Road Trip from JFK taking in Canada an back to New York

Hi folks, its been a while since i've been on this forum. Back in 2012 the "roadtrip formites" helped me organise a fantanstic roundtrip from SF and back. We've now decided to take a roadtrip from JFK with the hope of taking in Canada and returning to New York for the last five nights. Our break is for 17 nights

We will be travelling in August which is unusual for us as we normally holiday April/May time. I'm aware that there will be more tourists and that prices for accommodation will be higher ;( ... so i'm looking for advice on how to make our dollars go a little further and to take in sights that will not be overly populated with us tourists.

Can anyone advise on interesting, unusual places to stay/visit off the beaten track?

We thought we would take in Boston, perhaps Finger Lakes, drive through mountains and stay in log cabin somewhere, Montreal (or would a different Canadian city be more interesting? I note that state parks will be free in Canada this year - would we be close enough to visiting some interesting ones?

We will be a family of three, my son is 15. His part of the trip will be the time in New York. He loves cities and being busy. We love scenery, peace and quiet etc. He would like to take part in activities while we are travelling as well as walking around towns etc.

I remember watching Salem's Lot when i was a kid and considered visiting - is it worth a visit?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated - thank you for taking the time to read this.

You can easily do a very nice tour through the New England states and the Province of Québec before heading back down through the historic Champlain/Hudson Valley to New York City. For a sampler of some of the best sites that New England has to offer, check out the discussions linked to here. As for what to see in Canada, I will simply note that Québec City has a more French/Continental vibe while Montréal is easier to get to and has a more cosmopolitan/bilingual vibe. Finally coming down the Hudson Valley back to New York will take you by several historic and scenic spots including Ausable Chasm, Fort Ticonderoga, Crown Point, and West Point. But of course Salem's Lot is a fictional location.

AZBuck

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I note that state parks will be free in Canada this year - would we be close enough to visiting some interesting ones?

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Someone will probably correct me if I am incorrect, but I believe it is only Parks Canada (National parks in Canada) that are to be free this year 2017. I believe the state parks, which are called Provincial parks, are not included. Because of the freebie Parks Canada pass, Canada is expecting particularly high attendance this year. There are a few national parks in the Quebec area, mainly Forillon, Mingan Archipelago (Reserve), and La Mauricie. La Mauricie looks the most accessible, though I have never been there and cannot speak to it.

Donna

It is Canada's National Parks that are free in 2017, in celebration of Canada's 150th Birthday. It is all of the sites run by Parks Canada, which includes National Historic Sites. While there are only 3 National Parks in Quebec, there are quite a few historic sites around both Montreal and Quebec City.

Another option instead of Quebec might be to look at going up through Maine and then continue into New Brunswick, and possibly continuing to to Nova Scotia and/or Prince Edward Island. There are several great National Parks in that part of Canada, like Fundy and Cape Breton Highlands, and I've really enjoyed Halifax as a city.

Thanks so much for the advice guys and the links. So far I've booked 1 nights Accomodation in bar harbour. Am looking for two nights around Boston but hotels seem very expensive.
Can you tell me if airbnb is allowed in Boston? I know ther is a problem with New York. We've used airbnb all over - Dubai, Japan, wales, Newcastle and we've always had good experiences. Is there something similar to airbnb? An alternative to hotels? Have thought about camping (log cabin/yurt/tent) in the parks but will need to take along sleeping bags. Any suggestions? As we have car are there nice places a little outside of Boston where we could stay that would be more cost effective?
Thanks

Have you tried searching Boston on AirBnB?

I know that some cities have put in rules restricting it's use, mostly because of people abusing the system and turning their residential home into essentially a commercial hotel, but I can't speak specifically to Boston. Being that such rules are typically (but not always) done on a city level, even if there is an issue in Boston, I'd suspect you'd have no problem using the site to find a place in one of Boston's suburbs. Just make sure it's near a "T" stop (Boston's subway system) so you can easily commute into the city.

