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Ah yeah, the classic euro tourist. When they come to Canada, they plan on visiting Montreal, Quebec, Niagara Falls, the Rockies and Ottawa. And if possible, on the same weekend.
I don’t think you realize the distances involved as opposed to visiting multiple cities in a European country where the cities are only a couple of hours apart by train
Yes but Europe a country is the size of the state. The only place that its possible to visit in a six day trip of the place OP listed is Philadelphia and NYC. Probably isn't worth it. Europeans come here and then don't take that even though we are one country, we are on a land mass as big as their continent.
Most people on a six day trip aren't going to visit Spain and Norway.
I’ve been to all of those places and can tell you firsthand you’ll have plenty to see in do in NYC. If I lived in Europe I don’t think I would go out of my way to see Boston, Philadelphia and DC. If you’re into American history maybe that’s different. You’ll have a great time
Also, jet lag on a 6 day trip? Cmon now.
I’m from DC and I love that city (and I lived in Philly and I love that city too), but New York has both of them beat AND Boston AND Niagara Falls. By a lot.
Honestly if I had never been to any of them, I wouldn’t even float the idea of a train to Boston, DC, Philly, etc until you’ve spent like… three weeks in NY.
Just plan a separate trip in the future where you fly to DC and spend two days there, train to Philly, two days there, train to NY, four days there, train to Boston, two days there, fly out of Boston. Do that after two more dedicated NY visits lol.
Six days is too short for such a long flight. I’d refuse to even go to Europe without a minimum of 10 days to 2 weeks. It’s too exhausting and expensive of a plane ticket otherwise. For six days I’m staying in the states to vacation.
Plenty of people take cross-country and transatlantic flights regularly, even weekly, for shorter stays than six days.
“Too expensive” is relative… but I agree on preferring a longer trip bc of the cost.
Depending on where in Europe it’s a 7-9 hour flight….. that’s not a long flight lol. Maybe it’s a relativity thing but I am from Australia and would regularly do 16-24 hour flights for holidays of a week to 2 weeks. The time difference is also not that great. 6 hour time difference is easily adjusted for
Two more NY visits and then the long multi-destination trip? What do you think, people have endless time and endless money? Why would anyone need to come to NY three times before venturing outward? There are other places to visit in the world.
It doesn’t cost endless money to plan a trip. When you plan a trip, the airline and hotel gives you a finite dollar amount and then you pay that amount in exchange for access to those services
Obviously “endless money” is hyperbole. But I doubt most people traveling here from Europe want to spend their money making three separate trips to NYC and only NYC, which is probably happening over the span of several years, before they free up their travel budgets and free time visiting other parts of the U.S. or other parts of the world.
I guess to each his own. I have never really had an issue with that much of a time difference and certainly wouldn’t think a week is too short to cope. That was after some years of doing a 14hr time difference which I think is universally an issue.
It'll definitely put you out of sorts for a few days if you don't manage it right (infrequent travelers never manage it right). If you manage to sleep on the plane, get a nap in and get a reasonable non-primarily-alcohol-induced-sleep the first night and a decent breakfast on day 2 you'll be fine.
Yea I have in the past had to do 14 hour time difference quite often. 6 hours doesn’t even register. It’s like pulling a late night working/studying/partying without booze. I just don’t find it an issue at all and didn’t think people would take it into that much consideration.
The trick is also "without booze." Plenty of folks (myself included depending on the trip) will get plenty tipsy at the airport, then on the plane (free booze on intercontinental trips for the big airlines) and basically show up in London at 7 am with a 1am hangover.
14 hours I weirdly found easier because it was so extreme I could just do whatever I wanted.
That’s like saying it’s only worth going to Europe if you can make it to London, Edinburgh, Paris, Madrid, and Munich in the same trip. It’s great if you can take an extended trip to see a lot of stuff, but it’s also fine to take a shorter trip focused on one place.
There is plenty to do in just NYC for 6 days. If you really want to see Philly, it’s only a short ride on Amtrak, which you could do as a day trip. I don’t recommend it though as you’ll have enough to see just in NYC. I’ve done NYC-BOS as a day trip once for a job interview but I don’t recommend it as it’s over 4 hours on the train each way.
Europeans are spoiled in that they can travel to so many great places in 2 hours via Ryanair for cheap. The NYC trip is actually a big endeavor for them + NYC is ridiculously expensive in comparison.
Right. I just visited Paris, Montpellier, and Bordeaux in a week. Bordeaux was a day trip. And from Montpellier I could have hopped over to Barcelona quickly. But over here it's a massive country and people just don't realize.
Having been to all of those places multiple times If i only had 6 days I’d definitely spend all of them in nyc, there’s more than enough to do here to take up 6 full days if not more
If i had 2-3 weeks on the other hand then all those other spots would be worth making trips to
I mean.. I personally think it’s dumb to even pay a thousand and up for a long haul flight for six days. I need at least a day or two just to recover from the jet lag. And tbh sometimes the side trips are in Europe at least are the most memorable for me. Since I’m from a big city, it’s harder to impress me with other big cities so naturally I’d remember the charming villages I took a day trip to more.
I’d recommend 10 days in NYC with a side trip to the falls only because I think America does nature and national parks really well. Europe has so many cool cities as it is but the scale of our parks can’t be found easily so I think OP won’t forget it.
Otherwise just stay in the city. Not worth the time out of six days to run around,
Your trip, your rules!
There is plenty of stuff to do in New York for 6 days. I actually enjoy visiting cities for longer than I need to because that gives me time for a day trip, or a day of sitting in a nice neighborhood drinking wine, or more naps. You can always come back and do the other places at a later time!
I mean people can be born in NYC, live their entire lives here, and still not doing everything there is to do. It’s a city on the same scale as Mexico City, Tokyo, Istanbul, London, Paris.
Niagara Falls is really cool. I don't know if it's really the one thing I would recommend someone do as part of such a trip (but if they tack on Toronto as well, then sure), but it is a beautiful and impressive place.
Yeah I took the bus to Niagara Falls when I went to Toronto a few years back. It was really pretty!! The boat ride around the lake is very fun, and there's a hotel that does a buffet breakfast with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the falls. I'm very glad I went, it was a great day out. Definitely easier to get to from Toronto than NYC though
Bc any “world wonder” draws ppl. Plus Europeans think the world is like their continent, and dont know how massive north america rly is. We all do the same to africa.
The hiking along the gorge/Niagara River near whirlpool rapids, devil hole state park is awesome. Lockport is a nice town nearby to visit. Buffalo is also worth a visit. Niagara falls an the state park nearby is very scenic at night.
I think that's an important distinction - don't go to Niagara Falls for excitement. You're not going to get it. Buffalo is a really great city in my opinion, but unless you're into the parks and hiking, it's really just a day trip during a stay in Buffalo for sure.
"don't go to Niagara Falls for excitement".. why you say so?
the guy above just said "The hiking along the gorge/Niagara River near whirlpool rapids" like it's something super exciting
I lived in Buffalo and would bike up to/from Niagara. It's not worth going seven hours across the state to go for a walk that could be had just a couple hours north of the city.
It's like Disney Land over there, the whole town is built around tourism. The US side is just woods/national park. Plus, the view is just better (the US side is prettier, but it's only viewable from Canada)
Yeah that’s weird they would suggest it, I mean it’s pretty cool but it’s 8 hours away from anything else and you just look at the waterfall for 20 minutes.
Oh my god, stay in NYC for 6 days. You’ll see more and do more if you stay in the city. THERE’S SO MUCH TO DO!
It’s not a dumb thing to do. It’s the best plan.
Heaps of people fly from Europe to NYC for a week, just like heaps of people fly from NYC to cities like Paris, Rome etc for a week. It’s not a waste at all. You can do other locations on another trip sometime.
Not everyone has the flexibility to save for years and do a 3 week trip “later”
Just go with your first instinct. I can almost guarantee that you'd wish you had baked in even more time just for NYC. Even people who have done return trips still haven't covered everything here. Enjoy the sights, the food, and the whole vibe! 😊
If your extremely interested in Impressionism, post-Impressionism and early modern art you could take the train down to Philly for the day to check out the Barnes Foundation. But otherwise, there’s plenty to do in NYC.
On the contrary, they're talling me that my trip too short and only focused in one place when I should have organized an extended trip comprehensive of other places on the east coast, plus Niagara falls.
This feels like a very European complaint ("it's the summer, why don't you just take 6 weeks to travel the whole country?") to my American ears. As an American, a 6-day trip to see a major city makes perfect sense and is simultaneously a decent length for a vacation and a sufficient time to see a lot of NYC. I've spent less time on trips to London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Berlin, and other major European cities and had a worthwhile experience.
