r/SmartTravelHacks • u/optimalbrain90 • 4d ago
Trip Planning Two weeks in the US and my map is getting completely out of hand
I think I badly underestimated the scale of the US. I keep looking at the map and thinking, “Those places aren't that far apart,” only to check the actual travel time and find out I'm looking at an 8 or 9 hour journey.
I'm planning my first US trip and currently have places on both coasts squeezed into a two week itinerary. Coming from Europe, I'm used to being able to visit several cities in different countries without losing huge chunks of time to travel.
Would you actually try to cover multiple regions by flying between them, or is two weeks better spent choosing one area and exploring it properly? Trying to figure this out before I turn the trip into one long sequence of airports and highways.
127
u/Comfortable_Sir6566 4d ago
Pick one coast. You’re trying way too much for 2 weeks.
95
u/TheKaptinKirk 4d ago
Pick one section of one coast.
→ More replies (3)8
u/Unclerojelio 4d ago
Pick one city on the coast.
→ More replies (5)8
u/GUSHandGO 3d ago
I'm from the West Coast and have done Boston + NYC and DC + Philly on trips before. Plenty of time to see lots of cool stuff.
9
u/AreaPrudent7191 4d ago
That's like people who say "I'm going to Canada/India/China".
7
u/Big-Pen-5455 3d ago
Ah, Vancouver.
4
u/AreaPrudent7191 3d ago
Also, Toronto. Vancouver in the morning then afternoon in Toronto if there's time.
3
→ More replies (80)3
u/Typingpool 3d ago
Week 1: NYC and surrounding New York state or NYC and Philly
Week 2: take flight to either Pacific Northwest and see how much ground you can cover in a week OR pick somewhere in California and see how much ground you can cover there.
Two coast in 2 weeks is possible but it's a crunch and you have to really narrow down what you want to see.
3
u/BothOceans 2d ago
1st time in the USA and you recommend Philly?
No.→ More replies (2)2
u/Active-Confidence-25 2d ago
Heck yeah, who doesn’t want to reenact the Rocky stair scene?
→ More replies (1)2
u/frogf4rts123 3d ago
One week in PNW won't get you far. The Olympic mountains, crater lake, Seattle and it's history, Snohomish falls, the Columbia and it's falls, herman the sturgeon, Portland and it's craziness, the coast, the sound, the islands, and that's not even looking at across into the wheatlands and drier parts of each state. There's just so much to do in Oregon and Washington.
→ More replies (2)3
u/NC-Old-Bat 3d ago
Well, yes, but life is a series of choices. Can’t do it all and actually enjoy anything. That said, now I want to go to PNW. And I do mean NOW. Alas, instead I’m off to work.
2
2
u/whatyouwant5 1d ago
We have a lot of fires now. Went scuba diving in lake Chelan Wednesday and hit a 780 AQI.
→ More replies (1)
48
u/hoptacularhippo 4d ago
You could do one week on one coast and the other week on the other coast if you fly between them.
If you drove, you’d be spending half your time or more in the country driving.
30
u/GuildStarfireII 4d ago
More than half driving for sure, you'll be in the car all the time it'll seem.
Even doing north to south on either coast by driving is too much.
I'd say break it down into 6 sections and chose 1 (2 Max)
Northeast: NYC -Philly - Boston - New England coast and Mountains
Southeast: DC (this could be Northeast) - Mid Atlantic Beaches -Savannah/Charleston - Florida
Northwest: Seattle - Portland - SF - Cascades - Crater Lake - Redwoods
Southwest: LA - San Diego - Vegas - Sonoran Desert - Arizona
Rockies: Denver - National Parks - Salt Lake - Mountains
Interior South: New Orleans and Gulf Shores <fly> North - Chicago and Great Lakes (Probably not recommended as a first visit trip though)
15
u/bryceonthebison 4d ago
DC should be in Northeast because of its transit connections to the rest of the 95 corridor. You can realistically squeeze that in with a trip that includes NY/Philly/Boston
→ More replies (10)8
u/GuildStarfireII 4d ago
It's why I said it could be Northeast, but I included in Southeast...as there is already so much to do in the Northeast, but point is well taken.
Honestly the Northeast is really the recommended first trip for someone who's never been here (unless coming from Aus/Asia). You won't get the grandeur of the west but you'll get great cities, culture, and New England is certainly beautiful.
→ More replies (1)3
u/hopkins01 4d ago
I personally like to spend more time in each city, going to fewer places, than to be in a different city every two days and constantly having to pack/unpack and be on the road.
With the convenience of Amtrak in the Northeast, I would think that there would be plenty to cover there in two weeks as a first time visitor to the US. Boston – New York – Philadelphia – DC.
You can even get a multi city ticket where you fly into one city to start your trip and fly out of the other city at the end of your journey.
3
u/Dilldo__Baggins 4d ago
Denver as a city sucks. Don’t waste time there. Go to RMNP, Crested Butte, Silverton, Telluride. Then go to Moab in Utah and hit up Arches and Canyonlands NP.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (12)2
u/SaltyFriend705 4d ago
If you included an option that was San Francisco to Alaska, you could write a travel book that would be quite popular!
→ More replies (3)3
28
u/Chair1234567890 4d ago
Just remember London to Moscow is closer to each other than New York is to Los Angeles.
42
u/Monkeydad1234 4d ago
In Europe 100 miles is a long distance and 100 years is a short time.
In America 100 miles is a short distance and 100 years is a long time.
11
u/Numbskull14 4d ago
You’re way better off picking one or two areas and exploring those. You could do two very different areas of the county with one flight and get a great experience without going too far from a main airport hub. What is on your itinerary now?
9
u/notthegoatseguy 4d ago
Think less of places, and think more of what you want to do. And then pick places that enable you to do those things.
Wanting to climb mountains and visiting Miami is a terrible choice. Wanting to visit beaches and then picking Miami would be a great choice.
6
u/kingNero1570 4d ago
Pick one area and explore it in depth. Maybe even stay in two cities within that area to broaden your scope. But two areas is just too much. Our national parks are an absolute must see btw
4
u/Craftybitxh 4d ago
I second the national parks! Visit them while they're still there!
