We’ve been featured in a report on the responsible travel market collated by the Digital Journal! Read the article to learn more about Charitable Travel and other responsible travel companies that are changing the industry and making it more sustainable. You can read the full article here.
Road Trips are always a fun and immersive way to explore new areas. We love the excitement of finding the perfect playlist, grabbing a road-side snack, and driving through endless and inspiring scenery. New York State with it’s wealth of activities, culinary delights, and natural wonders is seemingly designed to be the perfect state for Road Trippers of all shapes and sizes.
Despite the majority of visitors to New York not straying further than the skyscrapers and bustle of Manhattan, New York State has a wealth of attractions for every type of traveller. From sand beaches, to iconic and historic sites, and 215 State and National Parks! Whether you’re a beach bum, a culture vulture, or an adrenaline junkie – New York has something to offer everyone. We’ve outlined our top picks for a New York State Road Trip below!
With so much to see and do in New York State – it can be difficult to know where to start. We’ve outlined the places we would visit on a 14 day road trip around the state to help give you some inspiration!
Fly into JFK to start off your exploration of New York State with the Big Apple. We’d recommend heading into the city for a bite to eat at the infamous Katz Deli, home of that scene in When Harry Met Sally for a delicious Grilled Cheese and a bottle of fresh Lemonade. Visits to Times Square, The Brooklyn Bridge, and Central Park will certainly tire you out, and if you’re anything like us, make you long for wide open spaces. So once you’ve had your fill of the city that never sleeps (as if that were possible) jump in your hire car RV and hit the road.
Around a 3 hour drive from New York City, the Catskills region is an absolute must visit in our books. Discover the natural beauty of The Catskill Park, one of two “Forever Wild” nature preserves in New York State, by hiking, biking, or paddling. Sample amazing cuisine and craft beverages at Catskills restaurants. Rest your weary head in any one of the many campgrounds, hotels, or guesthouses before spending another day in the region, or moving on to stop number 3.
Another 3/3.5 hours on the road will see you arriving in Ithaca in the Finger Lakes region. Filled with stunning natural landmarks and scenery to refresh and rejuvenate you, they are the perfect place to get lost in the great outdoors by hiking, cycling, fishing, and camping in the fantastic state parks in the area. The Finger Lakes are also renowned for the area’s wine region with ample vineyards to explore. When you aren’t exploring the great outdoors, you’ll be able to pass your time pleasantly in the wonderful towns and cities in the region.
No Road Trip in New York state would be complete without a visit to Niagara Falls. Take a ride on Maid of the Mist, grab a bite to eat with panoramic views from the Top of the Falls Restaurant, or challenge yourself with a Cave of Winds tour. Buffalo is the closest city to the American side of Niagara Falls, including attractions such as Grammy Award Winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Theodore Roosevelt’s Inaugural Sire, and so much more. Spend a couple of days in this area before moving on to experience the most the region has to offer.
A lively college scene with championship athletics has brought Syracuse national recognition, but it’s the city’s burgeoning downtown and rich cultural roots that keep people coming back for more. Its art and music scenes fill the streets with the buzz of a city, while its location provides an easy retreat into the natural beauty of New York’s landscape where rolling vineyards and crystal lakes await.
Whether it’s beautiful parks, lively arts and cultural offerings, hiking and biking, unique cuisine, cool festivals, or hot jazz, Rochester has just what you’re looking for. From boat rides on the Erie Canal and star shows at the Rochester Museum & Science Center to pubs, clubs, and great entertainment, everyone finds something to love in this eclectic city. Spend a couple of days roaming the area before moving on to stop 6.
Lake Placid shines as a year-round destination, with scenic hiking, main street shopping and dining, brilliant autumn foliage, and easy access to the breath-taking, unspoiled beauty of Adirondack Park. With 6.1 million acres of trails, rivers, streams, wildlife habitats, and more, the Adirondack Park is larger than Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Everglades National Park, and The Grand Canyon combined!
