Pulaski

Correct, and that is what I was pointing out.

The OP was asking about short weekend trips, and I was contrasting the US with her possible conceptions as to what is possible in the US.

Mannheimer

Thank you all so much for sharing your knowledge! Looks like we will have plenty of options, whether by train, plane, or car - if we can pluck up the courage to drive on the other side of the road!

Pulaski

Please be aware that your British (non-UK) licenses will become invalid 30 days after arriving to live in New York. There is a common mistaken belief that a British licence is valid for 12 months, but that only applies to visitors, and having an international driving permit doesn't help at all - it is only a translation of your licence, and does not extend any rights or validity to your UK Driving Licence under US law.

After you rent a home and start work in New York, New York laws apply, which means getting a license PDQ. And driving without a license that is recognized under NY/US Law may mean that your insurance is also void, which means you could be sued personally in the event of an accident.

The good news is that getting a license is ridiculously easy, and the road test, which you will be required to take, is usually no more than a quick spin around a couple of blocks - it's pretty much a joke, though not a funny one considering how poor the standard of driving is here. My test (in NY), took about 8 minutes. You also need to take five hours of mandatory "class room training", which mostly means watching rather dull videos and I think you will need to take a "written" (computer) test based on the contents of the NY drivers manual (eqiv to the highway code), which can be downloaded from the NY DMV web site.

Usually things like drink driving limits and penalties, rules for stopping near stopped school buses, and penalties for speeding are topics they like to ask - bear in mind that most people taking the test are teenagers.

As the US uses a DL as a de facto ID card I would strongly recommend getting one even if you don't plan on driving much, or at all.

rpjs

You are correct: new drivers need to take the written test and pass a (scarily easy) sight test to get a learner's permit.

Another thing to note re getting an NYS license or ID is that NYS is especially anal about having sight of a new applicant's Social Security Card so OP and spouse will need to have theirs before they rock up to the DMV.

There's also the issue that a bog standard NYS license or ID will not be acceptable for federal ID purposes, including passing TSA checkpoints at airports, after this October. NYS does now offer a "REAL ID" compliant license or ID for the same cost as standard so OP and spouse should seriously consider going for that option and being clear as to what documentation is required for it, in excess of the documentation required for the standard license/ID. - https://dmv.ny.gov/which-id-right-me

Mannheimer

Thanks for the invaluable info about obtaining a US driving licence.

kirstyvw

True - we took Amtrak a couple of weeks ago from Penn Station in NYC to Montreal - took 11 hours! And a 45 minute flight on the way back! Lovely train ride but so long....

rpjs

Word is that in a year or two there'll be a customs and immigration facility at Montreal Gare Central for both arrivals to Canada and pre-clearance of departures to the US, so at least that will knock off the hour or more at the border to process the train.

jcampo

Take the train up to CT and towns Guilford and check out some of the historical New England coastline

Pulaski

Same down here in my neck of the woods - they're busy spending hundred of millions of dollars to upgrade the lines for trains to run at 90mph .... So the same speed that trains were running in the UK more than 50 years ago!
You're welcome.

Mercury39

REAL ID for travel comes into effect Oct 2020, according to that doc. But agree worth figuring out the document requirements and getting the REAL ID version of the drivers licence. I predict lots of confused and frustrated travelers at airports in two years time!

Rete

We drove up to Montreal once to visit with the in-laws and hubby stayed behind to drive to Nova Scotia to visit his son and I returned to New York on the train from Montreal due to work commitments. Never realized that the train was a local. While the scenery is lovely, it is a pita. I would fly to Ottawa once every five weeks and that was quick and easy from Newark.