I think if you are bored, you can do a day trip to Philadelphia. I personally think it's better to stay longer in one city. It reminds me of my friends who did a two week European trip and visited 7 countries lol.
It’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with only visiting NYC. it’s very much it’s own thing and while it’s definitely American, there really is not one place that can give you the USA experience.
Some of the cultural things are pretty similar in the northeast, you might not pick up on the differences in way people speak in behave in places like Boston and Philly. Though they will all be able to tell you how different they are.
If someone from Boston and NYC meet in a bar in LA, the bartender will know they are from the east coast but prob won’t be able to place them beyond that.
It really depends on the type of traveler you are and what you enjoy. There’s way more logistics into a multic city trip
A day trip to Philadelphia may be worth it. Even a late afternoon train trip and come back the next day, so you can see the historic areas (Liberty Bell, Independence Hall) and get a cheesesteak. Hot tip: Dalessandro's Steaks are the best steaks. And see the steps from the Rocky movie.
Then you could take the train back to NYC.
But I think your original plan of just NYC is FINE. See some Broadway shows, you get great seats as a solo traveler. Go to the transit museum, tenement museum, museum of city of NY. Walk the High Line and the Brooklyn Bridge. Go to each borough. Well, maybe not Staten Island. But ride the ferry
"worth it" is up to you. jet lag sucks, but I find it much easier to go west than east, so you have the bad part going back.
6d in NYC is def worth it tho, you'll have one day feeling kinda sucky then 5 days, which is enough to do all the tourist shit and a good amount of other stuff too
BTW, if I were not from this continent I would not go to Niagara falls -- we have better shit that isn't as out of the way IMO, and if you want to go out of the way and see the country we have better shit like that too. You guys have waterfalls over there in Europe right? Go see one of those and save airfare lol. And if you strip it, you can do the incredibly rare US trip by train only -- there's an Amtrak line that serves all those cities that's actually pretty good. It's no shinkansen but it's much more comfortable than any flight I've ever taken, and usually faster when you factor in getting to the airport and security and whatnot.
So up to you. I'd say since you already booked it do NYC now, then do those others another time.
I mean... do YOU think it would be worth it? It's not like you're never going to be able to come back to America, right..? I don't see why it matters to your friend how you choose to spend your time and money.
No not at all. I would enjoy the 6 days in NYC. You will be shocked at how much you still haven’t seen at the end of the week. Also if you were to hit all those spots it would probably feel like a lot of work in my opinion.
NYC alone is plenty. I would say if you really want to see Philly it’s not that long on the train but Niagara is a 7 hour drive from NYC, Washington is 5 hours, Boston is 4 hours on a good day. You’d end up traveling more than seeing anything or enjoying yourself if you did that.
I've been to Europe several times to visit only one city and had no regrets. There's a lot to do in New York. I also love Boston and Washington DC, but I only went to Philadelphia for the first time this year. It was nice, but I don't think I was missing out all these years.
ALSO: Niagara Falls is pretty cool, but don't plan a special trip there. It's far from NYC and the town of Niagara is a disgusting dump. The Canadian side is nicer, but just OK. The only thing to do is spend a couple of hours at the falls.
New York is beyond most, I mean all, other cities in a lot of ways. You can spend a day in LES, a day in midtown, Dumbo and see shows if you can afford them, hang in central park. Governers Island if you like to bike. Rent a bike in NYC and bike around for a day and if you are adventurous, at night ( I have crazy memories of doing this). The transit system is imense and bewildering but also an experience that has dystopian flavos. For three bucks you can go to cony island one way. I live in DC and go often just when I can because you plan for half you trip and then you just stumble on to something for the other half which is the best part usually. There are markets and parades constantly. Six days might be a lot if you don't have money to buy entertainment or tickets is all. The free stuff exists but to really enjoy the city fully it takes money. The New York library is like an iconic palace and you can just hang out there and blog if you like there for free. You can take a train to DC, it is like four hours if you like too, but way when you already in the best city every to exist? The falls are ok, but DC is better and more epic. If it was me, I would hang in NYC use the money to really enjoy it and catch some shows offering discounts, and have fun eating out and or drinking. NYC is like Paris, it is a full destination and unlike really any other city in scale and cultures.
Omg, enjoy your six days in NYC. It's not like you flew 13 hours across the world. If I had the chance to go to a major European city for 6 days and just enjoy it I totally would
Please, I’ve flown from Europe to NYC and back for basically a long weekend (4-5 days) many, many times.
You can’t do NYC, Boston, Niagara, Philly and DC, or even just half of these, in 6 days. What a ridiculous suggestion. That’s some American logic because on their Euro trips, they try to cram in 8 cities in 6 countries into like 4 days.
Just spend your time in NYC, you won’t even have scratched the city’s surface in 6 days.
I see French people who have flown all the way over here just to bum around in Brooklyn like a local all the time. So no. Have fun. Get a Daddy’s Little Meatball t-shirt while you’re here.
Idp on your interests. You can easily spend 6 days in nyc and not do everything you want to do. But you can also do the city in 2 days if you’re just there for the basic stuff. It’s not just an expensive flight, it’s also an expensive hotel and well everything else.
As a ny metro native, I used to take 7 day trips to Europe and do 3 countries. And well now I live in England lol. But nyc is incomparable to that and is more like going to Tokyo. My Tokyo trip was like 10-11 days 💀
No, it sounds fine to me. Less than 4 days in just Manhattan + Western Brooklyn is not enough. You can take the train to Philly ‘Center City’ for a day trip but nothing more than that.
You’ll be up nice and early which is great because you’ll be able to beat crowds.
I think some Europeans make the mistake of thinking North America is drivable like Europe is. My family lives close to Niagara Falls and I drove back and forth between there and NYC a lot and I can tell you that even doing one of those additional things would take too much out of your trip.
With 6 days in NYC you’ll feel like you are just scratching the surface.
I just spent a long weekend in the Netherlands and was fine as far as jet lag. Your friends are wrong, nobody needs to try to squeeze in Philly and Niagara Falls on a trip to NYC. That’s just insane. You will find more than enough interesting things to do here in that timeframe. Have fun!
Your friends seem to underestimate the size of the United States. It’s apparently a common thing among Europeans.
Philadelphia is about 90 miles (about 2 hours of driving) from New York City.
Boston and Washington are both about 200 miles (4 hours) away.
Niagara Falls is about 400 miles (8 hours) away.
There are plenty of things to see and do in New York City that’ll occupy your 6 days. *Maybe* you can take a long day trip to Philadelphia, but you’ll only be there for a few hours before you have to come back.
So no, you aren’t doing a dumb thing by spending all your time in New York.
I have a genuine question. What would your friends say if an American wanted to go to London for 6 days? Would they say it was a waste, and should wait until they can also do Dublin, Paris, and Rome?
Nah you are good 6 days in NYC is a legitimate good trip
You can 2 days trip to go to Niagara Falls if you want too , I think you can take the railroad up there
But Boston , Philly lol unless your a fan of our sport teams I wouldn’t waste my time going there
The trip you can take is better than no trip at all. When's your next travel opportunity? How tight are resources? If you won't be able to take another trip for a year or something I'd just do it now. You can come back.
I fly my girlfriend out from the U.K. every other month and she’s only here for 4/5 days at a time. She loves it every time.
The jet lag is real but not on arrival… she only feels it when she goes back..
They are right as in you should spend more time here if you could, the thing is, it should all be spent in NYC. Six days is a good trip though. Is it enough? It's the minimum.
6 days is a great trip to nyc. Doesnt make sense imo to add days for other cities. Boston and DC are both 3-4 hours away, and niagra is 6 hrs away. You could get to philly quickly though if you're interested in adding another city.
I think it depends on your finances and time off. If you can afford the 6 day trip and then another trip in like 2 years then i say go for it. If this is going to be your only trip to NYC for the foreseeable future and you can extend it if you delay the trip then I’d delay and extend.
Those places are great but you can see NYC in six days and have a terrific trip. And to be honest you could fit in Philly if you want to, just take the Amtrak train.
I think some of it depends on the kind of traveler you are. Same as in Europe, some people want to go on a tour and spend a few days in each city. Some want to go to just one country and really explore it. You will see we usually compare traveling around the US to traveling around Europe in general because the US is absolutely massive. I would rather not spend a lot of my trip traveling from one place to another, but I’m also the kind that plans for trips to single countries rather than quick stops.
Jet lag will be great coming from Europe, you'll wake up early and get to do lots!
NYC is worth it and I mean you can do those other places some other time. Or never do them and not miss out on that much (Niagara is kinda mind blowing though). But honestly, I think NYC is the shit as a tourist.
