2 Weeks In The USA - Ultimate East Coast Travel Guide & Itinerary

I warn you in advance that this post is going to be mega long. It's hard to condense 18 days + long weeks of planning experience and knowledge into a blog post. You could fill books about America. You really have to experience it yourself!

We went to America to visit family, so we had a local 'tour guide', which can be very helpful, especially if it's your first visit. We went to a lot of places that we wouldn't have done on our own, either because no one at home knew about them, or because we hadn't heard of them. So there will be a lot of information in this description that you won't really find on other sites.

Practical information

How to get there: We chose Washington DC as our base. We flew from Budapest with British Airways. With a stopover in London at Heathrow, which isn't a very lucky choice because it's a huge airport and it takes a long time to get through the gates. We took the bus, the tube, went through security again, so it took a very long time. If you're changing flights here you should give yourself at least 3 hours. Otherwise we were happy with the airline, the journey was surprisingly comfortable. It was also possible to choose a special menu in advance, which was delicious. We flew on an Airbus A380, which is the largest commercial plane, and it was a great experience.

Transportation: Although public transport is still pretty good on the east coast, there are a lot of places you can only get to by car. We visited a lot of small towns along the way because they are really charming and give you a better feeling of American life. Driving was not particularly difficult, anyone who has driven in rush hour in a big city can do it here. There are a few rules that are different. For example, you don't let other people in, there are no roundabouts, but there are plenty of stop signs and traffic lights on the other side of the road. There are no speed cameras, speed limits are not really enforced, you usually have to leave the highways to get to petrol stations in nearby towns, you can turn right at red lights and I could go on... Although we were lucky enough not to have to rent a car as we could use our relatives' cars and they took us most places, I usually book my cars on economybokings.com.

How long should you go for?: At least a week. The trip itself takes a day or two. The flight was 10 hours in total, plus getting to the airport, transfer, waiting at the border, then travelling to the accommodation. The same on the way back. So in the remaining five days you can fit in one big city and a couple of small towns. Otherwise you could spend months here, but not many people can afford it.

When should you visit? Anytime! There are great activities for all seasons. We went in the summer, which is not the best time for sightseeing because of the heat, but it wasn't bad even in New York. We were also able to squeeze in a few days at the ocean and lake.

How expensive is it? - It depends on what your needs are. Accommodation is not more expensive than in Europe, especially if you choose motels where you usually get breakfast. Restaurants are also cheaper, and the portions are huge, so there's usually some left over for later. Supermarkets also have lots of ready meals for cheap, and petrol is much, much cheaper than here. What makes the trip more expensive is the flight and car rental. You can save on these by travelling out of season (September to April).

Accommodation: I have linked all our accommodation below in the detailed description. If you are travelling by car, make sure you have parking at your accommodation. And use the flexibility of the car and book on the outskirts of towns as these are usually cheaper. Do not be afraid of motels! They are perfectly civilised, often have a pool and breakfast. We didn't book everything in advance because we wanted to have some flexibility in our itinerary, so we only booked in advance in the bigger cities.

+ Tip: Make sure you have insurance, as health care is very expensive here. And turn off mobile internet and even calls if you don't want to run up a huge phone bill. We bought eSim so we could get local mobile internet. I use the Airalo app for that and you can save $3 with code HENRIE2981. If you don't want to buy an eSim, make sure you download Google Maps offline so you won't get lost.

18-day itinerary - America East Coast

• Day 1: Travel
• Day 2: Washington DC
• Day 3: Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown
• Day 4: Richmond
• Day 5: Virginia Beach
• Day 6: Annapolis, Philadelphia
• Day 7: New York
• Day 8. New York
• Day 9: New York and Pittsburgh
• Day 10: Pittsburgh
• Day 11: Buffalo and Niagara Falls
• Day 12: Niagara Canadian side, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Lake Eire
• Day 13: Shanksville, Amis colonies, Indian Lake
• Day 14: Indian Lake
• Day 15: Pittsburgh
• Day 16: Berkeley Springs, Winchester, Udvar-Hazy Center
• Day 17: Washington DC
• Day 18: Drive home

You can shorten the trip by 2 days by skipping days 14 and 15. These two days are really for visiting relatives, but it's worth leaving yourself a few more days to stop and soak up the atmosphere. You can find an alternative itinerary at the end of this blog post!

