Need help w/ trip plan

[suesam Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close suesam]

We, my dh, and two teenage sons, 16 and 19 are planning a trip east next summer. I want to spend about 3 nights in DC and a week in a timeshare on the beach. I really need suggestions for where to stay for my beach stay. We exchange with II and have a pretty good trader, (Hyatt Key West). I would like to be within 5 hours of driving distance to DC. I was thinking we would fly to our beach timeshare, spend a week, and rent a car to drive to DC. After our few days in DC would drive back to original airport to return home.
I want to find a really nice beach timeshare. Outer banks, NC appeals to me as does Virginia Beach. Are there any other suggestions, maybe something further north?
Any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated! I have 4 weeks before I can put in my request!

Thanks so much!
Sue

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

I believe actual drive Outer banks will be more than 5 hrs.

Not sure about II. The three set of beaches around the area are
Virginia Beach, Ocean City in Maryland, Delware beach around Rehoboth. You can also go north to NJ beach, but I believe most timeshare there is around Atlantic City.

Virginia Beach close to Williamsburg, and has two big amusement parks there in case you get tired of the beach.

Delware beach has a lot of big outlet mall around there, and it is tax free.

Qualitywise, I believe Ocean City and Virgin Beach are better to walk barefoot.

Jya-Ning

[suesam Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close suesam]

Actually, how far would the drive from DC to NYC be? We have never been to NYC and that would be awesome. We have not done much on the east coast. We spent a week in Williamsburg, which I loved and a week on Hilton Head, which we also loved. I keep thinking I need to explore further north.

Sue

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

Actually, how far would the drive from DC to NYC be? We have never been to NYC and that would be awesome. We have not done much on the east coast. We spent a week in Williamsburg, which I loved and a week on Hilton Head, which we also loved. I keep thinking I need to explore further north.

Sue

Where in NYC? I have driven in 4 and 1/2 hr. But I was kind of speeding. Generally, it is about 6 to 7 hrs if you can get in and out of their tunnel smooth. It maybe another extra hr drive inside any of these cities.

Jya-Ning

But if you have never visit that city, it is well worth the traveling.

[davhu1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close davhu1]

Nags Head is more like 6-7 hours to DC depending on traffic. It is also a much different beach (less commercialized and more lay back) than Virginia Beach, Ocean City or Atlantic City.

Atlantic City could also be a good choice as its driving distance to NYC and Philly for a day trip.

How about going south to Myrtle Beach? There is more to do and the water temp is warmer. Its about 8.5 hrs to DC.

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

If you can get the Mahatten Club or Hershey, it will worth the work, both are very difficulty trade if not impossible though.

You can also try Poconos. It will be 5 hr drive to DC. And very likely 3 hr drive to New York. You can visit Philly in about 3 hrs too.

If you stay in AC, they have shuttle to NY, Philly and DC, but it is long drive to consider it is a day trip. I will not do that to myself.

I don't believe II has DC. Maybe Basye? That will be 1 extra hr drive since it is down south. And if you are in the traffic hr, you may want to make it 2 hr drive.

Jya-Ning

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Actually, how far would the drive from DC to NYC be? We have never been to NYC and that would be awesome. We have not done much on the east coast. We spent a week in Williamsburg, which I loved and a week on Hilton Head, which we also loved. I keep thinking I need to explore further north.

Sue

You can also take a bus or train to NYC- and u end up right in the city where u want to be.
A Non-rush hour drive would be 4 hours but it is not a fun or easy drive especially if u have not driven in this part of the country. You do not need or want a car while in NYC - and probably in DC as well.

[suesam Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close suesam]

So would it be possible to fly to NYC, stay at Manhattan Club for a week,if I was really lucky..... and then take the train, or bus, to DC for 3 nights, and then take a train back to NYC to fly home? We would then be scrapping the idea of a beach vacation but could visit both NYC and DC in one trip?

Sue

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

So would it be possible to fly to NYC, stay at Manhattan Club for a week,if I was really lucky..... and then take the train, or bus, to DC for 3 nights, and then take a train back to NYC to fly home? We would then be scrapping the idea of a beach vacation but could visit both NYC and DC in one trip? Sue

Very easy. The bus is the best at only $35ish R/T, very easy and convenient. I used it for a day trip to a TS4Ms lunch one day.