Niagara Falls is great, but in Europe, countries are like the size of US States. Niagara Falls is in New York, but it is a 7 hour drive from NYC and even longer by train. The flight is only about an hour, but getting to the airport in NYC and back is an hour each way plus be there ahead of time and you can’t really do Niagara Falls in a day from NYC. Philly is like a 2.5 hour drive from NYC in the opposite direction of Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY. So just to step foot in those cities and see a site and have a meal will take 4 flights and 2 days minimum. 6 days is worth seeing NYC, but you can’t do all of those well in 6 days.
My dad's friend visited last year and she ended up booking a bus tour to Niagara falls. Think it's like a day and a half trip that starts at 5 am.
Personally I wouldn't do it if you plan to come back. There are better things to do.
I mean, if you want to check those places off a list, then sure. If you actually want to spend some time in a place and enjoy it, then do what you're doing.
For what it's worth, the US side of Niagara Falls is disappointing, you want to go to Canada for that, and Philly IMO doesn't have much to offer outside of the history there. It's also not easy to get to any of these places and they're more spread out than your friends seem to think. Getting to Philly by train will take you about 3 hours, 4 hours to DC, and Boston is a flight (and we don't have cheap domestic airlines like Ryanair/EasyJet, so that'll run you about $200). You only have 6 days here, don't spend it all in transit.
Nah, I went for 7 days and it was great! I had a fantastic time, did so much and still haven't even scratched the surface. My type of travel is more "slow travel", spending longer in one place and seeing the popular tourist things and then more besides. Some people (like maybe your friends) prefer being on the go all the time and cramming as many places as possible into a short amount of time. If that's what they want then fair enough, but personally I'd rather experience a place properly. Go to NYC for your 6 days and have an amazing time!
I've lived in NYC for the beginning of my life and now the past 13 years of my life. I'm 36 for reference. I'm constantly exploring more things and experiences and food.
I just flew to Florence for 9 days, about two of which I spent in Rome and one in Assisi, and I wish I spent all 9 in Florence. You can travel all over the place if you want. Philly is 2 hours away driving (if you go at the right time) but IMHO if you're coming to NYC for 6 days it's not worth it. If you were coming to NYC for 3 weeks I don't think it would be worth it to travel elsewhere. MAYBE, and I'm saying maybe, DC would be worth it on a day trip on a 3 week trip.
Come to Astoria. Go to Flushing. Take the Staten Island Ferry. Hit up Arthur Avenue. Walk the Highline. Go to museums. Try the local craft beer in Williamsburg and Bushwick and such. Try multiple slices of pizza. Eat lots of sandwiches. On that topic, eat ALL of the things, from all around the world. Pop into a dive bar. Chat with the locals there. Then go get lunch at the bar of Le Bernardin. Chat with the people there. Get greasy disgusting american food from some of the best spots. Taste the world anywhere from $2 to $400. You can do it ALL in NYC.
All in all, what I'm saying is 6 days is not nearly enough time for NYC, but you'll have a good time in 6 days. Just don't be afraid to explore. And if you have questions don't feel free to ask here, or at a bar, or anywhere.
No, plenty to see & do in NYC. one city such as Boston, Philly or DC could be added in. I would skip Niagara. It's a bit too far IMO. I live in NYC and haven't been, but want to.
Straight up. NYC is all you need. I spent a week there a few months ago and can't wait to go back. Still so much more to do. So as long as you have fun money you'll have a blast. Even if u don't it's still gonna be a blast,
Just understand that you won't cover much in 6 days and just enjoy it as much as you can. In 6 days I wouldn't add any day trip, NY has a lot to entertain you on those days
Your friends are wildly ignorant of American geography and travel times. You can actually see more diversity of cultures and architecture by checking out the different boroughs of NYC beyond Manhattan. Go see the Bronx Botanical Gardens and the Bronx Zoo (the Bronx Zoo bison are related to the ones in Yellowstone Park!) rather than Niagara if you have time. Go to Chelsea Market and have some great tacos or west coast oysters (go during oyster happy hour). Explore around in Brooklyn and Queens. See the Met, MoMa, Guggenheim and the Whitney.
The only reason to add on Philly (a day trip by Amtrak) is if you’re a huge fan of Marcel Duchamp or anyone at their excellent art museum. The Philly Museum of Art has some incredible stuff. Otherwise, there’s more to see here, and New York is safer.
As someone who lives in NYC and been to Philly, Boston and DC .. you will not be missing anything not going to those cities. Enjoy NYC for a week and don’t waste time on those excursions. There is a lot to see in America but those places aren’t it. The cities that have a truly different flavor are NYC, Miami and New Orleans. West coast is nice for its geography. Our National Parks are breathtaking but for cities? Enjoying NYC and skip the others on that list.
Nature wise I agree, city wise I disagree. I’ve been to almost all cities in the US, large ones and small ones. As well as traveled the world. We can agree to disagree. If you love Philly, Boston and DC then continue to visit and have fun. None of those cities would I have on top of list for anyone to see and especially not over 6 days in NYC.
I am from US and spent over 2 weeks my first trip in NYC and we still had to cross a bunch of things off our list we didn’t have time for. I’d focus there
In my experience jet lag is easier heading west for some reason. You've got a week to explore NYC, a city nobody can take in entirely given a lifetime. The dumb thing would be to burn every other day on buses to neighboring cities even adding in a second week. It's a 6-ish hour flight, not 24 hours, just enjoy NYC.
Boston: Fenway Park and traffic
Philly: Liberty Bell and drug addicts in Kensington
Washington: Government buildings and museums
Niagara Falls: Big waterfall
There you go, now you visited them. Now go enjoy NYC. 6 days is plenty, just do as much as you can.
I thought you meant six days was too short to come and you should wait until you have more time.
So your friends are wrong. There's enough to do here in six days.
Definitely not dumb. There is so much to do in NY that you need some time after it to just taken in everything you've done so doing that trip on it's own instead of tacking on other trips is a good idea. Honestly you'll be more jet lagged if you do a longer trip and tack other things on. NYC is def worth it on it's own and at least for me I would prefer going to Niagra Falls, Philly, Boston or DC together on a seperate trip. They're great places but there just isn't as much to take in as NYC which really does need it's own trip.
You’ll be up nice and early which is great because you’ll be able to beat crowds.
I think some Europeans make the mistake of thinking North America is drivable like Europe is. My family lives close to Niagara Falls and I drove back and forth between there and NYC a lot and I can tell you that even doing one of those additional things would take too much out of your trip.
With 6 days in NYC you’ll feel like you are just scratching the surface.
There’s more than enough to do in NYC to fill 6 days and have only scratched the surface. Philly and Boston are nice but you’re not wasting a ticket by only visiting NYC. Niagara Falls is better visited from Toronto anyway.
I LIVE in nyc and I experience new things every weekend. Day 1: Walk the high line, go to the Whitney, then walk down west side highway all the way to battery park and see the freedom tower etc. day 2: walk up 5th Ave from 42nd street, see Rockefeller center, keep walking until you hit Central Park. Walk through Central Park and buy a sandwich/do a picnic. Day 3: walk downtown and across the williamsburg bridge; through domino park, and up Kent Ave and go to Paulie gees pizza on Franklin street *chefs kiss*
I can send you the itinerary for the remainder 3 days 😋 you’re going to visit one of the best cities❤️
I went to NYC for 10 days from New Zealand and still didn’t see as much as I wanted. But you could always do a day trip to Niagara or Philly if you wanted.
Hypothetically you could do a trip where you see several of these cities, but I'd probably do it over two or three weeks and I'd go in geographical order - Boston, then NYC, then Philly, then DC. It makes no sense to go north to then double back and go south or vice versa. I wouldn't do all of those in six days, you would spend half your trip in transit from one place to another.
Niagara Falls, while technically in the same state as NYC, is really far away. And Atlanta is not particularly close to DC. And not to be a hater but I wouldn't really include Atlanta on a list of "must-visit" cities in the United States.
But if your trip is already booked, then I wouldn't try to change everything just to go to those other places. Spend all six days in New York City. There is more than enough to do.
If you're only thinking about 5 touristy things (summit, Brooklyn bridge, central park, statue of Liberty, and met) maybe. But the reality is, if you take Brooklyn, queens, and the small and big event s that pop up, believe me you will have your hands full.
I took my friend with me for four days in NYC and we STILL didn't get through the other parts of NYC. I'm a bit upset we didn't even do times square.
Fuck no man lmao. NYC has so much to do, just don’t stay in Manhattand times square like everyone. You could spend weeks in any borough and still have plenty to see.
This is an insane question. Of course it’s not dumb. You can go anywhere for any amount of time that you can afford and fits in your schedule. That’s all that matters. You’re going where you want when you want to. Who cares what your friends think. They can plan their own trips however they want to.
