Travel USA travel tips and tricks

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Beale was very crowded the night I went there. Drunk crowds spilling out of venues everywhere and we had already sort of eaten. Was intrigued at the combination of beer and funnel cake being sold on the street.
 
The Old Dark Navy's said:
Mostly from 32nd Street and the 25 blocks up through midtown and towards Central Park I guess.

I should qualify that statement. It isn't like chicken wasn't on menus but the options were minimal and it was ridiculously overpriced. My Dad eats chicken 90% of the time and he would pay $8-$10 for half a dozen wings, while we had our massive $2 slices of pizza. I had read that chicken wings were dirt cheap in bars, so I assumed it would be the same all over, and much like the price of other food.

I remember half joking at the time that they must have run out of chickens for prices to go sky high. I don't know the truth of the matter.

On our second last night though, we found a little meat joint (actually there were two, one just off Times Square and one a little further down near Madison Square Garden. You could do combo deals and get steak, chop and chicken (Maryland piece), all in BBQ sauce for something ridiculous like $10 with a side.

It was usually just the fast food places that had limited options and weird pricing.

When I talk about not finding decent food, I can only talk about my experience. I mean, how do you know until you eat it right? When I compare fast food, I compare it to Australian fast food, not restaurant quality food, and while the US has a broad variety, the quality of certain fast food staples is inferior (in my experience).

We had people telling us that California Pizza Kitchen at Hollywood Highland was awesome, but while it was okay and they had some interesting combinations (Pear and Gorgonzola was interesting), the quality did not match the price.

We went to a diner near MSQ, service was ordinary at best and the food while decently priced was terrible.

The Las Vegas buffets we had were fantastic for the price. No complaining there at all.

On the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, I only ate once, but it was great food, great environment and very friendly service. That was 'My Cousin Vinny's'.

What else did I like .... Red Lobster at Times Square was nice, but Australian prices really, especially when they add in the tip and you tip them again because you didn't know. Great all you can eat shrimp deal with it cooked all different ways.

Had a Grays Papaya hotdog because you just have to when you go there. Cheap as chips and very nice.

Had a hotdog at Disneyland. Heaps more flavour than over here but smaller. I always thought everything was oversized over there, especially hot dogs.

Had a pizza slice a couple of times. Thought it was nice with the parmesan and garlic powder you get to put on it, but Jon Stewart tells me I was eating at non-genuine pizza franchises. Will have to make more of an effort next time.

Had Denny's in Las Vegas at 1am after checking in at midnight. Huge menu, weird combinations. That was okay. Had Denny's in Hawaii, more expensive, ordinary. Had Denny's in Anaheim (no wonder we put on weight) prior to going into Disneyland as we were on foot and nothing else was open on our way there. That was shit.

Had a free breakfast in Holiday Inn Walk of Fame Hollywood, pretty good since it cost nothing. Had a free continental breakfast at Stanford Hotel NYC, in the cafe downstairs. Vile, disgusting crud, even for free. They have no right to use it to entice guests IMO. Tried to force down a two day old bagel and some woeful coffee but gave up and we ate elsewhere after that.

Ate dinner at Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. Nice food, more like Australian prices but considering where we were, Australian theme park businesses would have double their price so we did well. Fantastic bar, very busy but they do this thunderstorm thing over the PA with thunder claps and simulated lighting and you have fake trees hanging down so it is a cool place. Liked it so much I bought a t-shirt there.

Also spent a lot of time eating in airports due to the weird times we were travelling sometimes. Had an awesome clam chowder in San Francisco airport. No other positive experiences though. My dad had the buffalo wings in Memphis airport, and they were so hot (spicy) he thought he was dying. That was amusing.

So we did have some decent experiences I guess but I sort of built it up in my head as something it was not prior to going.

