USA

foodietravel

New Member
Hi piglet,

I'm still considering Niagara Falls for my honeymoon next year in Spring/Summer. So what i've found out so far is that the nearest airport in America for Niagara Falls is Buffalo New York. Then we still gotta go over to the Canada side because it's more beautiful there. So 4th Feb land in SFO, fly to Buffalo(not the 3 NY airports : La Guardia, JFK, Newark) and i think 7th feb depart for LV's McCarran Int'l Airport or "LAS" might be better for u. Spend 2 nites and leave 9th or maybe 10th and head for LA's Universal and Disneyland... You go figure the rest of SF
wink.gif


As for estimated weather <font color="ff0000">in ANY city in the world</font>, do check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/ and click on the alphabet "N" for New York City if you want the weather forecast for Feb or any other month.
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Hi De Snowyz,

happy holidays to you too!!
 


bearypink

New Member
Hi Piglet!

Such a coincidence! I am also planning on flying in on 4 Feb next year but I will only be doing the West Coast.

How's the planning on accomodation and air tickets? I would prefer to do a F&amp;E drive but due to time limitation in planning for my wedding, I opted for the F&amp;E 13 days tour with 3 nights extension in SF. Save the hassel of research! But that left me with very limited time in LV though sadly.

Anyway try to book early coz I am having problems getting airtickets during this travel period. =)
 

bearypink

New Member
Hi Eggie!

I got mine from Chan Brothers. I wanna go Yosemite and it seems like only Chan Brothers is the only one with it in the itinerary! =)
 

yc_mw

Member
Hallo hallo,

Juz done with my wedding. So, now full time preparing for my HM liao. :D

Anyway, there's changes le. We're flying off on 1st Feb, then return 14th Feb. So, will ve 2 weeks there.

Since mine is Promo Airfare, so can't change to land in NYC, gotta remain landing in SFO. We'll land bout 10am in SFO. After landing in SFO, I hope to fly direct to Florida. Hmm, Is it under New Orleans? I still quite blur..

Then will spend 3 -4days in DisneyWorld.

Thereafter, will fly to NYC from there ba. 1 question here, is it convenient to drive to NYC instead of driving there? If can drive, any idea how long it'll take?

So, when we reach NYC, should be the 5th or 6th Feb. Then will spend another 3-4days there, then will depart for LV.

We'll go back to SFO on the 13th, stay 1 nite there, and we depart for S'pore on the 14th.

Pls gimme some comments. TIA! :D
 

foodietravel

New Member
Hi piglet,

Congrats! Married!! Wow, i'm still planning mine. I only planned most of my Honeymoon because i wanted upgrade tickets for long haul to SFO. Had to buy all int'l and domestic tix early.

Initially wanted to go Orlando, Florida like you. So i have done all my research for Orlando. But i only have 2 weeks and flying to MCO (Orlando airport code) takes about 5-6 hours. There is a direct flight from SFO by United Airlines. But to drive to NYC is too far from Orlando given the short time available for our honeymoon. Flying there is easy. From NYC back to SFO means a transit and i believe there's no direct flight from NYC to LAS (McCarran airport at Las V*gas' code). So all the time is wasted on the plane.

BTW, i hope u realise that if u still plan to go to Buffalo (airport code is BUF) where the American Niagara Falls is, you may wanna fly there from one of the 3 airports in NYC. And more imptly, the Maid of the Mist tour is NOT available during winter so you can only walk thru the Niagara tunnel. I imagine it's gonna be really cold.

I'll be going back to SFO again since my HTB hasn't been there and it's a nice romantic city. We plan to stay 3 days, head for Chicago, stay 3 days, head for LV, stay another 3 days and go back to SF for 2 days. We wanna takes things easy. All direct flights.

If u specify your travel dates and departure times, i can try to give u more feedback and advice if u wish.
 

yc_mw

Member
Hi M,

Thanks! :D

Okay. We'll reach SFO at about 10am in the morn, and from there, we hope to travel straight to Orlando-Florida (But, haven't go find out the ticket timing though).