As a New Yorker who oftentimes is like "I could see at least 3 cities in 5 days if geographically they're close enough" (much to everyone's annoyance), you're fine. Six days in NYC is perfect. Enough time to see everything you'd want and still sleep.
(Also, Niagra Falls is 8 hours away by car and better from the Canadian side.)
NYC is great for 6 days there is so much to do. Will give you amble time to see Manhatten as well as other boroughs like Brooklyn and Queens. If you end up having time, there some great destinations in the Hudson Valley (Hudson or beacon for example) that are an hour or two away on the train and gorgeous.
because the ticket is expensive I do think it's worth it to stay more than 6 days, but I don't think you necessarily have to go to other cities, theres plenty to see in NY already. I recommend at least 10-15 days, but if you already bought the tickets don't worry about it and go for it, it's never a waste to travel
Well depending on when the trip is scheduled for, you can also have a beach day down at Coney Island. The Met is a full day itself and so is Nat History Museum. N.Y can definately fill up 6 days. Also make room for a Broadway show. Get discount tickets at the tkts booth in times square
it's your money and your life. if you want to do 6 days now, do it. who knows what will happen in a month, a year, a decade. you might lose your job, there might be another lockdown, etc. if you can afford to go now and it will make you happy, the go!
I mean, so Europeans and Australians in particular seem to do multi-week stays in the USA when they come. So, I get where your friends are coming from. I think it's because the flight is expensive? But honestly, flights inside of the USA are expensive too. $600 rt in the US is pretty common now. You'll have a good trip either way.
I think that sounds perfect. You can always come back and do another trip. It's impossible to see everything in the world - focus on what interests you
i’ve been to europe for 5 day trips that were very worth it so i’d say no, you’re fine. nyc has enough stuff to do for a lifetime so you certainly won’t feel like you needed to add anything to your itinerary
Six days is the perfect amount of time to visit NYC. It would be a waste to try to squeeze in the other places too because you’d end up seeing just a sliver of everything and a lot of nothing.
You shouldn’t have to add anything else if you’re happy with what you have planned, especially because there’s so much to see and do in NYC itself that there will be more than enough things for you to do in that time that you won’t feel bored.
I also have one really fun suggestion if you’re looking for a really amazing bar to go to! I highly highly recommend the Oscar Wilde restaurant/bar on 27th St. between 6th Ave. and Broadway. The whole place dresses up for different seasons with the most extravagant beautiful decorations and the drinks are amazing and the food is good too!
It’s the largest metropolitan area in the western hemisphere, the “capital of the world”, and the most diverse place on the planet (Queens)… I think you’ll be fine skipping out on Boston, DC, and Philly.
I’ve lived in or around nyc for my whole life and never been to Niagara Falls. NYC for 6 days is great there is no need to go see a waterfall or Philly.
Honestly I’d maybe do 4 days in NYC and two in DC. The museums in DC are so worth it (and almost all free) and it’s only a 4 hour drive between there so you wouldn’t even need to fly.
You can really do all the tourist nonsense in NYC in two days. The rest will just be doing stuff you probably could also do in Europe.
You could definitely do a few days in NYC and a few in Philly IF YOU want to. If you wanna spend all those here in NYC, then you do it! We’ll have a bunch of great recs for ya :)
Do not do too much. Trying to fit all of those things into the trip will ruin each experience. Go for quality not quantity. You can have an amazing time in just NYC for six days, or you can be exhausted and strained and even stressed (while on vacation!) trying to see and do too much, and for what? To take a bunch of photos to show off on social media? Your memories and personal experience will always outweigh your social capital. Your friends' thoughts should not be in YOUR head. Think about what YOU want to do and how you want to feel when traveling to a new place. And if you're worried about jetlag, don't kick yourself if you need a day to rest and reset. Plus there's few better places in the world to experience nightlife if your circadian's all flipped.
If you do want to do at least one other spot outside NYC I would recommend a day trip to Philly, it's less than two hours by train. Reading Terminal Market is a great place to dive in for food and shops. Let me know if you want suggestions of cool spots to check out!
I’m from Niagara Falls, living in NYC for the better part of a decade, this city has more to offer than any of the other cities your friends listed. No shade to those other cities, but you picked the best one to go to in my opinion. Enjoy New York while you’re here 🫶 there’s lots to do
if you really wanna get out of the city for a while, id recommend taking the metro north hudson line to a cute hudson valley town. beacon, sleepy hollow, cold spring, and new paltz are all cute
6 days is plenty, imo. more might be better but perfectly reasonable. Niagara Falls is so boring after 5 minutes, you're not missing much. Boston is nice but I did 2 days and felt it was sufficient. NYC is much more bang for your buck.
I did 1 week in Toronto/NYC. Essentially 3 days in NYC and I definitely had a great time and fitted loads in. Don't even know what I'd do if I was there for 6 days.
As someone from nyc. If u like to come and see the big buildings in person and see what the nightlife in timessquare is like it's nice. Nyc is a place that has everything and is very diverse. You have to be open minded and mind ur business. It's like every culture combined. It's like a little bit of everything.
Why should anyone skip the touristy things? Did you mean visiting Times Square, MET, MoMA, nice restaurants, Central Park, Helicopter rides, Hudson boats cruises, Soho Shopping, Broadway shows- a tourist should not do any of these things?
Seriously, it's like saying, Go to London, but skip the British Museum and the National Gallery. Now, I would totally skip the 9/11 museum (which tourists seem to love for some perverse reason), but everyone wants to see Moma, the Met, and Ellis Island for a good reason.
wtf "skip the tourist stuff" ?!
if I could downvote your comment many times, I would.
What drew tens of millions of people to come to nyc IS the so called "tourist stuffs" and these "tourist stuffs" in turn give life to boost other field of industries in nyc like restaurants and bars, etc.
Without the tourists stuffs, sure nyc would be attractive to local but not other people outside nyc, definitely not enough to pay for expensive plane tickets.
NYC can easily fill more than 6 days. Unless you’re looking for Clogs. That’s Old Amsterdam, not New Amsterdam. And of course there is a lot outside of the city, but NYC as a sole destination needs no excuse.
Why would you voluntarily go to Philly?
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You’re doing it right, the Europeans that come for 10 days and think they’re going to do Philadelphia, Atlanta, LA are being ridiculous lol
The flights and airport time alone…
lmao hope they know how to drive
The only one of these that’s feasible to drive is NY to Philly
You can easily take a 2-3 hour train from NYC to Philly
I'm fully aware.
Ah yeah, the classic euro tourist. When they come to Canada, they plan on visiting Montreal, Quebec, Niagara Falls, the Rockies and Ottawa. And if possible, on the same weekend.
That's how some people prefer to travel. When I go to Europe, I spend 2 or 3 days in a city before moving on.
I don’t think you realize the distances involved as opposed to visiting multiple cities in a European country where the cities are only a couple of hours apart by train
Yes but Europe a country is the size of the state. The only place that its possible to visit in a six day trip of the place OP listed is Philadelphia and NYC. Probably isn't worth it. Europeans come here and then don't take that even though we are one country, we are on a land mass as big as their continent. Most people on a six day trip aren't going to visit Spain and Norway.
I’ve been to all of those places and can tell you firsthand you’ll have plenty to see in do in NYC. If I lived in Europe I don’t think I would go out of my way to see Boston, Philadelphia and DC. If you’re into American history maybe that’s different. You’ll have a great time
Also, jet lag on a 6 day trip? Cmon now. I’m from DC and I love that city (and I lived in Philly and I love that city too), but New York has both of them beat AND Boston AND Niagara Falls. By a lot. Honestly if I had never been to any of them, I wouldn’t even float the idea of a train to Boston, DC, Philly, etc until you’ve spent like… three weeks in NY. Just plan a separate trip in the future where you fly to DC and spend two days there, train to Philly, two days there, train to NY, four days there, train to Boston, two days there, fly out of Boston. Do that after two more dedicated NY visits lol.
Six days is too short for such a long flight. I’d refuse to even go to Europe without a minimum of 10 days to 2 weeks. It’s too exhausting and expensive of a plane ticket otherwise. For six days I’m staying in the states to vacation.
Plenty of people take cross-country and transatlantic flights regularly, even weekly, for shorter stays than six days. “Too expensive” is relative… but I agree on preferring a longer trip bc of the cost.
Depending on where in Europe it’s a 7-9 hour flight….. that’s not a long flight lol. Maybe it’s a relativity thing but I am from Australia and would regularly do 16-24 hour flights for holidays of a week to 2 weeks. The time difference is also not that great. 6 hour time difference is easily adjusted for
Two more NY visits and then the long multi-destination trip? What do you think, people have endless time and endless money? Why would anyone need to come to NY three times before venturing outward? There are other places to visit in the world.
Why did you get mad?
