Our trip of a lifetime

Hi guys,

Been a lurker of the forums for a while and love it. It's been really useful in planning our trip so far!

The background is that my Fiance and I are getting married in 2011 and are planning on doing a 3 month trip round America for our honeymoon. We've just got back from an amazing 2 weeks in Florida but want to see more of America than Disney theme parks.

So far I've got as far as making a vague route on Google maps and trying to make a list of the things we want to do. So far it's 102 days not 90 days so going to have to cull a few things I think. I've put together this rough plan...



Day 1 Boston Whale watching cruise, Salem,
Day 2 Boston Freedom Trail, Cheers Bar, USS Nautilus
Day 3 New York 5th Avenue, Broadway
Day 4 New York Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty
Day 5 New York Giants game
Day 6 New York Central Park, Times Square
Day 7 New York Guggenheim Museum
Day 8 New York
Day 9 New York
Day 10 Philadelphia National Constitution Center, Liberty Bell, Independence National Park
Day 11 Philadelphia Harrisburg National Civil War Museum, Gettysburg National Military Park
Day 12 Washington DC National Air & Space Museum
Day 13 Washington DC National Museum of the American Indian
Day 14 Washington DC White House, Lincoln Memorial
Day 15 Washington DC Arlington National Cemetery
Day 16 Richmond American Civil War Center, WIlliamsburg?
Day 17 Atlanta
Day 18 Orlando Discovery Cove
Day 19 Orlando A Few days in theme parks
Day 20 Orlando Kennedy Space Center
Day 21 Orlando
Day 22 Orlando
Day 23 Orlando
Day 24 Orlando
Day 25 Miami Segway Tour?
Day 26 Key Largo Theatre of the Sea
Day 27 Key West Scuba Diving
Day 28 Key West
Day 29 Miami
Day 30 Tampa
Day 31 Tallahassee
Day 32 New Orleans Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro
Day 33 New Orleans Steamboat Cruise
Day 34 New Orleans Hurricane Katrina Tour
Day 35 New Orleans
Day 36 Memphis National Civil Rights Museum
Day 37 Memphis Graceland
Day 38 Dallas
Day 39 Dallas
Day 40 Austin
Day 41 San Antonio
Day 42 San Antonio
Day 43 Tucson Old Tuscon Studios
Day 44 Tucson Tombstone, Catalina Highway
Day 45 Tucson Airplane Graveyard, Air & Space Museum
Day 46 Tucson Titan Missile Museum
Day 47 Phoenix
Day 48 Flagstaff/Desert Out of Africa wildlife park, Meteor Crater
Day 49 Flagstaff/Desert Grand Canyon, Navaho Bridges
Day 50 Flagstaff/Desert Monument Valley
Day 51 Las Vegas Zion National Park, Death Valley
Day 52 Las Vegas Quad biking in Valley of Fire, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Day 53 Las Vegas Casinos
Day 54 Las Vegas Shows/Cirque Du Soleil
Day 55 Las Vegas Atomic Testing Museum, Pinball Hall of Fame
Day 56 San Diego Calico Ghost Town
Day 57 San Diego San Diego Zoo
Day 58 LA Griffiths Observtory
Day 59 LA Warner Bros Studio Tour, Walk of Fame, Kodak Theatre
Day 60 LA Hollywood Sign, Venice Beach
Day 61 LA Getty Museum, Sequoia National Park
Day 62 San Fransisco Seal Viewing Area, Madonna Inn, Hearst Castle, Wild Things Inc
Day 63 San Fransisco Napa Valley Wine Tour, Alcatraz
Day 64 San Fransisco Golden Gate Bridge, Segway Tour
Day 65 Lake Tahoe
Day 66 Lake Tahoe
Day 67 Lake Tahoe
Day 68 Lake Tahoe
Day 69 Lake Tahoe
Day 70 San Fransisco Budweiser Brewery Tour, Jelly Belly Factory
Day 71 West Coast Heceta Lighthouse
Day 72 West Coast Mount St Helens
Day 73 West Coast
Day 74 Seattle Future of Flight, Museum of Flight
Day 75 Seattle Microsoft Tour, Space Needle
Day 76 Vancouver
Day 77 Vancouver
Day 78 Seattle Cedar Creek Treehouse
Day 79 Stop Off
Day 80 Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park
Day 81 Yellowstone Crater Lake
Day 82 Rapid City Mount Rushmore
Day 83 Stop Off
Day 84 Minneapolis Mall of America
Day 85 Minneapolis
Day 86 Chicago Navy Pier
Day 87 Chicago Architecture Tour
Day 88 Chicago Sears Tower
Day 89 Chicago Millenium Park
Day 90 Detroit Motown Museum
Day 91 Detroit Funk Brothers Gig
Day 92 Cedar Point Cedar Point Amusement Park
Day 93 Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Day 94 Buffalo Niagra Falls
Day 95 Toronto
Day 96 Toronto
Day 97 Ottowa
Day 98 Montreal
Day 99 Montreal
Day 100 Stop off Ben & Jerrys Tour
Day 101 Stop off Mount Washington
Day 102 Boston


