Virgin roadtripper, Going from Sacramento to NY and back. HELP!!!

[Kokorozashisadamaru]

I have never been at the helm of a cross country road trip but desperately want to. I want to go from Sac, CA, to NY and back. I want to leave around the first of March. Simple questions(maybe). About how much will the entire thing cost(small but fuel efficient car)? Is there a route I can take where I won't or will encounter little snow? What will the shortest required time be for this trip? I probably won't stop that much. Maybe grand canyon and such(unless you have any suggestions). I don't mind driving long hours, plus there are three of us to drive. What are the "must stops"? Please those with experience in driving this distance in feb-march be so kind as to direct me. Thank you in advance for your help!

[Midwest Michael]

Simple questions(maybe). About how much will the entire thing cost(small but fuel efficient car)?

Your simple questions aren't as simple as you might think.

How much will your trip cost? That's completely up to you and how you wan to travel. Fuel costs are just one small part of the expense, and can be estimated with a handy little link on the left side of this webpage. The rest of your expenses will depend upon how you sleep (camp, cheap motel, nice motel?), how you eat (cooler, fast food, restaurants?), and how much you spend on fun stuff (Nat'l Park Fees, souvieners, etc).

Is there a route I can take where I won't or will encounter little snow? What will the shortest required time be for this trip? I probably won't stop that much.

There is no route that can guarentee snow-free travel that time of year. Routes to the south might be less likely, although you would also have the chance of ice storms instead.

I-80 all the way across would be the fastest route, and it could be done comfortably in as little as 4 or 5 days. Personally, I'd cut down to I-70 though, and go through the heart of Colorado for a more senic drive, but that does involve more mountains.

I probably won't stop that much. Maybe grand canyon and such(unless you have any suggestions). I don't mind driving long hours, plus there are three of us to drive. What are the "must stops"?

Here I think is your biggest question. Why are you doing this trip? Is it to get across the country as fast as you can? Is it to see some of the USA's biggest attractions, like the Grand Canyon? Is it something in between? There's no right or wrong answer, but it certainly makes a big difference on what you can or can't do. The Grand Canyon is a great thing to see, and March is a great time to see it, but if you're looking to make this a speed run, its at least a day or two out of your way, not including the time needed to actually enjoy what you're stopping for.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Please those with experience in driving this distance in feb-march be so kind as to direct me. Thank you in advance for your help!

Midwesterner's points are on-target -- I think you need to consider why you want to take such a trip. Here are some ideas that might be helpful to you. It is likely, maybe even guranteed, that you will hit winter driving weather along that route, that time of year. Here are some excellent tips, that we use every day when driving in the winter.

Mark

[Kokorozashisadamaru]

Thank you so much for your brilliant advice! Also what kind of GPS device do you recommend? If you recommend one at all.