Budget Travel - Where can I go cheap from NYC?

Hi. I've got a very cheap fly from germany to EWR (150EUR Return), but I don't want to stay for a whole week in NYC in february, because I'm there in december, too. Where can I go cheap from NYC (by bus, train, airplane...)? I found a connection to toronto by megabus.com for under $100 return, but maybe there are other interesting placed I can visit. I prefer to see some natur and not so much of the cities and it would be very nice if its warm there, so I can sleep in a tent... But I know, its february and all the warm places are expensive it this time. Maybe you can give me some information.

There's a cheap bus to Washington, DC. Lot's to see for cheap. Local public transportation is cheap. Hotels are not cheap.

BOLT bus will take you to Boston for 15 USD or less each way.

You can always take one of the casino buses (from NY) to either Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods. The bus is approx $30 r/t and includes $30 value of food coupons and some chips. You have to stay a minimum of 4 hours but you can always explore the country side around the casinos. I think there is local transport to nearby areas but you'll have to check the Peter Pan & Greyhound websites for more info. Mystic Seaport is 15-mins away. Also Jonathan Edwards Winery (Napa & CT wines) and Stonington Vineyards (CT wine) for wine tasting for a small fee. There are also hiking trails around the area, but February will be cold and wet. In Groton, there is the Submarine Museum at the US Navy Sub Base (you get to tour a real submarine). This area is about as countryside as you can get (between NY & Boston) without being in the middle of the woods. So don't expect a lot to do in the winter months. Summer is when the seaside towns open up again for tourists.

There are lots of places you can get very cheaply by bus from NYC these days. There are TONS of buses to Philly, DC, and Boston that typically run around $20 roundtrip (although you can sometimes score seats for as little as $1 each way). Check megabus.com, boltbus.com and some of the chinatown bus companies.

DC's about as far south as the really cheap Chinatown buses go, and I wouldn't pitch a tent in DC in February.

Generally speaking there aren't a lot of good outdoor activities in the northern half of the US in February, except skiing (which is neither a budget activity nor compatible with sleeping in a tent).

If you're serious about the tent thing, you probably want to look for cheap flights to Florida, which will likely run about $150 roundtrip.

Another option might be a Chinatown bus to someplace a little farther south than DC. There are Chinatown buses to some southern cities like Norfolk, VA, Charlotte, NC, etc., that MIGHT be warm enough to pitch a tent. Those cities will cost almost as much by bus as Florida will by plane, though.

If you're going to Boston and decide to take one of the Chinatown buses, note that Fung Wah has had some buses get into accidents. Lucky Star is much safer.

Thank you very much, but I hoped I can see some of the country and not only the big towns. Are there some interesting "nature" places, like the niagara falls or little nice towns?

Thank you very much, but I hoped I can see some of the country and not only the big towns. Are there some interesting "nature" places, like the niagara falls or little nice towns?

You can take Megabus to Buffalo, NY which is right next to Niagara falls ($20 each way or so), keep in mind the falls look better from the Canadian side than the American side. From Buffalo's airport you can catch another Megabus that will take you onwards to Toronto for about 10 bucks.

To see small town/ rural America you really need to rent a car as there are limited public transportation options. The only other option to see rural America would be to get one of the longer haul trains out of New York or DC. Anything that isn't the Northeast Regional Train (between NY DC and Boston) tends to be pretty inexpensive.

To see small town/ rural America you really need to rent a car as there are limited public transportation options. The only other option to see rural America would be to get one of the longer haul trains out of New York or DC. Anything that isn't the Northeast Regional Train (between NY DC and Boston) tends to be pretty inexpensive.

Direct from New York (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Station/Station_Page&c=am2Station&cid=1080080552578&ssid=98), the shorter of these options would include:

*The Adirondack (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Vertical_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1080842092695&ssid=134) to Montreal via upstate NY
*The Empire Service (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321901&ssid=134) or Maple Leaf (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081442673791&ssid=134) to Buffalo (the Maple Leaf continues on to Toronto)
*The Ethan Allen Express (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Vertical_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321921&ssid=134) to Vermont via upstate NY
*The Pennsylvanian (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1093553988378&ssid=134) to Pittsburgh via Philadelphia, including the historic rail route around Horseshoe Curve
*The Vermonter (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Vertical_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081442674057&ssid=134)to Vermont via Connecticut and Massachussetts

If you're looking for a day trip, the ride up the Hudson River on any of the Empire Corridor trains to Albany and back is very pretty. You can go even more budget (Amtrak isn't always cheap, especially out of NYC) and do a Metro North train to Poughkeepsie and back and catch some river scenery.

You could also do some longer (several day) itineraries, such as:

*The Lake Shore Limited (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321961&ssid=133) to Chicago via upstate NY (Albany, Buffalo) and the shores of Lake Erie (lakeside running is at night, though) through Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana
*The Cardinal (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321680&ssid=133) to Chicago via Washington, DC, Virginia, West Virginia (and the scenic New River Gorge), Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana
*The Crescent (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321858&ssid=134) to New Orleans via DC, Virginia, North/South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and the magnificent Huey P. Long bridge into New Orleans, Louisiana
*The Capitol Limited (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321384&ssid=134) from DC to Chicago via Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana (connecting bus or train to DC required)
*The Silver Service (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Vertical_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081442674074&ssid=134) (Silver Star and Silver Meteor) to Florida

Of course, you don't have to go all the way to the end--you can stop at any city along the way! There are so many to choose from, though, that picking one would be hard. Perhaps another FTer has a particular favorite to recommend.

All of these are bookable at http://www.amtrak.com. For more advice, check out the Amtrak forum (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amtrak-guest-rewards-399/) here on FlyerTalk. :)