Los Angeles, California to Austin, Texas

[JPiazza7]

My friend and I have been saving up for a trip from Los Angeles to Austin Texas. We are bringing 600 dollars of gas money round trip. We were going to do it in two days. One night overnight at a hotel on the way there. Not looking much for sight seeing, planning to take I 10. I was wondering how much money we should bring for food and gas, also, we're would be a good place to stop overnight, and were should we stop to eat on the way there. We want to get the bulk of the driving done the first day so we can sleep in on the second day.We have a really small budget because we are both young.

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

You are talking about a 1400 mile trip here. We really don't recommend you try to do that kind of distance in 2 days to begin with, but if you are, you need to know from the very beginning that it will be 2 extremely long days of driving, with zero opportunity to do anything other than driving. You can not "get the bulk of the driving done" on the first day, and "sleep on the second." You need to plan for 2 days in a row, where you will be driving for about 14 hours, including minimal stops for fuel, food, restrooms, etc. stopping at the halfway point for a full night of sleep. That's the only way you'll be able to do this safely, no matter how young you are.

Deming New Mexico is the halfway point for this trip and the area you should be looking for motel rooms. Going farther will be far too much for one day, and will have to you exhausted to be a safe driver on day two.

[glc]

What does your vehicle get for gas mileage on the highway at high speeds (75+)?

Deming is relatively inexpensive for hotels - looks like they start at $35 a night - but the cheaper ones are likely kinda seedy. If you are under 18, NOBODY will rent you a room, between 18 and 21, it's a maybe.

[JPiazza7]

We will both be between 18-21, our car is a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban, so we will probably get 14 mpg. What city do you recomend to stop at for the night(for a 2 day trip)? We might end up doing a 3 day, and if so, what are some good places to stop at?

[glc]

Michael recommended Deming if it's a 2 day trip.

You aren't going to get away with only $600 for gas for a round trip in a Suburban, it's going to cost closer to $1000 this summer. You are going to burn 100 gallons each way, and the days of $3.00 gas are LONG gone.

If you want to make it a 2.5 day trip, going out would be Tucson and Fort Stockton, on the way back would be El Paso and Phoenix.

[JPiazza7]

Thanks for the help, have a nice day.