Veterans Advantage Press Office
New York City Is Easy To Get To,
Then The Fun Begins
The Patriot News
Sunday, November 05, 2006
If you've never been to New York City during the holidays, make it a point to plan a visit this year. Whether you go for the day or the weekend, you'll experience a magical time full of twinkling lights, special events and dazzling decorations.
Getting to New York can be as easy as driving to the Harrisburg train station or calling a local motorcoach company to make reservations.
Amtrak offers direct daily service between Harrisburg and New York City's Penn Station. From Monday through Friday, Amtrak offers 10 departures from Harrisburg and nine from New York that don't require a change of trains.
On Saturdays, Amtrak has seven direct departures from Harrisburg and seven from New York. On Sundays, Amtrak has six direct departures from Harrisburg and seven from New York.
Regular round-trip coach fares range from $90 to $120. There are no taxes on Amtrak tickets. Discounts are available for children ages 2 through 15, seniors age 62 and over, Veterans who have a Veterans Advantage Card, active duty military personnel and their dependents, students with a Student Advantage Card or International Student Identity Card, AAA members and members of the National Association of Railroad Passengers.
Schedules and tickets are available through travel agents or Amtrak's Web site at www.amtrak.com or by calling Amtrak at 800-872-7245.
Several area travel companies have one-day and overnight trips to New York City, some with tickets to the Radio City "Christmas Spectacular" and some just offering transportation.
Among the companies offering trips are Boscov's Travelcenters (www.boscovstravel.com or 540-4222 in Colonial Park or 763-1100 in Camp Hill), Conestoga Tours in Lancaster (www.conestogatours.com or 800-538-2222), Krouse Group Travel in Red Lion (www.krousetravel.com or 877-244-6410), Lincoln Bus Lines in Hanover (www.lincolnbus.com or 800-233-1400), Lowee's Group Tours in Harrisburg (www.lowees.com or 657-9658), Red Lion Tours & Travel (www.redlionbus.com or 244-7645) and Wolf's Bus Lines in York Springs (www.wolfsbus.com or 800-692-7804).
The "Christmas Spectacular," which began in 1933 and became a 90-minute extravaganza in 1979, runs from Nov. 9 through Dec. 30. Schedules and prices are available at www.radiocity.com. Tickets can be purchased online from Ticketmaster, which can be accessed through Radio City's Web site, or by calling 212-307-1000.
Among other enduring traditions, Lincoln Center will light its tree on Nov. 27 (www.lincolncenter.org or 212-875-5456), while Rockefeller Center will light its tree on Nov. 29 (www.rockefellercenter.com or 212-332-6868).
The New York City Ballet will perform "The Nutcracker" at Lincoln Center Nov. 24-Dec. 30 (www.nycballet.org or 212-870-5660). At Carnegie Hall, the New York Pops Holiday Celebration will run Dec. 15 and 16 (www.carnegiehall.org or 212-247-7800).
In what may become a new tradition, Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical" will debut at the Hilton Theater on Nov. 8 and run through Jan. 7 (www.hilton-theatre.com or 212-556-4750).
Beginning Dec. 15, the World's Largest Menorah will be lighted for eight nights at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street. The Central Park Conservancy will host a musical Kwanzaa Celebration at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center on Dec. 26 (www.centralparknyc.org or 212-360-2276).
For more information, visit www.nycvisit.com or call 212-484-1200.
Annette Reiff's column appears Sundays in the Travel section. An experienced traveler, she has written on a range of travel and business topics. Reiff may be reached at alr@paonline.com
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