ideas for itinerary from richmond va to new york, please!

hello everyone,

this year I%26#39;ll be travelling to the US for the first time, for a wedding in richmond. from monday 29 june to friday 3 july, I will have time to travel the distance to new york, and I thought of renting a car for a few days but make the final leg into new york on the train. can anyone recommend this, and more particularly, what to see en route?

thanks ever so much!

steph

ideas for itinerary from richmond va to new york, please!

Are you more interested in seeing things in cities, or, more natural attractions? Are you interested in American history?

There%26#39;s a lot to see in Washington DC. Give me an idea of your interests and I%26#39;ll try to come up with specifics. I drive that route regularly, so I know of a number of things along a number of possible routes to NYC from Richmond.

You%26#39;ll probably want to drop the car off at Newark airport and take the train into the city. Check the auto rental companies for one-way drop-off fees in addition to the daily rates.

ideas for itinerary from richmond va to new york, please!

dear 22Tango,

thank you so much for replying to my thread! I would like to see a couple of pretty (typical American, if such a thing still exists) towns, but while in VA, also like to see more of the countryside and natural attractions, since I will be spending nearly a week in NY subsequently. I don%26#39;t know much about American history to begin with, admittedly, so that is probably not a priority; how America used to be just around the time the settlers arrived and the changes that brought would be of interest, though.

I%26#39;d like the drive to go via a route that is pretty and offers some stops, either for, as you say, natural attractions and other picturesque places, a nice cafe, a quirky museum or suchlike.

Is four days a realistic timetable? If you have any recommendations for budget accomodation on the way, that would be greatly appreciated, too!

In Washington, maybe some history, a photo exhibition or something with a view would be nice, but I%26#39;m open to suggestions. I like stuff off the trodden path, in general.

I will look into oneway car rentals - dropping off at a large airport like Newark sounds a bit daunting, anything else a bit further out that would be a good drop-off?

thanks again :)

I%26#39;ve only got a few minutes today, so I%26#39;m going to give myself another day to think about ideas for your itinerary. I did want to say that I recommended the Newark Airport as a good place to drop off the car on the way to NYC for several reasons: 1) it%26#39;s very easy to get to, and very easy to find out where to go to drop-off your rental car; signs for rental car drop-off are prominent as you get off the highway and enter the airport area, 2) because airport locations are high-volume, one-way drop-off charges are often much less, and 3) the proximity of the rental drop-off to convenient and frequent public transportation to NYC.

I%26#39;ll give you specifics when I have a few more minutes. You will have to be paying attention so you don%26#39;t miss a turn-off and if you%26#39;ll have a navigator that will help, but driving in northern NJ and other urban areas you need to have your wits about you just about anywhere.

Hi Steph!

Have you thought about taking the train (Amtrak) from Richmond to DC, then on to NYC? Would save you having to pay a drop-off fee for your rental car, plus you would not have to fight traffic. The Metro (';Tube'; to you)in DC makes it easy to get around. For places to stay, go on the DC (District of Columbia) site on trip advisor and ask some locals. I know you should avoid staying in NE and SE areas as they are are ';rough';. In DC, there is a plethora of museums at the Smithsonian - ';www.si.edu'; - including art, aviation, American Indian, American history, aviary, etc.(The Hope Diamond is there, as well) I%26#39;d also recomment the Holocaust Museum which is moving, but graphic (www.ushmm.org), the Spy Museum and, of course, all of the national monuments - The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Viet Nam Memorial - all within walking distance of each other. DC also has a great zoo.

My favorite thing in NYC is the Tenement Museum on the lower East Side. You can tour three apartments from different eras and see how immigrants lived. One apt. of an Italian family has a recorded narration by the lady who actually lived there as a child. Makes it come to life.

Please write back with more questions!

I hope you will have a fabulous time!

Kathryn

I just noticed that your timeline includes the weekend of July 4th, which may make things more interesting. More traffic, little more crowded at attractions, etc. Might take that into account. Also, something I found interesting was going to Monticello near Charlottesville, Va. for the 4th itself. It%26#39;s about an hour west of Richmond. This was Thomas Jefferson%26#39;s home,is open to the public and is interesting in it%26#39;s own right. But especially on the 4th when they have a naturalization ceremony to swear in new citizens and welcome them to the USA. Pretty incredible to watch. (Last year I believe the oath was given by John Roberts, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.) You could then head up Rt. 29 towards DC, which is a pretty scenic route, small towns, etc.

Yes, Charlottesville is rated for its quality of life, mountain scenery, and sophistication, as one of the best small cities in the USA to live. It is near a fast motorway, and worth a detour to go there. Visiting ';Monticello'; the mountaintop home of Thomas Jefferson there, is a treat.

Williamsburg (Virginia) is world-famous as a completely rebuilt 1-mile long, 18th century town from the colonial period with authentic costumed re-enactors and ambience. The town also has ';Busch Gardens'; which is considered the most beautiful amusement park in the USA.

There are countless free museums and cultural attractions in Washington D.C. - you will surely want to spend several days there. Annapolis (Maryland) is another beautiful 18th century city with quaint, narrow streets, a maritime ambience, and hourly walking tours of the U.S. Naval Academy.

