NYC-Philadelphia-Washington itinerary in winter

Hi there,

We’re planning a trip to the U.S. in January, with the constraint of needing to be in Washington by February 3rd... Normally, I’m not big on museums or indoor visits, but I think I won’t have much choice in January.

Just to clarify, I’ve already visited NYC (didn’t love it) and Philadelphia (one-day trip, and I *loved* it). My partner has never been to the East Coast.

My initial idea was to drive from NYC to Washington by rental car, stopping in Lancaster County (and a quick detour to Strasburg as a Strasbourger—😁). But the rental car prices are sky-high, plus the hassle of parking (you have to stay on the outskirts of cities to find a spot) and the winter weather. Accommodations around Lancaster were also pretty expensive, so I’ve tweaked the original plan...

Here’s our current itinerary: - Day 1: Arrive in NYC around 4 PM - Days 2–5: NYC - Day 6: Take the bus to Philadelphia, explore Philadelphia - Day 7: Visit Lancaster County with a day rental car from Philadelphia - Day 8: More time in Philadelphia - Day 9: Take the bus to Washington - Days 10–12: Explore Washington - Day 13: Fly home at 10 PM

My main questions: - Is it easy to visit Lancaster County in a day from Philadelphia with a day rental car? - Is there any point in adding a day in Baltimore? - Does this seem logical, or am I missing too much compared to my original plan of driving from NYC to Washington? - Any winter-friendly sightseeing tips for these cities?

Thanks so much for your help—I’m thrilled to be back on the forum! :)

Anna

Hi there,

We’re planning a trip to the United States in January, with the constraint of being in Washington on February 3rd... Usually, I’m not really into museums or indoor visits, but I think I won’t have much choice in January.

- Any tips for winter-friendly visits in these cities?

Thanks for your help, and so happy to be back on the forum! :)

Anna

Hi! Regarding Washington DC, the museums are free and almost all of them are located on the Mall, so it’s really convenient to hop from one to another. It’s cold in DC in January/February, so the museum option isn’t something to overlook. That said, it’s totally up to you, of course. Also, don’t forget about the inauguration of the new U.S. president on January 20th—traffic might be heavily disrupted.

I did it in the summer, but in the middle of winter I’m not sure a visit to Lancaster County is really worth it since you won’t see much life there. That said, it’s totally doable in a day with a rental car.

Is your return on Day 13 from DC or NYC? If it’s NYC, I would’ve kept some of the NYC visits for the end so you’re already there for your return flight. Otherwise, the length of each stop seems reasonable.