This is in the early stages of planning and I'm aware I have too much to do in some cities and not long enough to do it in, or that some cities have nothing planed for them yet, but putting it together has led to a few questions....

1) There's a lot of stuff to do in the desert and some of it is a long way from Flagstaff/Vegas. Can anyone suggest some smaller towns to stay in?

2) The longest drive of the route is San Antonio to Tucson. Can anyone suggest a way of breaking it up a bit?

3) Is there anything I've put in so far that people would not bother with? I've got to cut 12 days out!

4) Anything obvious I've missed?


I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions over the next 2 years about car hire, budgets etc. but there's plenty of time to plan.

Any help would be much appreciated :)

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Let's be honest. Your 102 line list may be meaningful to you, but it won't be to anyone else. When I travel, i also make lists of possible sites to visit, but I research many more places than I'll ever be able to visit. At least I know I can drop things, rather than be at a loss for things to do or miss something for lack of research. If there's a particular area or theme that you'd like help with, we can offer suggestions, but trying to fill in a complete century of days is well beyond the scope of this (or any free) website.

1) A good example. In which direction? Sedona is a good base to the south, Page to the northeast, Cedar City to the north and Baker or Barstow to the west.

2) It is a fairly solid two day drive from San Antonio to Tucson with Van Horn, TX being about half way. This is a case where your list is deceiving and days 42 and 43 would not be in San Antonio and Tucson, but on the road between them.

3) and 4) Even though 3 months seems like a lot, North America is huge and you'll have to resign yourselves to the fact that all you can do is sample some of the major attractions, get a once-over-lightly sense of the ambience of the places you'll be driving through, and get ideas to put on a list for future trips.

AZBuck

What time of year are you planning?

Thanks AZBuck.

I know I'm being vague at the moment and that list is fairly meaningless but I was just after some generic advice really. E.g. is it sensible to try to do that much in 90 days? Should I be looking to stay in big cities and day trip from there or would it be more sensible to book into small motels in small towns etc.

As for time of year it's not definite yet but it will probably be early summer.

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Originally Posted by jonhobbs

(I)s it sensible to try to do that much in 90 days?

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Since some of what you list over multiple days could conceivably be completed in one day (eg Memphis - Civil Rights Museum and Graceland), you certainly could try to see all of his in 90 days. As a related example, I went to New York City yesterday and visited the following:

-Times Square
-Battery Park
-World Trade Center site
-Wall Street
-Central Park

and managed to find a great, relaxing Italian restaurant for a late lunch near Central Park.

Of the things I had listed that I wanted to do for that day trip, there were things I did that weren't on the list, and things on the list that I didn't do.

The point being, as you travel on for three months, you will find that you're going to see a sign for an interesting place and you will visit that location. However, that will mean that something on your list will have to make way. Hopefully this will happen more than once over the course of your trip. It's okay and expected, and is one of the great things about travel.

Along with that, there may be days on your trip where you just want to stay put and hang out at the hotel pool. That is also fine. The worst thing you can do is try to cram everything into a trip and turn it into work.

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Should I be looking to stay in big cities and day trip from there or would it be more sensible to book into small motels in small towns etc.

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Looking at your list, the days are primarily centered around being in particular cities and nothing of note in between those points. Pick a few of the cities on your list and look at what is on the map in between that interests you.