1st Feb - 5th Feb @ Orlando- Florida
Will wanna cover WDW- Maybe bout 2-3days for the 4worlds, coz not all are fun/interesting to us. Then 1 more day for Universal Studio.

We'll depart for NYC on 5th feb night time, so, we'll catch our winks in the plane.

6th Feb-8th Feb @ NYC (Check out on 8th)
Will wanna shop ard in NYC, then visit Manhattan, DC. We will prolly drop Niagara Falls, since not enuff time, and nothing much to see at tat point of time. Hmm, anything or places tat we should do/ visit while in NYC.
Same thing here, we'll depart for LV at night, but u were saying tat there's no direct flight there.. So, wat's the alternative back to LV?

9th Feb - 12th Feb @ LV
Spent out time at The Stripe &amp; casinos + Shopping here.

13 Feb - 14th Feb @ SFO
Take in the sights and it's back to S'pore.
 

foodietravel

New Member
hi piglet

i've checked travelocity for airlines and us airways seems to be the best option but i don't think u can book it from singapore.. u can try though.

i've also checked united airlines and found the best option of S$1338 per person for your multi-city tour. you can get cheaper option from UAL but the timings are not so preferred bcos you need to be at the airport an hr plus in adv for departure and you can't check into hotels till abt 3pm.

So below is what i recommend but you shd check out the website yourself.. The prices increase every week or so bcos of demand.

from SF to Orlando there's only 1 direct flight which is via united and u nd to take a morning flight but bcos of time zone difference, u arrive only at night --- one whole day gone!
1st Feb SFO 1315h MCO 2117h TIME 5H2M

from Orlando to NYC, no direct flights
united offers:
5th Feb :
MCO 0915h IAD 1122h TIME 2H7M (transit is washington DC)
IAD 1238h JFK 1351h TIME 1H13 (arrive in NYC's JFK airport)

9th Feb:
EWR 0915h ORD 1058h TIME 2H43M (depart from NewArk airport I think.. in NYC) (transit is Chicago)
ORD 1155h LAS 1355h TIME 4H0M
I know US airways has direct flight 9:40am from JFK but it's more expensive to book just a one-way flight from one airline.

12th Feb:
many direct flights, esp under united
LAS 1244h SFO 1421h TIME 1H37M

Please remember it's always cheaper to book a flight from City A and end back again at City A.
 

reneylle

New Member
Hi all,

I'm planning a 2 weeks trip to US in July.
These are the places which I wish to cover.

LA, LV, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, San Francisco

Just wondering whether is it easy to drive around these places if I do it F&amp;E? Any car rental companies to recommend? Any hotels to recommend?

Any recommendations for flights to LA?

I'm also looking at a F&amp;E package provided by Chan Brothers which cover the above. Wondering whether is it more cost efficient if I get their package? It cost SGD2298 for a 13D F&amp;E without tax.

Thanks!
 

foodietravel

New Member
hi reneylle

i can't reply much today as i'm flying for a short biz trip 2mro.. gotta sleep early. will reply in a few days time.

it's always cheaper to get from a travel agency.

Yet, i do all my bookings online and usually direct with airlines eg. SQ and UAL because i'm a member and with certain hotels too. that said, there are of course better hotels than those i'm linked too so i usually refer to tripadvisor for recommendations and so far, all hotels recommended are good.

i haven't been to LA for some time but i do not recommend driving in LA. traffic is ridiculous. no easy public transportation and taxis are expensive. since i haven't been there for some time, won't recommend any hotels.