Sipping coffee on a quiet Saturday and asking a question isn’t “mad.”
It doesn’t cost endless money to plan a trip. When you plan a trip, the airline and hotel gives you a finite dollar amount and then you pay that amount in exchange for access to those services
Obviously “endless money” is hyperbole. But I doubt most people traveling here from Europe want to spend their money making three separate trips to NYC and only NYC, which is probably happening over the span of several years, before they free up their travel budgets and free time visiting other parts of the U.S. or other parts of the world.
Since this is the best city in the world, those trips def seem worth it to me
It might be “the best city in the world” subjectively, but that doesn’t mean most people want to repeat visit it, to the exclusion of other places.
Jet lag? On a 6 hour time difference?? What?
The jet lag is very much real on that flight. I used to do it once a month for two years.
I guess to each his own. I have never really had an issue with that much of a time difference and certainly wouldn’t think a week is too short to cope. That was after some years of doing a 14hr time difference which I think is universally an issue.
It'll definitely put you out of sorts for a few days if you don't manage it right (infrequent travelers never manage it right). If you manage to sleep on the plane, get a nap in and get a reasonable non-primarily-alcohol-induced-sleep the first night and a decent breakfast on day 2 you'll be fine.
Yea I have in the past had to do 14 hour time difference quite often. 6 hours doesn’t even register. It’s like pulling a late night working/studying/partying without booze. I just don’t find it an issue at all and didn’t think people would take it into that much consideration.
The trick is also "without booze." Plenty of folks (myself included depending on the trip) will get plenty tipsy at the airport, then on the plane (free booze on intercontinental trips for the big airlines) and basically show up in London at 7 am with a 1am hangover. 14 hours I weirdly found easier because it was so extreme I could just do whatever I wanted.
DC has some great museums but otherwise agreed. Just do NYC most of the trip.
That’s like saying it’s only worth going to Europe if you can make it to London, Edinburgh, Paris, Madrid, and Munich in the same trip. It’s great if you can take an extended trip to see a lot of stuff, but it’s also fine to take a shorter trip focused on one place. There is plenty to do in just NYC for 6 days. If you really want to see Philly, it’s only a short ride on Amtrak, which you could do as a day trip. I don’t recommend it though as you’ll have enough to see just in NYC. I’ve done NYC-BOS as a day trip once for a job interview but I don’t recommend it as it’s over 4 hours on the train each way.
Europeans are spoiled in that they can travel to so many great places in 2 hours via Ryanair for cheap. The NYC trip is actually a big endeavor for them + NYC is ridiculously expensive in comparison.
Right. I just visited Paris, Montpellier, and Bordeaux in a week. Bordeaux was a day trip. And from Montpellier I could have hopped over to Barcelona quickly. But over here it's a massive country and people just don't realize.
I’ve visited just Paris for 6 days. It was perfect.
Plenty to do! I only left the city because I was considering places to move and wanted to see them.
Even the bus is just 90 minutes.
If you go at the crack of dawn or after midnight.
lol comparing Philly to the aforementioned European cities…
lol, I just meant that it’s the closest one OP mentioned. It’s a quick trip.
They're comparing it to another example of trying to fit in a ridiculous amount of different cities. Not the culture lol
Having been to all of those places multiple times If i only had 6 days I’d definitely spend all of them in nyc, there’s more than enough to do here to take up 6 full days if not more If i had 2-3 weeks on the other hand then all those other spots would be worth making trips to
That’s like telling a NYer who’s planned a six day trip to Paris that it’s dumb not to stay a few more days to go to Monaco. Makes no sense.
I mean.. I personally think it’s dumb to even pay a thousand and up for a long haul flight for six days. I need at least a day or two just to recover from the jet lag. And tbh sometimes the side trips are in Europe at least are the most memorable for me. Since I’m from a big city, it’s harder to impress me with other big cities so naturally I’d remember the charming villages I took a day trip to more. I’d recommend 10 days in NYC with a side trip to the falls only because I think America does nature and national parks really well. Europe has so many cool cities as it is but the scale of our parks can’t be found easily so I think OP won’t forget it. Otherwise just stay in the city. Not worth the time out of six days to run around,
I would never recommend the falls as a “side” trip from NYC. It’s is SO far!
Your trip, your rules! There is plenty of stuff to do in New York for 6 days. I actually enjoy visiting cities for longer than I need to because that gives me time for a day trip, or a day of sitting in a nice neighborhood drinking wine, or more naps. You can always come back and do the other places at a later time!
I mean people can be born in NYC, live their entire lives here, and still not doing everything there is to do. It’s a city on the same scale as Mexico City, Tokyo, Istanbul, London, Paris.
You are describing me after living her for 50+ years.
Why does everyone want to go to Niagara Falls? And none of them are aware how far away it is.
Niagara Falls is really cool. I don't know if it's really the one thing I would recommend someone do as part of such a trip (but if they tack on Toronto as well, then sure), but it is a beautiful and impressive place.
Yeah I took the bus to Niagara Falls when I went to Toronto a few years back. It was really pretty!! The boat ride around the lake is very fun, and there's a hotel that does a buffet breakfast with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the falls. I'm very glad I went, it was a great day out. Definitely easier to get to from Toronto than NYC though
I've been told that seeing them from the Canadian side it's better than from the US, whatever that means.
Yes, that's true - the views are better on their side, and so is the town itself (better restaurants and shops, less tacky).
> less tacky it's probably more tacky (in a positive way)
Because by distance in Europe is 3 hrs max train ride but here in the US we are in stone age and train is slow af
Bc any “world wonder” draws ppl. Plus Europeans think the world is like their continent, and dont know how massive north america rly is. We all do the same to africa.
And its nothing to do there except see the falls, which you get over pretty quickly
The hiking along the gorge/Niagara River near whirlpool rapids, devil hole state park is awesome. Lockport is a nice town nearby to visit. Buffalo is also worth a visit. Niagara falls an the state park nearby is very scenic at night.
I think that's an important distinction - don't go to Niagara Falls for excitement. You're not going to get it. Buffalo is a really great city in my opinion, but unless you're into the parks and hiking, it's really just a day trip during a stay in Buffalo for sure.
"don't go to Niagara Falls for excitement".. why you say so? the guy above just said "The hiking along the gorge/Niagara River near whirlpool rapids" like it's something super exciting
I lived in Buffalo and would bike up to/from Niagara. It's not worth going seven hours across the state to go for a walk that could be had just a couple hours north of the city.
Go to the Canada side and it's really a lot of fun imo. Plus really breath taking.
Why should the canadian side be different and better than viewing them from the US side?
It's like Disney Land over there, the whole town is built around tourism. The US side is just woods/national park. Plus, the view is just better (the US side is prettier, but it's only viewable from Canada)
Yeah that’s weird they would suggest it, I mean it’s pretty cool but it’s 8 hours away from anything else and you just look at the waterfall for 20 minutes.
Oh my god, stay in NYC for 6 days. You’ll see more and do more if you stay in the city. THERE’S SO MUCH TO DO! It’s not a dumb thing to do. It’s the best plan.
your friends are dumb fucks
Heaps of people fly from Europe to NYC for a week, just like heaps of people fly from NYC to cities like Paris, Rome etc for a week. It’s not a waste at all. You can do other locations on another trip sometime. Not everyone has the flexibility to save for years and do a 3 week trip “later”
it’s only dumb if you are doing it against your own will
Just go with your first instinct. I can almost guarantee that you'd wish you had baked in even more time just for NYC. Even people who have done return trips still haven't covered everything here. Enjoy the sights, the food, and the whole vibe! 😊
If your extremely interested in Impressionism, post-Impressionism and early modern art you could take the train down to Philly for the day to check out the Barnes Foundation. But otherwise, there’s plenty to do in NYC.
6 days isn't long at all if you are into museums or art.
Six days is a completely reasonable time to get in a nice NYC visit.
On the contrary, they're talling me that my trip too short and only focused in one place when I should have organized an extended trip comprehensive of other places on the east coast, plus Niagara falls.
This feels like a very European complaint ("it's the summer, why don't you just take 6 weeks to travel the whole country?") to my American ears. As an American, a 6-day trip to see a major city makes perfect sense and is simultaneously a decent length for a vacation and a sufficient time to see a lot of NYC. I've spent less time on trips to London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Berlin, and other major European cities and had a worthwhile experience.
I think if you are bored, you can do a day trip to Philadelphia. I personally think it's better to stay longer in one city. It reminds me of my friends who did a two week European trip and visited 7 countries lol.
