NY to NV- first roadtrip

[mad]

Hi there- I am planning a trip to upstate NY (syracuse area) and I live in Las Vegas. I am considering flying out and then renting a car (recommendations on this are also welcome!) to make the return roadtrip part of the vacation. I am rather used to 300-400 mile car trips (commuting home on college breaks, etc.) but have never planned a long excursion like this.

I have plotted a couple of rough ideas using google maps, and am trying to get a realistic timeline for this trip, which should be between 2,400 and 2,650 miles. (depending upon the route)
departing from camden to:

columbus, oh (510mi)
st louis, mo (420 mi)
oklahoma city, ok (500 mi)
albequerque, nm (540 mi)
grand canyon park, az (400 mi)
las vegas, nv (275 mi)
For a total of 2,645 miles over 6 days of travel

OR:
camden to:

cleveland, oh (375 mi)
chicago, il (345 mi)
omaha, ne (470 mi)
denver, co (535 mi)
green river, ut (345 mi)
las vegas, nv (410 mi)
for a total of 2,475 miles over 6 days of travel

I have read a few posts and recommendations seemed to point to 500-550 miles per day maximum and each of these stay under that maximum. Obviously, the first option is a couple hundred miles more, but it also boasts a visit to the grand canyon. I am not committed to these major cities per se, just used them as landmarks to pace out the trips.

I am looking for advice in the following areas most:

1. which of these 2 routes seems best?
2. both of these are pretty fast paced trips- are the legs of the trip short enough that we will have energy left to do more than sleep and get back up the next day to drive more, or will it be drive/sleep/repeat?
3. are there recommendations for smaller places to stay over near these metro areas that keep the trip legs about the same?
4. re. the car rental: there will be just 2 of us, so we dont need a ton of space, but dont want to be crammed in either. also- fuel economy would be a plus for financial reasons. any recommendations on low-cost, one-way rentals?

I have never made a cross-country (or semi-cross country) trip before, and I want to make the trek, finding a good balance in terms of pace, enjoyment and finances. thanks in advance for your input :)

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

To travel either route over 6 days will be reasonably comfortable with a little time to stop along the way, but not a lot of time for major sightseeing.

The best of the 2 routes is the one that appeals to you and your tastes the most, but you could mix it up a bit. For instance you could make your way to Denver via Chicago or St Louis and then to Moab UT along I70 and down through Monument valley to Grand canyon. There are many more options you could work on. If you could spare an extra day for the run home it would be a much more enjoyable affair IMO.

As for car rentals it is just a case of shopping around on line to see what deals are out there for cars that suit your needs and budget.

[glc]

As far as the rental goes, there will be a one-way drop fee, and if any of you are under 25, there will also be a daily "young driver" surcharge. As far as size goes, a "standard" would be a good compromise between cost, economy, and comfort. This would be a Ford Fusion "or similar".

[mad]

Thanks for your input on this- I have never visited the grand canyon so it definitely has additional appeal, but I live in Las Vegas, so I can visit there on a separate trip sometime, I just don't know if its worth the additional 200mi.

hearing that it's a reasonable time/distance is really the biggest relief... knowing that its doable is definitely the first step.

anyone have any recommendations for alternative stop-over cities besides the major metros?

[Southwest Dave]

Grand canyon is more than a day trip from Vegas but it would certainly keep for a weekend. However, you could still enjoy some of the delights of Colorado and Utah on the way. Perhaps a drive over Trail ridge road in Rocky mountain NP, [Highest continuous paved road in the US] Colorado National monument, Arches/Canyonlands NP, Bryce canyon and possibly Zion, which can also be easily visited from Vegas.

You're not going to have bundles of free time but you should be able to pick and choose what appeals to you.

[glc]

I hardly ever stop in the major metros - I almost always use hotels/motels at Interstate exits in the more rural areas. I find them generally to be a lot less expensive and a lot less hassles getting in and out in the evening and morning. If there's a hotel at an exit, there's almost always enough other services to suit my needs. Even if my schedule gets me around a major metro when it's time to stop for the night, I look for places on the outskirts, I never stay downtown unless my purpose is to spend some time in that city to see things.