For your question #2: San Antonio and Tucson is about 880 miles of travel, which puts it in a comfortable two day time period. Look at what's in between the two locations.

One thing that sticks out to me is the proximity of Big Bend National Park. Would that interest you? Sure, it adds perhaps 150 miles to the distance, and you'd certainly want to spend some time in the park, so maybe even another day is added on this route. Add to that you could go on I-10 or US-90, and maybe you'll find something else along the way that interests you that isn't readily obvious from looking at the map.

Another place along the route is Marfa. Maybe you're into unexplained phenomena, such as the Marfa Lights.

Have you read any books or watched any films that make mention of particular locations along your route? Do you have any personal heroes and want to see what the town they grew up in is like? Do you have any particular useful manufactured products around the house and want to see how they are made? Do you want to eat a bowl of chili and win a t-shirt? Anything like this can be fodder for ideas of what to do and see on the road.

From a cost standpoint, it's generally cheaper to stay in motels away from big cities. You can find cheap hotels in cities, but they are generally in less desirable areas and can be quite run down. I usually stay in low to mid price chains at or near Interstate exits in smaller towns and rural areas. It all depends what you want, but if I'm in a city or close-in suburb, I don't feel comfortable in any place that's less than $100 a night. Out in rural areas, I'm generally happy at $50 a night.

Hi Guys,

We're planning a big road trip in Summer 2011, starting in Boston and doing a complete circle, ending up in Boston 3 months later.

I'm trying to put a budget together but car hire is a nightmare!

The maximum length of time you can rent with most companies is 6 weeks, which means we're going to need 2 or 3 one way rentals. The one way fees are large and we're currently looking at over £4k.

Without the 1-way fees it would be much cheaper and we'd much rather have the same car for the whole journey and drop it off where we hired it in the first place.

Has anyone got any ideas?

Jon

The best thing I can say is to contact the rental car offices directly - don't go through the internet and even try to avoid the national booking office if you can help it.

I'm quite certain there are companies that will allow you to do a 3 months rental - although you'll probably have to stop and check it in about once a month. Its just a matter of getting beyond the mindless computer program or the minimum wage phone jockey, and talking to someone who is actually on the ground and whose job depends on making sure that cars at a particular location are rented out.

There is another company which focuses on longer leases, that you may like to check out. I have heard good reports about them, but have not used them..... yet.

Lifey who checked them out years ago

Thanks Guys, and thanks Michael for merging this with my old thread. I had lost it but have now subscribed to it so I don't miss anyone's answers!

So, this is getting a little frustrating now....

I called Alamo's Boston office, who confirmed that it could be done in 1 rental as long as they re-did the paperwork every 4 weeks, which apparently doesn't require coming in to the office.

However, she couldn't give me prices, only the national reservations line could, so I rang them and the person on the end didn't speak great English. They did eventually understand my plight and managed to get me a price, but the price cost more that making 3 separate bookings! She explained to me that the prices on the website are cheaper, but I can only book for longer than 30 days by taking their prices.

So faced with a bill for over $6k I tried going to alamo.com instead of alamo.co.uk and tried searching for a 90 day rental and guess what? It found availability! at a cost of only $4200, but wouldn't let me purchase it because I had to lie and say I lived in the states, which I don't.

So I still don't have a solution and although we're not going for another year I need to put together a budget.

RE:Lifemagician - Thanks, I would rather go with a well known company if possible but I will certainly give them a try if I can't find anything.

Hi,

This is part of a longer roadtrip but it's the part we're having most trouble planning.

The only thing we really want to do along the way is Yellowstone, but we're not really sure what route to take, where to stay, what to do etc.

I've mapped it out and I think we're pretty much headed straight from Chicago to Yellowstone (maybe a stop at Mount Rushmore if we have time), but that's a lot of driving and I'm not sure how many days to allow and where to stop off on the I-90 along the way. How far along the I-90 do you think we could get each day?

Also, Yellowstone is a big place and we're really not sure where to stay or what to do when we're there? Jackson looks good but it's not really in Yellowstone. Money isn't too much of an issue as it's our honeymoon so we'd like to stay on a nice ranch, get some guided tours . I'd love to do a helicopter tour, some horse riding or a specialist photography tour if possible. Not really into hiking or camping though so want to stay somewhere nice.

