Road trip from nyc

[hermoni]

Hello,
First time posting here.
I came to visit a friend in nyc from Israel and now I'm starting to plan a road trip for about two to three weeks from nyc and back there.
Any ideas which way I should take and what are the places I should visit?
I'm mostly interested in seeing USA natural and cultural places.

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

With up to 3 weeks you could pretty much go anywhere you want to in the US, including the west coast and back. This would give you tens of thousands of possible route and attraction options. I would suggest you get a good map of the USA and start doing a little research to discover your own personal 'must see's' and how much travelling you want to do. RTA is a great resource for trip planning, you can search the forums and check out the trip planning pages in the tool bars above where you will find 'Route and Sights' and tools like the Map centre where you can plot routes and find attractions listed on personal experiences by RTA contributors.

Once you have a few dots on the map other members will be able to step in and make suggestions and help to 'fine tune' your trip. Enjoy the planning !

[alfie]

Hi new member Alfie here
Arrive Canada august 26 2012 for road trip,soory about using your forum to ask a question but
how do i start my own disscusion
hope you have a great trip
see you on the road
regards to everyone
Alfie

[glc]

Welcome, Alfie!

August 26 makes this a summer road trip. So, on the index for Planning Summer Road Trips, click the button above all the threads that says "Post New Thread".

Instructions for posting on this forum can be found here.

[hermoni]

OK so I've looked up some places that I want to see. I'm mostly interested in visiting the national parks but I don't have any camping gear. Can I experience those parks by 1 day trips?
The parks I've looked up in the area are:
Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Congaree Nation Park, Everglades, Shenandoah, Assateague Island and Blue Ridge Parkway.
In addition I'm planning to visit major cities along the way such as DC, Philadelphia and Memphis.
I'm Planning a round trip the ends in NY with a car.
Is it worth investing in camping gear or can I find cheap motels and inns along the way? (I'm traveling alone and I really don't care about luxury)

I would like to hear some inputs on those places and what is more worth visiting then the other and also any suggestions for more cities and attractions to visit along the way.

Thank you.

[Lifemagician]

Can I experience those parks by 1 day trips?

At least half the parks you mention I have visited, but never camped. If you can find some accommodation nearby, you could visit them on multiple days, and still have lots of time to enjoy them, go on hikes, etc. For the Everglades I normally stay in Florida City. In fact, there is a really nice hostel there, right on the road which goes to the Park. I've stayed there, and visited the park three times in a row. Not a long drive at all.

Lifey

[hermoni]

How much does it usually cost to spend the night in those places?
What is the most cheap ones?

[Midwest Michael]

Looking at your list, I'd say everything is very possible, with the exception of the Grand Canyon, which is a couple thousand away from any of the other stops you've listed. You'd probably have to fly across country if the Grand Canyon is a priority for you.

If you'd like to camp, you certainly can. You'd be looking at spending around $100-200 dollars to get yourself outfitted with a basic set of camping gear, and then you'll be looking at around $20 a night to camp in most national parks. Low end hotels generally run about $50 a night, but are often more in major cities and right near National Parks. Hostels generally will run you around $25 per person.

[Lifemagician]

How much does it usually cost to spend the night in those places?
What is the most cheap ones?

Check out this site for hostels... anywhere in the world.

The most attractive part about the hostel in Florida City is that they have a 'pay four nights, get the fifth night free' policy. Needless to say, the majority of the guests stay five nights. Last time I was there, 2009, it was $22 per night.

In Orlando I stayed in a great motel, right by the Disney complex, for $38 a night. And there are many such deals to be had, in many places, if you take the time to look for them. I very rarely pay more than $50 (incl taxes, etc.).

Lifey

[hermoni]

I've decided to start my trip from DC and then rent a car to visit some national parks.
I'm planning to go first to Shenandoah National Park. Then blue ridge parkway. Great smoky mountains. Congaree national park and I'm looking for another place from congaree back to DC to visit.
Any advice on that route would be welcomed and also other suggestions of places to visit along the way.
Also, any special things I should be aware of as first time traveling in USA?