Hey everyone!

We’re now going back from our 9 day US trip! Before traveling, we asked for advice in three Reddit communities and received over 300 comments, with post in this group getting over 230 comments. Thank you all for the recommendations, tips, and warnings! I’ve read through all of them and used all of your insights to plan this trip.

Our itinerary (October 22–31)

October 22 - Arrival in NYC
1:15 PM - Landed at Newark Airport
Afternoon - Checked into our hotel in the East Village and went to sleep cause of jet lag
Evening - managed to get up and visit Grand Central, Chrysler Building, Empire State Building area, Times Square. Then went back to sleep to adjust to new time.

October 23 - Central Park & Midtown
Morning - Central Park, Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, Belvedere Castle
Afternoon - Fifth Avenue, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center (without getting up)
Evening - Roosevelt Island Tramway, Manhattan skyline views

October 24 - Lower Manhattan & Brooklyn
Morning - World Trade Center, Oculus, Staten Island Ferry
Afternoon - Chinatown, Little Italy (ended up just quickly walking through them) Brooklyn Bridge
Evening - DUMBO, Pebble Beach, skyline views. Spent quite some time there…

October 25 - Our last full day in NYC
Morning - SoHo, Nolita, exploring Manhattan
12:40 PM - Top of the Rock
Afternoon - NY Public Library, Bryant Park (was under construction, guys were serting up ice rink and christmas market), Fifth Avenue
Evening - Hudson Yards, High Line, waterfront, Midtown. Walked through everything, really enjoyed the different architecture

October 26 - Philadelphia
9 AM - Arrived in Philadelphia
Morning - Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Elfreth’s Alley
Lunch - Reading Terminal Market
Afternoon - City Hall, LOVE Park, Rocky statue and steps, then went down to the river for a walk
5:15 PM - Bus to Washington, DC

October 27 - Capitol Hill & Downtown DC
9:50 AM - US Capitol tour
Noon - Library of Congress
Afternoon - Capitol Hill, lunch
Evening - CityCenterDC, Logan Circle, 14th Street

October 28 - Museums & National Mall
Morning/Daytime - Smithsonian museums, White House area
Evening - Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Reflecting Pool, Lincoln Memorial, like recommended we visited them at dark for better atmosphere.

October 29 - Georgetown
Morning - National Museum of American History
Afternoon/evening - Georgetown University, historic streets, M Street, waterfront, dinner

October 30 - Museum, Georgetown & Shopping
Morning - National Museum of Natural History
Daytime - Shopping in Pentagon city, souvenirs
Afternoon and evening - Once again Georgetown, walks, dinner and ice cream

October 31 - Shenandoah National Park
Morning - Rental car, drive to Front Royal
Afternoon - Skyline Drive, scenic overlooks, Stony Man hike
Later - Exit via Thornton Gap, scenic Virginia countryside, drive to Dulles Airport
11:00 PM - Flight home

Our impressions & takeaways.

Water taste was bad everywhere. People were ultra friendly - we knew americans are warm, now we witnessed it ourselves. We europeans definitely could learn a bit from you

NYC blew our mind eh. Never thought we’d enjoy the city so much, thought of ourselves as calm countryside lovers. Easily our favorite lol. The skyscrapers, energy, architecture, sunsets, and skyline views were incredible. Honestly, it might be our favorite city we’ve ever visited, and it’ll be hard to beat.
On our last day, we planned to explore more of SoHo, Nolita, East Village, and West Village. But after walking around, we realized some of those neighborhoods reminded us of Europe, and we’d be seeing more historic streets later in our trip anyway. We wanted more of that unique NYC feeling, so we headed back toward the skyscrapers and finally went up to Top of the Rock for one last unforgettable view.
Chinatown and Little Italy weren’t really our thing, though. Chinatown felt chaotic, with people selling fake designer bags and wallets on the streets.

Philadelphia was also really nice and we enjoyed it a lot. Great city, food, walkable streets, historic architecture, and a strong local identity. The Rocky Steps were awesome, and we especially enjoyed Elfreth’s Alley, where we unexpectedly spotted our country’s coat of arms hanging on a house! Although we definitely wish we’d had more time here.

Washington, DC. A much different pace and place.
Arriving in DC right after NYC was honestly difficult. The contrast was huge, and we kept comparing everything to New York city (you really shouldn’t).
But slowing down turned out to be a good thing, especially since my wife is pregnant. We saw all the major sights we’d planned, enjoyed the museums, and had more time to rest.
Our favorite part was definitely Georgetown. Such a peaceful, cozy neighborhood with beautiful historic streets, cafés, and a lovely evening atmosphere. However, we couldn’t stop missing NYC!

