10 day holiday in US

and got a piece of bog standard beef roast. It was over almost $100 for 2kg.
And in America "Ribeye" is in no way ever classed as a " bog standard beef roast" quite the opposite
And though $100 for a 2Kg would seem extreme over here where you'll pay €12/15kg, its a completely different market over there especially when you not only factor in the as Leo says "Hormone & antibiotic free" but also the grass fed vs the corn fed beef
 
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Good quality food is very expensive in the US. It has a highly industrialised agricultural sector which has low quality and animal welfare standards. You just have to accept that you are going to have to eat badly or spend a fortune when you are there.
 
With a family, an RV would be a good adventure and get you to areas you may not otherwise go to.
V good campgrounds/state parks and you can cook your own food. Nashville not suitable for country music with kids as all bar based music and they won't get in. Best to seek out a bluegrass festival and bring the RV there. Most themeparks also have a campground nearby too.
Have used both ElMonteRv and Cruiseamerica before and good companies to deal with.
Dollywood is a good spot with plenty of music in surrounding areas.
 
I once did a 3 week coast to coast and slightly north and south US trip.
For covering big distances relatively quickly the Greyhound buses were great.
 
I've been to the US maybe 20-25 times for work and holidays.
New York is great but very expensive.
Nashville and the South is "real America". Very culturally different from here and as long as you realise that then it's a great place to visit.
I'd pay good money not to have to visit Florida again. It is by a long way my least favourite place in America.
If you want New York, Amish region and Bluegrass music then spend a few days in New York (at least 3) then drive to Nashville via Pennsylvania. It's around 14-15 hours of driving so easily done over 3 days. That gives you an overnight in Pennsylvania, and a good few other stops. You could even get to Washington for a day. The Smithsonian is well worth a visit. Driving is, by far, the best way to see America (or anywhere really) and it's an easy country to dive in. The kids will remember it far more than a trip to a theme park.
100% agree. Drop the theme park and you'll save a fortune upfront for starters. And your sanity too! :)
 
Been to the US several times, as others have said, the wish list is too much for even a moderately long trip, you don't want to be spending all your time either travelling or "enjoying" airports. Group the wish list by location and pick one or two focuses. Make them the highlights and just remember that the US will be there to enjoy another trip to. Also remember you'll have to haul stuff around, the more places you visit the more time spent packing/unpacking/dealing with luggage.

I am actually only back from a holiday including a 3-night stay in NYC. The hotel was in mid-town Manhattan and we lucked out with a 45th floor stunning view. It was a postage stamp of a room though. Small for one person and very small for two people and four bags (2 checked, 2 small 7kg carry-on) and at around the $300 mark per night it wasn't cheap. But that is the reality of hotels in NYC.

If you're going to more than one place or want to do/see something specific, use a travel agent, it will be less stressful and more likely to meet your expectations.
Pack very light, the old rule is half the clothes and double the money. You'll be buying stuff there, you're children will definitely be buying stuff there, leave plenty of room for new stuff.
Get the children to do some investigation themselves on how to get places, they're net-natives, so they'll probably relish the idea of doing some research online for where they want to go, what they want to do and see. Make sure they understand they have to work out how to travel from their starting point (e.g. NYC) and give them an idea as to budget. That might help them comprehend the size of the country and help focus expectations.
 
@lonelyplanet , I hope you don't mind me asking another NY related question in your post.
We are planning for a 10 days trip to NY and around with two teenagers. Can anyone suggest hotels with family rooms/ suites. We are looking for additional queen/ double bed instead of sofa bed.
 
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