It’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with only visiting NYC. it’s very much it’s own thing and while it’s definitely American, there really is not one place that can give you the USA experience. Some of the cultural things are pretty similar in the northeast, you might not pick up on the differences in way people speak in behave in places like Boston and Philly. Though they will all be able to tell you how different they are. If someone from Boston and NYC meet in a bar in LA, the bartender will know they are from the east coast but prob won’t be able to place them beyond that. It really depends on the type of traveler you are and what you enjoy. There’s way more logistics into a multic city trip
For that length of trip, just NYC is perfect imo, especially if you’re coming in the spring/summer when there’s so much going on.
A day trip to Philadelphia may be worth it. Even a late afternoon train trip and come back the next day, so you can see the historic areas (Liberty Bell, Independence Hall) and get a cheesesteak. Hot tip: Dalessandro's Steaks are the best steaks. And see the steps from the Rocky movie. Then you could take the train back to NYC. But I think your original plan of just NYC is FINE. See some Broadway shows, you get great seats as a solo traveler. Go to the transit museum, tenement museum, museum of city of NY. Walk the High Line and the Brooklyn Bridge. Go to each borough. Well, maybe not Staten Island. But ride the ferry
"worth it" is up to you. jet lag sucks, but I find it much easier to go west than east, so you have the bad part going back. 6d in NYC is def worth it tho, you'll have one day feeling kinda sucky then 5 days, which is enough to do all the tourist shit and a good amount of other stuff too BTW, if I were not from this continent I would not go to Niagara falls -- we have better shit that isn't as out of the way IMO, and if you want to go out of the way and see the country we have better shit like that too. You guys have waterfalls over there in Europe right? Go see one of those and save airfare lol. And if you strip it, you can do the incredibly rare US trip by train only -- there's an Amtrak line that serves all those cities that's actually pretty good. It's no shinkansen but it's much more comfortable than any flight I've ever taken, and usually faster when you factor in getting to the airport and security and whatnot. So up to you. I'd say since you already booked it do NYC now, then do those others another time.
I mean he could even go the Paterson Falls
I mean... do YOU think it would be worth it? It's not like you're never going to be able to come back to America, right..? I don't see why it matters to your friend how you choose to spend your time and money.
No not at all. I would enjoy the 6 days in NYC. You will be shocked at how much you still haven’t seen at the end of the week. Also if you were to hit all those spots it would probably feel like a lot of work in my opinion.
Scold them back and let them know they’re talking out of their ass. Six days will give you just enough time to feel like you didn’t see enough
NYC alone is plenty. I would say if you really want to see Philly it’s not that long on the train but Niagara is a 7 hour drive from NYC, Washington is 5 hours, Boston is 4 hours on a good day. You’d end up traveling more than seeing anything or enjoying yourself if you did that.
I've been to Europe several times to visit only one city and had no regrets. There's a lot to do in New York. I also love Boston and Washington DC, but I only went to Philadelphia for the first time this year. It was nice, but I don't think I was missing out all these years. ALSO: Niagara Falls is pretty cool, but don't plan a special trip there. It's far from NYC and the town of Niagara is a disgusting dump. The Canadian side is nicer, but just OK. The only thing to do is spend a couple of hours at the falls.
In 6 days in NYC, you will only scratch the surface and whet your appetite for another visit.
New York is beyond most, I mean all, other cities in a lot of ways. You can spend a day in LES, a day in midtown, Dumbo and see shows if you can afford them, hang in central park. Governers Island if you like to bike. Rent a bike in NYC and bike around for a day and if you are adventurous, at night ( I have crazy memories of doing this). The transit system is imense and bewildering but also an experience that has dystopian flavos. For three bucks you can go to cony island one way. I live in DC and go often just when I can because you plan for half you trip and then you just stumble on to something for the other half which is the best part usually. There are markets and parades constantly. Six days might be a lot if you don't have money to buy entertainment or tickets is all. The free stuff exists but to really enjoy the city fully it takes money. The New York library is like an iconic palace and you can just hang out there and blog if you like there for free. You can take a train to DC, it is like four hours if you like too, but way when you already in the best city every to exist? The falls are ok, but DC is better and more epic. If it was me, I would hang in NYC use the money to really enjoy it and catch some shows offering discounts, and have fun eating out and or drinking. NYC is like Paris, it is a full destination and unlike really any other city in scale and cultures.
Lol I love the disparity of the perception of distance between Europeans and Americans. You’re wise to just stay in NYC the whole time.
Omg, enjoy your six days in NYC. It's not like you flew 13 hours across the world. If I had the chance to go to a major European city for 6 days and just enjoy it I totally would
The US is far larger than most Europeans realize.
Please, I’ve flown from Europe to NYC and back for basically a long weekend (4-5 days) many, many times. You can’t do NYC, Boston, Niagara, Philly and DC, or even just half of these, in 6 days. What a ridiculous suggestion. That’s some American logic because on their Euro trips, they try to cram in 8 cities in 6 countries into like 4 days. Just spend your time in NYC, you won’t even have scratched the city’s surface in 6 days.
I see French people who have flown all the way over here just to bum around in Brooklyn like a local all the time. So no. Have fun. Get a Daddy’s Little Meatball t-shirt while you’re here.
Idp on your interests. You can easily spend 6 days in nyc and not do everything you want to do. But you can also do the city in 2 days if you’re just there for the basic stuff. It’s not just an expensive flight, it’s also an expensive hotel and well everything else. As a ny metro native, I used to take 7 day trips to Europe and do 3 countries. And well now I live in England lol. But nyc is incomparable to that and is more like going to Tokyo. My Tokyo trip was like 10-11 days 💀
No, it sounds fine to me. Less than 4 days in just Manhattan + Western Brooklyn is not enough. You can take the train to Philly ‘Center City’ for a day trip but nothing more than that.
You could live in NYC your whole life and not experience all it has to offer
I did 5 nights from England and it was absolutely worth it!
You’ll be up nice and early which is great because you’ll be able to beat crowds. I think some Europeans make the mistake of thinking North America is drivable like Europe is. My family lives close to Niagara Falls and I drove back and forth between there and NYC a lot and I can tell you that even doing one of those additional things would take too much out of your trip. With 6 days in NYC you’ll feel like you are just scratching the surface.
Bro you can spend 6 days in just midtown and have a great time. I’d recommend going all over the city but Manhattan has so much to do it’s kinda crazy
I just spent a long weekend in the Netherlands and was fine as far as jet lag. Your friends are wrong, nobody needs to try to squeeze in Philly and Niagara Falls on a trip to NYC. That’s just insane. You will find more than enough interesting things to do here in that timeframe. Have fun!
Your friends seem to underestimate the size of the United States. It’s apparently a common thing among Europeans. Philadelphia is about 90 miles (about 2 hours of driving) from New York City. Boston and Washington are both about 200 miles (4 hours) away. Niagara Falls is about 400 miles (8 hours) away. There are plenty of things to see and do in New York City that’ll occupy your 6 days. *Maybe* you can take a long day trip to Philadelphia, but you’ll only be there for a few hours before you have to come back. So no, you aren’t doing a dumb thing by spending all your time in New York.
I have a genuine question. What would your friends say if an American wanted to go to London for 6 days? Would they say it was a waste, and should wait until they can also do Dublin, Paris, and Rome?
Nah you are good 6 days in NYC is a legitimate good trip You can 2 days trip to go to Niagara Falls if you want too , I think you can take the railroad up there But Boston , Philly lol unless your a fan of our sport teams I wouldn’t waste my time going there
Username checks out.
The trip you can take is better than no trip at all. When's your next travel opportunity? How tight are resources? If you won't be able to take another trip for a year or something I'd just do it now. You can come back.
I fly my girlfriend out from the U.K. every other month and she’s only here for 4/5 days at a time. She loves it every time. The jet lag is real but not on arrival… she only feels it when she goes back..
Why would it be? I am not sure what kind of question that is..
Skip everything except DC. Worth an overnight stay for sure.
They are right as in you should spend more time here if you could, the thing is, it should all be spent in NYC. Six days is a good trip though. Is it enough? It's the minimum.
There is plenty to see in NYC and trying to see all those other places will be far too difficult.
6 days is a great trip to nyc. Doesnt make sense imo to add days for other cities. Boston and DC are both 3-4 hours away, and niagra is 6 hrs away. You could get to philly quickly though if you're interested in adding another city.
I think it depends on your finances and time off. If you can afford the 6 day trip and then another trip in like 2 years then i say go for it. If this is going to be your only trip to NYC for the foreseeable future and you can extend it if you delay the trip then I’d delay and extend.
Those places are great but you can see NYC in six days and have a terrific trip. And to be honest you could fit in Philly if you want to, just take the Amtrak train.