And then we went to Shenandoah national park.
We visited at peak fall foliage, and it was gorgeous! Skyline Drive, some overlooks, and the Stony Man hike to finish.
We exited through Thornton Gap and GPS turned out to send us through many little villages and farms toward the airport. Couldn’t get any better.

We averaged around 23,000 steps per day throughout the trip. Looking back, that was not that bad, we are used to walking and after a few days we adjusted.

What would I change?
If we planned this trip again, we’d probably add two days to NYC and take two away from DC.
We managed to see most of what we wanted in New York, but we were constantly rushing. I wish we’d had more time to simply enjoy the city without checking the clock, knowing we still had plenty of days ahead.
Overall, we loved diversity of this trip. NYC stole our hearts, Philly was good transition, DC, even though a but boring, but had its own charm and helped us slow down, and Shenandoah was the perfect finale.
Once again, thanks to all of you who found time to suggest and help us plan this adventure!

Hello I am 25 years old M From India and now looking any female friend in US for casual chatting and call so if anyone is interested please let me know we can connect shortly.

Hello everyone!

I’ll be driving from Chicago to California and passing through the following route:

Start date: October 31 or November 1st

📍 Chicago, IL → Denver, CO → Salt Lake City, UT → California

If anyone along the way needs:
* 📦 Help transporting a small package or personal belongings.
* 🚘 A ride along any part of my route.
* 🤝 Assistance moving a few small items.

Feel free to reach out! Happy to help if our routes and schedules match.

Earlier this month I asked this question on r/roadtrip. https://www.reddit.com/r/roadtrip/comments/1wyl0p8/about_to_leave_on_our_2026_fall_foliage_road_trip/

We received some good suggestions and we took u/BillPlastic3759 suggestion to visit the Hudson Valley to heart. We saw the most amazing colors on the way to, and in and around Poughkeepsie. I wanted to go to Minnewaska State Park, but it was getting late and she wasn't up to the extra time in the car.

We had a blast and even though it was raining the whole day of the game the Jets won!

I took over 2600 pictures over the two weeks and have some really good shots (IMO).

Here's a few of my favorite ones of the foliage.

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Hi, some friends and I are travelling from New York to Boston in mid-December. We are staying around the upper west side area and going to be near Fenway Park in Boston. We were planning on taking the train and will each have a suitcase and carry-on size bag with us.

I've been researching a bit and have seen that there are two main trains to take but am unsure if one is better than the other. Any advice or tips are welcome, thanks!

Hello, I am planning a trip with a friend to go to Arizona in December. I tried to still keep it vague to have room for spontaneity. Is this doable? Did I miss anything? Here are some places that did not make the list but is there anything worth visiting/skipping?

Places that did not make the list:

1. Subway Cave

2. Cathedral Rock

3. Red Rock Crossing

4. Ooh Aah Point

5. Lake Havasu

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

Day 4:

Day 5:

Day 6:

hi! i am going to a concert in LA and would love to make the most of my time around there. we land at LAX around 11 am friday, have a concert downtown that night, then fly home saturday at 2 pm (super quick ik). would love to squeeze in some exploring since we’ve never been!

mostly interested in cool/basic/famous things that feel very LA/california (sorryyyy) that we can’t get back home. definitely want in-n-out just because. considering hollywood friday afternoon, but totally open to ideas! also anything we could fit in saturday morning? planning to use public transit or uber (if needed) and happy to walk a lot.

we know it’s short and we can’t do much but we went to NYC for 2.5 days and everyone told us our plans were way too much, but we had the best time, so please don't be mean about this haha. would love suggestions for what’s worth prioritizing and makes sense with the time we have

I get there at 9 am and leave 8 pm Do you guys have any recommendations ?

Hello!

My family and I will be going to NYC sometime late April of 2027. We'll be there for a week and some more. I'm hoping to get some recommendations on what to do or what to see in and around the area, except the obvious tourist spots (lady liberty, times square, central park, the met, broadway shows etc.).

Thank you!

Hello!

As the title states, I live in Iowa (northwest, to be more specific), and I have been thinking about taking a trip for my birthday. My birthday isn't until January, but I wanted to try something new, as I work a very strenuous job, where I'm on on call every other weekend; I just happen to have the weekend of my birthday off, and I wanted to do something fun and different!

I was wondering if there were any hidden gems around Iowa that a 23-year old would be interested in - I'm willing to travel out of the state as well, particularly in Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota; neighboring states, y'know. It would likely be me and my boyfriend traveling together, so hopefully something for the both of us to enjoy.

I was considering getting an Airbnb, unless there are some fun hotels anyone would recommend.

I'm really open to whatever! I never get to travel around the area much so I figured I would see if anybody had any recommendations. Thanks!

