Please help with our honeymoon RoadTrip!! :)

[Clarefire]

Hi there everyone,

I posted up a couple of years ago, hoping for information on a roadtrip I had wanted to make with my Dad.
Unfortunately, he wasn't able to go - but I really appreciated the advice I received here.

I am now getting married at the end of April this year - at a gorgeous waterfall here in Northern Ireland.

My fiance and I are hoping to do a road trip in a campervan in America as our honeymoon.

We've done a little bit of research already - with lots more to come - but we would really appreciate any further advice.

Route:

We were thinking of this route... We've allowed about a month to do it (or maybe six weeks, if costs allow). The thought is to fly into Las Vegas on April 30, and set off from there (so most of the travelling will happen in May).

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=...mra=ls&t=m&z=5

Are we being hopelessly optimistic?

How to travel:

We have been thinking about campervans like this:

http://www.wickedcampers.ca/

Or

http://www.escapecampervans.com/

But these might be impractical for a month or longer?

We're also happy to consider regular motorhomes - but these may be more expensive?

And so... it would be fabulous to hear your thoughts... our mode of transport, proposed route - have we missed something close by, or are we being too hopeful on the route?

Any suggestions gratefully received :)

Clare

[Mass Tim]

It appears both of those companies to which you've linked are using some pretty old hardware (I don't think those vans have been produced since 2005) and hence the lower costs. If you're planning on the camping lifestyle for your trip, I'd say an RV would be a better bet in terms of comfort than what I can see pictured there.

As far as the amount of time for your trip - you have plenty. Thirty-two hundred miles is doable in a week of 500 mile days. With four weeks, you only have to average a bit over 100 miles each day. That excludes the last leg back to Las Vegas, but over the course of a month the additional time is negligible. If you are not planning a round trip, there could be significant costs incurred for any rental you make.

[Clarefire]

Thanks so much for your reply Tim.

Can you recommend any RV companies out of Las Vegas? maybe even a company that you can collect the van in LV, and leave it in LA?

And what do you think about the route (especially considering the time of year)... I've just read that sticky post above - it may still be snowing around the Grand Canyon at the start of May?

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome back to RTA, and Congratulations !

First of all, no I don't think you are being over optimistic with your route when considering the time you have. Your research has basically made you opt for this outline of a route and presumably there is a lot you want to see along it and once you start modifying it you are bound to add many miles. There will be a million and one options to consider that are 'close by', but at the moment your route mainly lists Interstate Highways and a few City's, with little else for us to go on. By the time you have worked at it your distance could easily be 4500-5000 miles with a loop of that size and that's what you need to work on, your priorities for the trip.

As you research and get dots on the map based on your interests, then we can certainly help to fill in the blanks and answer questions. There are many great National parks you could visit which are ideally suited to the 'Camping' Lifestyle. In May, places like Yellowstone and Glacier are just coming alive from the winter, but it is a month where you can still see winter like conditions with snow on the ground etc.

I would be looking at these NP's as well as the Grand canyon and the likes of Bryce Canyon, Zion, the Grand Tetons, Crater Lake, Yosemite and driving more of the coast. All these will take you away from the Interstate and through awe inspiring scenery. Perhaps a smaller loop could let you spend more time in any one place and be more relaxed, that would depend on the pace you are comfortable to travel at and how long you might want to spend in any given place.

The 'Campervans' offer good value but if you are considering one of the smaller units you should consider breaking it up a bit with occasional nights in Motels for comfort.

Regular Motorhomes, 'aka' RV's are more expensive to run and would cost more than a car and Motel rooms when all is considered. They are fully equipped though and if it's the Lifestyle your after and not considered as a budget option, they can be a great way to travel out of the City !

[Clarefire]

Fantastic!!

Thanks so much Dave :)

Righto... fiance and I will start working out the route properly... I will return!!
:)

And thanks for the advice on campervans/motorhomes/motels... :)

[Southwest Dave]

To get a good idea of RV costs you can check out Cruise America, El Monte and Roadbear and just put Las Vegas RV rentals into your search engine for local based Co's. You can often find good value owner rentals, but at what risk ? If you had a mechanical failure or [god forbid] a fender bender that made the RV unfit for the road, hould you have the back up to continue your journey ? Probably not and this is why I generally go with one of the larger National based Co's like those mentioned, as they have offices throughout the country where should you need it, you can get assistance.

The bigger Co's will let you collect from one City and drop at another and quite possibly there will not be any extra charge between LV and LA as there normally would be a one way drop off charge. TBH though, you might as well finish the loop for the sake of a few hours drive. It would then be worth checking whether LA or Vegas [perhaps San Francisco] offer a better priced deal when you consider flight and rental costs.

Half the fun is the planning stages !

[When costing RV rentals be sure to check what is and isn't included and that you compare 'bottom line' costs. Some have 'headline' prices and when you add all the extras it's quite a shock !! Once you have done that remember that you will still have campground fees and that the RV will burn for more fuel than a car. Think 10mpg !

[Clarefire]

Just before we start the research... is there anything we should bear in mind if we go for the car/motel idea?

Average prices, or types of motels to aim for?

Thank you so much for your time...

[DonnaR57]

Here's a thread about RV's vs. car/motel, that you might want to read: Click here.

Motels -- it all depends on the type of motel/hotel you choose, where it's located, and (sometimes) whether there's something special going on in town while you're there. My husband and I budget $65/night, but in reality -- we've spent as little as $45 and as much as $85 for two of us. We often use coupon deals from the little coupon booklets you get at state tourism centers, rest areas, truck stops, etc.

Mom-and-pop motels are usually cheaper, but sometimes you find problems with them that aren't as easily rectified. Chains can range from Motel 6 (among the cheapest) up to the ritziest. Hubby and I have stayed at Motel 6, but we find that they charge extra for things that others offer for free -- mainly, WiFi. They usually don't have a continental breakfast available, either, though some of them do. (Honestly, we usually leave a motel before the Breakfast even opens, so I haven't paid much attention. Hubby and I like to get on the road and drive for a couple of hours before stopping for breakfast somewhere.)

Low end chains -- Motel 6, America's Best Value Inn, Econo Lodge
Low to mid-range -- Days Inn, Super 8, Quality Inn, Rodeway, Travelodge
Mid-to-higher range -- Comfort Inn, Best Western
High range -- Hilton, Marriott

(BTW, I know that there will be others here who will disagree with my placement of some chains on the list. OK. So be it!)


Donna

[Clarefire]

Wow, so much to think about!!

Thank you so much Donna!! That's really helpful advice :) I reckon we'll probably print this thread out and bring it with us :D

If we were to do the car/motel thing - is there any benefit in hiring a 4x4 over a cheaper car? Are there many opportunities for off-road driving (is it needed, or even allowed?) This is probably a silly question - I just know that in Ireland, you can't really start driving over people's land, which is the only time you'd actually need a 4x4.

Thanks :)

[Midwest Michael]

There really is no benefit of renting a 4 wheel drive vehicle - to you. There's a ton of benefit to the rental company, since they typically charge a significant premium.

There are places where you can go off road, but not in a rental car. The standard rental car contract says that off highway use of their cars in prohibited, even if you have 4 wheel drive.

There are also Jeep Outfitters where you can rent a 4 wheel drive vehicle specifically for off-roading, but that would be something you'd do as a daily activity, not as your primary means of transportation.