New york or Florida

[Radyward]

Hi there
We were planning to go to NYC with our 2 teenage children for 5 nights. Im beginning to think it will work out the same cost for 8 nights in Florida. Im the only one of the 4 who have been to NY before. Florida seems better ' value" but you have to see NY once ?????

Having been previously not interested in going to NYC, I went there last year literally to make up the numbers, I would now go back in a heartbeat, so I’m voting NYC!

I absolutely love both!

What time of year are you going? By florida do you mean Orlando, or somewhere like Key West / Miami?

Love Florida for Orlando, we tend to go annually and spend time in the theme parks then pop down to the south of Florida and relax in a villa.

NYC is my favourite city break, the buzz in unbelievable! I don't really enjoy it in the heat of summer as it's just too hot, but love it in spring / winter (Christmas is magical).

Depends on the type of holiday you're after? When are you going?
If you want to sightsee Florida will be alot more driving - it's a huge state.

When you say Florida are you thinking theme parks? Because that is absolutely not going to be the same price as New York.

Totally depends on your likes and dislikes, my DC prefer Florida by a mile but did enjoy New York. Times Square has become a little bit scary and it smells of weed literally everywhere now but walking through Greenwich Village and seeing theatre was amazing.

NYC definitely! Museums, food, landmarks. Florida…blazing heat.

Sorry all was thinking this Oct for NYC but if opting for florida ie orlando we would go easter 25.

Could you do both OP? In 2015 me and DH visited NYC for a few days, all the usual places, and we then took a plane to Miami and stayed for a few more days (I think 10 in total). We rented a car in Miami and visited the Everglades, Florida Keys and another beach which I can't remember the name now. We got to enjoy Palm Beach too. For me it was the perfect complete holidays as we had lots of city, beach and daytrip experiences in just under 2 weeks.

When you say it's the same cost have you added in the theme park tickets for 4 people if that's what you plan in Orlando? Puts the cost up considerably

We did both. Flew to Orlando and did the parks, then it was no more expensive to fly home via NY and have couple days there than to fly directly. That was with BA

Two very different holidays and I would be surprised if you could get a similar quality holiday between the 2 for the same price, Florida needs 2 weeks really so is very costly, I wouldn't do just 8 days if you've not been before. But as they're so different I really think it depends on what your family would like and only you can answer that.

Very different holidays. I’ve done both and would go back to NY in a heartbeat.

It depends on your family's ideas of what they want.

I personally was happy that DD decided not to ask for Florida again when Covid cancelled our original booked holiday. We would have done it but more for her than for us.

We went ot NY instead as part of a 2 week US holiday last Summer and all had a great time. DH and I knew NY before but we still found things we didn't do or hadn't seen prior to us all going.

Just because you feel it's more time for the same amount of money doesn't mean it's the same kind of holiday.

While Florida would be my first choice always, Disney tickets are about £600 each at Easter. Also it's the 2nd busiest time to go, after Christmas.
Easter is excluded from the current free dining offer for next year.

Can you do both? We just did five nights in NYC, return flight's Heathrow to JFK, then booked a really cheap return flight with Jet Blue to Orlando and had 11 nights in Florida. Worked really well and was awesome fun, though tiring and not cheap once food, park tickets etc are factored in.

We did both about 10 years ago. Both great but different. We stayed in a fairly basic hotel in NY and fancier ones in Florida (Animal lodge at Disney and sand pearl in Clearwater). Depends what you want! It wasn’t a cheap holiday and having been back to the US last year we found it really expensive.

If budget can stretch I also recommend both. We stopped for a few nights in NYC on the way home from a Florida trip a couple of years ago and it was fantastic. The two places are so different and offer such opposite things it makes for a really special trip.

Also, Easter is outrageously busy in Florida (see some of the threads from this year from posters who didn’t know about Spring Break) but October is lovely. If you get two weeks off at half term I would go then.

We did 4 nights nyc, 4nights DC in to one out of the other. October was perfect time.

Metro DC hotels so much cheaper than NYC and activities are mainly free. Train from NYC was only $90 for the 4 of us. My teens preferred DC as they loved the scale of things.

Could you scale back NYC- cheaper hotel, shorter stay and you might find you could still have a longer holiday.

I'd vote for NY. I love it and my dc would take a city break over theme parks any day. Seeing as your husband and kids have never been, surely the decision should be theirs really as to what they prefer?

I did think of NYC and Washington DC but hate the thought of trucking bags between the two . Any recs on hotels in NYC?? - they are pretty expensive but its a big birthday year for me so not overly bothered on cost.

We will opt to go to NYC in October I think for 5 nights but might do 2-3 more nights in washington. Tks you for all of your responses / thoughts !

We did NYC in last October. We stayed at the M social in times Square (it was the quietest hotel I've ever stayed in!) Fab views from the roof top bar.

We also did Florida 2 years ago, specifically universal, we also went in October, perfect time of year to go. I'd chose florida again in a heartbeat. We had the time of our lives at the theme parks, it was Halloween horror nights. So much fun teens.

@Radyward

We did New York and Boston last year. We stayed 5 minutes walk from south station in Boston which goes to Penn in NY - we stayed just under 10 minutes walk from Penn station - really easy.

NY at Halloween was amazing. Weather was great in both cities.

And Salem is only a short train drive from Boston, we loved it in Summer but they go all out in October as well.

@reluctantbrit we did Salem about 4 days before Halloween. Also did Philadelphia for a day from NY.

We did 12 days and could have done with another 12 to see everything we wanted to do.

Boston is excellent, and Salem completely bonkers, but fab!!!
Food is extortionate in NYC so bear that in mind.