LV,
it's better to choose a hotel on the 'Strip' (LV's Orchard Rd). I've stayed at Caesars and Paris. My friend tried Flamingo. All are good. That was more than a year plus ago.. I'll be staying at Bellagio (managed to get gd rates) this May for my honeymoon.
you can stay in LV and take day tours to Grand Canyon OR you can stay one night at Grand Canyon.
Driving along LV's Strip is not nec. I always walk. Think Orchard Road. You can consider driving from LV to places like Red Rock Canyon etc. Better to follow a tour to Grand Canyon.

Not been to Yosemite. Sorry.

SF:
I've posted many remarks on SF. My fave city. Will be trying out Rex Hotel (due to special rates with Citibank or UOB - check online) and managed to get a really gd deal for St Regis and also the new Intercontinental (not Mark Hopkins). You can scroll back to my posts dated Oct 2007 till now. FYI, Monticello Inn is closed.
Don't recommend driving in SF because of the steep hills and cable cars along Powell Street. Consider staying in Union Square if you love shopping and consider Fisherman's Wharf if you plan on many side trips eg Alcatraz, Sausalito etc. I always go for Union Square hotels. Fisherman's Wharf gets really cold at night.

If you have narrowed down certain hotels in LV and SF, you can name them for me and i'll advise on the location etc. I've been there many times.

Generally F&amp;E hotels affiliated with Singapore tour agencies are chain hotels so reviews are pretty normal and locations are not always good but then, the prices are cheaper. However, you bear more transportation costs!

I usually fly into SFO (SF int'l airport) instead of LAX (LA's int'l airport) because i prefer SFO (more organised and more food outlets) and also because it's one of UAL's headquarters and because the SQ air ticket price (as of my last booking) is the same as flying into LAX.

BTW, if you plan to visit theme parks, it's still summer holidays in July so try to avoid weekends.

hth for now.
 

lynntsh

New Member
hi guys.. i wonder if you could give me advice on the east coast? i went to west usa in dec 08 and it was great! even my hb love it to bits and we are thinking of going again .. thus east this time round. however, after checking out the itineries online.. doesnt seem to have many factory outlets... we went to 3 in west usa.. how come?seems like the east is more for sightseeing?
 

foodietravel

New Member
hi lynntsh,

not sure which part of the east coast you're referring to but i assume you're asking abt New York City, Boston, Florida etc.

East-wise, personally been only to New York and beyond would be places such as New Orleans, Atlanta etc. Did research for my coming honeymoon for Florida and Niagara but decided to go back to the West which i've been umpteen times.
This is because the West is more fun (lotsa theme parks), more touristy (Fisherman's Wharf in SF and shows in LV) and cheaper (lower tax and factory outlets).
East side is busier and more costly (airfares from S'pore and distance) and more for adults (think higher-end shopping in New York). It's also more biz-like. But of course there's sightseeing except it's more advisable to take some day tours or package tours because to go from one place to another to sightsee is more troublesome. Eg. if you go Free &amp; Easy, in NY, you'll have to take subway.. More complicated. In SF and LV, transportation is tourist-friendly.
Also, there are less itineraries for travel available because the weather in the West is more consistent (less snow or no snow) and at certain times, cooler. Travel agents can plan itineraries months ahead with less to worry about disrupting schedules.

Does this answer your question?
 

lynntsh

New Member
Hi M

Thanks for your advice. Kinda affirm my impression of the East which i doubt satisfy my requirements. I would like shopping like the west, cheap factory outlets, if not better and less touristy sightseeings. Dont feel like going to the west again cos not worth just gg for shopping as i am not keen to visit the attractions again.
 

foodietravel

New Member
lynntsh,
if u really wanna go shopping, and don't mind the std prices (not factory outlet), i highly recommend Minnesota's "Mall of America". It's the largest shopping mall in America and the 2nd largest in the world. The biggest is West Edmonton Mall in Canada but i went to both and MOA is sooo much better. MOA: There's a mini theme park within the shopping centre itself and you can spend three days shopping. I stayed at the Country Inn &amp; Suites near MOA. The weather was chilly in Sept and transportation was convenient. U can fly by Northwest Airlines.

if u have other cities/countries that you're interested in, you can also ask me ;)
 

joyful_kiki

New Member
Hi all,

I'm going to USA west coast (california) on 28 May. Need some advice from you experts here! hehe..

