Cost

[Henry]

Myself and 3 friends are travelling from San Diego to New York. We've got 10 days.

We're looking for a general price e.g. daily accomodation, food and gas.

Any help would be _really_ appreciated

Thanks
Henry

[PNW Judy]

OK, with my car's miles per gallon, your trip would cost me about $25 per day for gas. Campgrounds cost from about $8-30 dollars per night so let's assume they average $20 per night during your trip. So now we're looking at about $45 per day for gas and cheap lodging. The rest will vary depending on what you do and how you eat.

When I do a roadtrip, I typically have a cooler with things like bagels and fruit for breakfast, make sandwiches/fruit/granola bars, etc. for lunch, and either cook a simple dinner (like hamburgers) at the campsite or eat dinner out at an inexpensive diner. If you do this, meals are cheap. If you replenish at grocery stores instead of expensive mini-marts, your food costs will be similar to what you spend on groceries at home.

Hope this helps a bit.

[Tony Chapman]

Just arrived back in England UK after completing an 11,000 mile journey from Los Angeles, San Fransisco, Lake Tahoe, Yosemiti, Mono Lake, Bishop, Death Valley, Vegas, Grande Canyon then onto the southern states to Louisiana up the Great river to Chicago, around the Great Lakes to Niagara then into New York passing through Manhattan just 14 hours prior to the attack on the towers which cut short our journey.

We bought a car in LA rather than renting, in fact we found it difficult to rent a car when travelling interstate and getting insurance for interstate travel was a nightmare especially with having a foreign driving licence. We also purchased a tent and equipment before leaving LA. We found that the state campgrounds provided some of the best facilities especially in CA. Wherever we travel we have found that the best policy is to eat like the locals, it's the cheapest way. Go into the Supermarkets and look at what's in their carts then decide if you can stomach it, if you can, then go and buy.

Fuel is so cheap in the US, in Europe we pay almost five times your price of a gallon. When in the cities cheap accommodation can be found by purchasing a copy of 'The Hostel Hanbook' only $4 and well worth it. Another tip which is worth a mention is that when you cross states go to the 'Visitor Centre' and ask for a state map which is always hidden behind the counter, it is free but you need to ask for it. To keep in touch with the family we got onto the net at the local library, it's free but sometimes you will find yourself in a queue. Normally the queue is short since online time is limited to half an hour or one hour.

We enjoyed keeping off the interstate highways, they're a bore. Look for those little places off the main highway, they're much more interesting. I remember going into the library at Crystal City and the librarian there saying "what a cute little accent, where are you from and how did you find your way to Crystal City. No, it's not on the usual tourist map but it got us in touch with the 'real' america the largely unknown america to the average european.

The highlights of our trip were Las Vegas, so surreal. The Grande Canyon, one of the wonders of the world which actually lives up to that title. Death Valley at 127 degrees farenheight which beggars belief, we drove through the north road to Stovepipe Wells in July and I still wonder how those pioneers managed to survive in such conditions, the north road is rough and if you want to feel the real heat, turn off the AC in the car and drive slowly, it's awesome.

Niagara was a disappointment at first, we expected the falls to be high but it is the volume of water over the falls which makes it great. Take a trip on the 'Maid of the Mist' and you will feel the power of water.

good luck on your trip.

Tony

[B Durbin]

Actually, quite a few state visitor's centers have multiple state maps, many including places of interest. (Oregon's visitor's center on US 97 also has maps in Spanish and German. Grab one for your language class.) Some of them are oddly placed, though... you have to drive a quarter of the way through Colorado to find theirs heading south on I-95, and Nevada's VC off of I-80 requires quite a bit of sign-following off the interstate.

As you might guess, my family has done quite a bit of driving and loves to take advantage of free stuff.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Road Greetings Tony,

We really appreciate your input from your trip! Some really useful information for travelers.

Publisher

[Lynn]

State & Federal Campgrounds are cheaper than private campgrounds. Hostels are safe & cheap $8/ to $19/night & more comfortable w/kitchens etc. Buy more than just the "Hostelling International" handbook. Also buy the "Hostels USA" handbook. It is excellent. Check out a number of hostel sites on the internet. And when you get to a hostel, ask around--often you can learn about new hostels from fellow hostellers. If you prefer camping & don't mind "roughing it". Contact the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and request a map of their land across the US. You can camp FOR FREE in BLM land. If you are desparate & it's late & you can't find a place to sleep, then check your road atlas to see which states will allow you to sleep in you vehicle in their rest areas. But it's best to plan ahead. Hope this helps!