Me and 3 friends are looking into driving across america summer 2009,and just looking at costs etc involved,got a few questions regarding car use,would it be better to rent a car out,or buy a car out right? the oldest will be 24 by then i think,it'll take about a month or so to do everything,we want to go Vegas,Hollywood,NY,Miami,Washington DC etc on the way,and see the grand canyon etc any advice anyone would give,or tips,websites etc, thanks for your help
I've drove from Miami into Canada, from North Carolina to Los Angeles. Although not all at once, I've covered the distance in a vehicle with multiple trips exceeding 2k miles. If you PM me with more details I could definitely give you advice for nightlife in Hollywood and Vegas if nothing else. This website is great for finding reviews on random places though, it includes all types of businesses from body shops to restaurants. http://www.yelp.com Also I saw this on Automobile Mag this morning. Six Best Road Trip Cars for 2008 - http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/0806_best_road_trip_cars/index.html
Best thing I have ever done!!! Did it w/ my best friend after I graudated college last December. Went from NJ to California, leaving on a Tues. and arriving Sunday. Took the southern route, went through Va, Tn, Tx, New mexico, Nevada, etc. ( can't rem. all the states). It really did not cost me that much (drove in my Honda Civic so gas wasn't horrible). I'd say maybe $1k for gas, food, hotels, and extras. Check out the petrified forrest in new mexico (i believe), it's all open land, you can see the layers in the rock of sediment. You'll see where people lived and their actual hand paintings on the rock. You see trees that are thousands of years old, that have long since fallen over and crystalized. It's really neat to see such things. The greatest part of the trip was the Grand Canyon, you don't realize how large it is until you see it with your own eyes. We got to walk down into it, kind of scary b/c the trail is 3 feet wide at most and there is no railing, you are either standing or falling. My biggest tip for you is to go to AAA (if you are a member) sit down with them and they will draw out a map for you, and they will mail you all the maps you will need of every state and region that you will drive through, for free! A navigation system is a must as well, not only for when you get lost but also so you can find things you wouldn't have thought of. Best of Luck! PS: Best story I have is getting pulled over in Sweetwater, Texas, getting a ticket, taking a picture with the cop, and following the cop to a local BBQ place b/c we explained to him we were looking for great BBQ. Wasn't really as good as we were hoping, but who else can say they have done that?
you can estimate gas expense via mapquest. We did a lot of road trip when were younger, I miss those spontaneous trips. antony
thanks for the replies so far guys,will check those websites out we're planning on taking a month out,and just spending time seeing everything if we can,since we'll be driving through might aswell see it all really i guess plan is to end up in Miami,and stay there for a week or so,thinking of starting off in LA
US -- AAA UK -- RAC AAA = American Automobile Association It has regions: CSAA is the Northern California region http://www.csaa.com, and http://www.aaa.com gets you the Southern region. Not sure about the other regions' web pages... edit -- it is RAC, right? Royal Auto Club?
www.fodors.com is really good. As far as places to go, if you are into sports, maybe visit some stadiums or arenas that may not exist in a few years ? One thing I wish I would have done was visit Tiger Stadium in Detroit, and the Astrodome, etc.
Item 1: The USA is big. Compared to Europe, it is huge. Item 2: There is a reason we call it the bald prairie. Some parts are really cool. Such as US 50 from Durango, Colorado to Reno, Nevada. However, you will want to drive a really reliable car. Don't ask me how I know this. But, and this is a big one, you will wonder why states like Kansas even exist. Dale
You could probably use advice on food, lodging, etc., but I think the best advice for you right now is this: Don't start in L.A.! Start in San Francisco, drive down the coast to L.A. (or San Diego), and turn left.
Here is the route I would do if I had the choice and a month to do it. See the north route and the south route and then catch a flight to DC, train up to New York and RT out of the same airport. See more of the country then 95% of our population..Though I have done a lot of the lower portion, never done the northern route. NY Chicago Denver Reno SF LA/Etc Vegas/Grand Canyon Roswell Dallas New Orleans Miami...and on..and doing with 3 people, you can do this well within a months time if you plan to spend a few days in the major cities and drive through the others. Image Unavailable, Please Login
The drive thru Nebraska and Iowa back to back---AGGHHH! I would shoot myself before I made it thru Omaha..... Freakin nothing to see--been there, done that....
I've driven twice around the country starting in FL both times. Once clockwise with the furthest point being San Francisco, the second counterclockwise through the Canadian rockies and Vancouver. I really enjoyed the national parks. $50 gets you into all of them for a full year. Carlsbad caverns in New Mexico was one of my three favorites ever. Bryce Canyon and Zion Nat'l Park in southern Utah are just incredible. Defintely rent a car. Buying one will depreciate more than the cost of an unlimited rental. Plus the rental guarantees you won't be stuck with any repair bills. Sound slike a good plan, have fun! BT
thanks ALOT for the advice so far,a year away but getting excited already! seeing the popluation isn't really important,i want to go see the places,along the lines of "not amount of breaths that you take,but the one's that take your breath away" anyone be able to shead some light on rentals,do you have to be older than say 21? and are they ok with multiple drivers on the insurance,the other two that are comfirmed also have UK driving licenses on the licenes front,i'm assuming my license is valid in the USA aswell?
the State of New York only requires you to be 18 to rent a car... but not all rental agencies follow that
I did One Lap of America twice and won it once. I've done thousands of driving miles in your country. Rent a big, comfortable vehicle with lots of room for luggage, etc.
Your driver's license is valid in the US, yes. As for minimum renting age, you should ask the rental companies directly. Look on the web for those that rent to younger people. You should make a list of your interests and your friends' interests. Then start listing the things each of you would like to see. From that, you will be able to come up with a good itinerary. I wouldn't miss the airplane graveyard in Tucson, Arizona, but that's me. Smithsonian museums, various MOMAs, etc. The larger than life things America is known for, the national parks, the big cities, etc., etc. It is a big country to drive around. If you think you will be coming back again and again (it's not expensive from the UK) you might want to divide it into 4 and just do 1/4 per visit. I wouldn't bother trying to buy and sell a car unless you have someone here you trust, whom you can leave the car with. Maybe you know someone in the US who will let you use a car for free, though? Perhaps you can let them use a car in Europe/UK for a month in exchange. That might work, but chances are that you will find renting to be the most feasible option.
thanks for the advice and tips again,i have some family members there that i could keep the car with,but i'd rather have something new and reliable so renting would be the best option i think Airplane graveyeard,now i saw that on tv and wanted to go see a place like that,it's something i'm defo going to do now!
