Suggest where I should go.

I would have suggested somewhere in Europe but you said that you don't have a lot of money. Using your criteria, I would recommend Mexico City. It's cheap, has plenty of historical/cultural sites and the most museums in the world (many are very good). There are also three soccer teams in town (Cruz Azul, Club America, and Pumas). Also, Mexico City is a great food city. I wouldn't know about the beer there; I'm not a drinker.

It has a bad rep as far as crime goes, but use your common sense and you should be fine. I was reluctant to go in 2008, but Mexico City didn't feel that dangerous to me. Since you're going by yourself, perhaps you should look into staying in a hostel. You can make friends easily there and pal around with them.

 

Do you want to stay in the US or go elsewhere?

 

New York is awesome, but can be expensive

 

For some reason New York doesn't appeal to me. I'd like to go to Boston though.

 

Looks Like you could use a little bit of Holland, Belgium or Germany.

Holland, museums, canals, whores, heineken and weed + bad soccer
Belgium beer, chocolate and dumb people
Germany just over the border with Holland, Borussia Dortmund, good atmosphere, always full 80.000 seats stadium + good beer and bratwurst

 

When do you think you will schedule this journey? Will you be taking a plane, or is other transportation possible? What is the highest priority in terms of places to see and things to do?

For example, if you want museums, NYC or DC are good bets. LA has a number of good museums, too.

But travel to LA is going to me more expensive than NYC or DC if you live in the NE.

My nephew and a couple of his buddies stayed in a youth hostel in Santa Monica when they came here after a round-the-world jaunt last spring. So I think lodging isn't a huge expense if you are willing to go on the cheap.

Getting around in NYC isn't that difficult, assuming you don't mind walking and will take the subway. LA can be difficult because of distances.

I think if you give us a broader perspective, we can be more helpful.

 

Well since you want to get away for at least a week I wouldn't recommend NYC. Even a simple hotel will cost twice as much as airfare to Europe.

Spain is cheap. Great food, of course. Football. Weather, culture. And alcoholic drinks are very cheap.

Plus it doesn't really feel like you're "getting away" unless you leave the country, I find.

 

here's a link to youth hostels in NYC. i think you'll find them affordable. whether you would choose to stay is another thing, but you can decide that...

 

DC has free museums, which is a plus. If you're a young person traveling alone, staying in a youth hostel where there are opportunities to meet others like you is a go idea.

 

Here's an article about being a tourist in LA and traveling by bus.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/27/AR2011012707105.html

 

the only real concern by bus in LA is that it takes three times as long to get there as it would by car. if you don't mind that, it's cool.

i had to take the bus from Long Beach to Bellflower in the mid 70s because my car was broken for a month. (don't lend your car to someone who smokes pot every day?) it wasn't cheaper than driving ( '74 Honda Civic ) but it was easy. half a block to the bus stop and one long block from the bus stop in Bellflower to my office.

 

Smoke pot and you won't car about the time.

 

i didn't have a car.

 

Nova Scotia by boat or backpack the East Coast Trail up Newfoundland.

 

Hey. I'm a southern gal. That's how it's spelled (phonetically, at least).

 

Montreal is pretty expensive. If you can afford it one of the first posters suggested Holland/Belgium/Germany. Holland and Belgium are small enough you can enjoy both in a short period and Germany is right over the border of each. you can even check out Luxembourg. Plent of sights to see, museums, cathedrals, castles etc. Awesome beer and pretty good soccer in each country. right now you can get a flight for around 600 dollars round trip boston to brussels. Leave on a monday and come back on a thursday. thats pretty cheap

 

i've been to Ireland twice -- once to play golf and once with my brother. you need to rent a car in Ireland unless you just want to go to Dublin and Galway City. there's a train from Dublin to Galway City but after that, you're in west Ireland and anywhere you would want to go is either car or bus, and it's hard to recommend bus.

Ireland is the people. amazing folk, the Irish. when i booked my hotel in Dublin, by phone, the clerk asked me my name. the family name isn't strictly Irish, but he said "Welcome home!" that's the Irish.

if it were me, i would strongly consider a long weekend in NYC. museum heaven. food heaven. and you can get mugged if you care to.

The Metropolitan Museum is closed Mondays except April 25th and Memorial Day Monday. $20 to get in. $10 for students. you can purchase a City Pass on line for $80 that will get you into MOMA, the Met, the Guggenheim, the Museum of Natural History and the Empire State Building. I don't know student rates for the other museums, individually.

 

The Bronx Zoo is free on Tuesday, I think. It's buildings were built in a time when people made artistic, elaborate buildings for zoos. If the weather's nice, it's a nice break from the city.

Also, Central Park is free, apart from the attractions, and highly recommended.

And while I like getting up there, the time and cost to go the Empire State Building should put it on the "only if I have spare time and money" list of things to do.

 

It hasn't been mentioned, but Philly is a great place, too. My family likes to go there - we get the old city feel, but at an easier pace than New York and without the parking hassles of Boston. You've got ethnic food, history, parks and museums.

 

if you go to Philly, you absolutely have to hit Pat's and Geno's if only for the tourist value, the original "Philly Cheesesteak" place, and its major competitor, right across the street.

i vote for Pat's.

 

Yes - I forgot to mention that Philly also has cheese steaks. I also love the enchanted garden, hippie mosaics all over the place around South Street. There's an old, old street off the main drag that's not big enough for cars where there's a huge wall of mosiacs. That's a nice juxtaposition of hippie and colonial America.