1. Which hotels do you recommend in LA and San Francisco? I read some posts that ppl have recommended staying at Union Square in San Francisco? Is that true? Which area should I stay in LA then?

2. Do you know of any good land tours operators in USA? I'm thinking of going frm LA to LV to Grand Canyon to Yosemite and end in San Francisco..

3. What's the weather there like in May to June? U searched on the Internet, it's like 20 degrees??? Is that true? So cold?
 

janfeb

New Member
I will be going to the west coast and thought of buying cosmetics like clinique and coach bag. Will the prices be the same across states? Where is a good place to get them in LV, LA and San Francisco?
 

sea_blue

New Member
Retail prices are the same across the states. LV is a better place to buy... because tax there is lower. But you might want to do a search for whatever bag you intend to buy, and see if it is available in the Coach shop that you would be visiting in LV. Have fun!
happy.gif
 

sea_blue

New Member
You are right!
happy.gif

forgot that one.

The only thing is if the Coach shop at the airport does not have the bag that you want...then too late to go find somewhere else.
 

janfeb

New Member
Thks seablue and sally for the replies. Any idea which factory outlet is good for coach pdts? A lot cheaper and able to get nice stuff?
 

wunderoy

New Member
Hi, planning to go to LA, LV, San Francisco, Yosemite and Grand Canyon this year. Anyone been there with similar itinerary? any good accommodation in each of the places to recommed? Can send your itinerary to me for reference?
email : [email protected]

Thanks in advance...
 

sumiko

New Member
Hi,

I am planning for my US trip but couldn't book any lodging at the grand canyon. Anyone managed to get a last-minute room there?
 

pyon0012

New Member
hihi,

Can someone recommend some good shopping places especially factory outlets in LA and LV? any hotel recommendations for both places as well?
 

kar

New Member
hi butter,
priceline seems great. We managed to book a reasonably priced hotel through it.

hi Pyon0012,
We shld be getting Flamingo at LV. As for LA, no idea yet... anyone has recommendations?
 

crayonv

New Member
<font color="0000ff">there are many diff factory Outlets to go in my itinerary...</font>

<font color="ff0000">- Lenwood
- Gilroy Premium Outlet.
- Macys'</font>

<font color="aa00aa">which one will be the cheapest???

any adv please??

please PM/email me..</font>

[email protected]

thanks!!
happy.gif
 

pinjie8275

New Member
Hi vivian

So coincident! I am also going West Coast USA for my honeymoon. But is in Dec.

Have signed up with Dynasty to save the hassle of planning...
 

sweetcorn

New Member
Hi

Just to share some info...

Gilroy Premium Outlet - It's hugh with 145 stores. But personally I don't like the layout coz the whole outlet is separated into 3 parts by roads. And there is a distance walking from one end to another. Tax rate is 8.25%.

Las V3gas Premium Outlet - Another hugh outlet with 150 stores. I prefer this outlet much more than Gilroy. The stores are arranged in such a way which is more concentrated in area hence easier to shop around. There is a food court where you can have lunch before second round of shopping. Tax rate is 7.75%.

For above outlets, remember to register online and print out the vouchers before departing to USA.

Primm Fashion Outlet - Unlike both outlets above, the stores are in an enclosed air-conditioned building hence do not need to fear if it rains. There wasn't many ppl shopping when I was there hence made it more pleasant to shop. There is a food court as well. Tax rate is 7.75%.

Happy Shopping! =)
 

fifteenmay

New Member
Hi All, can anyone share how to get to Orlando from Singapore? Is there a direct flight option or what are the transit options?

