Right Hand Drive in a Left Hand World

[Right Hand Drive]

Sitting in Australia and trying to figure out a road trip in a hired RV starting at Pittsburgh and aiming to do a loop up through PA, CT, MASS, VT and maybe as far as Portland Maine.

Never driven on the wrong side of the road nor a large 25' RV.
Have driven small RV and hauled boats and trailers etc.

Wondering:

Is it as easy as they say?
Best routes for scenic beauty?
Best time? I hear fall (Autumn). Would that be in August????
Where to stay in the beast? Van parks?
Do you have to book a place for overnight?
Any other tips most welcome!

[Lifemagician]

Hi, and Welcome to the The Great American RoadTrip Forum.

Don't worry about driving on the 'wrong' side of the road... it really is as easy as they say. Takes 10 minutes to get used to. lol Just a few words of caution.

Make sure you leave at least 24 - 48 hours after a long haul flight, before you get on the road. Most companies which rent RVs have this as a rule, anyway.
Don't drive in the early morning or late at night. And of course, not when you are tired. These are the times you tend to revert to what comes naturally.
And be very aware when there is very little traffic around. (I found myself revert to the other side, when I was the only vehicle on the road. But this was in the back blocks of Alaska.)

August can be a little early for Autumn leaves, even up in the far northeast. But of course, it all depends on the weather each year.

As for where to stay. You can't just pull in anywhere, and the norm is to stay in RV parks and campgrounds. Whether you book ahead or not is very much a personal thing. Many like to wing it. Others like to know for sure that they have a place. On the other hand, August is still holiday time.

But my question of you is, what is your reason for taking an RV? These are not the States where I would choose to roadtrip by RV.

Lifey

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

You would have to work seriously hard to find a non-scenic road in that neck of the woods, so don't worry on that account. I also wouldn't worry too much about switching sides of the car/road. The fact that you are in the 'wrong' seat will be a constant reminder to drive on the 'wrong' side of the road. I have driven several times in the UK and Ireland and have never had any notable problem even when hopping right into the car after a long trans-Atlantic flight. The one aspect of switching sides that I will warn you about is that you need to look both ways and think about which lane your going to get in when you make turns from one two lane road onto another two lane road.

With those worries out of the way, the best time for foliage is early October. August and September can be great as well, but the trees will all be green. Within that time frame, September will see the least amount of traffic on the roads as August is the height of the summer season and October brings out the 'leaf peepers'. Your best option for parking the rig at night are any of the multitude of state parks throughout the area. Second choice would be commercial RV campgrounds which, while they offer more amenities such as a store and laundromat, usually lack the space and scenery of state parks. If you come in either August or October, some advance planning (reservations) would be in order. In September you can probably get away with just winging it.

As just a general outline of routes you should be looking at, get a good map or atlas of the US and think about PA-28 to US-6, then I-88 up towards New England. Some of my favorite roads and sites there are listed and linked to here. On your return to Pittsburgh, consider I-84 to US-209 down through the Delaware Water Gap to the Susquehanna River and then use US-22 the rest of the way.

AZBuck

[Right Hand Drive]

Hi Lifey,

Thanks for the reply and advice.

Why these states? PA, CT, MASS, VT and maybe as far as Portland Maine.

Well I have got friends in PA and never been on hols in the USA so you have to start somewhere! I guess there is plenty to see in the USA wherever you go!

Regards
RHD

[Right Hand Drive]

Dear AZ,

Thank you for the good quick advice. I think I will shoot for September which fits well with planning this end in Oz and I would rather a quieter experience.

I will study those routse you suggest!

Thanks again!

RHD