Autumn 2013 road trip

Hi, just wondered if anybody would care to share any advice/hints/tips/recommendations! My sister and I (22 and 23) are planning to travel from the UK in Autumn - hopefully late September if we can get everything planned and booked in the next few months!

The plan is very basic at the moment, and would be grateful of any advice! Essentially we're looking at joining an escorted tour (TrekAmerica, Contiki or something similar) for a week or two (looking at the NE - NY, New England, maybe over to Niagara Falls), then rent a car for a few weeks or so. A few of the states/cities we have in mind so far (other than New York and New England) are Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, Texas (any recommendations for cities/sights would be fab!), Las Vegas, San Diego, LA, San Francisco... I'll leave it there for now!

As for renting a car, how do under-25s currently stand with surcharges? I know there's a $25 per day charge, but some companies waiver it in favour of a Young Driver's fee. Also, may be a ridiculous question, but are there taxes or fees for each state? I know there are congestion charges in London, and didn't know if there was anything similar anywhere in the US. My sister does the driving here, and I've not driven since I passed my test at the end of 2008, so I'm out of practice. I feel it'd be unfair to expect her to do all the driving, but I don't know whether it would be worth the charges of having an additional driver if I'm a little unsure of my ability.

As some of the destinations are on opposite sides of the country, would it be worth flying? I have no idea what to expect of air fares, so don't know if it's a viable option or not.

Thanks from an excited-but-slightly-in-the-dark traveller,
Kelly

We were thinking of motels/budget hotels for accommodation - my sister's skin is quite bad so camping has been ruled out. What can we expect to pay for a double room, and would we be better to book innadvance or would we be okay to turn up on the day and ask for a room? I'm usually happier when I've got a solid plan to go by, but this is a trip to just go with the flow, and I would prefer not to be limited by time constraints.

Welcome!

You should be able to get the best deal on a rental car through a UK consolidator such as carhire3000.com. There are no additional taxes or fees anywhere that I know of, but we do have some toll roads and bridges/tunnels and parking in large cities can be very expensive. I would budget $75/night for hotel rooms, more if you want to stay in or near downtown in cities and near major attractions. Unless there is an event going on or you are near a major attraction, you can generally just show up and get a room.

If you have not driven since you got your licence five years ago, and you want to be able to relieve your sister of some of the driving, then may I suggest that you spend the next three month driving some every day. You don't need to go far, but you do need to practice and build confidence.

It would not be fair on your sister, or any other road user, to step into a car without experience as well as needing to adjust to driving on the opposite side of the road. In fact, I think it would be most irresponsible.

Lifey

Given what a tour costs and the fact that you have to follow their schedule, I've never really seen the point to them unless you're unable to get around otherwise. If, as glc suggested, you book through a European consolidator, you can usually avoid the 'underage driver' fees that tend to push up the car hire rates. Besides carhire3000, some others are AutoEurope and Europcar. If you manage that, then you have a great advantage over being on a tour. Not only will your expenses be lower - you can share the cost of travel and lodging rather than paying for everything on a per-person basis - but you can go where you want on your schedule.

Speaking of schedules, you apparently are planning on about a month for this trip which would be enough to let you see a good chunk of America and parts of Canada if you're of a mind. September into October can be a great time to visit the US as children have returned to school and most holiday makers are off the road by then. One thing I would suggest, though, is that you start with 'elsewhere' and finish with New England. Northern New England in particular can be spectacular in the late fall, with peak foliage season coming around the second week in October.

For some suggestions on what to see, check out these discussions of New England, and these attractions in each state and province.

AZBuck

Hey guys, thanks for your insights!

I'll take a look into those rental companies, thanks! Do companies hike up massive one-way fees? Would it be better to do smaller round trips and then fly to different areas of the country?

I'll speak to my Dad and see if he'll let me borrow his car and get some experience. Don't worry, I wouldn't drive if I didn't feel confident - I know how dangerous unsure drivers can be, and I'd hate to be in, or cause, an accident - it was just the thought that it might be easier for me to adapt to driving on the right side, on the right hand side of the road, and possibly even moreso if the car is automatic, compared to the second-nature of a well-versed driver.

We're still looking into the dates, but will definitely keep New England in October in mind! Thank you also for the links, they're bookmarked for future reference!

Do hotels/motels (or even car rental companies) require a credit card? We both only have debit cards at the moment, so that's something we would have to look into getting some way in advance.

We didn't want to commit completely to a long tour and blow our budget on that, but we both felt that a short one would be a good way to ease into it - to find our feet and start to get some understanding and feel comfortable, before we delve into the country on our own. Plus there's the added bonus of the safety aspect - more to please our parents and family than anything else!

