US & Canada Solo Road Trip

Hi there

I have literally just joined this site after finding it on Google! Having read a lot of the posts, it seems this is a great way of talking to people who are similar to me and have similar 'dreams!'

I am 25, from England and just about to set off on a round the world trip, starting in Canada in April. I will be travelling down to Philadelphia to see a friend but then I am on my own for however long and fly out of LA in weeks/months time! I have been looking at guided tours with companies to get across the US and they're very sociable and handy for someone on their own. BUT, they're very regimented and seem to do the tours very quickly, so had an idea of 'road tripping' it!

My idea is to buy a second/third/nth hand car from somewhere and drive it acorss to my finishing destination and sell it on. Does this happen in the US? Is it easy for me to do this or does anyone know of an ydifiiculties I may face. I just want something cheap and cheerful, that'll work reliably and is pretty economic. I just don't think I could do the whole trip on a Greyhound bus!

My rough plan would be Boston, New York, Washington, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, New Orleans, Texas, El Paso & New Mexico, Arizona, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Salt Lake City, Yellowstone Park, up into Canada, Banff, Jasper, back down to Vancouver, Seattle and then the West Coast road down to LA.

Now, does this sound realistic to anyone?! More to the point, how unrealistic do you think this is?! I am looking about two months for this trip, taking in the sights as I go, maybe taking a tent in the boot, or trunk as you guys over there say! Also staying in hostels and motels, maybe with people I meet along the way.

Also, I will be making this trip on my own, so there are some saftey concerns and loneliness issues, so if anyone thinks this sounds good and wants to join me on part of the trip, that'd be great! I have done a trip from Miami to Tennessee before in just one day, 900 miles, was a bit of an effort but saw some great sights and 5 states!

Any advice/guidance/comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Nick

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

2 months should be enough time to do the kind of trip you are talking about, although I bet the time ends up flying by faster than you think. Anyway, I imagine it will be a great time.

For transportation, it is quite challenging to buy a car and get insurance without being a US resident. Try searching the forum for more info, as the subject comes up quite often, but for 2 months, its probably not going to be worth the time and expense to go that route. While renting a car is expensive, in the long run it probably wouldn't cost much if any more than buying for this period.

Thanks Michael, I had not a clue about how easy/difficult it was! I did briefly think about hiring a car but dismissed it without research as being too expenisve. Maybe I will have a look now to see how much it may cost for 2 months.

Sounds like a great trip, but unfortunately to purchase a car would probably not work out. I believe in every state you would need an address and license in order to register a car. Do you have any friends or family that live here? You could perhaps register and title the car in their name.
However, it would be a lot easier and more liberating to take the trip in a vehicle that you "owned" without having to worry about mileage limits and rental insurance concerns, etc.
I will be doing a similar trip this summer (hopefully, if I can work out the logistics), and I wish you best of luck. I, too, just joined the site, and I am hoping to find planning assistance for my own trip. If you'd like, I can help you work out some places to see; some routes to take. I have been planning a four month long USA circumnavigation for many years now, and although I haven't completed it, I do have quite a few books and websites amassed for information.
I'll keep checking for your posts. Isn't the internet a wonderful place to meet like-minded people?

Best of luck,
-Chris S.

This is sometimes difficult for visitors from other nations to understand but technically the United States is a Federal Republic. That means that each of the 50 States are just that: semi-autonomous states. Each sets its own laws and regulations. So, buying and selling a car, for example, is not governed by some "US" law, but by the laws of the state where the transaction is being carried out. There is a particular problem with this in your case, because California has stricter vehicle emission regulations than most of the other 49 states, so that a car that may be legal to purchase in Massachusetts would not be legal to sell in California. Just one more headache in an already burdensome plan to buy/sell a vehicle. As Michael pointed out, such a plan almost never makes sense for a trip as short as yours, but I'm sure it doesn't seem short to you!

AZBuck

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Originally Posted by nickyboywade

Maybe I will have a look now to see how much it may cost for 2 months.

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You might like to check out the services of Adventures on Wheels. I checked them out ones, but when my son loaned me a car, did not use them. I have read reports of those who have, and have been most satisfied with the service.

Right, I think buying and selling a car sounds too complex, so renting one it would have to be. Just looking at a few rental companies, including Adventure on Wheels, I think it may be too expensive on my own, I'd have to get someone to share the cost with!

It sounds like my trip will be best done with a company like Trek America or Intrepid Travel, who do organised routes across the States. It is a lot less freedom but may well be the way to go for a solo traveller, on somewhat of a budget.