East Coast Itinerary Day by Day

Day 1: Travelling

I mentioned above that we travelled with British Airways, with a connection in London. Our flight left at 1pm and we arrived in Washington in the evening. We were on our feet for a total of 20 hours before arriving at our accommodation. The journey itself was very long, but we also had to queue for 3 hours at the border. There were no problems getting in, just there were few border guards and many passengers. They took photos, fingerprinted us, checked our passports and ESTAs, and asked us a few questions about how long and why we were coming, and if we had anything forbidden/not allowed (for example, you can't bring fruit in, so it's worth checking in advance).

Our first night's accommodation was near the airport at the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Herndon Reston.

Day 2: Washington DC

I've already written a separate blog post about attractions in Washington, which you can read here. You can spend just one day at the main attractions in Washington, especially if you don't want to go in everywhere, but we liked it so much that we ended up spending the last day here too. On the first day we saw the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, walked along the Mall, went up to the Washington Monument, had lunch at the National History Museum and saw the Capitol from the outside. We also walked to Union Station, which is a very nice train station. In the late afternoon we drove to Williamsburg where we stayed for the next 4 nights.

Our accommodation in Williamsburg: Hilton Vacation Club The Historic Powhatan Williamsburg

Day 3: Historical Triangle

Historic Triangle was the day's programme. The so-called 'Historic Triangle' encompasses three towns that are important in the history of America: Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. Popular with American tourists, but I couldn't find anything in HUngarian travel blogs about these towns. We wouldn't have done it on our own without a local guide. But it was a great place and one of our favourite days of the trip. Not to mention we learn a lot about American history and culture, which helps us understand what it means to be American.

We started the morning at Colonial Williamsburg, which is a great place. We got a glimpse of what life was like in a colonial American town. The museum is located in downtown Williamsburg, one long street and a few side streets. Walking the streets is free, but if you want to talk to people dressed in colonial costume or go into the shops and workshops, you have to buy a ticket. (I think walking is enough, but that's up to you.) Don't miss the nearby University of William and Mary, one of the oldest universities in America.

In the early afternoon we drove over to Jamestown, where we also visited a colonial museum. This is where the first settlers arrived, you can see the conditions they had to face, climb on their reconstructed ships, see how the Indians lived at that time. The difference between the level of development of the Native Americans and the European colonists is shocking.

We end the day in Yorktown, famous for the Battle of Yorktown, the most important battle of the American Revolution. It was here that Washington won his victory over the British. An impressive statue commemorates the victory. Otherwise it is a charming little town with beautiful houses on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. We walked for an hour, had a burger and even saw dolphins swimming up the York River. What a wonderful way to end the day!

Day 4: Richmond

We started the morning with a bit of a shopping. We went to an antique shop, which is very fashionable in America. We also went to Richmond to visit relatives, and although it's a nice town, there's not really anything special to see that you wouldn't see elsewhere. I would recommend spending an extra day in Philadelphia instead. For us it was a more relaxing day. We checked out American suburban life, went to the beach and walked around the city in the afternoon. And in the evening we went to an Italian restaurant like you see in the movies... You had to go up one floor through an unmarked door. If you've never heard of this place, you'll never find it. Otherwise it was packed and very cosy, although the food here, like everywhere else, was tailored to American tastes.

Richmond is the capital of the state of Virginia, on the bank of the James River, which we've seen in Jamestown. Highlights in Richmond include the Slave Trial: a powerful historical walking tour of the city's role in the slave trade; the James River: kayaking, swimming, walking along the banks; Maymont: a 100-acre Victorian estate with beautiful gardens, a nature centre and a historic mansion; Carytown: a vibrant neighbourhood known for its unique boutiques, restaurants and the historic Byrd Theatre.

Day 5: Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach is just an hour's drive from Williamsburg. On the way, we crossed the mighty James River estuary, passed Norfolk along the Chesapeake Bay and arrived to the Atlantic Ocean. In Virginia Beach we can get into a real Top Gun mood, with fighter jets passing overhead every 5-10 minutes. In the summer, it's a great place to be, with a long stretch of sandy beach manned by lifeguards in red bathing suits and dolphins swimming along the shore. For lunch we sat down at a pancake house where we had a huge portion of pancakes with lots of maple syrup. Restaurants always serve water and refill soft drinks (except juices). You can pour as much pancake syrup as you like. There was a bit of excitement in the afternoon when they announced a tornado threat, which was very scary for me at first, but the locals didn't mind. Luckily nothing happened in the end, but it is a very exciting memory... in retrospect.