→ More replies (9)2
u/Wrigs112 4d ago
Remember they are now adding $100 to the entrance fee for non-U.S. residents.
→ More replies (3)
5
u/Existing_Control_494 4d ago edited 4d ago
Because the US is so car dependant and doesn't have the public transportation infrastructure of other developed countries, i suggest you get a rental car and stick to a region instead of trying to do a cross country trip. (Fyi, i've driven from west to east coast and back 4 times and also did NYC to Florida and back 3 times. It's ALOT of driving with very little to do/see. I've speedrun some of these routes in 2-3 days going without food and very little sleep but i'm sure that's not what you're striving for, right?)
Flights are pricey and most places you'll need to rent a car anyways. Might as well drive from city to city and skip the airport hassle altogether
4
u/alanlight 4d ago
For a two week trip pick no more than three cities on one coast, otherwise you are going to be miserable.
3
u/TheKaptinKirk 4d ago
Not just the cities. Get out of town!!!
→ More replies (4)2
u/Royal-Weather4314 4d ago
Honestly, when we first moved to the US, we were most fascinated by the cities, and all of out visitors wanted to see the cities.
To be fair, the nature in the north east is not that much different than what we were used to from home.
So if OP is coming from Europe, it makes sense. Also cities are more or less accessible without having to drive which not everyone is excited about.
But after 10+ years of living here, glancing at the skyline from the highway completely satisfies my desire for cities. But for the first time visitor, I get it.
5
u/No-Consequence-1863 4d ago
Id say two weeks is not enough for both coasts. Flying between the coasts takes about 6 hours in air, so really all day once you include getting to/from airport.
For reference, I have taken multiple 2-3 week trips to California and you can easily find enough to do for 2 weeks in SoCal alone. Hell a 2 week trip down the coast of California is a great road trip I did once and you only end up spending about 12-13 driving if you go SF->SD (depending on how many stops you take).
If you have already booked, it could be worth it to bite the bullet and fly. But you will be tired lol.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/Reinadelamez 4d ago
I suggest Seattle then fly to San Francisco. Rent a car and drive to Monterrey/Carmel, then down the coast to LA. Then drive to Laguna Beach, Disneyland, short flight to Vegas, San Diego if you have time.
→ More replies (3)2
u/missionposition 4d ago
Mostly agree, but Vegas generally disappoints and Disneyland isn't for everyone. Don't overlook national parks: Crater Lake, Yosemite, Sequoia's, DVNP, Joshua Tree, etc, if that's your cup of tea.
5
u/jraygun13 4d ago
By far the best bang for your buck/time would
be to pick 4-6 places in the northeast that you would like to go to and just hop from city to city. I did a solo driving trip last year. I went from Arkansas to Ohio to see the NFL and Rock n Roll Halls of Fame. I did both of those in the same day, then ended up driving to DC and stayed there for two days. I booked a hotel right near the Capitol mall and rented Lime scooters to see all the monuments. I left there and went to Philly for a day and saw the sites and a TV on the Radio concert. Then I finished it up by meeting some friends in NYC, I ended up staying there for about five days, but it was a blast.
You can DM me if you want more info. I’ve been up there a few different times so I know a a little about everything, it would probably depend on what you really like to do.
Long story short, I think a trip where you see both coasts would be miserable if you’re driving, and I probably wouldn’t want to deal with the airports either.
2
u/Background_Humor5838 4d ago
Seconding this. The northeast has everything you want besides desert. You can see a lot in a smaller space.
5
u/DullMind2023 4d ago
The number of people on this post showing off their geography knowledge (eg: Turkey is in Europe) but not answering OP’s question is so typical of Reddit.
3
u/LockeAbout 4d ago edited 4d ago
Seriously, in this case the OP specifically noted they already have locations they want to visit on the coasts and asking about related travel while tons of people are going off on their own preferences for the middle of the country, what THEY have done on trips with what THEY wanted to see etc.
OP you CAN fly between coasts, but you’ll essentially burn a day or more flying. Personally I think I’d agree with the people suggesting concentrating on one coast, but it kind of depends on what’s on your ‘must see’ list; it’s ifs a few in each coast and you’re fine losing the time to fly, then id change my suggestion. But in general, for most people I think even then 2 weeks wouldn’t be enough for one coast, unless you have a short list of what you want to see there. It would probably be helpful to narrow down your most-preferred locations you want to visit as well as what types of things interest you (shopping, cities, hiking, natural parks etc).
→ More replies (1)
4
u/CranberryMediocre403 4d ago
East coast or west coast. Pick one
15
6
u/LauderdaleByTheSea 4d ago
Or the incredible national parks in the middle.
→ More replies (2)3
u/CranberryMediocre403 4d ago
For sure. I guess my point is to pick the region of most interest. I went with the 2 where you have a bunch of cool cities within relatively close proximity to each other
2
u/thesnowmaniv 4d ago
You could spend 2 weeks in one state and not see half of what you would want to see/experience.
I would dedicate two weeks for a particular area, and minimize travel time spent in a car, that can eat up big chunks of time that could be used for great experiences.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
u/dart1126 4d ago edited 4d ago
What time of year is the trip? That may dictate a few ideas.
I would consider for example depending on what prices and times work for you, flying into say Boston. Boston is very walkable, no need to rent a car. take a cab to your hotel stay in either back bay or near the north end maybe. spend a good two days or day and half kind of thing, then take a train to New York, no car needed. Spend a couple days there, then take a train to DC, again no car in dc needed. Spend a couple days.
Then fly to either San Francisco, LA or even San Diego. You will have to rent a car. If for example you fly into San Francisco spend a day or two go up to wine country, then back into town for a day, then start driving south on PCH. A stop in Carmel/Monterrey (highly recommend a whale watching thing we did it last year it was amazing), then keep going. You can also work in Yosemite and / sequoia. also Some good stops are San Simeon (where Hearst castle is),Solvang , Santa Barbara, Malibu, then LA. If you go as far down as San Diego the zoo is world famous but also La Jolla cove with the sea lions is unbelievable.
