From Dallas to San Francisco

Hi everyone!

Firstly, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Fran, and I'm new here, so greetings to everyone!

I am going to spend a few months in the USA, specifically in Dallas. I would like to do a great and unforgettable trip. My intention is to go by RV (or a normal car if an RV is too expensive for me) from Dallas to San Francisco. I hope to have 15 days, approximately, and I would do it in winter

My idea is to spend most of the time in California, but I'd like to visit Arizona and Nevada. I think I have to go across New Mexico, too.

- What stops do you recommend to me? Which places must I see?
- Do you think I could have problems crossing states in rental vehicle?
- Could it be too hard if I go alone?

I hope to have a budget of $2,000.

I'd be very grateful for your advice. I don't discard any options, so everything you suggest will be become!

Greetings! ;)

Hello Fran and welcome to the RTA forums !

An RV for a solo traveller would be a very expensive option. After the initial rental fee you have campground fees, mileage charges and campground fees among other additional costs which make a car and Motels much better value. When are you planning to travel during the winter as this could affect routes in the mountains ? It would also be possible that you would have to winterize the RV [no water] and it could get very cold. You have many places you could visit but the ones you 'must see' are the one's you want to see. Obvious places such as the Grand canyon and Monument valley would bo on most peoples lists and I would certainly look at some of the parks of southern Utah, but what I suggest you do is open a good map and do a bit of reading around the forums and see what appeals. Once you have a few dots on the map and tell us when you plan to travel, we can offer more meaningful advice.

Dave.

I am currently driving from Oregon through Arizona and New Mexico. I am driving solo in a car. I am finding it very doable. (My California, Oklahoma and Texas would not relate to you.)

I am interested in history, culture, and art.
New Mexico:
Pueblo Cultural Center. Nice layout of the history, art, and future. Reasonable priced at $6. The directions to it are easy to navigate.

NM Museum of History and Science. Good flow. Postive staff. Very interesting facts. Lots of hands on. $7

Arizona:
Petrified Forest/Painted Desert. TOTALLY WOW! The natural beauty of the place. Well placed turn outs with parking. National Park.

Walnut Canyon National Park. Nice. Good information. Even if you cannot climb down the 240 steps, the video and the short walk is enough to give you the experience.

Sedona/Montezuma's Castle. It is a bit off of I-40. I enjoyed every bit. The roads can be quite curvy, and you go from 7000 feet down to 3500 feet in a short period of time.

I will let someone else tell you about Grand Canyon. I have not been for 10 years.
I have not been to San Francisco.

Thank you so much!

Quote:

---

My intention is to go by RV (or a normal car if an RV is too expensive for me) from Dallas to San Francisco. I hope to have 15 days, approximately, and I would do it in winter

My idea is to spend most of the time in California, but I'd like to visit Arizona and Nevada. I think I have to go across New Mexico, too.

- What stops do you recommend to me? Which places must I see?
- Do you think I could have problems crossing states in rental vehicle?
- Could it be too hard if I go alone?

---

Many folks travel solo, women and men. I've done my share of solo travel. I will agree with the above that going by RV is going to be very, very expensive: expect a rental price of $750-1000 for a week. Then add fees for a linen package, a cooking package, the water/sewer, etc. Add overnights of $20-50. If you want to travel during the winter to places that will freeze, you will be asked to empty your tanks and not use the water/sewer. That will make a motel look mighty fine! Compare that to a car at around $250-400 week, depending on the type of car you rent. You can enjoy a motel for about $40-50 night, too.

Rentals give you paperwork that proves that you have their vehicle in your possession. State borders are easy in that respect -- no one asks you to prove you own/rent the vehicle. If you get stopped on a traffic violation, then you would be asked for your license and registration, and you would hand them your rental paperwork.

If you were to leave Dallas and head for California, there are many different routes you could take. I'd recommend getting a road atlas and doing some research on a map. The most direct routing would be I-20 west to I-10 west, but that's not the most scenic. There are other ways to go. It will all depend on what YOU want to see, not what others think are a "must see".



Donna

Thank you so much, Donna ;)

As Donna mentioned, there are many who travel solo, by choice or necessity. I have covered tens of thousands of miles on my own. The best part is that you get to decide when you stop, start, eat, and where. No fighting over the music to be played either. It can be a great adventure. I suggest you read, and follow, this thread, which is a great example of a solo roadtrip.

As you will now be well aware, an RV is not economical for a solo roadtripper. Hotels and Motels need not be expensive. Along the way you will find hotel/motel discount coupon booklets at rest areas. These can be great for finding budget hotels. Usually they are only for walkins. Rooms are not guaranteed, discounts apply only to a certain number of rooms. Having said that I have only once missed out. When you get to a hotel/motel, be sure to check the room before you commit. Besides cleanliness, check that the smoke alarm has not been disabled and that the room has a lock which cannot be opened from the outside, such as a chain lock.

Be sure to carry good maps, or a good road atlas. Besides routes and towns, maps show many of the attractions along the way. Scenic routes are also marked, to give you some respite from the interstate, and vary the scenery.

Have a safe trip.

Lifey