Spare nights between Lancaster PA and Washington DC

We have 2 spare nights to spend somewhere between Lancaster %26amp; Washington DC on May 14TH %26amp; 15TH.

We%26#39;ll be travelling by bus or train as we won%26#39;t have a car.Any ideas please of interesting places easily seen on foot, and hotels and/or B%26amp;Bs in those places!

We had thought of Baltimore or somewhere on the coast but any ideas most welcome.

Thanks.

Spare nights between Lancaster PA and Washington DC

';We had thought of Baltimore or somewhere on the coast but any ideas most welcome.';

Baltimore would be a logical stop for you...BUT the Preakness Stakes horse race is on Saturday 16th of May, which will make Baltimore a very popular place to be definitely on the night of the 15th if not for both of your planned nights. It%26#39;s a great event if you%26#39;re interested in it and have an interest in racing...if not, be prepared for hefty hotel prices and crowds downtown on the day before the race.

Spare nights between Lancaster PA and Washington DC

I have never been, but I hear Havre de Grace is a nice little town.

http://www.havredegracemd.com/

Actually, their tourism site would be better.

http://www.hdgtourism.com/

Sorry, I really should get all my thoughts into one post!

Amtrak route stops in Aberdeen which is just south of Havre. You could probably get a taxi for the rest of the way.

The only way to get to Washington from Lancaster is by going through Philadelphia. There is a lot of American history there. Havre de Grace is a quaint little town, on the water, antique shops, very quiet. I have never seen taxis at the Aberdeen train station, it is mostly used by commuters, not tourists. Baltimore is a great city and the train will go through there on your way to DC. Let me know what king of experience you%26#39;re looking for- they are completely different.

Have you travelled in the States before? Our train and bus system are nothing like the ones in Scotland. I find them to be inconvenient and expensive. You might want to make your travel arrangements before deciding where else you%26#39;d like to visit.

The good news at least, the American rail system is the best in the Northeast as compared to the rest of the country, so you should have no problems getting around. if you do plan on taking Amtrak (www.amtrak.com) from Lancaster to Philadelphia (the only way to go if you want to head South as the previous poster mentioned), there are numerous trains that make that run. On average, there is one almost every hour especially during rush hour and on weekdays. The travel time varies depending on which train you take since some make more stops than others (about an hour to an hour and 20 minutes).

No matter what, you will have to change trains in Philly to proceed to points North or South, but again, the Northeast rail line is a very busy one, so there should be many connections. As you know, the benefits of railroad stations in larger cities is that they are located in the heart of the action, and any taxi ride to your hotel would be minimal as opposed to airports which are often located much further out.

Baltimore is not exactly on the coast but is located on the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. Don%26#39;t be fooled though, as this port is as busy as any on the ocean with large freighters, cruise ships, fishing vessels and pleasure boaters. Baltimore%26#39;s waterfront has been revitalized and can be a very enjoyable place to be during the warmer months, with numerous restaurants, museums, shops, outdoor entertainment and dining and an awesome aquarium. You can travel the neighborhoods via water taxi, and that is a great way to not only get to your destination, but to see the city from the harbor. If you go, make sure you venture to Fell%26#39;s Point, the oldest neighborhood in Baltimore. Cobblestone streets, historical buildings, great restaurants, and an old town feel makes this a great stop and you can come by water taxi.

I think for the short time that you have, Baltimore would be a better option than Philadelphia, just because of the size and travel logistics once you are in the city. If you are heading to DC from Baltimore on a weekday you can take advantage of the local Marc trains rather than Amtrak, which is significantly cheaper. Marc does not run on weekends. Nevertheless, Baltimore is less than an hour rail ride from Washington DC. making it a really easy trip.

Many thanks to everybody for your helpful replies.Most of our travel arrangements are made apart from those 2 days! We start in Toronto, then Philadelphia, Lancaster, 2 blanks, Washington, Nebraska, Chicago and back to Toronto.We have travelled in the States before mainly using Amtrak %26amp; Greyhound.However this time we are flying more than usual as it worked out cheaper.We like the sound of Baltimore, especially the waterfront area but the hotels %26amp; B%26amp;Bs do seem to be very expensive there.Beacuse of the Race Meeting? We thought of leaving booking in Baltimore till we arrive in Philadelphia on May 7th.as we might get a better rate then. Another idea was to extend our 2 nights in Lancaster to 4 but wonder if that might be too long without a car? Havre looks interesting and I%26#39;ll have a look at transport there.We like small towns as well as the cities, places where it is easy to walk around with interesting buildings, museums etc as well as places just to sit and look!

Thanks again for your help

Four days is a long time in Lancaster without a car. Look into Havre de Grace. There are seveal B %26amp; Bs in town. Le Cle D%26#39;or Guesthouse is very nice. If you decide on Baltimore, I would make reservations in advance because of the Preakness.

Thankyou 0106 for your advice.

We have decided to go to Havre de Grace, are booked into a B%26amp;B %26amp; the owner has very kindly said that she%26#39;ll collect us from Aberdeen Amtrak station.It looks an interesting place and the B%26amp;B looks lovely.

Thanks again everybody.

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