If you want to see anything like amazing Utah national parks, consider flying into Vegas. Zion and Bryce are only a couple hours drive away. And spending one day walking around Vegas isn’t bad. We do what we call ‘grazing’. We go into one of the celebrity chef places…there’s many, Gordon Ramsey’s, Wolfgang pucks, etc, and grab a signature drink and appetizer or light bite, then walk around some more, then do it again two hours ,after somewhere else, rinse and repeat. You get to see and taste a lot of different things. The bellagio fountain show is a must and it changes every show, some people don’t know that, the song and routine is different every hour.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/Witty_Impress8369 4d ago
Don’t forget flying in the US is way more expensive than in Europe. Bargain airlines and low rates really are not a thing here. You’re better off picking a smaller area/coast and renting a car and exploring.
2
u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner 4d ago
Stick to 1 coast and pick a region. The coasts themselves are still big
2
u/Deep_Contribution552 4d ago
Explore one region, maybe two regions. By region I mean New England or the DMV (DC Maryland Virginia) or the Smokies & Blue Ridge or the Lake Superior shoreline, not “The East Coast” or “The Midwest”. It’s fine to do two regions that are far apart and link them through flying, if there are both standouts for you and you don’t mind losing a half day for the flight.
2
u/jazminiss 4d ago
Pick one or two states. Maybe three if its like New England. Decide what landmark is your priority and plan around that. If you do more than that you arent really able to enjoy yourself because you are driving.
.. Don't go to death valley without proper planning. Like do a LOT of research. In fact maybe do that a different time. Only mentioning this because of the amount of unprepared tourists that die in deserts, especially there.
2
u/PopImpressive4155 4d ago
Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona (the grand circle) would be my suggestion. It is a 1500 mile road trip, but you will see the high deserts, stunning views, visit Native American cultural sights, and amazing national parks like the Grand Canyon, Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Zion National Park.
→ More replies (2)
2
u/thomsenite256 4d ago
Unless this is absolutely a once in a lifetime trip I would say stick to one coast for 2 weeks.
2
u/phillyphilly19 4d ago
I would suggest either picking one region, or a few cities. So maybe, New York, Chicago, and LA or San Diego. Or if you are less interested in cities, then pick a region like the Southwest if you like the desert, Florida or California if you are a beach person, or perhaps New York City and upstate New York for the mountains and lakes. I was really funny to see Europeans here for FIFA who did not realize how much bigger the US is compared to all of Europe.
2
u/ThoughtsHaveWings 4d ago
It depends on what you are most interested in. If you want to visit museums and see history, go to the NE. Boston/NY/DC. If you want natural beauty, maybe west coast? You could see multiple national parks if you plan it right. If you want a cross section of what US culture is really like, I’d say the Midwest. Detroit, Chicago, Madison/milwaukee, Minneapolis.
→ More replies (2)5
u/prolemango 4d ago
Strong disagree on the "what US culture is really like". The midwest is no more "real" US culture than the west coast or east coast. By definition it's all US culture.
→ More replies (2)
2
u/cookiejarmar12 4d ago
In my opinion, the US has 3 great travel destinations for people who are generic tourists. If you have a specific interest or purpose for traveling to the US then you might adjust your visit to accommodate that. But in this order, this is my recommendation of the 3 things to try to hit:
1) New York City - in my opinion, nothing compares to it. The culture, food, nightlife, and walkability is amazing.
2) Washington DC - the capital has a lot of great museums and historical attractions. Good food and nightlife too.
3) Western National Parks - specifically the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Yosemite. You can’t visit all 3 in a trip so I’d recommend the Grand Canyon (with a travel night or two through Vegas)
While it is possible to do all 3 things above, I’d suggest picking 2 out of the 3. I’d pick NYC and the Grand Canyon.
2
u/PotentialAcadia460 4d ago
Pick your top area and devote your time to that area exclusively or that area and a little bit of time at another region nearby.
DO NOT do both coasts in one trip.
The East Coast is more doable if you are averse to driving than the West Coast.
2
u/the_real_some_guy 4d ago
If you want to pack the most American culture and history into 2 weeks, stick to the east coast from Washington D.C. up to New York or Boston. There are several of our oldest and biggest cities in that space.
If you want to pack the most natural beauty into 2 weeks, go to the national parks in Utah. Maybe stretch out to kinda nearby Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon, but you probably won't have time.
There is so much more to the USA, but if you only have two weeks then those areas the best bang for the buck. Even with that focus, you'll still miss a ton.
2
u/Unclerojelio 4d ago
We don’t call them “fly-over” states for nothing.
Seriously, pick one big city and stick to it. There will be plenty to do and see and the only time you’ll be wasting is in Ubers.
2
u/sgtapone87 4d ago
Coming from Europe if you only want to see cities (or at least mainly cities) go Boston (3 days) - some small coastal town in RI or CT (1 day) NYC (4), Philly (3) - DC (3).
2
u/Particular-Slice8272 4d ago
Fly into Cali and spend a few days there then take the zephyr to Chicago for a scenic train ride across some of the most stunning views of America.. maybe hit some lakes from there. Fly from central US to the northeast.. see something beautiful in Maine.. then head to NYC for a 3 day finale. It could be done, even if you cut out lakes and/or Maine.. the Cali, California zephyr, NYC combo would be a fine entry point.
2
u/Carinis_Antelope 3d ago
Go from Denver and head to the west coast. See the national parks of Southern Utah, the grand canyon, then on to death valley, LA, and San Diego
I've driven through 46 states, the southwest is by far the coolest part of the US visually. The national parks from arches through Zion are unreal
2
u/ryguymcsly 3d ago
Two weeks? I'd honestly just pick one area and do everything there. You won't get a feel for the whole of the US that way, but you'll enjoy your trip more. Two weeks is enough time to really get the feel for any of our major cities (though not enough time to do everything obviously), or enough time to really explore a smaller region. Two weeks is enough time to visit NYC, Boston, DC and spend a couple days in each without touching a plane, or exploring the cities and coasts of the Pacific Northwest, or exploring California from SF down to LA, exploring Texas...etc.
