Updated on May 29, 2019

ESPAÑOL

PHILADELPHIA

Transport:

• How to get there: it is easier and faster to go by train. From Penn Station there are trains every half hour, it takes 90 minutes, but the cheapest price exceeds $ 100 per round trip. Bus hardly takes 2 hours each way and you can find tickets from $ 12 round trip, check Megabus.
• Getting around: from the bus station you can get to the main sights on foot.

What to see. According to my preferences:

• Art Museum. Of course, because here the famous Rocky scene was filmed, while running up the stairs. There is a statue of the character at the bottom of it. The walk to here from the center is nice, and at the back of the museum there are a park and a riverwalk. How is inside the museum? No idea.

• City Hall. It is magnificent, though three-quarters of it are not well appreciated as there are too many buildings nearby. You can take guided tours.

• The Independence Hall. Where the famous Liberty Bell is. I only recommend it for history lovers or very patriotic Americans.

Eating: Personally, I think the best of Philadelphia is its famous cheestake. I’m not passionate about food, but this giant beef, cheese and onion sandwich leads one to heaven. The best place to try it, and an attraction itself, is the Reading Terminal Market.

WASHINGTON DC

It deserves more than a day, as there are more attractions than in Philadelphia, and takes twice as long to arrive. Best of Washington is that its main attractions are all for free.

Transport:

• How to get there: again the train is faster and more convenient but apart from before 5 am, the minimum price is $ 88 each way. By bus it takes 4 hours and costs from $ 40.
• Getting around: areas of interest are nearby, you can visit them on foot, with the exception of Georgetown, where you should go by public transport.

What to see:

• Smithsonian museums. Museum lovers have their paradise here, they can spend a week in Washington DC. They are all free, and its quality is indisputable. I recommend the Air and Space Museum and the Holocaust Museum, since there are no other similar ones in New York of such category.

• The National Mall. It is a rectangular walk 3 km long (technically the Mall finishs at G. Washington monument). At one end it is the Capitol and opposite the Lincoln Memorial and the reflecting pool. Almost all Smithsonian museums are in their margins, and is full of war memorials and monuments honoring significant presidents. It is especially recommended a visit during cherry blossoms and in autumn. In winter, being an esplanade with hardly any places where shelter, it’s usually  windy and cold and the walk is not that nice.

• The White House is north of the Mall, western of the Washington Monument.

• Georgetown. It is a university campus northwest of the city. It is the same style as Columbia in Manhattan, though in my opinion the main building and the site of Georgetown make this a more attractive campus.

BOSTON

On the third attempt I was finally able to visit Boston, a city that like the previous one, deserves more than a day, since it is more than 4 hours by road from New York.

Transport:

• How to get there: the most recommende is definitely by bus; it takes between 4h and 4h30 minutes depending on which one we take; tickets usually cost around $ 20, but we can find offers for up to $ 5 per trip in Megabus and Peter Pan Bus; Another company is Greyhound. The train takes approximately the same as the bus and costs from $ 80 per trip. There are also multiple flights, but taking into account the time it will take us to go to the airport we choose in New York, plus the time we will lose going from Boston’s to downtown, it does not make sense or save time.
• To move around, it is best to walk. Most of the points of interest are within walking distance and in Boston there are pre-established tours.

What to see:

• The Freedom Trail is undoubtedly the most popular attraction. It is a walking tour on the city center, passing by several historical buildings; You can do self-guided or join a group with a guide, who are dressed in colonial era clothes. A popular option is to make it in an amphibious vehicle, which in our case we would have to take in the Science Museum.

• After the walk, we can have lunch at Quincy Market, an old market that has been restored, keeping some parts in traditional style and others in modern style. The ground floor of the main building are all food stalls, while the most varied restaurants are in the surrounding buildings. There are always street shows, which require a casting by the town hall, to ensure its quality.

• In the afternoon we will have to choose between visiting a museum or one of the most famous university campuses in the world, MIT or Harvard. Both are a good distance from the center, so it would be essential to go by metro. Harvard is much more beautiful, similar to the aforementioned Georgetown and Columbia (although its architecture is not very different from what we will see on the Freedom Trail) but MIT allows access to the interior of buildings.

• And if we had time for a quick dinner, Boston Chinatown is highly recommended.

NEW JERSEY OUTLETS

New Jersey outlets are really worthy if one is determined to buy, as the buses to arrive are expensive and it takes a while to get there. Once there, it’s easy to find discount of almost 50% compared to Manhattan prices. The best known and closest is Jersey Gardens. The 111 bus ticket costs $ 14 round trip from Port Authority and takes almost 40 minutes one way.

MORE OF THE BEST IN NYC:

<MOST POPULAR MUSEUMS                     BEST ROOFTOPS>

 ∇ Destinations / ∇ North America / ∇ United States / ∇ New York State / ∇ New York City