one way car trip from Boston to Pittsburgh

[Alex]

Hi,

I need advice on car trip planning from Boston to Pittsburgh. I need to arrive in Pittsburgh between 10 AM and 2 PM. I am not good at marathon multihour speed driving - this is my first long car trip. I am thinking of taking two night breaks in motels with 4 - 5 hours driving during the day time, while stopping for lunch in between. I figure if I live Boston say on Wednesday morning I could reach Pittsburgh comfortably on Friday within my above stated goal (between 10 AM and 2 PM).
Would any one recommend me good economical motels for first and second nights to stay ? Thanks in advance !

[PNW Judy]

I would recommend trying the road-trip planning feature on www.mapquest.com. It should give you all the info you need to plan your stops and make sure you get to Pittsburgh on time. All the cheaper hotel chains have websites with their locations so you can figure out where you'll be stopping and do a search to see if a Days Inn, Motel 6, or similar inexpensive motel is located in the general area. Hope that helps point you in the right direction.

[Mark Sedenquist]

MapQuest's tool only ranked 2-1/2 "Tires" with Trip King receiving the highest ranking -- 4 Tires. For more choices of <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/travelplanning/userguidefree.htm#map">road trip planning tools</a>, we suggest looking at RTA's review of on-line planning guides. Plus, today, we have launched a new "one-stop" <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/travelplanning/Road-Trip-Planning.htm">roadtrip planning department</a>, that you may find helpful.

[GEORGE FRANKEL]

Alex If you are taking interstates between Boston and Pittsburg there are quite a number of college communities along the way. before you choose a place to stop call ahead to the motel and ask if there is a "homecoming" or a football game going on. these towns fill up fast when there is a special event, and they always charge more for these weekends. enjoy your trip

[PNW Judy]

Checked out the new page. Kudos. Lots of good information in an easier to find format.

I also checked out the road-trip planning site you rated highest at rv.com. I couldn't get it to work properly. Couldn't figure out how to customize it at all. :-( But, then again, I usually never use the site-based trip planners as my trust MS Streets & Trips (also rated highly on your list) does a great job for me.

I don't generally use it for trip planning, but freetrip.com has an option that allows you to search for lodging and food in different price ranges.

Are you a member of AAA? If you are, just visit your local field office for free maps and tourbooks. The tourbooks list motels by city/town and offer information about room prices and amenities. If you're not a member, BECOME ONE! Unlimited roadside assistance and travel literature, all for about forty dollars a year.


Good luck and safe driving.


AB

[Mark Sedenquist]

Actually, this is not a must-see -- but it is one of our favorite places to pause and enjoy.

The next time you are in that fair city, go to Point State Park and proceed to the SW corner (just beyond Ft. Pitt Museum) to a small, concrete amphitheatre located directly under the interchange of I-376 and I-279. The supports for the bridge include large wooden timbers that resonate with booming tones when vehicle traffic passes overhead. It is like listening to the largest marimba you could ever imagine. The range of sounds is remarkably diverse and is one of our all-time favorite places to eat lunch and enjoy free "musical" entertainment.