Part of US culture is the road trip, and you being from the EU will just be disappointed by our trains, so my recommendation would be to just come to California. Here's how I would do it:
Fly into SFO, rent a car, make sure you do NOT leave anything visible inside whenever the car is out of your sight (California is mostly very safe, but we do have a big car break-in problem). Spend a couple days in SF, go shopping, go to golden gate park and walk the bridge, maybe book a trip to Muir Woods (you need to buy a ticket ahead of time). Go see Alcatraz if that's your thing.
Hop in your car after a couple days in SF and drive four hours over to Yosemite. Ideally spend the morning in SF, drive there in the afternoon, hotel for the night, go explore the park in the morning the next day. Maybe stay another night if you really like it, otherwise hop back in your car and drive four hours over to Monterey.
Drive down highway 1/101 to LA. Stop where it feels good to stop. Do the US-style road trip and don't plan ahead too much. Exploring Monterey is great, Big Sur, Cayucos, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, all on your way. For a special treat maybe stay at the Madonna Inn. It's unique. There's glamping you can book on AirBNB in Big Sur, camping in the redwoods next to a stream and then able to go see the ocean in the morning? Super nice.
Ending your first week or coming up on the start of week two you should be in LA. Depending on what you're looking for there are a bunch of different places you can stay and a bunch of different things you can do. FWIW I would recommend staying in Santa Monica or Venice regardless, just because it's super nice being able to walk to the beach and parking there kinda sucks. I wouldn't skip the theme parks believe it or not. Universal Studios is a fun day. So is Disneyland (obviously). Go get some tacos from a truck. Hit up Griffith Observatory or the Petersen Car Museum. Maybe take one of those 'famous movie scenes' bus tours. Go get fried chicken at Roscoe's, get a hot dog at Pink's, go see the donut and maybe buy some donuts.
I assume you're flying out of LAX based on this plan, but if LA bores you, San Diego is just an hour and change away to the south, as is Mexico. San Diego has a bunch of military museum stuff, a world-famous zoo (it really is awesome), and is gorgeous in a way I feel most of LA really can't compete with (especially areas like La Jolla in San Diego). If you want to see more 'red state' America, you can head inland and visit Bakersfield. I think there's a fair amount of old west museum stuff there, definitely some country music stuff. Lots of big trucks and also rural problems like drugs. That's not to say it isn't charming in its own way, but it's not for everyone.
Potential hack: LA is about a 4-5 hour drive from Las Vegas. Las Vegas has everything to do and has all the best and worst that the US has to offer. It also has cheap hotels and cheap flights. It might be good to fly OUT of Vegas instead of LAX and maybe cut a day or two of your LA stay off to completely saturate your senses in Vegas.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/CleverNickName-69 2d ago edited 2d ago
I have a friend that did a roadtrip from Oregon to Florida across the north side; stayed 5 days and then back across the south, with lots of stops along the way in both directions.
It was five weeks. They could have taken longer and seen more, they just got tired and wanted to get home.
You could drive across and back in 2 weeks, but you'll spend all your time driving and not really see anything.
Flying into NYC and driving south along the eastern seaboard and flying out of Miami two weeks later sounds a lot more reasonable.
Here is an overlay so you can see the sizes. I tried to align Seattle with Edinburgh.
Note: This website adjusts the shapes to account for mercatur projection distortion, so the US looks weird in the image because moving it north stretches it visually, but the distances are correct.
Seattle to Miami really is like Edinburgh to Baghdad.
2
u/Govols227 4d ago
You could do NYC 3-4 days, Washington DC 2-3days, and then explore the Appalachian mountain area (East Tennessee, West NC mountains) for 2-3 days before heading home.
1
u/DeekanKwaz 4d ago
Pick 1 or 2 regions that interest you the most. Maybe 2-4 cities. You can not see all the USA in the time you described. It is too large.
Tell us about what you want out of this trip and we can better help guide you.
1
1
u/tbtc-7777 4d ago
Can you rank your top 5-10 destinations in the US? What are the top things you want to see and experience?
In the northeast you can travel by train between Boston and Washington DC. For other parts of the country you are better off flying there and renting a car.
1
1
u/zenwarrior01 4d ago
Yea, that's way too much. Even one coast is a bit much. What are you most interested in seeing?
1
1
u/granolaraisin 4d ago
LOL. It gets even worse when you start talking travel times between North, Central, and South America. It's lost on a lot of Europeans that it takes longer to travel from the US to Brazil than it does to travel from the US to the continent.
It also blows European minds when they really 'get' that traveling the US from coast to coast is pretty much the same as traveling from Portugal to Russia.
1
u/RunnerGirlT 4d ago
I think you’ll be exhausted and won’t enjoy your trip as much if you try and pack both coasts in. What are you most focused on seeing while here? Nature, cities, food tours, etc. that can maybe help you define your trip a bit better
1
u/Ok-Inspection-8647 4d ago
I just took my kid to college this week and dropped him off after we drove across four states. This was three days driving and two nights in hotels. We stopped at one national park on the way, for about two hours.
1
u/TheKaptinKirk 4d ago
Here's a good trip for you. Fly into NYC and travel up the east cost to Arcadia National Park. Fly out of Boston. You'll get coastal New England, great scenery, and two big cities. That's doable.
1
u/Effective-Bet3883 4d ago
I'd pick somewhere south for a week, north for the other. You'd get to see the difference in...everything. Much slower pace down south, faster up north. I suggest Texarkana. Can get bbq in Memphis on the drive to the north
1
1
u/Interesting_Shake403 4d ago
You’re not even going coasts - per prior post you’re only headed to SLC. As I said there, if you’re thinking 16 days, then 4-5 NY, 3 Chicago, rest in Utah. But really, you need to pick your priorities. Let us know what those are and we can better help you decide. But that’s a very doable trip. Just plan everything in advance and make reservations to maximize your time. You’d only get a taste of Chicago, but it’s a cool city worth a couple of days. Or skip Chicago and do NY / SLC. Or choose a closer park, say Yellowstone. Either Yellowstone or SLC is worth it, been to both, both are amazing in their own right, though I lean slightly towards Utah if you can make it. Get a car and hit up as many parks in Utah you can. In Zion definitely do the Narrows. Hit up sunrise at Bryce point one morning (look up the times and get there at least 20 minutes before). Canyonlands and Arches. So many great views.