I just remember cheese, bacon and most of the coffee we had as being terrible and that sways my recollection somewhat.
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All I can say is please come back. I took issue with saying the food was shit, but now I realize that you went to chains. I understand that there was no way you could've known, but when you say things like Red Lobster it just wounds any New Yorkers soul. Next time, even though some sites like Yelp and Chowhound can have some really snobby reviews, they are helpful about the general quality of a restaurant.

So come back. I'm not going to pay, but still. Come back.
 
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Iason said:
All I can say is please come back. I took issue with saying the food was shit, but now I realize that you went to chains. I understand that there was no way you could've known, but when you say things like Red Lobster it just wounds any New Yorkers soul. Next time, even though some sites like Yelp and Chowhound can have some really snobby reviews, they are helpful about the general quality of a restaurant.

So come back. I'm not going to pay, but still. Come back.
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Oh look, I love the place. I even loved the crappy food when I was eating it, purely because it was something different. I am all for trying new things, and we do get a bit carried away with pop culture as well as real culture so we do tend to try the places we see on TV and in the movies. Some things we have over here but you guys call it something different, so we try it anyway.

I absolutely had to try as much as possible because I know we don't have it here.

I know we were not doing New York the right way. 4 days and 5 nights, having never been there before, and a group of 4 aged from 14 to 67, we all wanted to see different things but had to stay in our group. So we found stuff from 32nd Street up to Times Square and stayed within that area. We had a NY Pass with hop on hop off bus passes but that really didn't help us get around. So much walking, some basic subway stops and lots of cab money spent. Next time I told my wife, we are going to spend time around the West Village, Central Park (got no further than the Zoo and a bus trip around the perimeter), and Brooklyn. One of the tour guides on the bus talked about a brilliant pizza place a couple of blocks from the Brooklyn Bridge. I think we will be better placed to use the subway more next time as we will spend longer there. I really want to walk the streets and see the little delicatessens and stay away from souvenir shops and the like. I want to see batting cages, elevated trains, a bit more grit.

Don't get me wrong, we loved New York. While midtown might be a tourist trap, it's still a unique place. I have never seen anywhere like New York for character. I've never seen anywhere like LA either for that matter, but that has more of a negative context attached.

I have a strong suspicion doing a free genealogy search that my great grandfather was born in New Jersey in 1859. I feel a sense of kinship with the East Coast of the US somehow.
 

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AS9 said:
If any of you guys get the chance to go to Memphis make sure you eat at Dyers on Beale.

http://www.dyersonbeale.com/

Deep fried burgers in 90 year old oil. Probably lost a few years of my life eating the triple triple but it was totally worth it.
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Cheers for the heads up - will definitely be giving that a run.
 
I read above that a few of you are going to be in the States in March/April.

Do everything you can to be in Vegas from 31st March - 2 April for NCAA Final Four, you will not regret it.
 
mike_ said:
Not sure if srs.

Cheesecake factory blew my mind, nothing in Australia can match the quality/quantity combination that they offer. I could eat there every day of the year and never get tired of the place.

Sure there's an over abundance of crappy places, however it just means you have to do a bit of research to sift through the fatty shit before you can eat the food.
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Agree. The Cheesecake Factory was amazing. Went to the one at "The Grove". Food was amazing. Great Service and on the top of my memory was pretty cheap.
 
Went to the USA last July. Had 3 days to plan everything, never plan something so big in 3 days ever again!...

New York 4 days
Orlando 4 days
San Fran 2 nights
Vegas 5 nights
LA 6 nights

Orlando was my fav by far, loved it there. Would of loved more time in Orlando. Pretty busy though. Had Early morning flights so we had the day to do stuff.

We were on a V Australia flight that was delayed 2 days so we missed our next flight onwards to New York. So we went to American Airlines and told that they would put us on Standby that night or else we would pay for another flight.

