Questions about a US Trip

[Eli]

A completely unexpected turn of events is likely to leave me with a few months of spare time before a 6 years long military service - time which I want to use for a nice long trip abroad.

My first requirement is civilization. Central & South America, the Far East, all being extremely popular destinations - are out. I couldn't care less for beaches, trekking and parties.

The second requirement is an English speaking population. I don't want to walk around like an outcast, not understanding a thing.

The third requirement is money and that's what I need Poly for (advice, not the money itself ).

Also, the trip has to be relatively long - 4 to 8 weeks. I've been on enough 1 week trips to here and there and that's not enough. I want immersion.

So I'm left with Western Europe, which is closer and it's easy enough to get around there with English, and the US East Coast which is farther away but without English problems at all. Also, I think I'll enjoy the US much more.

So back to the question of money -
Hotels - I don't need more than a room with a clean bed, a toilet and a shower. Another important thing is the ability to change plans quickly. I don't want to schedule all my hotel stays two months ahead. What are my options? What type of places should I be looking for and how much do they cost?

Food - How much will I have to pay for a month of food? As long as it's clean and reasonably healthy, I'm ok with it. But no McDonalds every day.

Transportation - I'm focusing on cities and the attractions they have to offer, so what are the costs of intracity travel? How much an average day of using the NY Subway will cost me?

Another question is weather - Since I'm focusing on cities some rain and cold weather are not much of a problem, but I don't want it to get too cold or too rainy. So looking on DC and everything to the north of it - what is the time period in which I can still enjoy myself? (does it even snow in NY?)

[DinoDoc]

So looking on DC and everything to the north of it

[LordShiva]

DC PolyMeet

Otherwise go to India

[Alexander's Horse]

why don't you just come out and ask for free accommodation?

[Eli]

I forgot to ask the most important question of all:

How fast will I be able to arrange all that? My month off might be November - is that even possible?

[Alexander's Horse]

someone put him out of his misery and offer him a free room

[Japher]

don't go to the NE in Novemeber! It's too cold!

[OzzyKP]

You definitely have time.

As for prices... if you want to go ultra cheap I can give you tips. But I assume you don't want to rough it, so anything beyond the bare minimum in prices I"m not the one to ask.

But I echo LS: DC Polymeet.

[Lorizael]

Originally posted by Japher
don't go to the NE in Novemeber! It's too cold!

Hardly. Haven't you heard? It's global warming now.

[Donegeal]

Tell that to the 12 feet of snow they got last year...

[Lorizael]

Who's they?

Seriously, it's not all that cold in the Northeast. DC almost never gets snow, and my Bostonian friends kept complaining last year about how they were getting less snow than DC.

Now, if you head on up to Maine... or if you're sitting next to Lake Erie... things might be different.

[Patroklos]

So looking on DC and everything to the north of it - what is the time period in which I can still enjoy myself?

Enjoy yourself? In the North? In the Winter?

[Jon Miller]

It doesn't really get cold in the DC area, for the most part.

DC didn't even get snow one year, I think. I can only remember it getting a decent amount of snow once, at that was in Jan or Feb or something.

If you can get over here in Nov, then you are fine as far as time goes... I know I would need a passport and Visa, stuff which would take a while to get.

Umm, you probably can get decent hotels with a day's notice, or not even that. Also, DC to Boston is one of the few areas one can just go with public transportation.

JM

[Ramo]

Unless you have a ton of cash to burn, hosteling is the way to go...

[lord of the mark]

Re: Questions about a US Trip

[QUOTE] Originally posted by Eli

The second requirement is an English speaking population. I don't want to walk around like an outcast, not understanding a thing.

You might want to brush up your Spanish for DC or NY

So back to the question of money -
Hotels - I don't need more than a room with a clean bed, a toilet and a shower. Another important thing is the ability to change plans quickly. I don't want to schedule all my hotel stays two months ahead. What are my options? What type of places should I be looking for and how much do they cost?

Look up the American Youth Hostel Federation. Some reasonably nice places, esp outside the largest cities. An International Youth Hostel Fed membership might be good.

NYC is expensive no matter how you crack it. Surely though, you must have someone you know at no more than a few removes who lives there. Do you have any contacts with Ultra O Israelis? In Borough Park Brooklyn theres a word of mouth network where people with extra rooms will give the room free to someone whos tied closely to someone they know, and you might be able to network into it.

Food - How much will I have to pay for a month of food? As long as it's clean and reasonably healthy, I'm ok with it. But no McDonalds every day.

NYC has lots of street foods cheap. DC has a lot of ethnic places, but not that cheap. If you stay at a hostel you can prepare some of your own food.

In general food is going to vary from place to place. IE the real local cheap eats opportunities will be different in different cities.

I dont know if "Lets Go USA!" is still around. They tend to be oriented towards college students, and will list hostels, cheap eats, etc.

Transportation - I'm focusing on cities and the attractions they have to offer, so what are the costs of intracity travel? How much an average day of using the NY Subway will cost me?

Couple of dollars, I guess. Pretty reasonable fares compared to DC.

Another question is weather - Since I'm focusing on cities some rain and cold weather are not much of a problem, but I don't want it to get too cold or too rainy. So looking on DC and everything to the north of it - what is the time period in which I can still enjoy myself? (does it even snow in NY?)

No consistent rainy season any where in the NE. It will rain when it rains.

NYC can get snow anytime from mid December to mid March or so. But its occasional - no more than a few snow storms a year - NYC at Christmas/Hanukkah time can be bitter cold, but it still draws swarms of tourists then.

Autumn in NY is lovely - and November, although the leaves have fallen, can show NYC beautifully, with clear crisp air. Thanksgiving in NYC (late November) is one of my favorite times.


As you go south from NY it gets slightly milder. DC is even a better choice for December than NYC. Unless you HAVE to see the christmas decorations at Rockefeller Center.