No, no, take the train from BWI Amtrak Station, the Northeast Regional. Easy ride up, WiFi, easy peasy. AD military discount.
You do not want to drive or park in the City.
We have many times taken our USNA 3/c mids on what we call the “NYC field trip.” A long but jam-packed day trip.
-Morning train from BWI Amtrak Station, park at garage there.
-Purchased train tickets in advance via app, using AD or veteran discount. Many departures, look for trains with fewer local stops. The Accela is the high-speed train, more expensive.
-Relaxed ride up, snooze, use WiFi.
-Roll into Penn Station. NYC is a walking town. Walk to 30 Rock and go to the Top of the Rock. Ditto Empire State Building. Check out ice-skating rink at Rockefeller Plaza. Look into the windows of the ground floor NBC building into the studios. See Times Square, at least once in your life, to see the crazy people. Madison Square Garden is right there.
-Figure out the subway and head further afield to museums, Statue of Liberty, 9/11 Memorial, USS INTREPID.
-Hit a deli or pizza place for lunch.
- ASK EVERY PLACE YOU GO IF THEY HAVE A MILITARY DISCOUNT. NYC loves the military.
-Buy hugely discounted tickets in advance via the USO NYC Ticket Program for AD, which gives you the unique promo codes for various Broadway and event venue ticket sellers. Pick them up at Will Call or use e-tix phone option. Lion King, all the big ones.
- Or contact the MWR Tickets and Tours office at the Coast Guard base on Staten Island. All military installations of any size have “MWR tickets and tours” offices.
- Enjoy a 2 PM matinee on Broadway. Walkable from Penn Station.
-More walking to fun places. One of my favorite things in NYC. Another favorite place, The Greenway Trail around Manhattan along with Central Park.
-So many great places to eat, from high-end celebrity chef venues to hole in the wall family joints. Every type of food imaginable. Eat a nice dinner, more walking, take a 10 PM NE Regional back to BWI Amtrak station.
-We would wear our mids out, but they have a blast on these day trips. DH and I have returned to our pre-COVID “date days” and do the trip, eat pizza and hot pretzels, take in a show or exhibit at the Met, walk Central Park, have a really nice dinner, stroll back to Penn Station and snooze our way back to BWI on a late train and are back home in 20 minutes from the station.
Nearby military installations also have lodging, cheap, but not in the heart of the City. We have on occasion driven to Staten Island CG base and stayed and parked there, then took the Staten Island ferry into the City.
The Amtrak Northeast Regional train transports you along the Northeast Corridor and beyond while avoiding I-95 traffic. Book your trip today.
www.amtrak.com
Active-duty US military personnel, their spouses and dependents are eligible to receive a 10% discount on most train travel tickets.
www.amtrak.com
NYC Events sign-up page id.me
www.uso.org
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If you're planning a trip to New York, make sure you include a stop at the following places that offer military discounts.
www.military.com
Find the best military discounts for NYC including ✔ Statue of Liberty ✔ Empire State Building Broadway shows ✔ Hotels 👆READ MORE
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