Thanks for all your help though guys, much appreciated. It's good to know there is somewhere to go for help and guidance, keep up the good work!

Nick

Hi Nick,

Just before you give up on your adventure, you might like to check out my post in this thread. I did this for 13 weeks in 2001 and for 19 weeks in 2004.

These were my first two visits to the US and I ended up seeing just soooooo much. Nothing was preplanned, I just went with the wind, and ended up in places of which I had never heard, seeing gems which will never make it into the tourist brochures, and creating livelong memories and friends.

If you would like to know more about it, other than what I have posted, feel free to ask.

Lifey who found them great journeys of discovery

Thanks Lifey, I have seen this already and it does sound a good idea. I have contacted Auto Driveaway recently to check how it all works. I would consider doing this but how easy is it to get a car in the city you are in? Looking at the available list, some cities have no cars available, is it just a case of emailing/phoning/going to their office, telling them you want a car and then wait for one to come along?

The only problem I can forsee is time as I am on a budget time-wise. I want to soo as many sights as possible in this 6 weeks or so but this way I don't have full control of where I visit, it's pot luck!

Maybe my outlook on travel is very different. But looking at your photo / your age, this will not be your only trip... it may be the first, but you will be inspired to save for another. I know I was, and my first trip was as a senior!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nickyboywade

Thanks Lifey, I have seen this already and it does sound a good idea. I have contacted Auto Driveaway recently to check how it all works. I would consider doing this but how easy is it to get a car in the city you are in? Looking at the available list, some cities have no cars available, is it just a case of emailing/phoning/going to their office, telling them you want a car and then wait for one to come along?

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I agree that at the moment there seems to be a dirth of cars. Maybe that has something to do with the economic conditions. Still, I would get onto that list every couple of days and just check. Keep in mind that if you are in Philadelphia and there is a car in Baltimor or DC or NJ, they are only a short Greyhound bus ride away.

Be flexible!

Same with your destination. The two young lasses who drove the car from Seattle to Dallas had wanted to go to SF. When I asked why, they said that their itenary was SF, LV, GC, LA, etc. I suggested they take this car to Dallas, and when there, look for one going back to the west coast ... which would then put them within striking distance of SF & LA.

Ye just have to think outside the square!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nickyboywade

The only problem I can forsee is time as I am on a budget time-wise. I want to see as many sights as possible in this 6 weeks or so but this way I don't have full control of where I visit, it's pot luck!

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Nick, the fact that you don't have complete control, is to me, the great attraction. The unknown! The unexpected!

Granted that there are many well publicised sights you want to see, everybody wants to see. And you will, one day. On my first visit I did not get to the Grand Canyon, nor Zion and Bryce, and there are many sites I have not yet seen, which I hope to get to this year.

But on the other hand, how many have seen that magnificent court house in Cottonwood KS - the oldest continuously working courthouse in KS? And to get to Tucson (which I had never heard of) and discover that Biosphere II was nearby... as well as all those other great sights around Tuscon. And to end up on Coronada Trail in eastern Arizona... what a drive! There is no way you will see it ALL.

Enjoy where you are, when you are there.

No, I doubt this will be my only trip. This is the first leg of my round the world tour I am embarking on! I am setting out on my own, have flights provisionally booked for NZ and Oz after but that's all I have planned, plus the dates are flexible. So my philosophy isn't too dis-similar to yours, I'm just going to do what I want and when I want and I'm sure I am in for a few adventures along the way!

I can understand what you're saying about not seeing everything at once, it would take me 12 months to see everything just in The States I'm sure! I just have ideas of what I want to do. I'm going with an open mind and just seeing what happens. Suppose it's just try the Auto Driveaway option out, see how it works for me and go from there, no harm in trying it out! I am usually a pretty organised person, maybe the feeling of the unknown and unexpected is un-nerving yet exciting!

Where did you stay, may I ask, was it hostels etc? Think that's where I plan on meeting most people, see if I can pick up any travelling buddies!

Mostly hostels, though later I got a tent and used camp grounds as well. The cheap motels along the road are ok. A bit like hostels... you take them as they come. Pick up discount coupon books at truck stops and some wayside stops, these help you find them.

If you will be in Oz after the middle of October, I would happily give you some guidance downunder.

Cheers for that Lifey, much appreciated. I shall be in Oz August onwards so can always give you a shout if I'm around then!

