Hi all, my name is Katherine, I'm 23 and live in Adelaide, South Australia.
I will be travelling from LA to NY to do the Big Apple Explorer tour on May 29 2007 and just wondering if anyone out there will be doing the same tour that I can meet up with.

Hi,

I'm 25 and live in Perth. I will be travelling from London to do this tour on the 28th and I'm travelling alone. I'm looking to stay a few days afterwards. It would be great to meet up and have someone to go out with after the tour ends if your staying on after.

Hi Katherine, I'm Nicole I'm 22 from Melbourne and I will be on the Big Apple Explorer on the 29th May I finish my Eastern discovery the night before. I'm also travelling alone

Hey

I'm Chloe, I'm 19, and from Canberra, Australia... My friend Laura and I are flying up from Mexico to join the tour on the 29th!! Is everyone arriving in NYC on the 28th? Where's everyone staying on that night before the tour starts? I've been trying to find accommodation! ... the beacon is really expensive!

Hi Laura
I'm staying at the Beacon I know it's expensive but I finish a tour the night prior to this one and it finishes at the beacon and that way I don't have to check out of another hotel and back in to the beacon when the tour starts also i don't have to get up really early to travel to the Beacon to start the tour. But I do have tour mates that are staying in other hotels I can find out what they are if you like?

Hi Chloe and Nicole,
I'll be flying in to NY from LA on the morning of the tour. I finish a west coast Contiki tour the day before and its the only flight I could get so hopefully I'll be at the Beacon hotel in time to meet you guys!
Also if you ask your travel agent I think they can match you up with another room mate that's starting the tour the following day with you so at least you can split the cost of the accommodation...
Only 4 months left until I leave for LA! Im so excited! Are you guys doing any other tours?

Only 123 days till I leave and arrive in New orleans way too excited I'm also doing a tour prior in the Eastern Discovery which finishes the night before this tour at the beacon. Thanks for the advice I also hope you get there in time! My also doing the Grand Northern after as some of you already know those of you doing the same or the N By Nw

Time just isnt going fast enough at the moment! Spending 4 days in New York will be great fun and its good that I now know of a couple of people going as well so at least we can meet up when it starts and have fun shopping and site-seeing together. Unfortunately Im not staying on after the tour finishes. The day our tour finishes I'll be joining the North by North East tour.
Either way it should be loads of fun! Cant wait to meet you!

I'm in the same vote as Katherine as I start the same tour but the extended edition (Grand Northern) on the morning the tour finishes. But it will be great to meet all of you!

Oh for sure! I feel more comfortable now cos I know "of" you guys so when I get to NY we will all kinda know each other. Makes it so much easier hey?
So what's the deal with shopping over there? Im keen to shop! What about you?
Also do you know if we will get 1 day free to do our own thing?

I'm glad for knowing people too. I do believe we get time to shop and I'm so buying an I love NY tshirt as well as many other things I can't wait!!!!

Hey everyone,
I live in New York & have travelled with Contiki before so i'd be more than happy to answer your questions.

Brian
brij75@yahoo.com

Hi Brian,
thanks for the offer - it will be a great help knowing a bit more about the city before we visit.
Where are some good places to shop (clothes, shoes, jewellery etc)? Obviously nothing outrageously expensive... also where abouts is the Tiffany store in relation to the Beacon hotel?
I was also wanting to get a print of the NY city skyline at night to frame and put up when I get home - any tips on where I could find something like that?
ps what's the weather like May/June?
Cheers!
Kat

Kat,
Hi, how are you?
The best places to shop are in Soho, Greenwich Village, and the outskirts of the village by NYU. You should be able to find stores a print of the NYC skyline in those areas too.
5th avenue has the best fashion but is very pricey as is the jeweley diamond district.
The weather is really nice in May/June. About 70 degrees F (somewhere around 33 C).
Hope I was able to help answer your questions.
Feel free to ask me any other questions.
Brian

Hey Brian,
thanks for your help - its always good to get local knowledge.
One other thing, Im flying into NY from LA about 6.30am the morning of the BAExplorer tour and I will have to collect my bags, find a taxi and then get to the Beacon hotel all by 8.30am? Is this possible? (Im flying into JFK airport) Also I have been told the cab fare will be US$38 as a standard rate, this sounds right to you? Any chance of me getting lost in the airport? Im hoping I'll be able to find my way around on my own easily enough.
Cheers
Kat