Safest/Fun route from Houston to Las Vegas?

[imjohnphan]

Hi yall, I will be moving from Houston to Las Vegas and will have my girlfriend along for the ride. We are trying to also make this a road trip during and it will occur during the summer. I am looking for possibly the safest driving option and I see two options:
I10W to I93 - going through San Antonio, El Paso, Tucson, and then Phoenix
I40W - going through Dallas, Abilene, Lubbock, Albuquerque, Flagstaff
287 to I40W - going through Dallas, Wichita Falls, Amarillo, Albuquerque, Flagstaff

I do not really know anything about those cities except for Dallas, San Antonio, and Albuquerque. I just merely listed cities I saw on Google Maps that the routes went through.

Which route do you think would be best and most scenic as well as good food through the cities? Also read that I10 has a large span of just 2 lanes which sounds a bit unsafe going 70-75mph. I may be wrong though. Time is not a big deal for me.

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

Other than crossing the border into Mexico or looking for unmade roads as short cuts, I really don't think that safety is a major issue other than making sure your car is roadworthy and that you drive safely without driving too far to the point of exhaustion each day. What I would concentrare on is what appeals to you along the way and if there is any place you might like to stop over or visit. Now that part depends on what you define to be fun.

You don't have to stay in major Cities and you don't have to follow a predetermined route from a mapping program, in fact with Google maps you can 'drop and drag' the blue route line to play around with route options.

In many ways the Interstates are among the safest roads as they are all built to certain specifications and it's rare to see more than a 30 mph difference between the travelling speed of vehicles all going in the same direction. Compared to a 2 lane highway where two vehicles may pass each other at a 'leisurely' 50mph would make a speed differential of 100mph, it's not really an issue if you use safe lane changes and leave good braking distance.

Once you have worked out a route based on your fun, I'm sure others will be able to fill in any blanks and make suggestions.

[glc]

I-10 has at least 2 lanes in each direction for its entire length, unless you encounter a temporary lane closure for construction - and where this is the case, the speed limit will be considerably reduced.

I would lean toward the I-10 to Phoenix option, because this will keep you out of the DFW metroplex. Also, a large portion of I-10 through West Texas has an 80 mph speed limit so you can make some good time.

How many days can you allow for this trip? You need at least 3.

[Midwest Michael]

I would actually lean towards going up through Dallas and Amarillo, especially if time is not a big factor. I just think I-40 is a little more scenic and enjoyable especially in New Mexico and Arizona, with lots of places to potentially stop, including the Grand Canyon.

Even more, you shouldn't feel tied to only the options Google offered. You might look at I-10 across Texas, then up past Carlsbad Caverns and diagonally across NM towards Albuquerque. You could even look at going up to some of the other parks in the 4 corners region that are farther north of I-40.

If speed is your top priority, then I might go with I-10, but even there, the travel time difference shouldn't be too huge.