As spring break approaches you might still be wondering how to spend your time off. A flight to some tropical location might be too expensive, but you're not exactly down for laying in bed for a week. If you're one of those people who loves to explore the area around them, here are five places that you can reach by train from NYC.
Where: Philadelphia
Ticket Price: Around $50 each way on Amtrak
Accommodation: Nice hotels in Philly go for 150-200 a night
Can I Make It Cheaper? If you want to sacrifice time for money, NJ transit from Penn Station to Trenton and then Septa from Trenton to Philly will cost you $25 each way — $15 for NJ transit and $10 for Septa. $150 a night is pretty steep on a student budget, but you can always cut the price by staying in a hostel for as low as $18 a night, some even in fantastic areas of Philly such as Old City, or in an old mansion in Fairmount Park.
To Do List: Philly is great for those who want a city that’s walkable but diverse. If you want to do the typical tourist itinerary, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and Ben Franklin’s house are all waiting for you. There’s also the entirety of Old City Philadelphia, which is beautiful, historic, and has some really amazing restaurants, including old fashioned ice cream parlor, the Franklin Fountain. South Philly is fun as well, home to South Street, the Italian Market, and of course, Cheesesteaks at Pats or Geno's — although if you want to settle the matter of which is better once and for all I would recommend making your way to Dalessandro's in Roxborough. Even if revolutionary history isn’t your style, Philly has a wealth of museums. From the world famous Philadelphia Art Museum to the Franklin Institute, Natural History Museum, and the Mutter Museum — a medical museum which houses all kinds of body parts and specimens — Philadelphia has everything you could ever want to learn about. Also, no one is going to judge you for pretending to be Rocky on the art museum steps, not even super cynical philadelphians.
Where: Boston
Ticket Price: Starting at $50 each way on Amtrak
Accommodation: Hotels in Boston range from $125- $250 a night.
Can I Make It Cheaper? If you want to take the train, shelling out the $50 for Amtrak is pretty much non-negotiable. You can also take the bus for $30 round trip, but that can take up to double the travel time. Boston’s hostels are a bit pricier starting around $30 and going up to $100 a night.
To Do List: Like Philly, Boston is a beautiful, historic city. It has a great public transportation system, so getting around the city is easy, even for tourists. If you’re into history you can walk the Freedom Trail for all things pertaining to the Revolutionary War. Back Bay and Newbury Street are nice to walk and window shop in, and if you walk down far enough you get to Boston Common which is nice to walk through or just spend time in. Boston is also full of bars and restaurants, so you’ll never want for something to eat or drink. If you want to do something really different, Boston University’s astronomy observatory has an open to the public night most Wednesdays.
Where: Portland, ME
Ticket Price: This trip actually requires two trains, but it’s well worth it if you have the time and money. Take the train to Boston for $50 and then hop on another that will take you to Maine for under $30.
Accommodation: Hotels in Portland average around $100 a night, but there are a few inns that cost around $50.
Can I Make It Cheaper? If you don’t feel like shelling out $30 for another train, there are buses to Portland that cost around $15, cutting your cost in half. Portland has a few hostels you can book, costing around $25 per night. AirBnB is also a definite option here, even if the hotels are cheaper than you will find in Philly or Boston
To Do List: To be honest, Portland is just a nice city to walk around in. It's small compared to the others on this list and has a beautiful waterfront with stores and restaurants — I recommend Flatbreads for amazing pizza. You can definitely find yourself a boat tour very easily, including the Casco Bay Lines, ferries that take you around the islands around Portland. It’s also very easy to get out into nature from Portland, if that’s what you’re into.
Where: Washington DC
Ticket Price: Amtrak trains to Washington DC start at $60 and will get you there from NYC in about three and a half hours.
Accommodation: Hotels start at around $125 a night, but go up steeply from there.
Can I Make It Cheaper? The Amtrak fare can’t really be avoided unfortunately, but there are a plethora of hostels to choose from, with cost per night starting, and staying, around $30.
To Do List: DC has a museum for every single person on the planet. If you’re interested in it, there’s definitely a museum for you. There are old favorites like the Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian, but then there’s also the Newseum, the Spy Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Bonsai Museum, just to name a few. For those who are interested in politics and history, the National Mall is packed with monuments. Even though security is tight around a lot of these places, you’re still allowed inside the Capitol Building. The National Cathedral and gardens are great if you want to walk around or eat a meal outside in a pretty spot. DC also has a great — clean — metro, which is very useful for getting around the city and surrounding areas.
Where: The Appalachian Trail
Ticket Price: This amazing stop on the Metro North Harlem line will cost you $16 to reach, a small price to pay for those who feel the need to get out of the city.
Accommodation: A tent, a backpack, and hiking boots.
Can I Make It Cheaper? Nope, this is as barebones as it gets.
To Do List: This stop on the Harlem line of Metro North is literally just a platform on the edge of the Appalachian Trail, which runs from Maine to Georgia. It’s only for those wo want nothing between them and nature. The only downside is that the train only makes the stop twice a day on Saturday and Sunday, and doesn’t stop at all during the week. Those who don’t want to come back to NYC after break can hike their way down to Georgia.
Warning: While the fact that this stop exists is amazing and slightly hilarious, don’t try this unless you are sure that you know the logistics and are confident in your hiking skills. It’s easy to get in trouble, especially as there is nothing around the station.