Any ideas on the trip or the Yellowstone stay would be greatly appreciated.

My last message seems to have been merged into this thread (as did my previous thread about car rentals).

I thought it would be useful to have it as a separate thread as It's about a specific part of the trip which I thought others might be interested in without having to wade through the unrelated stuff in this thread so it's a shame to have it merged.

Sorry, but as we did before - and as you'd responded to - we like to keep all the questions about a single trip together in the same thread. That way we can get a much better picture of your entire trip, know what advice you've already been given, and all in all, give you better advice. As we have had to do this a few times now, it would be a shame if we would have to suspend your posting abilities because you continue to ignore that policy.

With regards to this leg of your trip, the amount of distance you should cover is very much the same answer that people were giving you in regards to the Southwest portion of your trip (specifically San Antonio to Tucson). In a full day on the road, you can cover about 500 miles, leaving time for a few short stops along the way. Using that guide, its a full 2 days from Chicago to the Black Hills, and another full day onto Yosemite.

Of course, there is a ton of things to stop and see in this area (the Badlands and Black Hills alone could easily take up several days) but I'd check out this thread from just a couple days ago which has several ideas and more links about things to do between Chicago and Seattle.

Thanks Michael.

I'm sorry, I didn't realise it was a policy, I thought it was just somebody trying to be helpful. I genuinely thought this would be more use to others if it had it's own separate thread (otherwise they have to wade through stuff about long term car hire and may not know there's stuff about Yellowstone in here). However, if those are the rules then I'll make sure I follow them from now on.

Thanks for linking me to that other thread. I wish we had time to check out things like the Spam Museum and Sioux Falls but we have to Yellowstone pretty quickly as we have lots more planned before and after. The reason I asked again about driving distances is that I assume there's a big difference between driving the I-90 and driving the roads through Yellowstone. 500 miles in a day sounds like a lot and I'm guessing it's going to be a lot slower when we hit Bighorn and start driving through the parks. Not quite sure what route we take after Buffalo?

Anyway, thanks for all your help, it really is invaluable.

The 500 mile recommendation is for point-to-point travel on Interstate highways and near-Interstate quality roads with "some" sightseeing. When you get off the beaten path, start making a lot of stops, go through towns, and take secondary roads, you have to cut that back accordingly.

To go 500 miles on Interstates with normal fuel and bathroom stops, you can figure on about 9 to 10 hours. Add time to that for meals and sightseeing.

Hi
We have been doing similar trips like yours for the last 20 years or so mainly to Australia and the USA. If you rent a car from Florida you'll save a lot of money because rentalprices are lower from Fl. Our next trip starting september is for 80 days, starting Orlando and ending in San Diego. Must say we've already been to almost all National Parks before so visiting NP's again is not our priority. We are renting a 4x4 SUV (Standard) at Hertz for 76 days at the price of € 3200,-- and that includes all insurances etc. We have to pay a drop off fee of $ 500,-- (plus tax) between Orando and Las Vegas and the maximum rental periode with Hertz was 63 days. We pick up another car in Las Vegas and go to San Diego after that (no drop off fees between NV and Ca. We also checked with Alamo and their maximum rentalperiode was 56 days. We're from Europe and renting a car from Europe often is cheaper. Our last trip to Australia (2009) was 12000 kms. Before that we were in the USA in 2007, drove 8200 miles and the overall speed (in 9 weeks) was 45 mph. You can drive much faster on the interstates of course, but driving in cities, finding your way, stops etc will lower your average speed.
We find best time for Yellowstone end of august and first weeks of september. June also is good but probably too early for you. It's impossible to give you all attractions on a route like this, you need 30 years to explore them all. Chicago to Seattle don't miss Black Hills SD and Glacier NP. Glacier is best in july and august because Going to the Sun road often opens late and close early. With that much time I would suggest to stay at least 4 days in the Black Hills region, 2 full days for Glacier, 3-4 full days for Yellowstone and 1-2 days for Grand Teton NP.
Chicago-Sioux Falls-Corn Palace-Badlands-Black Hills-Devils Tower-Cody-Grand Teton-Yellowstone-Glacier-N Cascades NP-Seattle would be an option.
If you are looking for special places maybe check www.roadsideamerica.com
O yes, don't plan too much and see how things come. We only make a reservation on the arrival date and that's is. Must say we're travelling off season.