Thanks will take a look

Hi folks, i wonder if you could help with a car hire question.
We have booked car hire from JFK airport with Thrifty for 10 days.
A pop up box appears encouraging you to take out excess insurance at £52.50 for the 10 days. This will mean that we don't have excess to pay if the car is stolen, keys lost or car is damaged.
To take out the same insurance with Thrifty direct costs £16 per day.
However, the last time we booked car hire in America we were advised to buy additional cover in the event of breakdown etc.

In the past i have used Insurance4carhire http://www.insurance4carhire.com/usa...cess-insurance. Do the American car companies accept this type of insurance. Will we be fully covered for everything they will try to offer us?
I don't want to duplicate payment of insurance.

Any advice greatly appreciated.Many thanks

Hi, i've managed to book accommodation for our trip from JFK to Bar Harbour. YAY :)

We are then travelling to Montreal. We have two days to get to Montreal (and are staying two nights in Montreal) then travelling to New York (we have two days to do this),

Can you recommend some good places to stay with things to do for teenager (it can be off the beaten track - or non touristy), We like quirky, we like countryside, we'd like to have a go at activities....we're open to suggestions and places that are "unmissable". Accommodation that's a little different...cabins - anything really (however not camping as we won't have the equipment.

We're travelling august 2017

Thanks x

Moderator Note: Please keep all questions about this trip in the same thread.

Car rental companies are always going to encourage you to take out more insurance - as that's one of the biggest profit margin items they sell.

The first place I'd always recommend checking for insurance on a rental car is with the company that provides insurance on your personal cars at home. There is a good chance they already cover your rental and/or they will offer an affordable supplement to your existing policy.

If they don't, then I'd look at what the rental car companies offer and compare it with what 3rd party insurance companies might be able to provide. I'm not sure what you mean about the car rental companies "accepting" the 3rd party insurance - they don't really have a choice, although I suspect you'd have to pay out of pocket for any damages and then be payed back by the insurance company, but again, that's something you need to discuss with whatever 3rd party insurer you might be considering.

I would recommend that you do not rent the car till you are ready to leave NYC, and return it as soon as you get back. A car is a liability in NYC and public transportation is excellent.

Also, check on rates off-airport, and it should be considerably cheaper in NJ somewhere. Check rentalcars.com, they are a good consolidator.

In addition to checking with you own personal car insurer, it would be worth your time and effort to check with your credit card to see if it offers any automatic coverage if you charge the car hire to it (ours does), and with any auto club (RAC, AA, etc,) you may belong to. Coverage may be automatic (and free!) or you may need to sign up for it, but either way it will be cheaper than what the car hire company is going to charge you.

As for some specific suggestions for things to see between Bar Harbor and Montréal, consider first heading almost directly west into central New Hampshire, say via US-2 to Gorham. This would put you in a position to visit some combination of Mount Washington, Crawford Notch State Park, and/or the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire, and then in Vermont: Ben and Jerry's, the Trapp Family Lodge, Hope Cemetery (yes, a cemetery as a tourist attraction!), and/or Church Street Market in Burlington. The more direct route from Bar Harbor to Montréal (ME-16/ME-27 to QC-212 through Sherbrooke) goes through the Maine north woods and the Eastern Townships of Québec and while pretty, there's not a lot to see and do along those roads.

Then from Montréal down to New York City, as noted before, you'll be following an historic and well-traveled route that hugs Lake Champlain and the Hudson River. Some sites of interest: Adirondack State Park, Ausible Chasm, Crown Point, Fort Ticonderoga, Catskill State Park, Hyde Park, West Point, and Harriman State Park.

AZBuck

thanks for all the info. More research needed now, some very good points that i had not thought about - especially credit card possibility.

thanks again (and also fo rthe suggestions AZBuck)

Hi guys wonder if you can help. Tomorrow We're heading to wilmington ny from Franconia. We have been given two options for ferries. Which would you recommend? Grande isle vt ferry
Or Essex Charlottesville ferry? What are the benefits of either (they are both the same pice). Many thanks

Strictly on a cost basis, the Charlotte (VT) - Essex (NY) crossing is the better deal. The car and three passengers will run you about $23. The Burlington - Port Kent ferry, by contrast, would run you about $54. You will have to drive a bit farther to use the more southern (cheaper) ferry, but this is a RoadTrip, No? My wife and I have used the Charlotte-Essex ferry, but not with a car. We used it as a relaxing scenic 'cruise', walked around Essex for an hour or so and then caught the ferry back to our car which we had left on the Vermont side. Very relaxing.