Hey there
This is something I can readily identify with as this time last year I was planning my own RTW trip. I started in Montreal, did a loop out through Quebec and Nova Scotia before taking the train from Toronto to Vancouver. I did a big loop out of Vancouver including the Rocky Mountains national parks (highly highly recommended) before heading down across the border and doing a month trip out of Seattle which was fantastic. All of these were under my own steam and I stayed in a mix of cheap hotels (lonely and expensive), hostels (pretty average at best and people on top of you all the time) and camping (your own space, cheap, people to socialise with if you like to and some amazing scenery once you get out to the national parks -- but hard to come by in April and May as most campgrounds dont open til later in the year)

I then flew up to Anchorage and did a three week trip with Trek America which was amazing - met my current g/f and a lot of good friends up there - just the tonic after two months on the road on my own. I then took the ferry down to Bellingham (meeting a lot of people during the three nights onboard), flew to Vegas and did another roadtrip ending in LA where I flew onwards to Hawaii and, ultimately, to Perth via Sydney.

When I reached Perth I spent a few days there and then hopped on a three week trip with Western Xposure (Trek America's Aussie equivalent) up to Darwin. The route was awesome but the standard of Western Xposure wasn't as high as Trek America. Still, it was good to be with other people again. After that it was on to Malaysia and Singapore for the Grand Prix before heading back to Oz to do the traditional packpacker route with various cars and camper vans. I was lucky there as I had friends dotted around the country and massively enjoyed the whole experience. Can't wait to go back!

Once I'd seen the southern and eastern coasts, as well as Uluru and Tasmania, it was on to NZ. I had nowhere near enough time or money in NZ - beware of that - you'll want six weeks minimum if you wanna see both islands. You'll also want lots of money when you get to the Queenstown area as there is so much to do there! The real tip in NZ is to spend around 2/3 of your time on the south island and 1/3 on the north. They are so different that they really have no right to call themselves one country. I would personally fly intoAuckland[/i], do what you want to do in the north island, then cross to the south and fly home from Christchurch. Trying to kill time in the north island because you're three days away from your flight is hard work but in the south you can never have enough time.

Finally I hit Hong Kong for five days - awesome place but the air pollution was shocking. Took a day trip to Macau on the ferry which I would highly recommend and then, finally, it was home on Christmas Eve. I had an awesome time but I was so excited getting on that final flight I felt a bit emotional!

What did I learn out of all of that?

Slow down - you're in it for the long ride - so don't go zooming around trying to see everything. It isn't a sightseeing holiday, it is an adventure and experience. By the end I honestly couldn't care less if I saw all the sights or not - it was just about enjoying the freedom to do what I wanted, when I wanted.

Save money whilst you can - camping and eating out of a cooler is so much cheaper than staying in hotels and eating out all the time. You never know when that saved money will come in handy - such as when you get back to the UK to find the economy has gone tits up and the job that was supposed to be waiting for you... isn't. Yes, I timed my trip real well!

Don't worry about what is going on at home - it'll all work out in the end. My experiences of looking after myself for eight months and getting myself around the globe and back gave me the confidence to sort out something far better when I got home.

Mix it up - my mix of travelling on my own and with groups; by car, by train, by plane, by boat... was just about perfect. By the time I got fed up with being in a car on my own day after day it was time to join an organised tour. By the time I was fed up being around people it was time to head off solo again.

Have a plan - but don't be too stuck to it. Make sure you know quite clearly when you have to be at certain destinations, and have an idea of your route and the places you want to visit along the way, but otherwise... go with the flow. You will meet a lot of people on the road (particularly when you get to Oz and NZ - it is truly geared up to the traveller) and you will get drawn in to a lot of adventures and visit a lot of places you'd never thought about!

Enjoy! It really is once in a lifetime. You may travel again but, like many things, you'll never forget your first time. It's easily the most exciting!

Pass it on - I just got home from work, I am cold and wet after cycling eight miles in the rain, but... I have a happy glow around me now after typing this message. Whatever you do on your trip will live with you forever. Enjoy every moment of it!

I am quite jealous! If I can offer any help don't hesitate to get in touch. Whether it be places to visit in Oz, car rental in NZ or hotels in HK... I will help if I can!

Wow, thanks for that detailed reply Craig, I'm staggered how much effort people go to to help others on sites like this! As you can tell, I'm opretty new to forums etc, it could be the future!

Had a read of your web site Craig, sounds like the reasons you planned your trip are the same as mine! Although I have suffered the past 12 months in the recession where as you have come back slap bang in the middle of it! Also the routing sounds pretty similar, so I will keep your site as a reference point on my way round. I think you spent a long time in the US & Canada, where as for me it is probably going to be shorter as the Pound is so bad against the Dollar I won't be able to afford too long there!