Hey Jon,

How's the route planning going?

Being from New York... I would suggest cutting down the NYC portion by a day or two. Unless you do have a lot of stuff planned. I feel like you might just end up wandering around. Which is fine, if you're into that.

Like Mass Tim said, you can probably do most of the touristy stuff in two days or so. Other things people I know who have come over here enjoyed doing; Going to a play (Broadway or off Broadway), going to Long Island - to a beach if it's warm out, Seeing Brooklyn, and lots of walking.

I think someone else also suggested thinking about your favourite movies etc for the South West? You could do the same for NYC. I read once about someone doing a Ghostbusters "tour" of all the different sites it was filmed at.

If you're more into the idea of "old New York" or taking a look at kind of weird kitschy NY stuff try checking out http://www.forgotten-ny.com/
If you scroll down towards the bottom they have different categories of places to visit etc.
They even do walking tours on Saturdays or Sundays I think. It looks like they've gotten pretty popular too.

Let me know how it goes.

K

when in AZ you can not miss Sedona... by far the most beautiful place in AZ

Hi Guys,

I haven't checked this thread in over a year or so. We've just been working hard and saving for our trip. I can't believe we're now only 4 weeks away and we're actually going! I am so incredibly excited.

Just to update you, we're still planning a circular 90 day trip from Boston, getting there on 2nd July so we can see the 4th July fireworks. Anti-clockwise from there taking a few days in Canada, onto Yellowstone then Seattle. Down the west coast taking a week in Lake Tahoe, then through the desert, Texas and down to Key west, then up the East coast back to Boston.

Unfortunately we're not going to get a lot of time to explore Yellowstone/Grand Teton etc. We have a few days in Yellowstone which we're going to fill with a wildlife photography tour and a "paddle and saddle" kayak and horseback riding trip. Oh, and a quick trip to Old Faithful.

We managed to get the car rental through Budget.co.uk in the end. Only by calling their call centre and getting someone there to make a 30-day booking and putting a note on it asking the Boston office to extend it to 90 days at the same rate once we get there.

For now I just have two questions, What's the cheapest way of getting 3G internet on the move and what are the best hotels to stay in (cheaper chain hotels) for cheap/free in-room internet access.

I wondered how easy it would be for a foreigner to get a pre-paid 3g USB stick or something similar by just going into a shop in Boston? I'd like to get something with 4G so could I just walk into a Verizon or Sprint store and buy something or would I need a US address?

Another option is something like this... http://www.gosim.com/internet-access-abroad.html - Anybody got any experience?

Jon

If you want that for the computer, I would not bother.....

You will find that free wifi is available, almost everywhere. And where you have to pay, it is quite cheap. Most hotels give it free, as do motels, hostels and campgrounds. Many of the interstates have free wifi at rest areas, and places such as McDonalds, Starbucks, Panera and others, even some general stores and supermarkets, offer free wifi. I asked everywhere I went, and was often told it was available free, even though there was no sign saying so.

Have a safe trip.

Lifey

Wow, I wish it was like that in the UK. Hotel I stayed at this weekend was £16 (around $25) a night.

The more expensive hotels are generally the ones that charge! Most budget chains such as Super 8 and Days Inn all have free access. Motel 6 charges a nominal fee - $3 to $4 a night in their company operated hotels, and their franchises are often free. A lot of hotels also have a business center or a computer in the lobby with complimentary access. Even a lot of "mom and pop" motels have access, but it's definitely not upscale - something like a DSL connection with a consumer-grade wireless router sitting behind the front desk - you may have to sit in or near the lobby to get a good signal.

It's just not worth it to try to get 3G access, and if you want to have a cell phone for voice communication, the easiest way to do that is with a cheap prepaid phone that you can buy anywhere and throw it away when you leave. Refill cards for all the pay-as-you-go carriers are sold everywhere. You do not have to go to a phone store to get a prepaid phone, all the "big box" stores such as Walmart sell them. Note that here, you are charged airtime for all outgoing and incoming calls, including "800" free calls.

