Hey Ben

Did you want to meet up sometime for a coffee. Next week is my last week of work as I'm leaving on the 13th august for the grand southern, so I've got some time between the 28th july to 12 august if you want to meet

Hi everyone i'm from Melbourne going on my own i'm booked on the GN sep 12th for my 21st birthday present can't wait. Spending a week in NY before tour and 3 day's in L.A after tour checking out the theme parks. I'm soooo excited i can't wait only 8 weeks to go!! Brooke

Hi Tracie,

I see you did the "Big Apple Explorer" last year and wondering if you could help me? I have been deciding what to see in New York in my freetime on the tour (plus the couple of days I have before the tour). So I thought I would run my list past you and you could tell which of these you already do as part of tour so I don't end up waste time seeing the doing things that are part of the tour. Also be keen to here any other things in NY you think I should do that I have missed.

Thanks,

Ben

My List:
Go Empire State Observation Day
Cross Broklyn Bridge
Eat Greek near Bridge
See Grand Central Terminal
See Cyryser Building
See Flatron Building
NY SkyRide located in Empire State Building
Go NBC Tour
See Sony Wonder Techolgy Lab
Go FAO Schwarz (huge toy shop)
See outside City Hall
Go Rockerfaller center plazza observation
See outside Stock Exchange
Go Planetrium
Go on circle line (boat trip arond entire island)
See outside time square day
See outside public library
See world trade center site on the 9/11
See united nations / tour
See outside lincoin center
See outside Radio City Music Hall
Eat Grimaldis Pizza
See outside Guggenheim Museum
See madison square garden
Go Rockfeller plaza
See Carniege Hall
See St Patrick's Catedral
Go Apple Store

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ben,

Hi BEn

Wow you've certainly done your research...so many things you want to do...

Ok so what was included in the tour was.....
the start of the tour you are on the contiki bus for them to drive you around NY to see the city
included in the price is a metro card to go on the subway whenever you want for the duration of the tour
the ferry ride over to liberty island to see the statue of liberty is included which was the first day of the tour (the tour manager organises it all)
After this you go over to the world trade centre site to look and take pics.
We went to times square in the night for a group photo with all the lights behind us
The 2nd morn we went to the empire state building also included...expect a few big lines to get in to here as it's very popular
I had the afternoon as free time as i didn't do the sex and the city tour so a group of us went downtown to buy some half price broadway tickets (i went to see Chicago) so i saw the brooklyn bridge but didn't get the chance to walk over it which i would have liked to.
3rd day you have the choice to get up really early in the morn to go and see a morning show taped can't remember which one it was...
then there is a walk through central park included
i did a movie and tv tour which takes you to different places such as friends/seinfield/the cosby show etc
i didn't do the beast optional
i did the helicopter ride which was good to get the pics but i was a little disappointed probly cuz we had to wait over 3 hours to go up as the tour manager was late...so i had alot of waisted time where i could have seen more of NY

Looking at your list
there's a few a don't know about
i didn't cross brooklyn bridge (wish i had have had time)
i'm pretty sure you will see most of the buildings on the bus tour on the first day
Empire state building included
you'll see rockefeller centre fro the bus
i saw outside the wall street stock exchange...walked the street when i went downtown to get the half price tickets
i saw the public library on the movie and tv tour as thats the steps that are in the ghostbusters movie
i took pics of the world trade centre site which was still a fairly big hole
i saw the guggenheim museum from the bus
the tour includes a visit to a cathedral which i guess was st patricks i don't remember
i would love to go to the apple store and the huge toy shop and the m&m place even tho i can't eat choc...i didn't have time last tie and prob won't this time as i only come in to NY the afternoon before

I would say that you could probably skip the movie & tv tour unless you are really really interested and do other stuff that you want.it takes a big chunk of your time

Leave the statue of liberty and the empire state building and the world trade centre site until you do the tour as they are the main things of the tour and that way you don't have to get tickets and te like

Hi Tracie,

Thank you for taking the time to give me a detailed response. Now I just to have to plot all these points on a map to choose what things to do at the sametime.