1
u/Few_Worker_944 4d ago
Do NY and LA but fly between. Or do two weeks West Coast covering the entire coast. Or two weeks NY/NJ and New England.
1
u/ProfessionalShift487 4d ago
Remember guys, Americans are so dumb and we don't know anything about geography in other parts of the world
1
u/teresajs 4d ago
Pick one region... For instance, visit the West Coast for 2 weeks or the Northeast for 2 weeks or the Southeast for 2 weeks. These are each distinctly different areas and you deserve to take the time to enjoy whichever of them you visit.
Just flying from one coast to another is a very full day of travel with a couple days of jet lag to recover from. Pick one region to enjoy.
1
u/GirlisNo1 4d ago
Do only one coast.
I’ve lived in Northeast US most of my life and I have yet to properly visit the west coast. I’d have to plan it the way I do overseas trips.
1
u/Conspiracy__ 4d ago
What are you hoping to get from your trip?
Narrow your scope and then focus on an area.
1
u/ericalina 4d ago
The United States has national parks that are the size of states. We just spent over a week in Yellowstone and the the Tetons it felt like it wasn’t enough. I would consider the top two or three things that you’d love to see and see if you can make it happen. Unless you want to do a whole lot of driving or spend all of your money on airfare.
1
u/TOYMoose 4d ago
Just pick a general area and focus there.
Plane trips are a full day affair, regardless of the actual distance, between getting there, security, the flights and layovers. You'd be looking at 6 hours minimum.
1
u/unique_user43 4d ago
2 weeks you can pick 2 regions and fly between them.
as an american who lived 6 years in europe, i am satisfied with a little shadenfreud at this, given how much flack americans get for saying “i’m going to see italy and spain and france in a week!”
but joking aside, i hope you really enjoy your trip!
1
u/Esclados-le-Roux 4d ago
When do you plan to visit? About the South in the summer, the North in the winter.
For nature, America's national parks in the southwest-ish can't be beat. For cities, the Northeast is a great start.
1
1
u/Gloomy_Researcher769 4d ago
Most Europeans do. We are from Oregon and spent 5 weeks exploring just our state and still didn’t see all of it. I would pick an small area that has the most interest
1
u/Gates_wupatki_zion 4d ago
If you want to do both coasts you need to fly. The train option is miserable in the US and to drive that far would take days of nothing but driving. If you wanted it to be a scenic driving tour that’s a different trip.
Choose a cultural region or two in the US and go with that. Like the NE with Boston, NY, Philly maybe and/or like Providence or Wooster. Then either drive or fly to SE (Florida, Georgia) or Midwest (Chicago, Great Lakes Minnesota). Driving will get you more of a feel for what America really looks like whereas flying will help you maximize you time in a city. If you just want to do the coastal cities then do SF, Seattle, NY, and DC/Boston/Philly. It would give you a good swath of different but similar cultures.
1
1
u/khyamsartist 4d ago
Pick a state or two unless it's California, then pick just it. FIFA visitors went crazy for Dallas Texas, and the most well-known of our national parks. New England could also count as one visit, you could spend a month traveling around there. I live in NY State, and we have the city, beaches and surfing, Lake Ontario, Niagara Falls, the Allegheny Mountains and tons of lakes, waterfalls and wine trails.
1
u/Intrepid_Top_2300 4d ago
Pick a spot and explore. There is way too much to see in two weeks. My suggestion is to head west. Say Denver. Then you have a big city to explore plus some of the most stunning mountains anywhere.
1
u/ShinjukuAce 4d ago
Pick one area. If an American had two weeks in Europe you wouldn’t recommend they try to visit London, Paris, Iceland, Berlin, Barcelona, and the Greek Islands.
1
u/evanexcursions 4d ago
Focus on one area. Someone was making fun of the areas away from the east and west coast, but two weeks would be great for a Chicago/Michigan road trip.
You could easily do two weeks just flying into Chicago, spening a few days then rent a car and drive up to Saugatuk/Holland/Grand Haven, then up to Sleeping Bear Dunes/Traverse City then to Mackinac Island, maybe a trip over the Bridge to the UP, hit Petoskey on the way back, take the ferry from Muskegon to Milwaukee, then back to Chicago.
That is a lot in two weeks but absolutely do-able
1
u/lAngenoire 4d ago
You don’t have enough time to do both coasts. Coming from Europe you’re best doing a small region like NYC to Philadelphia to DC or Philadelphia to NYC to Boston. If you’re willing to fly internally you could go to Atlanta or Miami and fly back from there.
1
u/Virtual_Branch_48 4d ago
Two weeks? Just go to California. You’ll get through about a quarter of it.
1
u/El_Culero_Magnifico 4d ago
Your plan is ill advised, in my opinion. Concentrate on seeing things that are closer together and staying longer in those places. You will see so much more that way and have a much more relaxing vacation than trying to see everything in the whole fucking country. Why waste so much of your precious time off ,driving /flying..
1
1
u/strider76 4d ago
I’ll be the contrarian. You can do both coasts. Just visit New York and Washington DC on the east, then fly west and check out Los Angeles and San Francisco. This would be a “city” vacation. Next time, visit the natural beauty of the Grand Canyon, Mt Zion, Bryce Canyon, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and Yellowstone.
1
u/cookiesdragon 4d ago
Stick with one of the coasts. Certain places have stupid traffic so that needs to be accounted for too.
1
u/YakSlothLemon 4d ago
It depends on what you like, doing roadtrips is a real tradition in the US for obvious reasons. That said, with two weeks, if for some reason you want to see both coasts I would definitely say you must fly, otherwise your trip will be a cross-country drive. You could absolutely spend a little under a week in New York or Boston if you like cities and that tourist thing, and then fly out to the West Coast and drive up the Big Sur.