I have availability for NYC and DC if you plan in advance.

You could also do an 'open jaw' plane ticket, where you arrive in one city and depart from the other, saving you the extra bus trip.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

So would it be possible to fly to NYC, stay at Manhattan Club for a week,if I was really lucky..... and then take the train, or bus, to DC for 3 nights, and then take a train back to NYC to fly home? We would then be scrapping the idea of a beach vacation but could visit both NYC and DC in one trip?

Sue

I believe Hyatt trades with II and Manhattan Club is with primarily with RCI.

But wherever u end up going, you can do an 'open jaw' plane ticket where you go from Iowa to DC, NYC to Iowa.
Or even a 3 way Iowa to DC, DC to NYC, NYC to Iowa.

Do a search on Cheap Flights, Airline Tickets, Cheap Airfare & Discount Travel Deals - Kayak.com to see an example of how it would work for you.
personally, with the age of your kids, I wouls opt for a beach week and a few days of 'culture'

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

If you can get the Mahatten Club or Hershey, it will worth the work, both are very difficulty trade if not impossible though.

You can also try Poconos. It will be 5 hr drive to DC. And very likely 3 hr drive to New York. You can visit Philly in about 3 hrs too.

If you stay in AC, they have shuttle to NY, Philly and DC, but it is long drive to consider it is a day trip. I will not do that to myself.

I don't believe II has DC. Maybe Basye? That will be 1 extra hr drive since it is down south. And if you are in the traffic hr, you may want to make it 2 hr drive.

Jya-Ning

I think Jya-Ning is estimating a bit high for most of these distances...and we think MapQuest is crazy fast! (I've heard that MapQuest assumes you are driving 65 mph every time you're on a highway, which is pretty optimistic in the Northeast.) We live right outside NYC, by the GW Bridge, and you can be well into the Poconos in about 2 hours from the bridge. The traffic is usually fine except on Friday nights and Sunday nights in the summer.

Hershey is near Lancaster and that probably is about five hours to NYC. Atlantic City is about three hours from Manhattan, I want to say? And not so long to Philly. There are several day-trip buses from here and people take them--they floor it all the way to Atlantic City and I think it's about 2.5 hours if you drive like a maniac.

Everyone says NYC to DC is four and a half hours, and it is if everything goes smoothly, but it never goes smoothly. There's sure to be terrible traffic somewhere along the way.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

So would it be possible to fly to NYC, stay at Manhattan Club for a week,if I was really lucky..... and then take the train, or bus, to DC for 3 nights, and then take a train back to NYC to fly home? We would then be scrapping the idea of a beach vacation but could visit both NYC and DC in one trip?

Sue

Yes, you can definitely do this! The Metroliner is about 3.5 hours? They have the Acela, too, but it's really expensive.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Driving times. I do have a bit of a heavy foot but not insanely so.

New York to Hershey = 3 hours
New York to Poconos = 2 hours
New York to DC = 4 hours
New York to Ocean City MD = 4.5 hours
New York to Williamsburg = 6.5 hours
New York to Outer Banks = 10 hours

With a great trader or points there are summer manhattan Clubs for 2009 available in RCI now.

Hershey and Washington via timeshare is next to impossible.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Very easy. The bus is the best at only $35ish R/T, very easy and convenient. I used it for a day trip to a TS4Ms lunch one day.

I have availability for NYC and DC if you plan in advance.

You could also do an 'open jaw' plane ticket, where you arrive in one city and depart from the other, saving you the extra bus trip.

When you factor in all the tolls up that corridor and gas prices, $35RT is a steal!

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Driving times. I do have a bit of a heavy foot but not insanely so.

New York to Hershey = 3 hours
New York to Poconos = 2 hours
New York to DC = 4 hours
New York to Ocean City MD = 4.5 hours
New York to Williamsburg = 6.5 hours
New York to Outer Banks = 10 hours

With a great trader or points there are summer manhattan Clubs for 2009 available in RCI now.

Hershey and Washington via timeshare is next to impossible.

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