Cheers,

Ben.

Hi All,

Just for everyones' benefit here is a link to the facebook group for this tour Grand Northern 12 Sept 2008 Group

Ben.

Hi, my name is Aaron from country Victoria, Aus and I will be joining everyone on the Sept. 12th GN tour. This is my first Contiki tour, and second time in the US, last time was on the way to England some years back. Travelling by myself, what fun. Doing a few of my own sight seeings first Seattle, San Fran and DC, NYC on the afternoon of 10th then I am in LA for a week afterwards. Sounds like most people are hitting Disneyland, I already have a 2 day pass booked, which days does anyone feel like going, that is if anyone wants company.

**Gotta love airlines, they just adjusted my flights from Melb -> LA -> Seattle to Melb -> Sydney -> San Fran -> Seattle. but I can't believe it with all the transfers I actually get to Seattle 30min earlier.

Welcome Aaron how exciting this all is
I'll be doing the parks on the 6th and 7th Oct then i'm doing the wild western after

Wow so many flight transfers...that would annoy me...i'm transferring from LA to NY from Sydney which annoyed me...i would have preferred to go straight there but you get that

ohh joyus, I got confirmation that tour is definetly running.

Just like most people I was unable to get the Contiki hotel on the way over.

Should be OK though, am only a few blocks away at Holiday Inn Midtown 57th, the travel agent put me in, should be good only $370 a night, fun.

But if anyone wants to attempt to meet up in the Big Apple before hand, more then happy to try to.

Would like to see a Broadway show, to say I have been to one. Same as I am trying to get tickets to Letterman for the 11th. but heres hoping.


The transferring OK, I hope I have plenty of time to get to the next plane.

Hi All,

I'm going to be doing the Northern Escape tour from the 23rd Sept - 5th Oct which, as Tracie pointed out to me, fits into the Grand Northern you're all doing. Can't wait!! Looking forward to meeting you all! Am going to be staying on afterwards in the States (flying to the UK on the 31st Oct to start work there) so would be keen to see what everyone else's travel plans are as I haven't made any yet. I've been to Disney before but would be keen to do it again if there are others going? Also looking at maybe doing some more traveling in California, or through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, etc.

Anyway, just thought I'd say hi! I've joined the Facebook group as well so have posted pretty much the same message there.

Ciao for now,
Robs

Yeah i couldn't get the marrakech

I'm staying at the days hotel broadway which is about 9 blocks down which i got for $320 a night so i should be able to work up to the pretour meeting and then get a cab back..i hope to be doing something in NY on the afternoon of the 11th...i fly into NY at around 2ish so hopefully i get to do something there that day

Aaron have you checked how far that hotel is down from the marrakech as it is a fair way down...but it is a great location to get to times square and the like....just depends how close you want to be to the start point of the tour or how close you want to be to the hub of the city...for me i wanted to be close to the start point of the tour...taxi rides are fairly cheap and quick in NY so it will be no worries either way

I am staying at a hostel, which is 8 blocks away from the Marakech...I am arriving around 2pm at La Guardia...
I would like to see one of the Broadway shows if anyone is interested to join!

Anyone going to be free on the 10th?, should be getting in about to La Guardia about 2pm from DC.

If anyone would like to meet for diner and see sights at night.

hey all
im doing the best of usa (which actually end the same morning as this begins so its gonna be a mad rush leaving one tour to jump on this) then i'm on the north by north east that goes with you guys NY to Chicago....cant wait to meet everyone, if you havent already, you should join the facebook group...

Hi. my names Elise, from melbourne. I will be on the grand northern tour also. but i finish a day early in las vegas to jump on to the southern adventure tour.
I am travelling solo, which i was surprised so many people some to be doing.
I arrive in NY on the 10th of sept, at like 5.45am. So if anyone wants to hang out i amm available from then. Though i plan to do the movie tour and nbc tour on the 11th, so wont be available til the arvo.
Im staying at the marrakech hotel. I couldnt get it through contiki, but my travel agent managed to book me a room for the same price as the twin share would have been!!!
I cant wait!!!