Another plus for the overseas consolidator (carhire3000, EuropCar, AutoEurope) is that they can possibly waive the one-way fee as well as the under-25 daily fee. Do mention, also, that you are sisters, as that should be in your favor as well.

I would also recommend to practice your driving before you leave. Though you sound confident, more experience will make you even more confident.

Donna

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kello2111

... We didn't want to commit completely to a long tour and blow our budget on that, but we both felt that a short one would be a good way to ease into it ...

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You may like to consider taking a tour when you get to a city. Whenever I arrive in a city for the first time, I take one of those bus tours which goes for an hour or two, to get an oversight of the city. Then I can go and venture out on my own, without wasting a lot of time looking for what I want to see.

Also keep in mind that parking in many cities can be expensive. In NYC and DC it is horrendously expensive. In the latter two you won't want to get around by car. They have good public transport.

Lifey

A credit card is HIGHLY recommended, preferably a Visa or Mastercard. Hotels and car rental agencies will place a substantial lock on your debit card, which can be quite inconvenient. Of course, you can settle the bill at the end with your debit card if you prefer.

Our internal airfares are not cheap - it will probably be cheaper to keep one car for the duration.

All of our rental cars are automatic. Last time I was able to rent a manual was over 20 years ago.

Thanks Donna! Will definitely mention that then when enquiring! I know I'm a much better passenger (and sat-nav!) than I probably am a driver, so I'll try and get some experience under my belt first! Do you think a sat-nav/GPS would be worth it, or would we fare as well with a classic map? Just thinking for hotels/petrol stations/amenities etc., a sat-nav may be able to provide more for us, and with much more ease.

Thanks for that tip, Lifey. So when it comes to the major cities, would you recommend staying on the outskirts and using public transport to explore for a few days?

Cheers glc - do you think it would be worth both getting hold of a credit card? I know it's probably more likely that companies would like the main driver's card, but I'm the more "responsible" one! I'll get in touch with my bank and see if we can get something sorted either way! Also thanks for the airfare tip - we'll stick with the car then! Get to see more that way too :)

GPS vs paper map: We travel with both, using them for different reasons. I feel that long distance travel is much easier with paper maps, while finding restaurants, motels, etc is easier with the sat-nav/GPS.

Credit card will make your life easier. When paying the bill at a restaurant or motel, they don't care whether it's the driver or the passenger that pays, as long as somebody does!

Cheers Donna! Considering getting a map or two to help better plan a route, so maybe we'll see about a sat-nav closer to the time.
Ha yeah, pretty sure as long as they get their money, they'll be happy - I was thinking more for car rental companies! Though whilst we're on the subject, am I right in thinking that tips/service charges in restaurants are around 15% of the bill?

I agree with Donna, paper maps are essential. Take your UK auto mobile club membership with you, and you will be able to get free maps from the AAA. You can pick up maps when / where you land, for all the States and major urban centres you plan to visit. They will also provide tourist information if you want it.

Lifey

The primary renter is the one that needs a credit card.

Customary tips in full service restaurants are 15 to 20%. At buffets where the server only clears dishes and refills your drinks, tips are less, I usually leave $1 per person. No tipping required in (self service) fast food places, even if there's a tip jar on the counter. In bars (pubs), it's customary to tip the bartender $1 per drink. Taxi drivers expect 15%. If you use valet parking, $2 is customary. If you use skycaps (baggage handlers) at the airport, $1 per bag.

If you bring a GPS with you, make sure you can get US maps for it.

If you have an unlocked Android smartphone, you can buy an AT&T "Go Phone" pay as you go sim for it, and it will have a serviceable GPS using Google Maps.

Thanks Lifey, will definitely keep that in mind.

Thanks for the breakdown of tips, glc. I know it's very different here, so that clears loads up. I'll make sure we get a credit card sorted too. We'll see if our sat-nav can be programmed for US maps, or how much to rent one along with the car.

As for phones, we weren't planning on bringing our current phones with us, but maybe get some cheap ones for the duration of the trip, for essentials/emergencies. Generally planning to keep in touch with everyone at home via Skype/Facebook/email when we can connect to wifi. I'm assuming wifi will be readily available at most hotels?

Wifi is generally available in all accommodation. I have rarely struck a place which did not have wifi. Many stores have wifi, and you can often just sit outside and pick it up. Home Depot, Starbucks, Safeway, etc. I often ate at Panera Bread, while using their wifi. Some States make wifi available along their interstates or toll roads and often at rest areas or travel plazas.

You may find it cheaper to purchase a sat nav, rather than getting the maps. I have a US satnav, and when I went to get local maps for it, they cost twice the price of a new satnav. So now I have one for home, and one for the US. Crazy! but that's the way it is.