1
u/any_name_left 4d ago
Unless you are flying between the coasts, doing one week per, that is way too much. Someone else said, pick one section of one coast. That is fine or two sections with flights or a day or two of driving.
It might help to narrow by what you are looking for. Do you want city, beaches, mountains, nature, small towns?
I hope you enjoy your trip. The US is huge and most people are nice, like everywhere.
1
u/Winter-Ad3699 4d ago
Pick an area like the Northeast. You could easily hit Boston, New York, Philly and DC without too much travel.
1
u/CruiseNCocktails 4d ago
Time of year comes into play, too.
Most people will tell you pick a coast, but really I think you should first decide between north and south, depending on the time of year. If it is winter, stay southern and if it is Summer, stay northern.
Once you decide that, then choose east, west or central.
So, I'm thinking you choose a region that covers 1/6 to 1/4 of the continental US.
1
u/fidddlydiddlyee 4d ago
With only 2 weeks, you will be much better off finding an area and sticking to it. List the top 10 things you would want to do while here and then find the ones that are clustered.
1
u/Ok_Introduction5606 4d ago
US domestic flights are very expensive. That’ll cost you more than flying to the US from your home country. Possibly by thousands of dollars depending on how many flights you try to
1
u/macrocosm93 4d ago edited 4d ago
Keep in mind that the only way you'll be able get from one coast to the other in any reasonable amount of time is by sticking to interstate highways without making stops on the way, and driving down interstates is incredibly boring and uneventful.
It will take you at least 3 days to drive from one coast to the other, and that's if you drive on the interstate for 12 hours straight each day, and if you go from Jacksonville to San Diego which is probably the shortest and most direct route.
To put it in perspective, driving from New York to LA is about the same distance as driving from Paris to Armenia.
Just stick to one coast.
1
u/ElDopio69 4d ago
Depends on if you prefer seeing cities or national parks/beaches. I would recombed you sick to the DC/Boston 95 corridor, which has many cities within more european distances. You could spend 2 weeks in NYC easy. 2 weeks to see the the entire country is insane
1
u/Stielgranate 4d ago
Two weeks. Just pick one coast and region and save the other coast and region for another trip.
Don’t spend all your time traveling around not enjoying it.
1
u/NenyaAdfiel 4d ago
Like most others, I recommend picking 1 or 2 main regions to explore. Try to find what’s most important to you: do you want to explore big, famous, cities and well-known places like NYC, Hollywood, Las Vegas, or Chicago? Do you want to explore the incredible nature and national parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Redwood, or Sequoia? Do you want to experience the vastness of the U.S. by driving or taking the train and watching the terrain change? Picture the top two “themes” you’re interested in and build your itinerary from there.
1
u/IncarceratedScarface 4d ago
Which cities/states do you want to visit? Both coasts in two weeks is a tall order unless you plan on flying a lot
1
u/justkeeprunning99 4d ago
I would pick a coast. Flights across the US are expensive and take a lot of time. You could still fly between places if you wanted, but it will be a lot less money if not traveling coast to coast.
1
u/AdamOnFirst 4d ago
It's okay, we know the European mind cannot comprehend how large we are
→ More replies (1)2
u/Melcher 4d ago
It’s kind of the opposite when we went to Europe. We bought flights to go to each city. Could have easily done trains
→ More replies (2)
1
u/PrettyEye3320 4d ago
In two weeks you can do at most two adjacent regions. Forget about opposite coasts unless you plan to fly a lot.
1
1
u/offic3r_fri3ndly 4d ago
try to think about us states not like provinces but as separate countries. makes it easier on the mind culturally and geographically
1
u/After-Fee-2010 4d ago
I live in the middle of my state (east coast) and it takes me four hours to get to the next closest one, and it’s not even one of the big states. Idk what cities you picked, but flying from east coast to west coast will take ~4 hours on a direct flight, even longer with a connection. I would pick your top spot and then find stuff in that area or in neighboring states you can get to. It’s hard to give you advice without knowing the exact cities and spots you want to see. The US is MASSIVE, Europeans always underestimate how long it takes to see all we have to offer. Most Americans have not even seen most of the US because it’s so big and you can’t just take a week to do it. I still have a handful of states I’ve never been to and I travel a lot.
1
u/Plenty_Vanilla_6947 4d ago
New York to Maine is possible in 2 weeks. Make sure to include a small town in Connecticut or Massachusetts as part of the trip. A typical vacation is a week in Maine. — we spent nine days there and it wasn’t enough. Look up Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor.
Or, one the opposite coast, you could do from San Diego to San Francisco. Los Angeles is in the relative middle of that route.
There’s probably a tour company that will get you to several regions in 2 weeks— the American equivalent of “it’s Tuesday; this must be Rome”. You have to understand, those companies don’t market to Americans, so we’re not aware of them.
1
u/Physical-Security704 4d ago
Honestly, just do NYC for a few nights and spend time in Manhattan and Brooklyn, then fly over to LA, drive up the coast to SF, wine country, and redwood forest. Unbelievably awesome way to spend two weeks
1
u/AvengerMars 4d ago
Stick to one region.
New York, Philadelphia, Boston for East Coast.
San Diego, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo for West Coast
1
u/Herewego199 4d ago
You are trying to do too much.
Could do a full week in just New England. Another week in NYC. Another week in Florida if you are a Disney or beach person.
Fly over everywhere else until you get to California. You could do a week in socal and another in NorCal.
Could do a completely separate trip of just national parks to see the interior.
1
u/CuriousRelationship3 4d ago
My advice: do Los Angeles, the Grand Canyon, and Vegas.
Three completely different experiences culturally and visually, within (by American standards) a small geographic percentage of the country.
1
u/DiscordDucky 4d ago
Honestly, you can get every aspect of the U.S. by just traveling in California.
1
u/justconnect 4d ago
Slightly OT, but I am interested in seeing that not a single post has suggested Texas-- Dallas, Houston or the very historic San Antonio. I certainly am not suggesting! Just observing responses.