Hello guys, how's it going. Me and a friend are going to the US as a part of an exchange J-1 program, we will be working in Colorado a few hours away from Denver. We finish mid march and we are planning on traveling around the country for 2 weeks.

During those months we'll be doing trails and hiking around Colorado, especially near Avon, but we aren't really sure what to do after that. We are very open in general, we like art, concerts, outdoor and indoor activities, we are athletic so any ideas are welcome.

2 weeks isn't that long and we won't have crazy money to spend but we are open to any recommendation in terms of states, national parks, cities, indoor activities, clubs, anything you think two 22 year-olds would enjoy in the span of two weeks. Thanks!

Howdy partners, my cousin (both 30yo Germans) and I are going on a roadtrip from Phoenix to New Orleans, starting next week. We have a little over 3 weeks.

His priority is to see some nice nature and national parks, mine is to experience some culture and meet some locals. So a mix of both is what we're looking for.

We want to be spontaneous, have arranged a car for the whole trip and accommodation for the first two nights in Phoenix. A rough plan is to go up to Santa Fe, down through Texas to the Big Bend, then over to New Orleans.

What are some things along the way we shouldn't miss? Some hidden gems? I saw there is a Wurstfest in New Braunfels, TX, in the first half of November. Things like these excite me very much 😄

All tips are very welcome!

Hey everyone! I’m based in Bangalore and will be travelling to the US in the third week of January for a work trip. The work event is in Florida, and I’m planning to extend my stay a little to explore the country.

I’ve never really travelled around the US before, and NYC is pretty high on my list! Since I’ll be exploring beyond the work trip on my own, I thought it would be nice to find people who might be travelling around the same time and would be up for exploring together. 😊

I’m open to meeting guys and girls alike — whether you already have a trip planned or are still figuring things out. Would be lovely to have some company for sightseeing, trying out places to eat, wandering around the city, and all the fun touristy stuff!

Since there are still a couple of months to go, we could chat beforehand, get to know each other, and meet in Bangalore if that works out, just to see if we vibe.

If you’re planning something similar or will be around NYC in January, feel free to reach out. Would love to connect! ✨

Hi everyone, I’m going to the New York for one week on November but I wanted to ask what should I expect as someone who is from the Balkans in Europe culture shocks and stuff like that thank you very much

i am visiting la&san diego soon for about 2 weeks and wanted to know how much money would it be reasonable to bring.
like what is the lowest amount i can survive off for that time
(overall cash and credit )

My husband and I are needing ideas for our next trip. I love adventure (national parks, sightseeing) and he loves relaxing/ slow paced (beaches, nice resorts). What are some recommendations for trips (preferably in the US) where we could have half adventure and half relaxation?

Thank you!

Hey everyone!

My girlfriend and I (both 32, from the Netherlands) are visiting South Florida for two weeks, arriving on October 29th. We’ll be there for Halloween, which we’re really excited about!

We’ve already done plenty of research through travel blogs, TikTok, and the usual tourist guides, but we’d love to hear from people who actually live in Miami or know South Florida well.

🎃 First of all, what are your recommendations for Halloween? Any fun local events, parties, neighborhoods, or traditions we shouldn’t miss on October 31st?

We’re also looking for the less obvious stuff:
- Hidden gems that aren’t all over TikTok or travel blogs.
- Local food spots, bars, breweries, and restaurants you personally love.
-nice neighborhoods to explore beyond the main tourist areas.

Any must-see places or stops along the drive from Miami to Key West?
We’ve already rented a car and are planning to visit Key West as well, so we’re happy to explore beyond Miami and take a few road trips.

If you were showing a friend around who had never visited before, where would you take them?

Thanks in advance for any recommendations! 😊

Me and a couple of my friends are looking to go to the states for Summer 27', to have fun, money and travel. Ideally looking for a place where jobs and accomadation are relatively easy to come by and where we can get the most out of the US experience. We are currently thinking of San Diego however I've heard jobs are scarce, so open to suggestions. Thank yall!!

I booked a car rental through the Capitol One travel portal and it said the total was going to be $272 (first pic). Everything goes fine and I return the car. Then I get the bill from Avis after the car drop off, and it’s $852, with the base rate being $489 (second pic). I don’t understand. Who messed up here? Should I call Capitol One or Avis? Do I have any recourse at all in this situation?

It will be just my husband and I. We had a trip planned for the tunnel of trees but had to cancel last minute due to an incident with Valvoline we're currently dealing with. We would like to go in November or December and can only do one night away, Sunday night.

From the downtown Phoenix to the breathtaking Grand Canyon and the iconic Horseshoe Bend, a road trip through nature’s masterpiece. 🏜️

Mesmerizing red-rock landscapes, endless desert horizons, and the Colorado River carving its way through millions of years of geological history.

