RTW in the USA – East Coast

If you are planning a round the world trip, and you are from either the US or Canada, then the list below will mean very little to you, and it might even make you laugh or motivate you to disagree. But we know that plenty of people from Europe and elsewhere go on RTW trips, and those who are coming through the United States would have every right to be baffled about which places to hit and which aren’t worth the time.

This series will cover the entire United States, but we’ll start with just the East Coast states here.

My criteria

I’ve lived in many different cities in the US (plus in Amsterdam), and there’s a big difference between a nice city that is pleasant to hang out in or live in, and a city that is so special that it’s worth going out of your way to see. For example, I currently live in Portland, Oregon, and it’s a fantastic place to live, but I wouldn’t even put it in my Top 20 if I were making recommendations to a foreign friend who wanted to tour the States for the first time.

Also, I’ve actually been to every one of these places myself, along with every other major city in the continental US, so my opinion is not based just on watching travel shows and whatnot. I’ll list the best places plus a few famous ones you might want to avoid, and those that didn’t make the list at all just aren’t special enough, unless you have a specific personal reason to go there.

East Coast cities to consider

New York City – Without a doubt, you have to see it once in your life, and a RTW trip is as good a time as any. It’s expensive, but there are tons of hostels and cheap food options so it’s not as bad as you might think. I lived in NYC for 5 years and I’ve only met a few people who didn’t love visiting, and no one who regretted seeing it at least once.

Boston – It’s historic (by US standards) and packed with colleges (therefore packed with young people), but it’s not really a great party town, and none of the sights are too amazing. It’s a cool place to visit, but if you skip it you won’t be missing too much.

Washington DC – The part of the city that is filled with monuments and museums has really been cleaned up lately, and it’s really pretty cool if those things sound interesting to you. There are also tons of colleges here, and there are a few excellent nightlife areas in the city, plus a handful of hostels as well. Due to the monuments, this is unlike any other place you’ve been, and it’s actually a great party town, so it’s worth a stop for most people.

Atlanta, Georgia – This is a fast-growing city that has become a major capital in the African-American world, but it’s not really so special that you’d want to go far out of your way to visit. Hotels are relatively cheap and the nightlife is good, but it is probably not worth your time if you can only choose 6 or 8 stops in this country.

Orlando, Florida – This is where Disneyworld is, plus a bunch of other theme parks and “family” attractions. If you dream of attending a Disney park (no shame in that) and you are skipping Los Angeles, then this might be worth a visit. At least hotels here are cheap as long as your standards aren’t too high. Aside from the family stuff, Orlando is quite plain.

Miami, Florida – You should try your best to make it to Miami, or more specifically Miami Beach, because they are actually separate cities and the beach one is the one you want. The South Beach part of Miami Beach is where the action is, and during summer it’s humid though still pretty nice, but outside of summer, and particularly in winter and spring, it’s an amazing party scene where people from all over the world, and particularly Latin American countries, come to play. The beach is great, the club scene is one of the best in the world, and there are cheap hotels and even some hostels mixed in between the posh hotels. Other parts of Miami are interesting too, so this could be a good stop for up to a week or even more.

Key West, Florida – It’s best to get to Key West by car, and you can rent a cheap one in Miami and drive down through the Keys in about 3 hours. The drive itself is sensational and would be worth it even if you were going to just turn around and drive back to Miami again that same day. Key West is a small and pleasant island that is VERY touristy, but it’s quite unusual and even somewhat historic, so it’s a good side trip from Miami for a day or two. Hotels are relatively expensive, especially during winter, so one night might be a good move.