June/July roadtrip from NYC to LA

[Lifemagician]

I don't know how heavily speed limits are enforced on US roads ...

I get the impression, not at all. Some States, I hear, are more strict than others. Considering the fatalaties on the roads each year are in the vicinity of 45000 (give or take a couple of thousand), that speaks for itself. Just make sure you stay safe. Distraction and lack of concentration can at times be more dangerous. And thinking of some of the magnificent country through which you will be travelling, one is easily distracted.

You will probably end up with a modern car which will do around 30 or more mpg. (15 mpg is more like what my Ford van gets.)

Lifey

[Midwest Michael]

Yeah. An RV would be both fun an convenient, but I think you are right. And we weren't planning an RV trip, we just wanted to find the best mode of transportation for the route we chose.

When it comes right down to it, I suspect that an RV wouldn't be nearly as convenient as you were thinking. In addition to the slower speeds on the highway, there are lots of other things that are time consuming with an RV (hooking up water/electric, draining the tanks, leveling it out, etc) that you might not have accounted for, and based on how you were laying out your trip, I think going another direction seems to be a smart plan.

I suppose that means some of our time estimates will be more accurate, especially when it comes to freeway driving? That would be a relief :-) The car we're looking at is likely to be able to go quite fast. I don't know how heavily speed limits are enforced on US roads (nor how much above one could potentially go). Not that we plan on speeding across the US, but these are things worth factoring in for when we find ourselves with less time than planned.

Well, your travel time estimates will be more accurate, but that doesn't mean they will be accurate. Computer programs still make the assumption that you will be able to drive at or above the speed limit for every minute you are on the road, will never need to slow down for traffic or construction, and will never need to stop for food, fuel, or a restroom.

Typically, it would be pretty rare to be stopped for doing 5 mph over the limit, but if you start doing 10 mph or more over the limit you're asking for trouble (and as a non-resident, you'd likely be expected to pay your fine on the spot). However, even there, if you are driving 75-80 mph on a western freeway, you're still typically only going to average at most 60 mph over the course of a day, once you factor in basic stops.

Edit: another thing off importance is that we'll be able to get a hgher mpg. I don't know hw much exactly, is 15 unrealistic?

It will depend upon exactly what you get for a vehicle, but any modern sedan should get you at least 20-25 mpg, with 30 mpg or more possible with some models.

[DonnaR57]

I think you'll be better off with a car and staying in motels as you go. For the most part you will only need motel reservations in such places as national parks, or if you are going to be in a resort area during the week of the 4th of July or on any weekend.

When I figure a budget for fuel for a trip I'm taking with our car, I use 22mpg, and $4 gallon. There's a Fuel Cost Calculator on this site which I have found invaluable! I add up all the miles that it takes just to drive the route we're taking, and then add at least 20% more miles for the "sightseeing mileage".

When I figure overnights, I use $65/night average. Sometimes we pay $45-50, other times we have to go up higher than $75, but it all averages out.

For food -- $25-30/day for restaurants per person. Take advantage of the continental breakfasts offered by MOST motels/hotels these days, keep snacks and beverages in the boot/trunk of the car, lunch and dinner out.

Ice -- if carrying a cooler, you may have to spend $1-3/day for a small bag of ice. SOME motels will allow you to add ice to a SMALL cooler from their ice machine, most don't like it. Many motels, but not all, have a small refrigerator in the room. This expense surprised me on our last trip. I had expected $1.50 at the most for a bag of ice, but found it was usually around $2.

As far as travel times are concerned, it will be easier to average 60 mph with a car, though you will still be stopping for food, fuel, and pit stops. It doesn't take nearly as long (nor as much cash) to fill up a car, you won't have to maneuver a large vehicle around a small gas station, and when using a rest area you can park a little closer to the restrooms rather than further away with the trucks. A 500-600 mile day is still a long day, but you can do that in 9-10 hours in a car.

The three of you might want to discuss what type of vehicle you want to rent when you're over here. A sedan would be comfortable for 3, and certainly gets better mileage than an RV or even an SUV. The only reason you might "want" an SUV is if someone is a two-suitcase person. If you all keep to one suitcase and one carry-on, you'd have plenty of room in the sedan even with a small styrofoam cooler and a bag of snacks.

Donna