Day 6: Annapolis, Philadelphia

After breakfast we packed up and headed north to Philadelphia. On the way we stopped in Annapolis, the capital of Maryland. This city was my personal favourite of the trip. Situated on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis' historic district offers charming streets and 18th century brick houses. Be sure to visit the domed 1700s Maryland State House (free) and stroll down the boutique-lined main street to the waterfront. We also found a comic book store on Main Street, where we bought some comics, of course. There is also one of the US Naval Academies here, so we saw sailors walking around town. It had a really great atmosphere, I felt like I was in a staged film, but that's the reality here.

And just to show how intertwined American history is on the East Coast, Annapolis was the capital of the country at the victory at Yorktown, and at the signing of the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War, and it was here that George Washington handed in his resignation as commander after the victory. This moment can be seen in the Maryland State House.

And then we come to the last important site of the founding of the American nation, Philadelphia. We arrived here in the afternoon and unfortunately we only had this one afternoon to see the city. If I have one regret, it's that we didn't spend another day here. After dropping the car off at our accommodation, we explored the city on foot. We visited City Hall, which is architecturally stunning, topped by a huge statue of William Penn, the founder of the state of Pennsylvania. We then walked to Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed in 1776. We also visited the Liberty Bell, which is also free to visit. And then we walked around the historic sites. 

We saw where the first settlers arrived and where the United States of America was officially founded. In the evening we walked to the Delaware River and had a Philadelphia Cheese Stake, which is a cheese and meat sandwich. Unfortunately we didn't have time, but it's also worth checking out the iconic staircase at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, made famous by Sylvester Stallone's triumphant climb in the film 'Rocky'.

Our accommodation in Philadelphia: Holiday Inn Express Philadelphia-Midtown, an IHG Hotel

Days 7-9: New York

We said goodbye to the family for a while and continued our journey to New York by train. We bought our tickets in advance from Amtrak. Public transport in America is quite expensive and not very modern, but it is not really worth driving to New York. I wrote about New York's sights and experiences in a separate post, which you can read here.

It was a 1.5-2 hour trip to Manhattan and the train dropped us off at Madison Square Garden. From there we went to the High Line Park and walked all the way down to Greenwich Village. At half past midnight we went up to the top of Rockefeller Center to watch the sunset and the night lights. The next day we explored Lower Manhattan and Central Park. On the third day, we took another morning walk and then headed to the airport. From New York we flew to Pittsburgh, where we also stayed with relatives. Domestic flights are very cheap and it was much quicker than taking the bus or car. The two days in New York were exhausting and we were very tired when we arrived in Pittsburgh. But there was an old timer car race in town that day and we wanted to see it anyway, so we spent the afternoon in Schenley Park.

Our accommodation in New York: Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott New York Manhattan / Times Square

Day 10: Pittsburgh

This day is dedicated to sightseeing in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh may not be on your bucket list, but it may be worth adding to it. If time allows, and your itinerary would take you there anyway, you could add a day for this city. Pittsburgh was once a major industrial city, the city of glass and steel. It sits at the confluence of three rivers and has over 400 bridges. I recommend these to see in Pittsburgh: walking between the imposing houses of the Shadyside district, the incline and views from Mt. Washington, Point State Park, Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game at PNC Park, PPG Palace glass building.

Day 11: Buffalo and Niagara Falls

We left Pittsburgh early in the morning for Buffalo, three hours away. We drove most of the way at the shore of Lake Erie, we came back here on the way back home, so we stopped for a swim on the next day. We hadn't planned to go to Buffalo, but it's on the way to Niagara, so we stopped here for a couple of hours. This time we didn't do any sightseeing but visited the Naval Park. The Naval Museum is located on the banks of the Buffalo River, and among other smaller exhibits you can see two warships and a submarine. All three were actually service ships, you can climb aboard and walk around each one. The museum is staffed by veterans who are happy to show you around and tell you about the ships. On the submarine, for example, we were given a tour by a veteran who worked on that very submarine, so it was very personal and interesting.

