Hi - I have lurked a few times on this forum over the years and have finally decided to just go ahead and book a 2 week trip to the West of America for a road trip.

The thing which has put us off before is the planning - there is so much to plan that the hardest thing is just finding a good place to start! Car hire, hotel booking, route planning - I have no idea where to start.

I am hoping to get for some info from people who may have done this before - just to try and get some basic established such as how long to drive for each day, whether to have days off driving, best type of car to rent that kind of thing.

The route is the toughest, as coming from the UK getting an idea of scale and traffic is quite difficult. Have never driven overseas so that's a scary thought!

Top of the priorities for me is Yosemite - though it seems most places in the park are fully booked so I think we will need to stay outside the park. We'd also like to visit the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, LV, SF, LA. Maybe a jaunt into Mexico if that is even logistically possible.

Do people book their accommodation before going? I like the idea of being a little more free-willed, but do not want to end up without anywhere to stay.

Seems there is so much to consider! I'd really appreciate some stories from people who have done similar, to give me the kick up the ass I need!

Thanks

Ham