AZBuck

Thank you - charlotte it is :) scenic much better. Cheers

Another question folks. We're heading to thrifty to drop our rental car (total nightmare collecting - very rude staff btw) we are travelling from West Point to thrifty JFK. Any advice on best roads and best time to travel. We need to drop off before 11:30. Plus our satnav (we call him Bruce) seems to have a time lag and we are past the road before we are on it! So we'd like to get there well before our drop off time - Many thanks

You're now looking to do one of the most nerve wracking drives in America on the fly, with time constraints, and with a balky GPS (Satnav). This is why planning, and self-reliance are so important to a successful RoadTrip. Your best bet at this point is to:

1) Get good paper maps of both New York State and New York City. These should be available from almost any convenience store or gas station for a few dollars.

2) Familiarize yourselves, both of you but especially the navigator, with the route I'm going to recommend. Mark it on the map if you have ANY doubts.

3) Turn off 'Bruce'. If he's got a time lag, he WILL lead you down the wrong road at some point. You do NOT want erroneous or conflicting advice on this drive. You will be on your own, but that's better than getting bad directions and believing them.

4) Leave West Point around 9:00 AM. That should be after the morning rush hour and still leave you plenty of time to get to JFK by 11:30. You do NOT want to cut this any closer than that. If you are planning to drop off the car at 11:30, then I hope your international flight is no earlier than 3:00 or so in the afternoon. If it is earlier than that, leave West Point that much earlier.

Now as to route. What I'm going to recommend is not the shortest route or the route that any GPS would recommend, but you want to make as few turns/connections as possible and you want to avoid the Cross Bronx Expressway if at all possible. So...

Leave West Point and take US-9W south to the Bear Mountain Bridge, cross it over to the east side of the Hudson, and pick up US-202 and take it south (NB: this may be marked as US-202 north!) to Peekskill where you will leave US-202/US-6 and take US-9 south. A couple of miles south of Croton-On-Hudson, watch for NY-9A and make a left onto it. Follow that to the Taconic State Parkway south. Stay on that even as the name changes to the Sprain Brook Parkway. Take Exit 11E to the Cross County Parkway east to Exit 9 and the Hutchinson River Parkway south. Get in the left lane and stay there. This will eventually become I-678 and take you the rest of the way to JFK. Follow the signs for Car Rental Return.

Again, and I can't stress this enough.... Turn Bruce off. Get good paper maps of both the state and the city. Mark the above route and familiarize yourself with it. As you drive, it is critical that the navigator maintain positional awareness and know at all times how far it is to the next turn or change of route and exactly what you're going to do there. And make sure you leave yourselves plenty of time.

AZBuck

Thank you once agin
For getting back to me so quickly ( we are quite anxious about thentirp). We will take all of your advice onboard but think we will leaove much earlier (to Ben on the age side). We don't have a a flight to catch as we're taking a few days in New York and my so.n Is quite excited to be faceing some time in New York. We're hooping to set off around 7. Will this be the busiest time?
Thanks again

Leaving at 7 will put you into the thick of the morning rush. I wouldn't advise it.

Did you get an EZ-Pass with the car? You will have 2 toll bridges to deal with.

Oh dear! No ez pass. Do both bridges deal with cash?

Yes, they both take cash - for now.

Bear Mountain is $1.50, and the Whitestone is $8.50. The Whitestone is removing the booths in October and converting to all-electronic.

Thank you so much for your advice guys. Followed AZBucks route and managed to get there no problem. Felt pretty tense all the way just in case we went wrong but the directions you have were easy to follow. Got to say the car hire drop off was much easier than the pick up! Once at feeeral circle we jumped on the air train and caught the subway to our accommodation. Could not have coped with a car in New York. Drivers are MENTAL!! Much easier to travel by foot - and better for us!
Thanks again guys for sharing.
This site is great!

C'était notre plaisir. Merci pour vos mots gentils.

AZBuck