Lancaster County (Pennsylvania) is famous for its thousands of devout Amish and Mennonite farm families, who dress plainly, and live without automobiles, electricity, or any other modern conveniences. There are many facilities for tourists in that area - you can even book a dinner at an Amish family home and visit with them, if you inquire.

Well...you CAN take the train all the way from Richmond to NYC...I do it regularly. But then you are definitely not visiting small towns, natural attractions, or getting off the beaten path. The RR line from Richmond to NYC IS the beaten path. It stops in the larger cities along the way, like DC, and if that%26#39;s what you%26#39;re looking for, that might be the way to go.

But if you%26#39;re up for it, there%26#39;s plenty to see between Richmond and NYC. I%26#39;ll give you a %26#39;western route%26#39; and if you want I can think of an %26#39;eastern route%26#39;.

I%26#39;m assuming you%26#39;ve got 4 nights...starting Monday, arriving at Newark airport on Friday.

If you head west from Richmond on I-64, I would go to Charlottesville, a little over an hour away. You can visit Thomas Jefferson%26#39;s home, Monticello, and then visit the downtown mall in Charlottesville, with its many interesting shops and restaurants. Spend the night.

Next morning, leave and go west again on I-64 or Rt 250 to Shenandoah National Park. I recommend you pick up a lunch in Charlottesville on your way out of town. Enter the park and go north on Skyline Drive. Spend the day driving along the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Stop at overlooks that interest you. Now you%26#39;ve got a choice: when you get to Front Royal, at the end of Skyline Drive, you can head toward Washington DC, if you want all the things the Capital has to offer (and there%26#39;s enough there to keep you busy for a week if you had it), or if you want to avoid big cities and stay off the beaten path as you say, head toward Frederick MD. There%26#39;s plenty of places to stay in either location. Frederick has a charming downtown that is lively in the evenings in summer. If you go to DC, don%26#39;t get any closer to DC than somewhere in Arlington. If you choose DC, you may want to spend at least 2 or even 3 days there. In that case, you%26#39;ll be taking the most direct route to Newark Airport, I-95 to NJ Turnpike. If you%26#39;re on the %26#39;off the beaten path%26#39; route, you%26#39;ll be ready to move on the next day for more countryside and small towns.

If you%26#39;re moving on, I would head toward Pottstown, PA one of my favorite towns in Pennsylvania. There%26#39;s Amish country to visit outside Lancaster on the way, or Gettysburg if you want the American Civil War. Spend the night in Pottstown.

Next day, take Rt 422 to King of Prussia, stop at Valley Forge, where George Washington spent a famous winter during the American Revolution. Then go east on the PA Turnpike (Rt 276) to Hatboro, then head north on Rt 263 toward New Hope PA, and within walking distance across the bridge, Lambertville NJ. Lots of touristy boutiques, restaurants, yes, but beautiful countryside and two very charming towns, across the Delaware River from each other. You can walk back and forth across the bridge. Spend the night in that area.

Next morning, your trip is coming to an end...take Rt 202 to I-78 to Newark Airport, and turn in your car. Take the free Airtrain which has stations right outside most of the rental drop-off offices to Newark/Liberty airport train station.

http://www.panynj.gov/airtrainnewark/

What you do next depends upon where you%26#39;re headed for in NYC. If I%26#39;m going downtown, I usually take the PATH train to World Trade Center (yes, they still call the station that, even though the towers are gone). If I%26#39;m going to mid-town, take the NJ Transit to Penn Station, which puts you around 33rd St. Tickets are available by machine or at the counter in the train station.

I hope you enjoy your trip...let me know if you like this itinerary or if you want me to come up with an %26#39;east of the beaten path%26#39; route.

22Tango, That is such a great route %26amp; itinerary, I saved it for myself to use. Thanks for sharing it.

22Tango, I did the same thing as goneagain...good info to keep.

Northernbynature, I don%26#39;t know if you%26#39;d be interested in a side trip along the plantations routes 5 and 10, going SE from Richmond and perhaps a visit to Williamsburg.

wow, guys, these are all great tips and have given me a lot to read up on! I%26#39;ll need a few days to look into a few things (and luckily I have a few more months to plan properly!). I was in touch with another friend who suggested williamsburg, annapolis, mt vernon, baltimore, pine barrens to philly and princeton and after reading other posts answered by tango22, I already had my eye on the national park!

sinehat, I%26#39;ll already be in NY for 4 july, so I%26#39;ll have to find something celebratory there, even though that ceremony at monticello sounds very intriguing!

kathryn, thanks for the museum tips, again, I%26#39;ll have to look at those more closely.

marylandmist, lancaster country sounds interesting, but are there ever concerns the amish feel like they%26#39;re animals in a zoo?

explorer3, what are plantation routes?

tango22, thank you thank you thank you, now I%26#39;m no longer worried I won%26#39;t know what to do with my time and the planning can start! I%26#39;ll let you know in the next few weeks where I am and hop you don%26#39;t mind if I contact you again if I get stuck on something!

beauty