What is the cheaper and better way to travel through the Northeast USA (DC, Atlantic City, NY, etc.)?

Hello! I am planning a trip to the East Coast in October and would like to know which is the cheaper and better way to travel - by car or commute? I am a non-US citizen who plan to go to Washington DC, Atlantic City, NYC, Boston, Rhode Island and Niagara Falls in 2 weeks. I saw from Frommers that a USA Railpass is available but I am not sure if this will be better/cheaper compared to renting a car. Hope you can help me out. Thanks!

I know that the Amtrak can take you to Washington DC, NYC and Boston. Undoubtedly you'll need other transportation to get to some of your other destinations. My sister has backpacked Europe twice. She says that our rail system really sucks in comparison to what's available in Europe.

Renting a car will be expensive, especially with the price of gasoline to be figured in, but I don't really see how you can avoid it. Maybe take a bus?

I'd check this web page: http://www.spiritair.com/welcome.aspx
They give you excellent deals for flying in the US. Good luck.

The train is not really cheaper than renting a car. But you do need to take gas prices into consideration also. My husband and I like to have a car in every place that you mentioned except NYC it is kinda hard to get around there when driving yourself unless you are used to really aggressive driving. We always just take cabs there. You need to call a car rental company and find out their mileage rules as sometimes it can get really expensive if you go over and it sounds like you might. Also call 1-800-872-7245 for Am track the train company as they may have a package deal for the trip that you are talking about.

I think that would be the cheaper alternative, or either the bus. With the train you are able to sit back relax and enjoy the scenery while traveling, and you have no extra fees except food and drink on board. With driving it offers you more control over when you want to leave and the ability to make side trips, but you have to deal with the headache of traffic, rising gas prices, possibility of getting lost and tolls, DC-NY alone the tolls are $20.

Renting a car for a week is probably your best bet, so long as you return it to the same location you got it from. If you return it to a different city/location, they usually charge a fee of anywhere from 100 to 200 dollars. If you haven't booked your flight yet, consider flying into a centrally located place, such as NYC or Philly, so that you're never too far from the rental place. Also, airport car rentals are always much cheaper than ones located elsewhere in town.

You also need to consider parking fees ($20/day in most cities; more in NYC, less in altlantic city and niagra). In the US, a tank of gas currently costs you about $40.

As for Amtrak, that is a nice way to travel, but it's expensive too (usually between 60 and 120 dollars per trip in the Northeast). See if you can find some kind of package deal, or a commuter pass. Then, you might be better off -assuming the rails will take you where you want to go.

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http://www.ytb.com/BrentandJackieTravel