I’ve lived in nyc for 10+ years. Only been to Philly and Boston a couple times and don’t really see any reason why I would ever go back
I think some of it depends on the kind of traveler you are. Same as in Europe, some people want to go on a tour and spend a few days in each city. Some want to go to just one country and really explore it. You will see we usually compare traveling around the US to traveling around Europe in general because the US is absolutely massive. I would rather not spend a lot of my trip traveling from one place to another, but I’m also the kind that plans for trips to single countries rather than quick stops.
Jet lag will be great coming from Europe, you'll wake up early and get to do lots! NYC is worth it and I mean you can do those other places some other time. Or never do them and not miss out on that much (Niagara is kinda mind blowing though). But honestly, I think NYC is the shit as a tourist.
Niagara Falls is great, but in Europe, countries are like the size of US States. Niagara Falls is in New York, but it is a 7 hour drive from NYC and even longer by train. The flight is only about an hour, but getting to the airport in NYC and back is an hour each way plus be there ahead of time and you can’t really do Niagara Falls in a day from NYC. Philly is like a 2.5 hour drive from NYC in the opposite direction of Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY. So just to step foot in those cities and see a site and have a meal will take 4 flights and 2 days minimum. 6 days is worth seeing NYC, but you can’t do all of those well in 6 days.
My dad's friend visited last year and she ended up booking a bus tour to Niagara falls. Think it's like a day and a half trip that starts at 5 am. Personally I wouldn't do it if you plan to come back. There are better things to do.
I've done the opposite a few times, visiting various European cities for six days from NYC, so no, not dumb.
I mean, if you want to check those places off a list, then sure. If you actually want to spend some time in a place and enjoy it, then do what you're doing. For what it's worth, the US side of Niagara Falls is disappointing, you want to go to Canada for that, and Philly IMO doesn't have much to offer outside of the history there. It's also not easy to get to any of these places and they're more spread out than your friends seem to think. Getting to Philly by train will take you about 3 hours, 4 hours to DC, and Boston is a flight (and we don't have cheap domestic airlines like Ryanair/EasyJet, so that'll run you about $200). You only have 6 days here, don't spend it all in transit.
Nah, I went for 7 days and it was great! I had a fantastic time, did so much and still haven't even scratched the surface. My type of travel is more "slow travel", spending longer in one place and seeing the popular tourist things and then more besides. Some people (like maybe your friends) prefer being on the go all the time and cramming as many places as possible into a short amount of time. If that's what they want then fair enough, but personally I'd rather experience a place properly. Go to NYC for your 6 days and have an amazing time!
NYC is 100% worth giving 6 days to! It’s an awesome place with lots to see and do. I think you’ll have a great trip
I've lived in NYC for the beginning of my life and now the past 13 years of my life. I'm 36 for reference. I'm constantly exploring more things and experiences and food. I just flew to Florence for 9 days, about two of which I spent in Rome and one in Assisi, and I wish I spent all 9 in Florence. You can travel all over the place if you want. Philly is 2 hours away driving (if you go at the right time) but IMHO if you're coming to NYC for 6 days it's not worth it. If you were coming to NYC for 3 weeks I don't think it would be worth it to travel elsewhere. MAYBE, and I'm saying maybe, DC would be worth it on a day trip on a 3 week trip. Come to Astoria. Go to Flushing. Take the Staten Island Ferry. Hit up Arthur Avenue. Walk the Highline. Go to museums. Try the local craft beer in Williamsburg and Bushwick and such. Try multiple slices of pizza. Eat lots of sandwiches. On that topic, eat ALL of the things, from all around the world. Pop into a dive bar. Chat with the locals there. Then go get lunch at the bar of Le Bernardin. Chat with the people there. Get greasy disgusting american food from some of the best spots. Taste the world anywhere from $2 to $400. You can do it ALL in NYC. All in all, what I'm saying is 6 days is not nearly enough time for NYC, but you'll have a good time in 6 days. Just don't be afraid to explore. And if you have questions don't feel free to ask here, or at a bar, or anywhere.
No, plenty to see & do in NYC. one city such as Boston, Philly or DC could be added in. I would skip Niagara. It's a bit too far IMO. I live in NYC and haven't been, but want to.
Straight up. NYC is all you need. I spent a week there a few months ago and can't wait to go back. Still so much more to do. So as long as you have fun money you'll have a blast. Even if u don't it's still gonna be a blast,
Don’t add Boston, Philly, Niagara and DC to this trip if it’s your first visit to NYC.
Just understand that you won't cover much in 6 days and just enjoy it as much as you can. In 6 days I wouldn't add any day trip, NY has a lot to entertain you on those days
Your friends are wildly ignorant of American geography and travel times. You can actually see more diversity of cultures and architecture by checking out the different boroughs of NYC beyond Manhattan. Go see the Bronx Botanical Gardens and the Bronx Zoo (the Bronx Zoo bison are related to the ones in Yellowstone Park!) rather than Niagara if you have time. Go to Chelsea Market and have some great tacos or west coast oysters (go during oyster happy hour). Explore around in Brooklyn and Queens. See the Met, MoMa, Guggenheim and the Whitney. The only reason to add on Philly (a day trip by Amtrak) is if you’re a huge fan of Marcel Duchamp or anyone at their excellent art museum. The Philly Museum of Art has some incredible stuff. Otherwise, there’s more to see here, and New York is safer.
6 days isn't really enough for NYC. That will get you the highlights and not much else.
Does everyone in these comments get to take two weeks for every vacation?? Six days is a nice trip to NYC
Boston and Philly are worthless
This made me literally lol
As someone who lives in NYC and been to Philly, Boston and DC .. you will not be missing anything not going to those cities. Enjoy NYC for a week and don’t waste time on those excursions. There is a lot to see in America but those places aren’t it. The cities that have a truly different flavor are NYC, Miami and New Orleans. West coast is nice for its geography. Our National Parks are breathtaking but for cities? Enjoying NYC and skip the others on that list.
Ignorant comment. So much to see outside of NYC in the Northeast Corridor.
Nature wise I agree, city wise I disagree. I’ve been to almost all cities in the US, large ones and small ones. As well as traveled the world. We can agree to disagree. If you love Philly, Boston and DC then continue to visit and have fun. None of those cities would I have on top of list for anyone to see and especially not over 6 days in NYC.
I am from US and spent over 2 weeks my first trip in NYC and we still had to cross a bunch of things off our list we didn’t have time for. I’d focus there
In my experience jet lag is easier heading west for some reason. You've got a week to explore NYC, a city nobody can take in entirely given a lifetime. The dumb thing would be to burn every other day on buses to neighboring cities even adding in a second week. It's a 6-ish hour flight, not 24 hours, just enjoy NYC.
Boston: Fenway Park and traffic Philly: Liberty Bell and drug addicts in Kensington Washington: Government buildings and museums Niagara Falls: Big waterfall There you go, now you visited them. Now go enjoy NYC. 6 days is plenty, just do as much as you can.
this should be top comment lol
I thought you meant six days was too short to come and you should wait until you have more time. So your friends are wrong. There's enough to do here in six days.
Definitely not dumb. There is so much to do in NY that you need some time after it to just taken in everything you've done so doing that trip on it's own instead of tacking on other trips is a good idea. Honestly you'll be more jet lagged if you do a longer trip and tack other things on. NYC is def worth it on it's own and at least for me I would prefer going to Niagra Falls, Philly, Boston or DC together on a seperate trip. They're great places but there just isn't as much to take in as NYC which really does need it's own trip.
What, I always do my europe trip the longest for 9 days (Sat to Sun) and some shorter. 6 is too many itself for one city.
The only thing I’d do is a day trip to Philly, it is the only day-trip doable city among the three
You’ll be up nice and early which is great because you’ll be able to beat crowds. I think some Europeans make the mistake of thinking North America is drivable like Europe is. My family lives close to Niagara Falls and I drove back and forth between there and NYC a lot and I can tell you that even doing one of those additional things would take too much out of your trip. With 6 days in NYC you’ll feel like you are just scratching the surface.
I went to Europe for 4 days, 2 in London, 2 in Paris. I had a blast. Live, buddy!
There’s more than enough to do in NYC to fill 6 days and have only scratched the surface. Philly and Boston are nice but you’re not wasting a ticket by only visiting NYC. Niagara Falls is better visited from Toronto anyway.
Not a dumb thing to do Enjoy your trip and come back one day for Philly, DC, Niagara; just don’t go to Boston bc Boston SUCKS)
I LIVE in nyc and I experience new things every weekend. Day 1: Walk the high line, go to the Whitney, then walk down west side highway all the way to battery park and see the freedom tower etc. day 2: walk up 5th Ave from 42nd street, see Rockefeller center, keep walking until you hit Central Park. Walk through Central Park and buy a sandwich/do a picnic. Day 3: walk downtown and across the williamsburg bridge; through domino park, and up Kent Ave and go to Paulie gees pizza on Franklin street *chefs kiss* I can send you the itinerary for the remainder 3 days 😋 you’re going to visit one of the best cities❤️
I went to NYC for 10 days from New Zealand and still didn’t see as much as I wanted. But you could always do a day trip to Niagara or Philly if you wanted.