There's a lot of useful stuff in that post, cheers Craig. It's good to get experience from someone who has done it and knows what it's about. Like I have said previously, it's my first trip travelling solo, so there's a little bit of nerves there about stuff not being planned (I'm a bit of an organisation freak!) but it's being over-ridden by excitement! Hopefully I'll work out a similar balance between solo travelling and group stuff, just take it as it comes.

Did you take a tent with you on your trip or buy one when you decided to camp? I'm really open to the idea of camping, just don't really want to lug a tent round with me all the time! Would you recommend TrekAmerica then? I was thinking of doing a smaller trip with them along the way but they seem expensive!

Cheers, Nick

I did take a tent but it was old and bulky and I ditched it before heading up to Alaska as Trek had told me there were strict limits on how much we could carry (20kg IIRC) on the trip. However, the reality of that was that there was no problem - unless you go uber silly. I believe the weight limit comes from the 'old days' when they carried the bags on the roof of the van and a couple of them rolled over due to overloading!

So, when I got back to the US I bought another cheap tent from Walmart. In reality it was way too small (I think it was actually a kiddy size tent!) and I ditched thatin Hawaii when the airline wanted more to take a second checked bag than the tent was worth... they weren't amused: "That'll be $35 for the second bag, sir" "Do you have a rubbish bin?" "Yes... why?" "Chuck this bag in it, will you?" I picked up a new one in Oz but, after that nearly blew away at Mount Cook in NZ, I finally splashed out on the one O have now. It's a great little tent and cost me something like 50 Kiwi bucks which is a bargain if you look at the cost of a hotel room! All in all I would say that you'd do well to buy a cheap tent if you are in an area which lends itself to camping for a few weeks and then pass it on to a fellow traveller if you no longer want to carry it. Then buy another later on... in the US and Canada you have Walmart, Target, etc. and in Oz and NZ there are Kmart and Target as well as many indepenent stores.

Personally, and I know this is a site based on roadtripping in North America, I would look to spend more time in Australia and NZ than the US and Canada. I spent three months in North America but it wasn't until I headed south that the whole trip changed and started to make sense. The people there are so chilled out and open and the roads are more akin to ours - widing their way through lots of small towns and villages. Personally I found the whole thing much more fun than gunning down an interstate!

Trek America are great - if you can afford to squeeze one trip in with them I would recommend it. You won't regret it. But before you book look out for special offers - quite regularly they will offer 10% off their list prices which makes quite a difference... this year, of course, the prices could be out of reach given the exchange rate. When I was there it was 2.05 to the Pound. Now I don't even know but it is closer to 1.4... the difference is horrible. Though gas has dropped from nudging 5 bucks a gallon to around 2 so that is somewhat good news!

Well, I think it's just a case of get there and see what happens! No point planning anything too strictly, I'm sure plans will change massively as I go along and meet people.

Pretty excited, only two weeks and I'll be on my way!

A reliable car with a trunk where you can lock valuables out of site. If you have options, get one with an excellent safety rating and good gas mileage. A Corolla, for example...

To assuage some safety issues, see if you can meet up with a friend for some legs of the trip, particularly those through more desolate parts of the country. Someone could fly in to meet you, drive with you for a while then fly out of a different city. Or, you could try to connect with any relatives in the area.

And a cell phone is an excellent thing have at all times.

Consider taking a self-defense class before going.
When you do camp, definitely go to registered sites with an overnight ranger/camp volunteer, often an older couple who live in a motor home on site. (It's amazing how many places have that exact scenario) and try to get a site close to their's. They will happily watch over and check in with you.
Plot out a rough schedule beforehand with your mom and agree which dates you will call her to let her know that you're okay. Set those dates on your cell phone calendar so you don't forget. And, if you can plan well enough ahead or have internet access on your trip, use priceline or hotwire to see if you can get good hotel deals (for safety, showers etc).

Lastly, on your trip, tell your story to very very few people, always imply that you're not alone.

If I were your mother or older sister, I would probably also feel pretty uneasy about the whole thing. Points of compromise:
-having someone else along
-shortening the trip or breaking it up into geographical chunks, so you're not gone quite so long
-having a project in mind that you can complete on the trip, like a series of interviews for your local newspaper, or a photography project. That may provide some distraction for the dangers of the trip. It may explain ( a little) why you want to do it. It will also be a good way to share the trip with others upon your return.