Is the east really less interesting than the west? i was thinking of going disneyworld, universal studio, miami...
 

housebear

New Member
from Singapore, there is no direct flight to orlando.

the cheapest option will be United Airlines
their flight option will be Singapore-Tokyo/Hong Kong-Chicago/SF/LA-Orlando.

the other airlines will be more ex though... maybe unless there is any special promotion.
 

bellebelle

New Member
Anyone took a cab before in LA?

Can you share experience b'cos we're thinking of taking a cab to go to a shopping mall but heard that cabs don't stop for you. We don't want the hassle of driving just for a day of F&amp;E.
 

babyhamham

New Member
Hi I'm planning for my honeymoon in Apr/May to USA and would appreciate some advice.

Is it possible to do SF > LA > LV > NYC > SF in around 2 weeks? We're planning to do NYC as we have relatives there and tend to visit them, can save on accommodation as well.

My brief plan:

SF (3-4 days)
- Gilroy outlet
- Union Square
- Fisherman's Wharf
- Alcatraz
- Yosemite

LA (2-3 days)
- Disneyland
- Hollywood
- Santa Monica (skip?)

LV (3-4 days)
- Grand canyon (follow day tour)
- The Strip for shopping
- Outlets
- See performances

NY (4 days)
- Statue of liberty
- Fifth Ave
- NY Fingerlake
- Niagara Falls at Pennsylvania

We're planning to take mostly internal flights to save time, will try to take public transport and minimise driving. Is the above too rush? Should I visit Washington DC? Is it recommended?

Appreciate all advice!
 

hermes76

Member
2 weeks would be very rush coz US got too much to see...below are my some suggestions:

1) recommend JetBlue if u taking domestic, though is a budget airline, the service is great. try to book online as the rates are better. the rates however may flucuate daily so is good to monitor.

2) For Statue of Liberty, if u wanna go up to the crown, u'll need to book a couple of months in advance &amp; subjected to tight security checks. I didn't went up during my trip, juz walk-about on Liberty Island.

3) For Niagara Falls, I would suggest viewing from the Canadian side coz the view is much much better. That time that I went, i was on a 3D2N to Niagara Falls, get to view from both US &amp; Canadian side + tour to 1000 Islands, Lake Montreal etc. If possible visit the Falls in Spring so can take the Maid of the Mist ride, I heard is very worth it.

4) DC is more on Museums &amp; Monuments, if u wanna visit those places u saw on movies, go for it! Got chance do visit Leesburg Premium Outlets &amp; Costco Mart, is a shopping paradise &amp; taxes also lower than NYC.
 

idono

New Member
suggest u try not to fly from west to east. very waste time.
also niagara falls is not in NY, by driving, probably 8-10hrs.
 

babyhamham

New Member
Thanks for the replies. My hb is quite keen to make a tour to NY so he can see his relatives. How about if i take out LA? Is it better?

SF (5 days)
- Gilroy outlet
- Union Square
- Fisherman's Wharf
- Alcatraz
- Yosemite

LV (4-5 days)
- Grand canyon (follow day tour)
- The Strip for shopping
- Outlets
- See performances

NY (4 days)
- Liberty Island
- Fifth Ave
- NY Fingerlake

Take plane NY>LA>SG

I took out Niagara Falls since its quite a long drive.

Any areas i should visit that i missed? I guess the trip will need slightly more than 2 weeks coz of traveling time.
 

idono

New Member
SF 5 days seems a bit long....

actually, it also depends on ur flight plans. since u're going from LA->SG, u may consider LA. Just remember to buffer in 1 day for LA->NY and NY-> LA
 

missysee

New Member
Hi, anyone took Delta Airline to US? Mind sharing your flight experience such as flight service, any delays, or the comfy level?
 

joey_cat

New Member
LA is terrible with the jam, regardless whether is peak/ off peak/ wkday/ wkend. I really don't enjoy it except the day in Disneyland. In fact I felt "relieve" the moment we drive out of LA.
 

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