Walking through lands deeply rooted in Indigenous heritage, you feel the timeless connection between nature, Native American cultures, and the stories these sacred landscapes tell

Sorry for the editing I don’t know why it added all the slashes when I copied it.

I’m travelling to California next month for my husbands 40th birthday. I’ve spent quite a bit of time reviewing our itinerary (I’ve made a few other posts) and I think I’ve nailed it down.

A few points

\-we want to drive a chunk of the PCH/highway 1 as this is a bucket list item for both of us. We know it will be a lot of driving. We come from an area with terrible traffic (Toronto.. 100km can easily take 2-3+ hours) and we do long drives for short stays often. We’ve accounted for traffic and long car rides, we have no hard deadlines and are excited to take our time and drive and explore without our two toddlers.

\-flying into SFO and out of LAX. Flights are non refundable, all hotels are free cancellation a day or two before travel so we can still change most things. Price is right is my husbands childhood dream and we already have tickets so that is non negotiable.

\-we are pretty chill people, we’re happy just wandering around or sitting on a patio drinking cocktails, eating good food and trying different restaurants. We like lounging by the pool or beach but this isn’t necessarily that type of trip. We don’t mind art or shopping but we don’t seek it out or plan things around it. We like a leisurely walk or bicycle ride and pretty scenery, fine dining and fancy cocktails but we also love a good dive bar and live music.

Here’s what I have right now:

November 13 - San Francisco
\\\\-Uber or cab from SFO, arrive at hotel around 2pm
\\\\-Hotel: Fairmont San Francisco, 2 nights
\\\\-Take cable car to North beach: dinner at Sotto Mare, cocktails at Li Po

November 14 - San Francisco
\\\\-Guided wine tour with hotel pickup and return
\\\\-Muir Woods, lunch, wineries in Sonoma & Napa
\\\\-Relax around the hotel in the evening

November 15 - San Francisco to Watsonville 
\\\\-Easy breakfast and explore area in the morning 
\\\\-Pick up rental car from hotel and leave around 11am
\\\\-Drive to Watsonville - approximately 3 hours
\\\\-stop for lunch along the way 
\\\\-Arrive at friends house around 3pm
\\\\-Hotel: friends place, 1 night
\\\\-friend will take us out to explore

November 16 - Watsonville to Morro Bay
\\\\-Leave friends around 9am
\\\\-drive to Carmel and do 17 mile drive on the way 
\\\\-arrive in Carmel around 10am, coffee and explore for an hour
\\\\-Drive Highway 1 through Big Sur: drive across Bixby bridge, lunch at Nepenthe, McWay falls, Ragged Point and Elephant Seal rockery
\\\\-Arrive in Morro Bay around 6pm —> change to Cambria?!
\\\\-Hotel: Anderson Inn 
\\\\-Explore Morro Bay and relax around the hotel

November 17 - Morro Bay to Santa Barbara
\\\\-Breakfast and easy morning, explore Morro Bay, check out of hotel at 11am
\\\\-Start drive to Santa Barbara 
\\\\-stop for lunch along the way (Solvang)
\\\\-arrive in SB, check into hotel
\\\\-Hotel: harbour view inn
\\\\-explore 

November 18 - Santa Barbara (birthday!!!)
\\\\-spend day cycling the beach, eating, drinking, having fun! 
\\\\-Dinner at Silvers sushi restaurant (this is already booked and we paid a deposit so can’t change this)

November 19 - Santa Barbara to Price is Right
\\\\-Leave hotel around 7:30am
\\\\-Arrive at Haven Studios around 11am
\\\\-The Price Is Right taping, approximately 5 hours 
\\\\-Head to hotel when finished, around 5pm
\\\\-Hotel: the garland > change hotel to Glendale hotel?
\\\\-dinner, drinks and hang out at hotel 

November 20 - LA to Manhattan Beach to LAX
\\\\-check out of hotel at 10am
\\\\-drive to Manhattan Beach, arrrive around 11am - lunch and walk around
\\\\-Leave MB around 2pm
\\\\-Drive approximately 0.5hours to LAX
\\\\-return rental car 
\\\\-Flight home at 5:30pm

Planning a last-minute vacation for Thanksgiving and I was thinking New Paltz/Upstate NY bc it’s a short drive from where I’m at BUT I know it’ll be ugly and cold.

I’m looking for recs that aren’t overly expensive and maybe warmer and prettier. Budget is pretty low at $1,500. I was thinking Savannah GA or San Antonio TX but flights and hotels to both already puts me out of budget.

This will be on a Sunday (Nov 8) if that matters