I need to book the flight to and from Chicago I have as
big doubt:
from Buffalo is cheaper than from Toronto: 111$ last flight at7.45 pm

Is it better to arrive to Buffalo the day before, sleep there (I hoppe
there i san hostel) also to see the falls in the night
or to leave from Toronto early in the morning at 6.45am, arrivino to
Niagara Falls 8.15am?
I read on old posts that it takes more than hour from Niagara to
Buffalo airport ( bus#40 till Buffalo trasportation center then #240,
even if I can't understand the time schedule suhttp://www.nfta.com/metro/schedules_pdfs/204.pdfhttp://www.nfta.com/metro/schedules_pdfs/40.pdfbecause I don't
understand which ones are the bus stop!)

4-New York: are the main things in manhattan to see? Is good to stay
there?
because I can't realize the distances, even if I stay tehere is it
cheaper to buy a weekly metrocard for 21$ o buy single tickets whwn I
need it? bus and train station are in manhattan ?

5-Which is a very good trip from big cities that you would recommend
me (that I could do with a 1-2 day tour) that REALLY WORTH IT do?
For example I read about Cape Cod or New England? or about Tadoussac.
can I see the whales about 20th May?
6- Is Ottawa worth it, being on the way?

Thanks

I have been to all of the places you are considering.

Ottawa is definately worth it, one of the most interesting places to
visit. I don't know when the whales are in Tadoussac but there is a
Whaling museum there and even if there are no whales a boat trip up
the Sagueney River is fantastic. I think you should google Tadoussac
and there should be some information. Chicago is an amazing city, but
I agree with others that you should consider it for another time.
Chicago has great museums but so do Ottawa, Philadelphia, Boston, NYC
and Washington and you will be city'd out by the time you visit
Chicago. Flights are definately cheaper from Buffalo/Niagara than
from Toronto so you should try to fly from there. Toronto is worth a
few days and Montreal is also worth about 2 days (don't miss the
botanical gardens jardin botanique. Quebec is worth 2 days but
there are other places nearby worth visiting such as Montmorency
Falls, St Anne de Beaupre and Isle D'Orleans . When in NYC, get a week
pass if you are staying that long. It will be well worth it. The
subway system there is quite extensive. Don't miss the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. Do research for other things to see there. You can
stay in Brooklyn, Queens or over the border in New Jersey and still be
a short walk from the subway. Have a great trip.

On 20 Feb, 18:14, (Ed Treijs) wrote:
In article ,

max11 wrote:
I consider your advices!
I'm thinking that it would be worth it to visit the parks,little
cities, villages, nature between and around Quebec and Toronto instead
of visiting only big cities and metropolis (I'm thinking to drop
Chicago and have more days; also I would have not to book flights and
I will be more free: I could do Buffalo-Philadelphia-washington by
bus).

Yes, the countryside and nature parks will be nice in May. (But late May the
black flies can come out.)

Yes, a car is most convenient to do this. Beware that travelling from Quebec
to Toronto and visiting a few parks will be over 1000km. You really want
unlimited kilometres allowed, or a high number.

As I have a car, I have not tried taking buses to small towns or parks. Except
for Victoria Day long weekend (May 17-19) it is still too early for much
vacation service to "cottage country".

But I think moving without a car is much more difficoult so I could:
a)could I rent a smart? I can't find it!

Smarts are premium-priced cars in Canada. Look to rent a "subcompact". This
will be comething like a Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, etc. You may get a larger
car for the same price anyway. With a lot of travel outside of the city, it
will not cost that much more for fuel.

b) It will take more time, but i'll travel by bus or train hoping
thaose place are served by pubblic transport or organized bus tour,
being some tourist I think! Do you know about public transport and bus
tour?

You can search, but I am not aware of any regular tours, especially in May.
("Vacation season" is usually July and August.)

I could ask to the hostels!

c)I could join to some cars with people I will met in hostels.

In hostels and other places where there are budget travellers, there is often a
notice board with rides offered by people who are going places and want to share
cost and often the driving. I have offered rides a few times. The problem is
that you do not know what will be available until you are at the hostel or other
place that has these notices. So you can not make definite plans, and you must
be quite flexible with your times--people offering a ride will usually leave on
their schedule, not yours.

I haven't thought to this!

However, the advantage is that you will be going
with someone who knows local conditions and driving laws (you hope!).

I hope too

If you are thinking of actually renting a car with other travellers, again
you have to find the right travellers! And the decision making may be tricky;
at least if someone is offering a ride they know where they are going so there is less question about where and when to go.