A National Historic Landmark, Saratoga Spa State Park stretches 2,200 acres. The Park contains the Gideon Putman Resort & Hotel, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Spa Little Theater. National Museum of Dance, Saratoga Automobile Museum, a geyser, and mineral springs. For recreation, you’ll find a pool complex, golf courses, picnic areas, and scenic trails.
Four hundred years of history meets a modern renaissance in New York’s vibrant and friendly capital city. Yes you read that right, New York City isn’t the capital of New York! Discover world-class art and entertainment, architectural masterpieces, unique shops, and galleries, an exquisite day spa, fun festivals, craft beverage trails, and deliciously diverse restaurants. There’s so much to see and do, from tours of the majestic State Capitol to biking along Hudson River Trails, to great concerts and theatre at stunning venues, like the historic Palace Theater and the gravity defying Egg at the Empire State Plaza. Spend as much time as you want here soaking up the history before heading back to New York City and JFK for your return flight home.
Find out more about the incredible state of New York in ‘A New York State of Mind‘ in issue nine of Charitable Traveller Magazine!
Get in touch with our expert travel advisors today to get planning! Email us at [email protected], or give us a call on 020 3092 1288!
Don’t forget – every time you make a booking with Charitable Travel, you can make a free donation to the charity of your choice!
We sacrifice a portion of the travel agent commission on every booking so that you can make a donation to a charity at no extra cost to you or the charity. We exist to help you have incredible holidays and support the causes you care about.
One of the best ways to directly support people in Ukraine is to donate to any of the many humanitarian aid charities around the world. We’ve collated a list of a few charities with specific Ukrainian appeals.
A quicker way to get funds into the pockets of Ukrainian’s is to set your Etsy search to show shops in Ukraine. Make sure to purchase downloadable files and PDFs so the seller doesn’t have to post anything to you. There’s loads of products that you can purchase, from sewing and embroidery patterns, to digital art, to children’s drawings. Take a look here.
Patreon is an online platform for people to support creators and artists by subscribing and receiving exclusive content. Patreon has also recently announced that it won’t be charging usage fees for Ukrainian creators until the end of May this year – every penny of your subscription will go to the creator. Sign up to Patreon here.
Many individuals in the travel industry have been renting an Airbnb in Ukraine, and informing the host that they won’t be staying. This is another way of insuring that your donation goes straight to a Ukrainian citizen and could also mean that the host can use your booking to house refugees. Take a look at some of the properties here.
Airbnb is funding short term housing for up to 100,000 people fleeing Ukraine, and you can help by offering temporary stays for free (or at a discount) through Airbnb.org.
You can also donate to the fundraiser to help fund stays. 100% of your donation goes toward connecting people with short term housing.
Charitable Shopping is an affiliate shopping site, like Top Cashback, but instead of you recieving the affiliate commission – it’s donated to the charity of your choice at no extra cost to you.
All you need to do is register for free at charitable.shopping, and shop online with your favouite retailers, from Currys, to Whittards, to Missguided. More retailers are added every week. Find out more at charitable.shopping.
Every time you make a booking with us at Charitable Travel you can donate 5% of your holiday price to the charity of your choice at no extra cost to you. We sacrifice a portion of the travel agency commission to allow you to make a completely free (to you and the charity) donation to a great cause.
Let’s say you wanted to book a holiday that comes to £1,000, and you decided to donate to UNICEF.
With us your holiday booking will generate a donation of £50 – and when donated to UNICEF, this donation could help provide a family with an emergency water and hygiene kit.
There are currently an abundance of petitions on change.org aimed at requesting the UK Government to provide more assistance to citizen affected by the conflict, such as this one, which calls for more support to refugees, and this one, calling for safe passage out of Ukraine for Africans and other people of colour.
There are currently an abundance of petitions on change.org aimed at requesting the UK Government to provide more assistance to citizen affected by the conflict, such as this one, which calls for more support to refugees, and this one, calling for safe passage out of Ukraine for Africans and other people of colour.
Donate to this GoFundMe to keep Ukraine’s media and journalists operating under these incredibly challenging circumstances.