Was nice of them. Arrived at LA 1PM and the first flight at 10:00 we couldnt get on but got the red eye at 12:00am Thank god. Just got off a 14 hour flight and then had to stay at the Airport till 12:00 feeling dirty etc was not ideal! Remember when i first went to a toilet there i thought it was all blocked so i was walking around seeing WTF was wrong with them.

Going to do Camp America this year. Hopefully get a Camp at the Job Fair on Saturday. Planning on doing a bit of travelling after camp. Im 18, i have 8,000 saved. Havent payed for flights yet, will when i find out where. Thinking about going to the Caribbean. Good idea going solo at 18?
 
The Old Dark Navy's said:
Oh look, I love the place. I even loved the crappy food when I was eating it, purely because it was something different. I am all for trying new things, and we do get a bit carried away with pop culture as well as real culture so we do tend to try the places we see on TV and in the movies. Some things we have over here but you guys call it something different, so we try it anyway.

I absolutely had to try as much as possible because I know we don't have it here.

I know we were not doing New York the right way. 4 days and 5 nights, having never been there before, and a group of 4 aged from 14 to 67, we all wanted to see different things but had to stay in our group. So we found stuff from 32nd Street up to Times Square and stayed within that area. We had a NY Pass with hop on hop off bus passes but that really didn't help us get around. So much walking, some basic subway stops and lots of cab money spent. Next time I told my wife, we are going to spend time around the West Village, Central Park (got no further than the Zoo and a bus trip around the perimeter), and Brooklyn. One of the tour guides on the bus talked about a brilliant pizza place a couple of blocks from the Brooklyn Bridge. I think we will be better placed to use the subway more next time as we will spend longer there. I really want to walk the streets and see the little delicatessens and stay away from souvenir shops and the like. I want to see batting cages, elevated trains, a bit more grit.

Don't get me wrong, we loved New York. While midtown might be a tourist trap, it's still a unique place. I have never seen anywhere like New York for character. I've never seen anywhere like LA either for that matter, but that has more of a negative context attached.

I have a strong suspicion doing a free genealogy search that my great grandfather was born in New Jersey in 1859. I feel a sense of kinship with the East Coast of the US somehow.
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Makes a lot more sense. I've only moved to Denver last week, so I do miss home a fair bit. Hehehe, you'll feel that kinship to the East Coast right up until winter starts up, then you'll be drinking yourself warm. By the way, that pizza place you were talking about is called Grimaldi's, it's right under the Brooklyn Bridge. They've also expanded, adding two locations in Hoboken, right across the street from my old apartment. I'm happy you're considering going back to New York, and I'll be happy to recommend some of my favorite restaurants (no matter what the genre) and bars.
 
My trip is getting pretty close now - leaving 25th of Feb. The Florida part is all easy enough, but we're having a fun time organising our 3 days in New York. So far we have:

Day 1- Land 1:20pm, head off to the hotel/drop our bags, quick walk to Macy's and any nearby shops, dinner, Broadway show (Jersey Boys booked - so expensive and it would have been cheaper to buy tickets on the day, but the guys are pretty fussy on what they want to see and we don't have a lot of choice about times). I want to see the Empire State Building after that, and mum's keen to see it too.

Day 2- Real New York 6 hour private tour (http://www.realnewyorktours.com/index.htm), they have fantastic reviews on trip advisor. Not sure what to do after it wraps up at around 3pm. The tour takes us through Times Square, Central Park, The Dakota, Strawberry Fields, Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park, Soho, Little Italy, Chinatown, Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, Ground Zero and Saint Paul's Chapel.

Day 3- 9/11 Memorial at 10:30am, meeting some of my dad's friends from university for lunch, Rockerfeller Centre, Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty.

We considered the New York Pass, but with the tour that we're doing it seemed like a bit of a waste for just the one day - if we were there for 5 full days I would definitely be giving it a go.

