Winter road trip from Denver to Las Vegas

[qqqsim]

Hello everyone,
We plan to take this road trip from 18January to 24January (WINTER).
We have never driven in snow before.
Is our route doable?
Is it dangerous driving through million dollar highway in winter?
Please give some recommendation on accommodation / petrol station / equipment preparation / choice of car/ view point location.

Denver to Aspen (2nights)
From Aspen drive through Million Dollar Highway
To overnight at Durango (1night)
From Durango drive to 4 Corners Monument to take some picture
Drive to Mexican Hat to take some picture
Drive to Oijato Monument Valley takes some picture
Overnight at Page (2nights)
Going to Antelope Canyon
Going to Lake Powel and Horseshoe bend access point
Grand Canyon south Rim (1night)
Hoover Dam
Las Vegas (1night)


Thanks in advance

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

Under normal circumstances your trip is perfectly doable and is set at quite a relaxed pace. It's not dangerous to drive the Million Dollar Highway in winter as such, but it's not a road to drive in the event of a major winter storm as there are high passes. The problem is is that there is just no way of knowing what the weather will be doing at the exact time you travel up until 2 or 3 days in advance. What I would recommend is that you do not book lodgings in advance and just be open to change as you start your journey, it might be that you have a clear window of opportunity to leave one location earlier or stay and sit out a storm and spend an extra night in one. It might be that Aspen and/or the Million dollar Highway won't be easily accessable and then you could stay on I70 for longer and head to Moab [Arches and Canyonlands] if things were better there. It could be that I70 is being affected by heavy weather and you might just have to sit it out someplace else until the road crews have been out and cleared the road. You won't have any problem with fuel along the routes as long as you are sensible and don't let your tank run low. A normal sedan would be fine for the trip and although you could hire an AWD you shouldn't think that you can get any further with it or take higher risks, there is no substitute for experience driving in the snow and ice. You will need to carry chains in the car and be prepared to use them if needed, practising in the hotel car park can be a lot easier than having to fit them on the side of the road in a blizzard for the very first time, but again you should try and avoid putting yourself in that position in the first place. There are times when a 4WD might not need to have chains fitted when a 2WD sedan would so thats something worth considering when deciding on what vehicle. Colorado chain laws here.

Hopefully the weather will be kind to you and non of it will be an issue, but it's best to be prepared.

[qqqsim]

thanks alot for the reply, very appreciate

[qqqsim]

Hello again
do u know if Malaysia driving license valid driving in colorado, utah and nevada
also may i know if all the car rental come with etoll service? can we exclude this?
thanks in advance

[Midwest Michael]

Your Malasyian Drivers License will be perfectly valid in the US, however, if it is not in English, you should look at getting an International Drivers License to provide a translation.

By E-Toll, you mean the electronic system for paying tolls? If that is the case, you can avoid it by simply avoiding toll roads. If you do not use the system, then you shouldn't be charged. Having said that, the only Toll road you'd be likely to encounter is E-470 right in the Denver Area, near the airport.

[glc]

If your driver's license is not in English, you will need an International Driving Permit. You have to get one in Malaysia before you leave.

The only toll roads where you are going to be are in Denver, which you can avoid. Otherwise, here is the rental car policy. As you can see, it varies by company.

[AZBuck]

qqqsim -

I removed your latest post for a very simple reason: Posting your driver's license on-line is a good way to get your identity stolen and find yourself in all sorts of trouble. As I looked at it briefy before taking it down, I noted two things. It's in English (good). It doesn't list, or have any place to list, any restrictions such as the need to wear corrective lenses or any qualifications such as motorcycles or commercial vehicles (not so good). Since it's a pretty bare-bones license, I think that something an American police officer is more familiar with, namely an International License (IL), would be worthwhile carrying. As others have noted, the IL is nothing more than a translation of your current license, and is readily available for a small fee from automobile clubs and the like. In your case, it would just be English to English, but the IL does have places to note restrictions and permissions, and just having one would demonstrate your intention to comply with American driving laws.

AZBuck