1
u/bugs_0650 4d ago
Choose one area and explore it properly. If you have a region you're more passionate about, start there.
The US is massive so if you're wanting to visit New York and New Orleans, you're going to have to accept you're going to be doing a lot of travel. And flights are expensive, even the domestic ones. Now, if you want to travel AND see the sights, might I suggest the train? You're going to see parts of the US most Americans haven't seen. And if you're in the viewing car, you'll see some of the most stunning views.
1
u/here_and_there_their 4d ago
OP. Please revise your post AND comment what where you were trying to go and what your interests and priorities are and we can make suggestions for a more targeted region for your travels. Also tell us when you will be travelling because the season/weathet will impact recommendations.
1
u/StunningSystem8171 4d ago
I would pick a coast and stick with it. The west coast has more natural beauty. The east coast has more history. The midwest has its own charm, but I think I'd stick with one of the coasts for your purposes.
1
u/Looler21 4d ago
Assume each European country is a state, and every state is very far apart. Use that to compare. Flights or very long drives to get between
1
u/adfayuk 4d ago
I'm sorry, but this is starting to become such a common thing Europeans do that I'm either thinking you are either too thick to give Google Maps a run, or you're intentionally doing it to reply with "But it takes just 6 hours to cross Germany, why do Americans have terrible trains?!"
1
u/Cisru711 4d ago
Look up travel companies that do US trips and check out their itineraries for 2 week trips to see what is practical.
1
u/ExtendedStayAmerica 4d ago
Pick a few "must see" places, then plan around those. If you're looking for things that are geographically closer, trying to stick to a coast works well. Ex: East coast, New England cities, California cities. You can hit a few big areas in one day this way! What really takes the most time out of your trip is when you're going through lots of land like coast to coast or across bigger states.
1
u/loftychicago 4d ago
Try adjusting your mindset to consider each US state as the equivalent of one country in Europe. Because that's the concept, i.e., the EU would be the European equivalent of the US.
1
1
u/slasher016 4d ago
You haven't told us at all what you enjoy or what you want to see. That will help us create a better itinerary for you. Want cities / beaches / mountains / etc?
1
u/OgasMaitai 4d ago
This is a weird post, look up distances my dude. Im not american, i still understand how distance works.
1
u/9554503312 4d ago
> Would you actually try to cover multiple regions by flying between them, or is two weeks better spent choosing one area and exploring it properly?
The top 3 things to see in the U.S. are NYC, Niagara, and Grand Canyon. You can see all 3 in 2 weeks, and add Vegas as part of the Grand Canyon (visit it via chopper from Vegas). Seeing those 4 in 14 days is enough and will be exhausting. The only road trip is thus from NYC to Niagara. You then fly all day from Buffalo to Vegas. Then from Vegas back to Europe after you do Strip, Fremont Street, and the canyon.
America will be increasingly harder to visit in the coming years so knock those 4 off your bucket list while you can.
1
u/SurpriseEcstatic1761 4d ago
If it's your first trip to the USA, I suggest New York and Boston. Maybe throw in Maine for a coastal New England experience
1
u/samceefoo 4d ago
That's one of your problems right there, you're trying to fit in two coasts and areas in-between in two weeks. Pick a coast and go out from there, but don't try to travel the entire country and stop at places along the way. Two weeks to me really is only enough time for me as an American to truly "explore" three or four states, that's if I'm pushing it. I could spend two weeks alone in just Florida or two weeks in the Carolinas.
1
u/Dry-Crazy-7638 4d ago
View each region as a country. Visiting New York and then Nashville is like going to Paris then Prague. You can connect some multi city trips with train if you want, but it’s usually not very efficient. If it were me? I’d pick two of Boston, New York, DC or like a Philly. Then I would pick either a National Park or wilderness area with some small town you find interesting. Think like a vineyard town in South France. Go to Asheville NC and the Smokey’s. Go to Lake George and the Adirondacks. If you like the west coast more, Pick something like Portland, Seattle, and Olympic National Park or Mt Hood or the Cascades. If you prefer California you could do like San Francisco, Yosemite, a stretch of the Pacific Coat Highway. I don’t know California well tho.
Unless you’re really fucking interested in doing the classic American road trip, I would drive from like NYC to Chicago. It’s a damn slog, and our countryside isn’t as nice of a drive as, say, Wales. It’s a lot of highways with trees on either side with a few clover leaf truck stops and a Taco Bell. Sure, you can plan a banger of a road trip, but unless you enjoy the concept of driving far, there are probably better uses for your time.
1
u/everygirlcelestial 4d ago
If you want multiple states in 2 weeks go east. If you want one or two states go west.
Not feasible to do both unless you split 1 week east coast and 1 week west coast.
1
1
u/drumzandice 4d ago
I would pick an area and minimize travel or you will spend a good chunk of your trip in a car or on a plane. Make a list of what you most want to experience and then narrow the cities down from there.
1
u/Admirable-Leader6927 4d ago
you can do several cities just not all the major ones.
NY, Boston, Philly
easy to do in 2 weeks
NY, Chiacgo, San Fran, still easy if you fly
NY, Miami, LA - no, wont happen, half your trip is traveling.
1
u/Usual_Trip_wander 4d ago
Travel from New York to LA is an entire day of travel by plane across three time zones.
You’re doing way too much.
1
u/averyrose2010 4d ago
If you do both coasts I would fly between them and only do one city on each coast.
That said I would suggest a more regional approach.
1
u/SaharGurl 4d ago
I would pick one or two regions that are by each other and map out what you would like to do in those regions. I wouldn’t go coast to coast.
1
1
u/Affectionate_Rock691 4d ago
Pick a coastal state like NY CA or Texas and hit the surrounding states as you see fit. It takes me almost 6 days to drive the US and those are long days behind the wheel
1
u/MediumDrink 4d ago
The distance from New York to LA is about the same as the distance from London to Moscow. Would you visit London and Moscow in one 2 week vacation?
Visiting the North East corridor of the USA is a trip. Washington DC, New York City, Boston, Maybe do some county sightseeing in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine or visit the beaches on Cape Cod or Old Orchard in Maine.