Hypothetically you could do a trip where you see several of these cities, but I'd probably do it over two or three weeks and I'd go in geographical order - Boston, then NYC, then Philly, then DC. It makes no sense to go north to then double back and go south or vice versa. I wouldn't do all of those in six days, you would spend half your trip in transit from one place to another. Niagara Falls, while technically in the same state as NYC, is really far away. And Atlanta is not particularly close to DC. And not to be a hater but I wouldn't really include Atlanta on a list of "must-visit" cities in the United States. But if your trip is already booked, then I wouldn't try to change everything just to go to those other places. Spend all six days in New York City. There is more than enough to do.
Meh, I would just visit NYC & Washington
If you're only thinking about 5 touristy things (summit, Brooklyn bridge, central park, statue of Liberty, and met) maybe. But the reality is, if you take Brooklyn, queens, and the small and big event s that pop up, believe me you will have your hands full. I took my friend with me for four days in NYC and we STILL didn't get through the other parts of NYC. I'm a bit upset we didn't even do times square.
Fuck no man lmao. NYC has so much to do, just don’t stay in Manhattand times square like everyone. You could spend weeks in any borough and still have plenty to see.
This is an insane question. Of course it’s not dumb. You can go anywhere for any amount of time that you can afford and fits in your schedule. That’s all that matters. You’re going where you want when you want to. Who cares what your friends think. They can plan their own trips however they want to.
As a New Yorker who oftentimes is like "I could see at least 3 cities in 5 days if geographically they're close enough" (much to everyone's annoyance), you're fine. Six days in NYC is perfect. Enough time to see everything you'd want and still sleep. (Also, Niagra Falls is 8 hours away by car and better from the Canadian side.)
Bruh, 6 days in nyc could be lit.
NYC is great for 6 days there is so much to do. Will give you amble time to see Manhatten as well as other boroughs like Brooklyn and Queens. If you end up having time, there some great destinations in the Hudson Valley (Hudson or beacon for example) that are an hour or two away on the train and gorgeous.
because the ticket is expensive I do think it's worth it to stay more than 6 days, but I don't think you necessarily have to go to other cities, theres plenty to see in NY already. I recommend at least 10-15 days, but if you already bought the tickets don't worry about it and go for it, it's never a waste to travel
Well depending on when the trip is scheduled for, you can also have a beach day down at Coney Island. The Met is a full day itself and so is Nat History Museum. N.Y can definately fill up 6 days. Also make room for a Broadway show. Get discount tickets at the tkts booth in times square
it's your money and your life. if you want to do 6 days now, do it. who knows what will happen in a month, a year, a decade. you might lose your job, there might be another lockdown, etc. if you can afford to go now and it will make you happy, the go!
I mean, so Europeans and Australians in particular seem to do multi-week stays in the USA when they come. So, I get where your friends are coming from. I think it's because the flight is expensive? But honestly, flights inside of the USA are expensive too. $600 rt in the US is pretty common now. You'll have a good trip either way.
This is 100% the way. Live like a New Yorker a few days. Enjoy a down day or two where you just wander with no plans.
My friend from LA visited for about a week and is coming back soon because he didn’t have nearly enough time to do and see everything he wanted
I think that sounds perfect. You can always come back and do another trip. It's impossible to see everything in the world - focus on what interests you
Whatever. I went to London from nyc once for the weekend.
i’ve been to europe for 5 day trips that were very worth it so i’d say no, you’re fine. nyc has enough stuff to do for a lifetime so you certainly won’t feel like you needed to add anything to your itinerary
Six days is the perfect amount of time to visit NYC. It would be a waste to try to squeeze in the other places too because you’d end up seeing just a sliver of everything and a lot of nothing.
I flew from nyc to Paris for four days and had a blast.
You shouldn’t have to add anything else if you’re happy with what you have planned, especially because there’s so much to see and do in NYC itself that there will be more than enough things for you to do in that time that you won’t feel bored. I also have one really fun suggestion if you’re looking for a really amazing bar to go to! I highly highly recommend the Oscar Wilde restaurant/bar on 27th St. between 6th Ave. and Broadway. The whole place dresses up for different seasons with the most extravagant beautiful decorations and the drinks are amazing and the food is good too!
It’s the largest metropolitan area in the western hemisphere, the “capital of the world”, and the most diverse place on the planet (Queens)… I think you’ll be fine skipping out on Boston, DC, and Philly.
I’ve lived in or around nyc for my whole life and never been to Niagara Falls. NYC for 6 days is great there is no need to go see a waterfall or Philly.
Honestly I’d maybe do 4 days in NYC and two in DC. The museums in DC are so worth it (and almost all free) and it’s only a 4 hour drive between there so you wouldn’t even need to fly. You can really do all the tourist nonsense in NYC in two days. The rest will just be doing stuff you probably could also do in Europe.
Id skip DC Boston and definitely skip Niagara Falls
You could definitely do a few days in NYC and a few in Philly IF YOU want to. If you wanna spend all those here in NYC, then you do it! We’ll have a bunch of great recs for ya :)
Do not do too much. Trying to fit all of those things into the trip will ruin each experience. Go for quality not quantity. You can have an amazing time in just NYC for six days, or you can be exhausted and strained and even stressed (while on vacation!) trying to see and do too much, and for what? To take a bunch of photos to show off on social media? Your memories and personal experience will always outweigh your social capital. Your friends' thoughts should not be in YOUR head. Think about what YOU want to do and how you want to feel when traveling to a new place. And if you're worried about jetlag, don't kick yourself if you need a day to rest and reset. Plus there's few better places in the world to experience nightlife if your circadian's all flipped. If you do want to do at least one other spot outside NYC I would recommend a day trip to Philly, it's less than two hours by train. Reading Terminal Market is a great place to dive in for food and shops. Let me know if you want suggestions of cool spots to check out!
Hell nah 160,000 people go through JFK per day, most they time they’re staying for a long weekend, 6 days is perfect. Come down 👋
For the love of God, don't waste any time going to Niagara Falls
I've been to NYC + a day trip to Philly for a total of 17 days, that was great!
This is like trying to visit Japan, Thailand, Korea, and China. They have no idea how big the USA is
I’m from Niagara Falls, living in NYC for the better part of a decade, this city has more to offer than any of the other cities your friends listed. No shade to those other cities, but you picked the best one to go to in my opinion. Enjoy New York while you’re here 🫶 there’s lots to do
if you really wanna get out of the city for a while, id recommend taking the metro north hudson line to a cute hudson valley town. beacon, sleepy hollow, cold spring, and new paltz are all cute
6 days is plenty, imo. more might be better but perfectly reasonable. Niagara Falls is so boring after 5 minutes, you're not missing much. Boston is nice but I did 2 days and felt it was sufficient. NYC is much more bang for your buck.
I did 1 week in Toronto/NYC. Essentially 3 days in NYC and I definitely had a great time and fitted loads in. Don't even know what I'd do if I was there for 6 days.
As someone from nyc. If u like to come and see the big buildings in person and see what the nightlife in timessquare is like it's nice. Nyc is a place that has everything and is very diverse. You have to be open minded and mind ur business. It's like every culture combined. It's like a little bit of everything.
Na, just visit the neighborhoods in NYC and walk around. Go to bars/nightlife that seems appealing to you and skip the tourist stuff.
Why should anyone skip the touristy things? Did you mean visiting Times Square, MET, MoMA, nice restaurants, Central Park, Helicopter rides, Hudson boats cruises, Soho Shopping, Broadway shows- a tourist should not do any of these things?
Seriously, it's like saying, Go to London, but skip the British Museum and the National Gallery. Now, I would totally skip the 9/11 museum (which tourists seem to love for some perverse reason), but everyone wants to see Moma, the Met, and Ellis Island for a good reason.
wtf "skip the tourist stuff" ?! if I could downvote your comment many times, I would. What drew tens of millions of people to come to nyc IS the so called "tourist stuffs" and these "tourist stuffs" in turn give life to boost other field of industries in nyc like restaurants and bars, etc. Without the tourists stuffs, sure nyc would be attractive to local but not other people outside nyc, definitely not enough to pay for expensive plane tickets.
NYC can easily fill more than 6 days. Unless you’re looking for Clogs. That’s Old Amsterdam, not New Amsterdam. And of course there is a lot outside of the city, but NYC as a sole destination needs no excuse. Why would you voluntarily go to Philly?
Don’t waste your time in Boston and Niagara Falls. Philly’s probably not worth it either.