Check with the car rental, but often it is cheaper to purchase a new one than to pay the daily rental, which could add up to many times the cost of a new one. They are now quite cheap to purchase.... with lifetime maps. That way you'll have it for your next trip. Believe me, there will be a next trip. Few stop at one, once they have experienced a RoadTrip in the US.

Lifey

You can purchase a GPS here with lifetime US maps for about $125. Prepaid basic phones (no data, just voice and SMS) start at $20 and you can get "top up" cards everywhere.

I'd recommend that you order a US road atlas now to help you with your planning.

Most McDonalds have free wifi, and you will find them everywhere. It's kinda funny, but the cheaper hotel/motel chains generally have free wifi, but the higher end ones often charge extra! Some hotels have Ethernet jacks instead of wifi, so pack a cable in your laptop bag.

Thanks for the wifi tips guys! Mom and Dad will definitely be pleased - best give them a few Skype lessons!

Will look into the GPS situation closer to the time then, if it's going to be better value to buy one once we're there than it is to rent one or sort out the maps for our current sat-nav. Won't tell the parents about more potential road trips just yet - think they're just about getting to grips with this one for now! Thanks for the road map link too, glc! Will purchase tomorrow morning when I've got my card to hand!

What sort of places would be best to get phones/GPS from? I don't know any electronics stores in the US apart from Radioshack.

Walmart is as good as any. They sell GPS and phones in the electronics department. Best Buy is another option, probably not quite as cheap. They are both "big box" stores, not specialty stores like Radio Shack.

Thank you so much for all your help and advice! It's all been a massive help and feel much more confident in knowing where to look and how to go about it! Much appreciated guys!

We always travel with both a GPS and paper map. If a highway closure or accident occurs, you can always pull out the paper map and figure out an alternative route quite easily. Sometimes a GPS wants to keep routing you back onto the highway you need to avoid. I would look into the cost of purchasing a GPS with North American maps on it and bring it with you verses renting one from the rental agency. The fees they charge for GPS rental can be steep unless you can arrange a flat fee for your entire rental period. It may be cheaper to buy one and bring it along. My other recommendation is to obtain a credit card. Every hotel you stay at will require one at check in. As well, so will the car rental company as a security deposit. If you use your debit card, the car rental company will place a hold on your bank funds to cover the security deposit (could be $1,000+) possibly for the length of your rental. The hotels will do the same and releasing the hold can take up to 72 hours.

Thanks wec67, hadn't even thought of re-routing. The paper map is now waiting at the post office to be picked up, so can start getting into the specifics of a route soon!

Will definitely be getting a credit card each, will go through our bank and get some VISAs - can't afford to have such high fees frozen if we use a debit card.

Another question guys - regarding insurance policies, is it recommended to opt in for PAI when hiring a car, or will we be covered for that on our standard travel insurance? Or is it all dependant on individual policies?

Check with your insurance company. All policies are not the same, and not all are accepted by rental companies. Ask the insurance company what you are covered for when renting a car. (I always check at least two, and sometimes three times. Some do give out erroneous information.) Get in writing exactly what it is you are covered for when you rent a car. Show that to the rental company, and they will tell you which overlap and which you will still be required to pay for. You can do all of this by email (or over the phone) before you start your trip, so that you will not have any nasty surprises on your arrival. If you are going through a consolidator, check with them.

Lifey

There are two kinds of insurance coverage - collision (pays for the damage to the vehicle) and liability (pays for the injuries to others). You will need to ask your personal car insurance company if you and your driving partner are covered while renting a vehicle in the US. Probably not. Ask about the liability limit. Carrying $1 million to $2 million in liability coverage is common in Canada and the US. A serious accident with a car full of people can use up that coverage. It may be easier to pay the premium of the rental car company. Ensure you have both coverages.

If the UK is anything like it is here, and from reading these forums I believe it is, then your auto insurance will not cover you. That is why my post said, ask your travel insurance and then *show* that to the rental company or consolidator. That way you will not be up for any nasty surprises.

You will need liability cover, but that part is normally covered by travel insurance. In fact, the standard liability with travel insurance here is US$5mil. The other insurance is collision, mostly to cover the excess the rental company needs to pay in case of any damage.

I have once had a collision with a rental car, trying to avoid being killed by an irresponsible driver. My travel insurance had been accepted by Budget, and I never heard any more of it. The damage was not great. The replacement car was there in a matter of hours and nothing was mentioned when I returned the car.

Lifey

Okay, thanks guys. Will look more into it when we've got set dates and can start looking at the travel insurance. Would never risk not having the appropriate insurance, but was just thinking about whether it would be possible to avoid payong for the same cover twice - the overlap you mentioned, Lifey.
Thanks again guys!