Travelling America with a child?

[RadioTimesCE]

Hi,

I recently turned 30 and I cannot shake this feeling of regret. I have always longed to travel America, but life didn't go as expected and I haven't got round to it. I really wish i'd have done Camp America when I had the chance, so i'm looking to possibly do short tour of America at some point with my 6 year old. Trouble is I don't know were to start? I'd prefer to travel the East coast, and i'm assuming i'd use the Amtrack railway line rather than flights?

Has anyone done this? Where could I stay and what budget do you think i'd need?

If you want to use Amtrak then you definitely want to stay in the northeast. The good news is that gives you some fantastic places to visit. Wash., DC, Philadelphia, New York and Boston are all served by the Acela which is an express service. You could also go to Maine from Boston.

Budget really depends on what you want to spend. All four of those cities can be very pricey so if you can go in an off season you'll get better hotel rates. Meals don't have to be expensive to be good (or healthy). Most major chain hotels will include a breakfast buffet - it will not be fancy but it's better than nothing. Yelp can be a good source for restaurant ideas.

I'd take a look on Tripadvisor - maybe put in some dates to get ideas of hotel rates. There may be some family friendly hostels too.

I would not use Air BnB in New York City. It is illegal and while you may find reviews of places and stories of no problems, remember, it is still illegal and can get you and your DC thrown out with nowhere to go. I'm not sure of its legality in the other cities but I would definitely check before booking anything.

Most of all have fun planning your trip and definitely involve your DC in the process. My DS is about to turn 7 and he's a remarkably good traveller.