Summer 2008 New York - San Diego

[irish sam]

A huge hello to everyone and hope your all well. My post is quite early I know but my friends and I are thinking about heading over to the USA in march ( St Patricks Day In New York) and working in an Irish Bar in The Hamptons for a few months and then heading across the states for a two month road trip ending in San Diego. Its only an early idea but i want to try and find out the best route to take and which towns, cities, parks and things i should stop and take in. Most posts i have looked at recomend different routes for different people. The route i really want to take is getting in as much of real america as i can along with the cities with the best nightlife. So far from talking to friends of mine Detroit and Chicago are two places i should go for nightlife but other people from america that i have talked to recomed the southern routes. If anyone has any ideas or different routes that i could look i would be very thankfull. Also if there are any other links for route mapping that might come in handy please let me know. So far i have just looked at google earth for mapping. The budget should be around $5500 (around €4000) and does not include renting a camper van / Rv. There will be a minimum of 3 of us going but hopefully around 4 or 5 come next July.

Many Thanks


Sam

[Mass Tim]

Welcome to the RoadTrip America Forum!

Nightlife can be found in most American cities to varying degrees. I have not heard that Detroit has a vibrant nightlife (that doesn't mean it doesn't). I have heard that places such as Memphis, TN and Austin, TX are great for nightlife, especially if you enjoy live music.

Now, the problem I see is the budget of $5500 is just not enough for three people (let alone 5) for two months, when you figure in the cost of fuel, lodging, and food on the trip. Since you're going to be on the road for two months, I imagine you will want to park the RV somewhere semi-permanent (maybe 3-5 days) such as a campground. So there's a cost. You want to make sure you're eating right, and that costs some $ as well. We do have tips for saving money on the road on our planning page.

You will also want to take our compatibility quiz with your friends, to help make sure you all have the same idea about what the trip is going to be about.

[dalsh327]

The date of the post has me thrown off...it says May but the post was in March?

[PNW Judy]

dalsh327, I'm guessing Irish Sam is planning ahead.

Irish Sam, you might try using the new AAA online trip planner. See this thread about it and for the links. It's actually a bit clunky to use but it also has some great info.

And here's a round-up of reviews of various other online mapping options.

I've sometimes played with a couple of different ones as they all give you a bit different routes and other information.

I agree your budget seems way too tight. Check out post #7 in this thread for tips on how to determine how much money you need.

I'm not much of a nightlife person so I can't help you there. Sorry. I think most any town of any size has some nightlife. I guess it depends on what, in particular, you're looking for. H