nyc-boston

We%26#39;re heading to NYC for Christmas and New Year this year. We plan to take 5-6 days from Boxing Day onward to tour outside NYC - our thoughts are hiring a car and heading to Boston, Cape Cod and Long Island and then coming back to NYC and catching a train/plane down to DC for a day and a night.

We%26#39;re from a warm climate (Queensland in Australia) so we are looking forward to the cold weather, but does anyone have any advice on what and what not to do with this plan?

nyc-boston

The drive from NYC to Boston is 4 hours, so is very ';doable';, BUT the cost to park that rental car in Boston will be close to $40 a day. You may want to consider taking the bus instead (Greyhound or Bolt) or even the train (Amtrak), although more expensive.

Washington is an 8 hour ride from Boston, more via the train. Wouldn%26#39;t go for just one day, as there%26#39;s much to see there.

AlanM

nyc-boston

we were keen on the rental car so that we had the freedom to stop along the way and explore as we saw points of interest.

i wish we had more time in both areas. we%26#39;re torn between wanting to explore north, but really don%26#39;t want to miss DC, even if its just for a flying visit!

will it be hard to book last minute accom at that time of the year?

I think your time is probably better spent just driving down to DC from New York. On the other hand, if you are really interested in experiencing cold weather, maybe you should drive up north to Bretton Woods and spend a day learning to ski (Bretton Woods is a particularly good place for absolute beginners to learn to ski - you can get a package with skis and boots and a lesson). I spent a day with a guy from Melbourne once learning to ski in New Hampshire (at Loon Mountain) - it was a lot of fun - he had never even walked on ice before.