I don't know if this is better or not!

Thanks a lot

On 21 Feb, 09:36, RickCanada wrote:
On Feb 17, 11:59 am, max11 wrote:



Hi at all! I need again your help
I booked the flight on the end of April, my trip will be 40 days and 2
days more for flights.
I'll travel alone, stay in hostels and travel by bus (or train ),
because it's expensive to rent being alone. ( from Buffalo/Toronto-
Chicago and Chicago-Washington by plane)

1- I think the number of days is ok, isn't it? maybe the number for
Boston is too much?
New York 7 days
Philadelphia 2
Boston 4
Montreal 5
Quebec 3
Ottawa 2 ?
Toronto 3
Niagara Falls
-flight- (from Buffalo)
Chicago 4
-flight-
Washington 3-4 ?

2-eventually, is it worth to see any city between Chicago and
Washington, as Detroit,Columbus, Cleveland, Pittsburgh or others?
3-Because now I need to book the flight to and from Chicago I have as
big doubt:
from Buffalo is cheaper than from Toronto: 111$ last flight at7.45 pm

Is it better to arrive to Buffalo the day before, sleep there (I hoppe
there i san hostel) also to see the falls in the night
or to leave from Toronto early in the morning at 6.45am, arrivino to
Niagara Falls 8.15am?
I read on old posts that it takes more than hour from Niagara to
Buffalo airport ( bus#40 till Buffalo trasportation center then #240,
even if I can't understand the time schedule suhttp://www.nfta.com/metro/schedules_pdfs/204.pdfhttp://www.nfta.com/m...I don't
understand which ones are the bus stop!)

4-New York: are the main things in manhattan to see? Is good to stay
there?
because I can't realize the distances, even if I stay tehere is it
cheaper to buy a weekly metrocard for 21$ o buy single tickets whwn I
need it? bus and train station are in manhattan ?

5-Which is a very good trip from big cities that you would recommend
me (that I could do with a 1-2 day tour) that REALLY WORTH IT do?
For example I read about Cape Cod or New England? or about Tadoussac.
can I see the whales about 20th May?
6- Is Ottawa worth it, being on the way?

Thanks

I have been to all of the places you are considering.

Ottawa is definately worth it, one of the most interesting places to
visit. I don't know when the whales are in Tadoussac but there is a
Whaling museum there and even if there are no whales a boat trip up
the Sagueney River is fantastic. I think you should google Tadoussac
and there should be some information. Chicago is an amazing city, but
I agree with others that you should consider it for another time.
Chicago has great museums but so do Ottawa, Philadelphia, Boston, NYC
and Washington and you will be city'd out by the time you visit
Chicago. Flights are definately cheaper from Buffalo/Niagara than
from Toronto so you should try to fly from there. Toronto is worth a
few days and Montreal is also worth about 2 days (don't miss the
botanical gardens jardin botanique. Quebec is worth 2 days but
there are other places nearby worth visiting such as Montmorency
Falls, St Anne de Beaupre and Isle D'Orleans . When in NYC, get a week
pass if you are staying that long. It will be well worth it. The
subway system there is quite extensive. Don't miss the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. Do research for other things to see there. You can
stay in Brooklyn, Queens or over the border in New Jersey and still be
a short walk from the subway. Have a great trip.

A lot of helpful advices, thanks!

Quebec is worth 2 days but
there are other places nearby worth visiting such as Montmorency
Falls, St Anne de Beaupre and Isle D'Orleans .


Might be worth renting a car for 1 day or 2 to drive to these places and
further east to Charlevoix area. Baie St-Paul and Ile aux coudres are
nice coutryside.

4-New York: are the main things in manhattan to see? Is good to stay
there?

I've always stayed in Manhattan. More expensive but I prefer to be
closer, not having to bother about missing the last train if I go out late.

Some things worth seeing in NYC:
Empire State Building or Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center). The
Empire State Buiding is taller but you will also have nice views from
Top of The Rock. Each of these cost around $20.

Times Squa really worth seeing by day or night. If you're willing to
spend about $10 for a drink, go to the lounge at the Marriott Hotel.
It's on the 8th floor and gives a different view of Times Square. And it
sounds quiet when you look at the animation and crowd on the street.

Brooklyn Bridge: there's a pedestrian walkway over the cars level.
You'll get nice views of downtown, the river and Brooklyn. If you take
the time to walk it all long, you can also walk around Brooklyn Civice
Center and Booklyn Heights. There is a nice park along the East River.