The Eastern US by Train: Boston, NYC, Philadelphia and Washington

Train to New York. Spend three nights in the heart of Manhattan in a comfortable hotel in a beautiful 1920s building between Central Park and the East River. This is a privileged location to approach New York and see everything, from MoMA to Ellis Island, SoHo to Nolta, TriBeCa art galleries to Williamsburg hipster chocolatiers.

In your itinerary - Go on a walk with an expert guide based in Manhattan, through Greenwich Village, SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown.

Evening - A cruise aboard the Shearwater. Gain perspectives of New York from the sea, aboard a sailboat, the Shearwater, built in 1929 in Maine, with unique views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the illuminated Skyline of Manhattan.

Train to Philadelphia. Philadelphia, the Cradle of Independence, is more central to American history than any other city. Every neighbourhood in Philly contributes its own idiosyncracies, between cobblestone streets and iconic monuments.
We love - the funky side of South Street, brick houses of Society Hill, the galleries of the old town and the charm of the gardens of Rittenhouse Square. The Pennsylvania Balle and the Musee Rodin and the 3,000 contemporary murals.
Do's - Visit the Reading Terminal Market for produce from bacon to cheddar, and apples to beer. Smallholding farmers thrive on the fertile lands of Pennsylvania. The market, opened 120 years ago, is a living picture of America, with its gardeners', butchers' and grocers' market stalls.
Accommodation in a comfortable hotel downtown, located in an Art Deco building from the 1920s. Its location, a short distance from Rittenhouse Park and Avenue des Arts, is very convenient for venturing out into the city.

Included in the itinerary - Entry tickets to the Barnes Foundation . Discover the world's largest private collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Modern works by Renoir, Braque, Picasso, Matisse, Soutine, Modigliani, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Seurat and Klee, as well as many tribal art objects. The museum, a jealously kept secret in Lower Merion, a suburb of Philadelphia, was relocated downtown to a beautiful glass building.

Train to Washington. Accommodation for two nights in the heart of the city, in the Dupont Circle district, staying in a charming hotel with architecture that embraces the elegant Beaux-Arts style. It has all the necessary facilities for the comfort of the modern visitor: a cocktail bar, swimming pool and gym.
Among the highlights: the White House, the Capitol, home of the US Congress and the National Mall, and a memorial to Abraham Lincoln, whose famous statue faces the sunrise.
Other things to do - Visit the Contemporary Art Wing of the National Gallery. Have a hot dog or burger for lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl, one of Barack Obama's favourite places, or explore Little Ethiopia; Washington is home to the largest Ethiopian community in exile.

In the itinerary - From the banks of the Potomac to Capitol Hill, with its cosy houses and perfect lawns, cycling is DC residents' preferred mode of transport. That's why we have reserved bikes for you, so that you can discover the city in a different way. We have also booked you tickets to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which Barack Obama himself inaugurated in September 2016. The largest museum in the country devoted to African-American history, on nearly 350,000 square feet, houses several thousand objects that document African American slavery, segregation and contributions to the artistic and cultural life of the United States.

In your itinerary - A meet-up with an expert guide, who is based here and takes you on a stroll in their city: grids of avenues in the chic Back Bay district, cobblestone alleyways, brown brick buildings and carefully trimmed Beacon Hill gardens which would be at home in any English city, via Little Italy to North End.