Traveling Coast to Coast from Boston to LA

[dani4travel]

I am traveling from coast to coast, Boston to LA at the end of March.

I am wondering if it is better to go south and then head west or if the weather will be safe enough to drive straight through? I would like to avoid driving in bad snow.

What route would be the safest, but still have great sites? I do not have a time line for the trip-- I have as much time as I need. Any route suggestions?

Thank you,
Dani

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

There simply is no way to know what route will have the best weather until just days before the trip, when you can start to get some accurate weather forecasts. Every single possible route between Boston and LA can and does see winter weather, you simply can't go far enough south to avoid the possibility. Based on that, generally speaking the "safest" route is the shortest, most direct route, which has you on the road for the least amount of time.

The great thing is that you've got time on your side. Even the worst storms rarely cause problems for more than a day or two, so even if you do hit bad weather, you can simply wait it out. With that said, I'd pick the route that looks most interesting to you, and go that way!

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

...what works best for you. Seriously, there is no universal 'best' route. For weather, for scenery, for attractions, for anything. It all comes down to a judgement call on your part as to what route works best for you. I can tell you that no matter how far south you go, even if you hug the coast on I-95 all the way down to Jacksonville and take the southernmost Interstate, I-10, west from there (thus adding 600 miles to your drive), you will not have guaranteed yourself snow-free driving. I-10 does see snow and, worse, ice more than once in a typical winter. And here in Tucson, on I-10, we have a ski slope, Mount Lemon.

The best thing you have going for you as you plan is the fact that time is not a limiting factor. You could, if you were in a hurry and the weather co-operated, make the drive from Boston to Los Angeles in six days via I-90/I-80/I-76/I-70/I-15 through Buffalo, Chicago, Denver and Las Vegas. You could do the same via I-90/I-84/I-81/I-80/I-76/I-71/I-70/I-44/I-40/I-15 through Scranton, Columbus, St. Louis, Oklahoma City and Albuquerque. You should have a look at both of those basic routes and even plan for the possibility of using either one. Then you could base your final choice on either the attractions that appeal to you most or the route that has the best weather prediction just before you leave. In the end, if you have a spare day you can simply sit out any bad weather in a nice warm motel room, let the road crews do their jobs, and only resume driving when the sun is back out and the roads are clear.

AZBuck

[32vld]

Will this be a oneway trip or a round trip?

The reason for the trip, is it the ride or the destination?

[Lifemagician]

I do not have a time line for the trip-- I have as much time as I need. Any route suggestions?

Without a time line, you have countless options. I have driven Boston to LA and vice versa a lot of times, each time taking a different route. There is so much to see and do along every route. If you were to spend some time researching, with a paper map (or atlas) at hand, and checking the map centre and attractions (on the green bar above), you could design yourself a trip which lasts 7 days (probably a minimum with sightseeing) or 7 weeks.

The final choice is really up to you.

Lifey