HELP! From Los Angeles to New York!

[Jungle Julia]

Hello there! I'm new to this website but I thought it might be helpful for me to ask for advice here, since most people seem to be experts or enthusiasts when it comes to roadtrips...

So I have many questions that I hope some of you can answer :)

Here are the details of my trip:

I'm renting a car to move from Los Angeles to NYC at the beginning of December (I haven't decided the date yet because I want to have some of the details figured out) but tentatively I'd leave on the 6th. I have friends/family in Houston, TX; Athens, GA; and Leesburg, VA; and so I'm choosing those routes and making stops in all those places.

So... here are the questions:

I need to make one more stop before I get to Houston and so I was thinking about stopping in New Mexico, since I'm a sucker for zombies I was thinking about choosing Roswell. Since I've never been there, do you guys recommend that as a stop or do you have a better suggestion?

I've rented cars many times, but never for a roadtrip this long, do you guys have any suggestions at all as to what car to rent (be mindful I'm on a budget). I'm making sure I have every insurance available but besides that I don't know what else to ask for. Price wise especially, I was thinking about renting a Hyundai Accent, would you recommend that or should I spend a little more and upgrade?

My cousin also tells me about these websites that you go on and find people that need rides going the same direction and that way you save gas and money... It seems a little untrustworthy (I'm a 25 year old girl traveling by myself) to me but I'm willing to take a look at it, do you guys have any suggestions as to what are the best websites for this?

Also, any suggestions as to what routes to take? Any scenery I might want to check out? What to avoid? What to watch out for? What hotels are the cheapest to stay at (at my stop in New Mexico)? Any tips on saving money on the road? Staying safe?

Really, anything at all you may say to me it's going to help, this is an adventure I'm choosing to take because I've never done this and I've never seen any of these places before and since I work so much, I'm taking advantage of the fact that I'm moving to NY to see all these great places on my way there!

Oooooh one more thing! I was thinking about tentatively staying for a night in New Orleans, it'd be a weekday in winter, do any of you think it'd be worth it? I'd love to check out live Jazz but I don't even know if there's anything going on at that time of year and if it's even worth trying.

Thanks so much in advance for all your suggestions!

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

First of all, you need to stop more than once between Los Angeles and Houston. That's over 1500 miles and will require three days of solid driving, minimum, to complete. Trying to do it in just two days is as rock solid a guarantee of disaster as there is. And if you want to add Roswell to your itinerary, you're going to have to add a third night's stay somewhere before you get to Houston as Roswell is far enough off the main roads (Interstates) that getting there and seeing anything (zombies are not their 'thing', however) will carry a significant time penalty. I would, instead, recommend that you stick to I-10 and plan to make stops in Tucson, AZ and Fort Stockton, TX. Similarly, Houston to Athens will require at least one overnight stop, preferably somewhere around Biloxi, MS. Even Athens to Leesburg, at 600 miles is more than you should really attempt in a day of solo driving, especially after having been at it for (hopefully) five days already.

As for the rental car, the most money can be saved not on the size of the car but on the add-on fees. Insurance is a classic case in point. If you drive now and have auto insurance, check with your current company to see if your insurance carries over to rentals. Check with any credit cards that you might have to see what insurance they automatically issue to you when you simply use their card to charge the rental. If you're a member of AAA or another road club, see if they extend coverage to you as a member. I NEVER buy insurance from a non-insurance company, or coverage for a short-term, specific liability. It's simply a bad deal and you can do much better by shopping around beforehand. Otherwise just get the smallest car that you're comfortable with for the trip. You really won't save much on the actual rental contract, what you're really trying to do is to minimize gas costs. I am over 6 feet tall and I never get anything larger than a mid-size or intermediate. For more hints on saving money, read this general discussion.

Frankly, although I used to (more years ago than I care to remember) give rides to random hitch-hikers, I don't think I would do that today. As I say, there are far better ways to save a buck than to invite total strangers into your home or car. Otherwise, you're going to be as safe anywhere on the road as you are in your own city. Remember that everywhere is somebody's hometown. Just use the same common sense that you do at home.

The main thing you need to make this a successful trip is more time. You simply haven't allocated enough of it to even complete the trip safely at this point, so before I or anyone else will recommend other time sinks to you, you're going to have to come to grips with the size of the task you're undertaking. Once you've done that, there will be a host of opportunities for interesting, informative, scenic, historic, or just plain entertaining diversions.

AZBuck

[Lifemagician]

Any tips on saving money on the road? Staying safe?

In addition to the advice given above, you might like to check out these links.

As a solo 25 year old female, I would definitely NOT choose to share the car with a total stranger. There are many safer ways to save money when on a budget. For accommodation, you may like to check out hostels along your route. Since most hostels have kitchen facilities, you can prepare your own food. Much cheaper than eating out. Check to make sure that the hostel has a locker for every bed. Furthermore, make sure it is a locker which is secured with your own padlock. (Lockers for which you have to pay can be accessed by the establishment's management.) Make sure you carry a good medium padlock.

Another great resource is Couchsurfing . But maybe you have left that too late too. Maybe not! It pays to get yourself and your location verified. You may still have enough time for that. Choose hosts who have been verified, or hosts who have a good number of references. Few hosts will offer you a couch/bed when you are brand new, and have not been verified. And remember, CS is a community. Be sure to offer your host something in return. A small trinket from your place of origin, a box of chocs or some flowers, or simply offer to wash the dishes, cook a meal. Or surprise your host by cleaning the bathroom. Just some small thing which shows your host how much you appreciate their generosity.

And maybe when you settle into NY, you might be in a position to return the favour to other travellers. CS are much in demand in NY.

And lastly a most overlooked way of saving money on the road, is to keep your speed down, don't burn off the car in the lane next to you and avoid hard braking. It has been reported that the most fuel efficient speed is around 62 - 65 mph. Anticipate stops up ahead, and take off gently.

Have a safe trip.

Lifey