Adventure Travel Networking has published a list of UK Travel Companies Connected with Social Causes – and we made the cut!
"Charitable Travel, founded in April 2020, is a social enterprise and travel agency that makes a donation on behalf of every traveller. It also established the Charitable Travel Fund, which is a UK-based charity that specifically supports aid to communities that depend on tourism revenue but have minimal governmental support when that income is threatened or lost due to unexpected events like natural disasters or pandemics.
“I felt there was a place for us to create a fund and awareness of the instances as they occur, and to be able to grant aid support to communities dependent on tourism to help in immediate recovery from injury and illness, to help with deprivation and hardship, and then to help with regaining tourism income as quickly as possible," said Melissa Tilling, CEO of Charitable Travel and trustee of the Charitable Travel Fund."
Read the full piece on the Adventure Travel Networking website here.
While Brits take full advantage of the relaxation of travel restrictions following two years of pent-up desire to travel, there are still a myriad of holiday offers available for last minute Easter escapes to destinations both near and far. By booking through us, you can support charitable causes you care about, making your travel plans count.
Melisa Tilling, MD of Charitable Travel, commented “‘With restrictions, testing and mask mandates lifting, seemingly in a new destination almost every day, even with some airlines, the sense of normality around travel is unleashing the pent-up demand – particularly with families looking to get away. In the past, availability might even have disappeared for Easter many months before, but these offers are a great reason to exercise the wanderlust and help a great cause at the same time, at no extra cost.”
Check out our top picks for an alternative break this Easter Half Term!
Embark upon a nine-day tour of discovery in Costa Rica this Easter, specifically designed for families with children aged 6 and over. Price is based on two adults and one child sharing and includes visits to San José, La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio National Park, with hotel accommodation, eight breakfasts, one lunch, tour guides, in-destination transport throughout, activities including stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and tortilla making AND a £163 donation to a charity of your choice. Flights are not included. Click here for more!
Forget the bustling UK theme parks and magical destinations across the channel and head to the World of Wonders at Efteling for a fairytale-like Easter break, without the crowds as local schools won’t be on holiday. This Dutch theme park is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2022 and is full of wonders and fairytale stories to excite children and adults alike. Price is based on two adults and two children sharing and includes three-night’s room-only accommodation at the 4* Mercure Hotel Tilburg Centrum, entrance to Efteling, car hire for the duration of the stay AND a £36 donation to a charity of your choice. Excludes travel from the UK to The Netherlands. Click here for more!
Take advantage of the end of the ski season on this seven-night self-drive break at the stunning 4* Club Med La Rosière in the French Alps – known as ‘The Balcony of the Tarentaiseski’. Price is based on two adults and two children sharing interconnecting superior rooms and includes all-inclusive meals, snacks, an open bar, ski passes, ski/snowboarding lesson, ski room, AND a £392 donation to a charity of choice. Excludes travel from the UK to France. Click here for more!
Just a four-hour flight from the UK, the Canary Islands offer average temperatures of 24’C year-round. Escape to the sunshine this Easter and stay seven-nights at the 4* Labranda Hotel Playa Bonita in Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria. Price is based on two adults and two sharing and includes return flights from London Stanstead (other departures available), transfers, 22kg baggage and 10kg hand luggage per person, a saving of £50 per person, AND a £150 donation to a charity of choice. Click here for more!
Stay seven-nights at the 4* Girassol Suite Hotel in Funchal, Madeira, this Easter. Funchal, the capital of Madeira, is a historic town best known for its gorgeous gardens and cobbled streets. Outdoor pools, tropical plant life and splendid mountain scenes rule this city. Price is based on two adults and two sharing a spacious Junior Suite and includes return flights from Glasgow (other departures available), transfers, AND a £112 donation to a charity of choice. Click here for more!
Pricing is accurate at time of publication. Subject to availability and change.
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Elmfield Road, Bromley, Kent,
BR1 1LW. England
Putting our profit to work supporting the work of charitable causes
For the latest travel advice, including security, local laws and passports, visit the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website.
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