Something to keep in mind - AT&T and T-Mobile are our only GSM carriers - everyone else does not use SIM cards, they use specific phones.

Jon, have you managed to get the car from Boston for 90 days without changing cars on your way? On our trips we had to change the car. You are going to make a fantastic trip. Enjoy!

Yeehaw,

Budget's worldwide sales line have put it in the system as a 30 day booking but they have added a not for the Boston office to give me the car for 90 days at the same rate. They say it will be fine when I get to Boston and they see it on the system but I'm not so sure.

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Originally Posted by jonhobbs

They say it will be fine when I get to Boston and they see it on the system but I'm not so sure.

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I would call the Boston Office..... more than once. In fact, I would call them regularly until you go. Note down each time, date and time and to whom you spoke. Just explain that you want to be sure that this is actually the case. Confirm that this is actually what you are getting when you arrive at the desk,

If you get conflicting responses, say so, and tell them that is why you are calling more than just the once. You want to be sure. And if you happen to strike the same person on a subsequent call, just explain you are checking up that nothing has changed, and all will still be OK.

They will get the message that you are a serious customer, and these notes will (or should) go on record.

Lifey

Hi Lifey, I have tried calling the Boston office but unfortunately they are always busy and the phone system just redirects you to their international number :(


I have one more question for now and that's about the issue of speeding.

I'm not intending to drive round the whole of the USA at crazy speeds deliberately but over 12,000 it's going to be hard to never be over the speed limit, especially on those wide open interstates miles from a city and with very little traffic.

So, I've been looking for info on what happens to tourists when they're caught speeding and all I can come up with is general rules for US citizens in various states. So, would a tourist get an on the spot fine? If so would these be payable by the roadside or would a court appearance be necessary? If it happened more than once would the first offence be on some kind of national database?

Like I say, not planning on speeding deliberately but need to know what the consequences would be.

It's going to be a bit different from state to state. In nearly all cases, you should expect to have to pay the fine immediately - which you may be able to pay directly to the officer, or may require a trip to the courthouse.

As long as you are doing less than 10 over the limit, you typically won't get a ticket. If anything, the biggest problem I'd forsee is local cops not knowing how to handle an international license.

There really isn't much of a national database, as such things are really done on a state by state basis. Any communication would be done between the state that issued the ticket and the one that issued the Drivers License, but I don't they'd bother for a minor speed violation on an international license.

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As long as you are doing less than 10 over the limit, you typically won't get a ticket.

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I'd recommend you keep it to 5 mph over the limit - I was stopped in the middle of nowhere on I-94 in Montana for doing 6 over a few years ago. Since then, I set my cruise control at 4 over, verified by GPS.

Yeah, I think I'm going to hope the car has cruise control and learn how to use it. It's so easy in modern cars to not realise how fast you're going.

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Originally Posted by jonhobbs

Hi Lifey, I have tried calling the Boston office but unfortunately they are always busy and the phone system just redirects you to their international number :(

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That is a red flag to me. When switched through, I would insist that they put me back to the Boston office... that it is only the Boston office with whom you wish to speak. Don't discuss any specifics with them, just keep telling them to put you through to Boston. If they refuse (that would be another red flag to me), does the Boston office have an email address? Contact them there and tell them that you are trying to call (don't tell them why)... you wish to speak with them! If that is not possible, write them a snail mail letter, expressing the same sentiments. In each case I would give all my contacts, email, phone and mobile, but I would not tell them why I wish to speak with them, until I am actually speaking with them. And keep track of every attempt you make to contact them.

Sometimes ye just gotta be persistent. Remember, the squeaky door gets the oil.

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Originally Posted by jonhobbs

So, I've been looking for info on what happens to tourists when they're caught speeding ...

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I was, once! (Dave, I hope you're sitting down - private joke!)

It was in 2001, near Stockton CA, and I was on highway 99. It was in the days before I was used to using a cruise control. Of course with a cruise control, you won't exceed the speed limit. You just set it, and cruise.