In the afternoon we went to Niagara Falls. This day we saw it from the American side and also paid for a boat trip. There are many view points and it is worth walking over to Goat Island to see the Horseshoe Falls up close. Niagara Falls is located on the Niagara River, which connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. It is made up of three waterfalls. The most famous is Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side, while the American and Veil Falls are on the American side. Don't miss the boat ride, it's a great experience. Be prepared to get soaked, even if you have a raincoat. It's also worth waiting for the evening when the falls are illuminated by coloured lights. (Book your boat ride here)

Our accommodation at Niagara Falls: Days Inn by Wyndham Tonawanda/Buffalo

Day 12: Niagara - Canadian side, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Lake Erie

This day is probably not feasible due to changes in ESTA requirements, as the new permit is now a single entry permit for Hunagarian passport owners. So it would be very inconvenient to get there and back. We were lucky because we still have a two years and a multiple entry ESTA, so we were able to go to Canada and back without any problems. You can actually get a better view of the falls from here, but the experience would have been complete even if you couldn't see them from here. If we do decide to cross into Canada, we should definitely go to Niagara-on-the-Lake. This small town on the shores of Lake Ontario is breathtakingly beautiful, with manicured gardens, streets full of flowers and houses that are hundreds of years old. After Annapolis, it was my other favourite place on the trip. On the way back to Pittsburgh, we stopped for a swim at Lake Eire, at the long peninsula of Presque Isle.

Overall, I think it's worth seeing Niagara, even if you only see it from the American side and from a boat. But if you insist on seeing the Canadian side, it's worth going on to Toronto and then flying home.

Days 13-15: Shanksville, Amish, Indian Lake, Pittsburgh

We spent these days in a fairly quiet place. We settled into local life. We spent two days at Indian Lake, a small lake in Pennsylvania. It is home to several Amish communities, we checked out their shops and even went to the 9/11 memorial near Shanksville. This is where the fourth plane crashed in the 2001 terrorist attacks. On the last day we did some shopping, went to Walmart and the local mall and bought some presents. We also tried pickle ball, a sport similar to tennis that is very popular in America at the moment. If you can, try to include at least one day of rest in your trip, when you don't have to rush from place to place and have some time to experience the life of the locals.

Day 16: Berkeley Springs, Winchester, Udvar-Hazy Center

It's time to say goodbye to the USA and head back to Washington, DC for our flight home. This day was really about getting to Washington, but of course we made several stops along the way. We stopped in two small towns, Berkeley Springs, famous for its hot springs, and Winchester, known as one of the largest apple growing areas in the country. The afternoon was spent at the Udvar-Hazy Centre, next to Washington Dulles Airport. You can spend hours in this huge space and aviation museum. You can see very special pieces such as a space shuttle and the fastest reconnaissance plane ever built.

Our accommodation in Washington: Courtyard by Marriott Dulles Airport Herndon

Day 17-18: Washington and travelling home

As our flight home was late in the evening, we had one last day to explore downtown Washington. We couldn't go to the Capitol on the first day because it was closed on Sunday, so we made up for it on this day. Unfortunately, they only take you around a few rooms, but considering that it's free, it's worth it. After that we went to a couple of museums, then in the late afternoon we took the subway back to the hotel, picked up our bags and took the hotel shuttle bus to the airport.

Our flight left an hour late, at midnight. We flew home on British Airways with a connection in London. Although the journey home was quicker because of the tailwind, we didn't get home until the following evening. But I have to say it was worth the long journey. America is a great place and we came home with a lot of experiences and knowledge. I can't wait to go back!

I tried to squeeze all the info into this post, but if you have any questions, feel free to write. If you want to see more of my travels, follow my YouTube, Instagram and Tiktok pages.

Have a great trip!

Heni

How would I have planned the tour if we weren't staying at relatives?

16-day alternative itinerary:

• Day 1: Travel
• Day 2: New York
• Day 3: New York
• Day 4: New York and Philadelphia
• Day 5: Philadelphia
• Day 6: Washington DC
• Day 7: Washington DC (pick up your car here, you can also take the train to Washington DC, so you can save money)
• Day 8. Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown
• Day 9: Virginia Beach
• Day 10: a day for doing nothing, free time, shopping
• Day 11: Annapolis, Winchester/Berkeley Springs, Amish
• Day 12: Pittsburgh
• Day 13: Buffalo and Niagara Falls
• Day 14: Niagara Canadian side, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Lake Eire
• Day 15: Toronto
• Day 16: Drive home