Any suggestions/tips would be great!
 
dales.girl38 said:
My trip is getting pretty close now - leaving 25th of Feb. The Florida part is all easy enough, but we're having a fun time organising our 3 days in New York. So far we have:

Day 1- Land 1:20pm, head off to the hotel/drop our bags, quick walk to Macy's and any nearby shops, dinner, Broadway show (Jersey Boys booked - so expensive and it would have been cheaper to buy tickets on the day, but the guys are pretty fussy on what they want to see and we don't have a lot of choice about times). I want to see the Empire State Building after that, and mum's keen to see it too.

Day 2- Real New York 6 hour private tour (http://www.realnewyorktours.com/index.htm), they have fantastic reviews on trip advisor. Not sure what to do after it wraps up at around 3pm. The tour takes us through Times Square, Central Park, The Dakota, Strawberry Fields, Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park, Soho, Little Italy, Chinatown, Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, Ground Zero and Saint Paul's Chapel.

Day 3- 9/11 Memorial at 10:30am, meeting some of my dad's friends from university for lunch, Rockerfeller Centre, Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty.

We considered the New York Pass, but with the tour that we're doing it seemed like a bit of a waste for just the one day - if we were there for 5 full days I would definitely be giving it a go.

Any suggestions/tips would be great!
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Pretty awesome itinerary you got there d.g. Looks like what I hope to do if/when I make it over there.

For me, a bit of a different question...anyone here done exchange in America? Hoping to do it when I go back to uni, either next year or year after. Is it difficult/expensive/worth it? Trying to figure out whether it's worth finding out about.
 
dales.girl38 said:
My trip is getting pretty close now - leaving 25th of Feb. The Florida part is all easy enough, but we're having a fun time organising our 3 days in New York. So far we have:

Day 1- Land 1:20pm, head off to the hotel/drop our bags, quick walk to Macy's and any nearby shops, dinner, Broadway show (Jersey Boys booked - so expensive and it would have been cheaper to buy tickets on the day, but the guys are pretty fussy on what they want to see and we don't have a lot of choice about times). I want to see the Empire State Building after that, and mum's keen to see it too.

Day 2- Real New York 6 hour private tour (http://www.realnewyorktours.com/index.htm), they have fantastic reviews on trip advisor. Not sure what to do after it wraps up at around 3pm. The tour takes us through Times Square, Central Park, The Dakota, Strawberry Fields, Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park, Soho, Little Italy, Chinatown, Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, Ground Zero and Saint Paul's Chapel.

Day 3- 9/11 Memorial at 10:30am, meeting some of my dad's friends from university for lunch, Rockerfeller Centre, Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty.

We considered the New York Pass, but with the tour that we're doing it seemed like a bit of a waste for just the one day - if we were there for 5 full days I would definitely be giving it a go.

Any suggestions/tips would be great!
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If you're going to Miami, my brother has a stake in this restaurant.

http://www.pubbellysushi.com/www.pubbellysushi.com/menu.html

Very good stuff, and a nice atmosphere. Check it out.
 
Here's a random question for someone who hasn't travelled overseas.
Regardless of where.
But better to go to a travel agent the first time or try and book everything myself?

I have a feeling I know the answer for first time. But I'm just wanting opinion here
 

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cammania said:
Here's a random question for someone who hasn't travelled overseas.
Regardless of where.
But better to go to a travel agent the first time or try and book everything myself?

I have a feeling I know the answer for first time. But I'm just wanting opinion here
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I had never done anything like our US trip. Just some direct flights to NZ now and then.

I organised every flight, hotel room, activity, one by one though and saved probably $1k per person in flights. We know someone from the Flight Centre who was going to give us employee rate and it was still well above what I worked out for myself.

Just watch your connection times, make sure connecting flights are with the same airline. Some like Air Trans in the US do not have a deal with other airlines so you have to catch their next flight if your first flight misses the connection, so make sure they have a later flight or you are stuck and paying for your own accommodation, if it is not their fault the plane was late. Other airlines have deals with each other so you can jump on another flight.
 