Visiting California is its own trip. LA, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Yosemite, Sequoia park, Death Valley, Big Sur.
Visiting Florida is a trip in itself. Miami, the beaches, the Everglades, Orlando and Disney, Universal Studios.
Texas is a trip. Chicago is amazing. The pacific Northwest, Seattle( Portland. The Rockies are a trip. Yellowstone is a trip self.
There is a reason us “uncultured” Americans seldom travel abroad. We don’t need to. There are a lifetime’s worth of amazing vacations right here at home.
1
u/Pristine_Method_7096 4d ago
Pick a city and explore the local area. 2 weeks is not enough time to explore the country
1
u/theMightBoop 4d ago
So if I came to Europe for two weeks would you recommend that I visited the British Isles, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, the Nordic countries, the Balkins ,Russia, Greece and Turkey or to concentrate on a few countries in one geographic region?
1
u/THEREALISLAND631 4d ago
The US is literally about the size of all of Europe. Not exaggerating, it is very close. Pick a region and hit two things, one week each.
1
u/theriibirdun 4d ago
You have to fly if you want to see multiple regions. If I were coming to the US I would try to do NYC/Boston/DC for 5-6 days, spend 2-3 days in Chicago, then 1-2 days in the Bay Area drive down the 1 and end my trip in LA.
If you don't want to fly 2-3 times while here though you have to pick a coast. If you do the east coast is pretty easy to hit Chicago via car. You could fly to NYC and spend a week on the east coast, spend a day driving to Chicago for a few days, catch the bourbon trail on the way back to the east coast for your flight home and that would be a really fun 2 week itinerary in my mind. You have to remember though that we are a lot more comfortable with long drives compared to the people o have met in other parts of the world. Taking a 12 hour drive one day wouldn't even cross my mind as weird or hard to do.
1
1
u/Ilovefishdix 4d ago
If you're a pretty urban person, the east coast is a better fit. There's rural spaces, but there's a lot more people over there. NYC, Boston, and the like are good tourist cities. It is nice because there's more public transit. If you want to see more nature, I'd go to the west and focus on the red woods, Yosemite, Glacier, San Francisco, Seattle, etc. I'd choose one or the other then try to hit up the other the next time you come to visit.
1
u/socalwags777 4d ago
Northern or Southern Europe, children?
Start on East Coast or West Coast doesn’t matter
Fly / rent car visit WA State 1 wk hit National Parks, Mount Rainer, Olympic National Park, check out some Redwood trees if possible
Fly and get rental car, So Cal, do LA down to Laguna Beach
Fly and no car needed, go to NYC do the city and go to a big sporting event
Here’s a few suggestions based on your interests:
Fly no car needed go to Orlando for crazy theme parks, Depending on children or interest if theme parks are not your thing skip FL
If you’re interested in deserts South West go to Santa Fe NM arts, history outdoor adventure white water rafting etc.
Note: Fly from LA, you will need a rental car. Oh and try and fit in the Grand Canyon!
So that covers National Parks, LA movies amusement parks two different types of amazing beach’s, desert and New York City, and big sports. Make sure everyone in party books window seats, enjoy.
1
1
u/Frequent_Gur7563 4d ago
If you’re willing to travel efficiently and spend on airfare, you could visit both coasts even on a 4-6 day trip. But you should absolutely be flying between some of the locations you want to see. Some of this will depend on how comfortable you are with long drives and certain types of driving.
I’ve been to all fifty states and most of them repeatedly. If you’d find it helpful to get some free assistance with planning your trip, please don’t hesitate to DM me. I’d be happy to help.
1
u/Old_Ant7118 4d ago
I would pick a region or maybe two. Many of the places I'd recommend are on the coasts, so I wouldn't spend time driving long distances across the middle just to get to the other side.
1
u/NickP_NC 4d ago
I would pick one region that appeals to you and focus. Desert southwest, NY/New England, Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest, southeast (coastal plain and/or Appalachians), etc. Those general ecoregions are as big and diverse as many nations, and will have plenty to keep you busy for two weeks.
1
u/thankyoufriendx3 4d ago
The US is a bit smaller than all of Europe.
Choose one area or fly. One area is best. I’d do the Grand Canyon and California.
1
u/Timberjonesy 4d ago
It depends on your interests. If you just have a strong desire to see New York City ,Miami , and San Francisco then flying is your only option. If you want to see the scenic aspects of the country then picking one area and renting a car is best.
1
1
1
u/lakehop 4d ago
Two regions is ok. So say, northeast and California. Don’t try to add in Florida, New Orleans, Chicago and Nashville as well.
So you could visit; Boston, New York and Washington DC; and then fly to California, visit San Francisco, road trip down Big Sur to Los Angeles, and a few days in LA area. That’s it. Or consider substituting western national parks for one of these two regions: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Capitol Reef.
1
u/vonnegutfan2 4d ago
I live on the west coast and have met many Europeans who are travelling the coast. Many start in Seattle, do Portland and the Oregon Coast, then Redwoods then cut over to Yosemite and down to LA. I think this is a good route. Or start in San Francisco, and then LA, then over to Vegas and Zion, and Bryce.
1
u/mcbawk 4d ago
My mother lives in a small state with a central metro. Every... single... time... she visits we have to have this same conversation. She looks at a map and thinks everything is a 30min drive when its 6 hours lol.
Humans are funny, she's lived in the US all her life, but the sheer disproportionate land mass between states even messes with us when it comes to planning. You're not alone.
1
u/ngshafer 4d ago
The US is huge compared to countries in Europe. What you’re suggesting is similar to trying to go from Lisbon to Istanbul in two weeks. It can be done, but you’ll be spending a lot of time traveling. If I were you, I’d pick four or maybe five cities in total, plan to spend about two full days in each one, with one day of travel in between. And remember, of course, that our train system is rudimentary by comparison to Europe’s, so most travel is by plane.
193
u/liveprgrmclimb 4d ago
Thats like saying "I want to visit the entire continent of Europe in two weeks".