I wouldn't do Boston if you're only going to be in the US for a limited time. Having been to college there, there is not as much to do in terms of tourism, and it's a similar enough vibe not to make the trip really worth the trouble. I'd do something like fly somewhere completely different: Florida, California, or the Rocky Mountain West.
As an Austrian, I don't think you'd find any of the national parks on the East Coast as nice as or impressive as what you have at home. ("Mountains" in east coast parlance are more just rolling hills by any other standards...) If you're planning to hit up a National Park, I would bring a buddy. You don't want to be hiking by yourself in Yosemite, for example, without the proper gear and without someone more experienced with you. Grand Canyon is touristy enough, but you'll still need to drive from place to place within the park. Remember that America is huuuuuuge and most of our National Parks are GIANT. Grand Canyon National Park is almost 5000 square kilometers. That's 10 times the area of Vienna. They are all extremely difficult and inconvenient without your own form of transportation. Driving a car in the US is easy compared to Europe (automatic transmissions and all), the culture surrounding driving is a lot different. Be prepared for a lot of aggressive drivers, and you have to be comfortable on the freeway and changing lanes frequently.
If I were you, I'd save the National Parks for another trip, or at least make a significant chunk of your trip the National Parks? You'll want at least 5-6 days in each to really cover all the sights.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2016-03-06 03:21 pm (UTC)I wouldn't do Boston if you're only going to be in the US for a limited time. Having been to college there, there is not as much to do in terms of tourism, and it's a similar enough vibe not to make the trip really worth the trouble. I'd do something like fly somewhere completely different: Florida, California, or the Rocky Mountain West.
As an Austrian, I don't think you'd find any of the national parks on the East Coast as nice as or impressive as what you have at home. ("Mountains" in east coast parlance are more just rolling hills by any other standards...) If you're planning to hit up a National Park, I would bring a buddy. You don't want to be hiking by yourself in Yosemite, for example, without the proper gear and without someone more experienced with you. Grand Canyon is touristy enough, but you'll still need to drive from place to place within the park. Remember that America is huuuuuuge and most of our National Parks are GIANT. Grand Canyon National Park is almost 5000 square kilometers. That's 10 times the area of Vienna. They are all extremely difficult and inconvenient without your own form of transportation. Driving a car in the US is easy compared to Europe (automatic transmissions and all), the culture surrounding driving is a lot different. Be prepared for a lot of aggressive drivers, and you have to be comfortable on the freeway and changing lanes frequently.
If I were you, I'd save the National Parks for another trip, or at least make a significant chunk of your trip the National Parks? You'll want at least 5-6 days in each to really cover all the sights.