I have been organising a US and Europe high volume flight trip and I went to the travel agents. Not only were they not cheaper, they were less helpful that google. They got prices for the meain flights, they were more expensive and less direct. I then informed them of the flights I found and they just got the same price plus $200 odd commission....

Same for domestic flights.

If you're comfortable doing it yourself, and am confident, knowing ins and outs, like whats needed in each country and what bag size limits for US domestic (and costs, around $25 US a piece), then do it yourself.

If you'd rather not do it, pay someone 10% to do it.
 
Thanks for a reply.

Trust me. I'm pretty prepared I think. That's how I roll in life. I have a doc appoint at ten, I'm there at 945.
So with flights I ain't leaving it to chance. I'll make sure there's plenty of time between flights just to be safe.
I don't wanna be stooged in accommodation either. Il be staying in hotels. As in own bathroom bed toilet tv couch etc etc. but I always hear about rooms going for 60 bucks. I've looked and $150 a night is decently huge when I wanna go for a long while. So maybe a travel agents come in handy for that, but organizing my flights I could find cheaper on my own.

Someone was also telling me that postage is alot cheaper over there in the states than say Australia. Can someone confirm this. As I have mentioned in the previous thread I think, maybe even this one, I am planning on a tonne of souvenirs. So maybe not a silly idea to send some home along my travels to save travel and luggage weight?

Lemme know.

Amazingly in the last few weeks, my USA trip in my head has gone out to six weeks. so. Collecting things along the way will weigh me down over 6 weeks.
 
Have posted stuff back home before on previous trips , postage is relatively cheap (especially with the $ these days) and does free up space/weight in your baggage .

Will be going to the US in June and flying V australia for the first time . Anyone rate this airline ? I've heard nothing but good things so i'm hoping they will be good . Would love some first hand reviews .
 
Yep flew with them last year to the states, couldn't rate them highly enough. Seats are a little hard but service was very good, IFE was excellent (even my 3year old could use it)
 
Will be working in a camp in Michigan. Not to far from Kalkaska which is a county of Traverse City. Anyone been around the area before, what to do?
 
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For several hours today I went through some RTW planners and then went through and did the same thing flight by flight, choosing regular prices and not sales. My flight by flight price ended up $2000 cheaper than the best RTW price I found, and $3000 cheaper if I go to NZ (as I probably will). It costs $2000 extra to go to Auckland instead of straight home to Brisbane on a RTW ticket.

Mind you, I am doing all my European travel by train, but then the rtw price does go up for each European leg as well.

Brisbane >> flight >> Honolulu >> flight >> Los Angeles >> drive San Francisco, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles >> flight >> New York (possible stop in Chicago, haven't decided yet) >> train Washington, Boston, New York >> flight >> London >> train Paris, Rome, Venice, Krakow, London >> flight Hong Kong (24 hour layover in Moscow) >> flight >> Auckland >> flight >> Brisbane.

The flights will cost me $11500 for 3 adults. The RTW price for the same thing was $14500.

Those really cheap RTW fares you see advertised are a base rate for hardly any stops and dependent on time of year. They never work out that way when you go through the planner.
 
Good luck with a visa for Russia...
 
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Freakie said:
Good luck with a visa for Russia...
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What's the issue? I know they are $100+ per person and you need to send photos and so forth to their embassy, but is there any other drama I don't know about?
 
The Old Dark Navy's said:
What's the issue? I know they are $100+ per person and you need to send photos and so forth to their embassy, but is there any other drama I don't know about?
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http://www.sydneyrussianconsulate.com/visa.html#q10

You can't just turn up in Russia and stay a week or two as you please.

If you're only in transit for less than 3 days then it's a lot easier, but the Russian Consulate here in Australia is amateur hour. You need to send them your passport by mail (assuming you don't live in Sydney) and your sole point of contact is a bigpond email address.:D
 

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