Help with a Trip

[imported_lauren]

i'm planning on taking some time off school at the end of march and want to get on the road. i have no chosen destinations or even a travel companion, it's just something i know i want to do. any advice, tips, destinations, etc that anyone can offer would be appreciated. thank you --

We can't really begin to offer any suggestions without knowing at least a little bit of what your interests are, where you're coming from, and the basics.

Taking time off from school - that can be very dangerous!

[imported_lauren]

Sorry about the lack of information -- I am currently in Savannah, Ga. I want to leave in the beginning of April, and travel for anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. I'd love to go pretty much anywhere, my only concerns being how much money i'd need. I'm definetly willing to sleep in the car and at hostels, to keep it cheap, but gas will add up, so will food, and extra expenses i'm sure. Any suggestions and ideas of cost would be very helpful. Thanks so much.

There have been many discussions on this forum about the costs of a trip, I recommend starting with a search. To apply fuel costs, you probably already know what your vehicle gets MPG, and you should be able to figure out what you'll spend based on the distance you plan to travel. So, for a tip, at least plan what kind of distance you're going to do so you'll have enough cash for fuel.

I take my average MPG, subtract about 15% from that (since I don't know what conditions I will ultimately face) , then I figure the average cost of fuel and add 10% (to compensate for regional price differences, though fuel is almost always LOWER when I leave Massachusetts) to that for a rough fuel budget.

fuel price = (miles traveled / (mpg * 0.85)) * (price per gallon * 1.10)

[Editor's Note: You could also use our <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/roadtripamerica_cfmfiles/calculator.cfm">fancy dancy fuel cost calculator<a/>] We have fuel efficiency information for every car found in the USA and fuel costs in nearly every state and Canadian province.]

That being said, consider your interests and look for an area that has relevance - ie, if you're into Revolutionary War history, you might not want to go to Utah for that. You'd want to go to Utah for all of the other remarkable places it has to offer.

I'd be hesitant to take time off from school; speaking from experience, it can be an expensive side-track. The gross current return from this path can definitely offset any future net realized gain, resulting in a string of related events that ultimately result in the personal insight: "How the heck did I end up in this situation?!"

I'll leave that last up to you.