Anyway, I pulled over, opened the passenger window and the guy (no idea if it was police or sheriff) asked me what I thought the speed limit was. I told him (but used the I-5 speed limit) - he corrected me.... but as soon as he heard my accent he asked if it was a rental car, wanted to see the papers and my licence, asked where I was going (to Yosemite).... and then proceeded to give me all the good oil on Yosemite, the best way to get there, what not to miss, etc.

He was such a nice man.

I have also been pulled up for doing an illegal left turn (2007), somewhere in NJ (how was I to know you could not turn there?) - and he was just as nice.

So just smile, be stunned, surprised, the ignorant tourist, or whatever else you feel like portraying... the moment they hear your voice, you'll find that they will end up asking you where you are from, how long you have been here, what did you like best, and so on. Let's face it, these guys don't meet many pleasant mannered folk along the road.

Just don't let it happen twice.

Lifey

I've been pulled over for less than 10 over (I was stopped for 7 over about a month ago) but I've never actually gotten a ticket unless my speed was in the double digits.

And I did say "typically," as doing even 1 mph over can potentially lead to a ticket, its just fairly unusual to get fined for doing less than 10 over when you're talking about highway driving. Also, when you get into towns, then that can change significantly and you can really be best off paying close attention to follow the letter of the law.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

If anything, the biggest problem I'd forsee is local cops not knowing how to handle an international license.

There really isn't much of a national database ...

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Michael, on the ocassions that I have been pulled over, three times now (can't remember what the third was for), they have taken my licence, gone back to their car, and checked something. When I asked how they could check a licence which was issued in Australia, I was told that it was checked against my visa, to see if I was legal.

Of course I have no idea if that is accurate information, but I have no reason to disbelief it. I've been tempted to try it out... but figured it may not be the wisest move.

Lifey

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unusual to get fined for doing less than 10 over when you're talking about highway driving. Also, when you get into towns, then that can change significantly and you can really be best off paying close attention to follow the letter of the law.

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That was my exact thought as I started reading the replies to this matter. Many towns have 25mph speed limits which seem tough to adhere to when the locals are going by you and you have been cruising for a while in the 60's or 70's, it's like you have stopped. I also noticed that either end of town was the most popular spot for a sheriff and his speed gun. That might not always be the case, just what I observed on my travels.

To the OP. You mention doing a lot of miles in a short period of time and if you start to play 'catch up' with time, over long periods, you are only increasing your chances of getting pulled. As much as possible I would concentrate on keeping things close to the limit and enjoying the ride. In the UK it seems much the same, a copper, er officer of the law, can book you whether it is 3mph or 30mph over but we trust them to use common sense and most of the time they do. A lot is to do with the car manufacturers who always veer to the side of caution when calibrating the speedometers and many 'true speeds are at least 5% less than your speedo reading, although don't take my word for it ! Lol.

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Lifemagician I was, once! (Dave, I hope you're sitting down

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I need a lye down !!

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Originally Posted by jonhobbs

Yeah, I think I'm going to hope the car has cruise control and learn how to use it. It's so easy in modern cars to not realise how fast you're going.

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Nothing to learn - you turn it on, and when you reach the speed you want to drive at, press SET. When you want to slow down, touch the brake.

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Originally Posted by glc

Nothing to learn - you turn it on, and when you reach the speed you want to drive at, press SET. When you want to slow down, touch the brake.

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Not sure that it is always as simple as that. I know quite a few people who are terrified of using a cruise control, and that includes a few senior family members. It is that feeling of the pedal pulling away from your foot, which terrifies them.

If people are made aware of what affect using a cruise control has, what they feel, how the vehicle reacts, etc. then they can learn to use it. But just saying it's easy, or just switch it on, without giving further information is not helpful to some people.

Lifey

Just a quick update.

We've been on our trip for 2 weeks and we're having a whale of a time. We've been keeping a blog here...

http://www.jonandjendoamerica.com/

Our rental company did mess up our booking (surprise!) so now I have to make a second and third booking before the first runs out. I've got the hang of cruise control and nearly got the hang of the roads here (except 4 way stops).

Anyway, just wanted to say a big thank you to all of you guys for helping us out.

Jon

Pleased to hear you are enjoying your trip.

Quote:

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From the blog] before I got pulled over for speeding (It was a 55 limit on an interstate and I was only doing about 60!).

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Bummer! It just goes to show..........