First Time Road trippers

[jlomonie]

Hi There!

Myself and my partner will be embarking on our first roadtrip in America (were australian :) ) in December. We have from December 2nd until the 12th to make our way from LA to Vegas to meet up with family. As we are brand new to this and also have never been to the states can anyone provide any advice on routes to take/what parks to stay in along the way? Also how much should we budget per day?

We also are under 25 so were looking for the best deal for a motorhome as well!

Any reccommendations and advice are welcome!

Thanks :)

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Planning a RoadTrip, even for someone who's made a few, can be a daunting proposition. There are so many things that go into setting up a successful one. But for your first such endeavor, and in a foreign country no less, you should try to keep it simple.

That would start with your choice of vehicles. I would suggest that you forget about a motorhome for this trip. Renting one can be very expensive, especially since you're under 25 and (I'm guessing) will be dropping it off in a city (Las Vegas) different than where you'll pick it up (Los Angeles). The combined cost of a rental sedan and motel rooms will be substantially lower than the cost of renting the RV. Then there's the added cost of bed and kitchen kit, the extra gas to push it around, and the fact that even in the desert southwest you can expect to see freezing temperatures in December and will have to travel 'winterized' with no potable water on board or useable septic system.

As for what to see and do, there is certainly plenty to do in that general area. For starters I'd suggest that you read through the discussions compiled HERE. That will give you a good set of ideas to get you into you planning process.

AZBuck

[Lifemagician]

As well as the excellent advice above - car and motel are definitely cheaper than motor home, and a lot less hassle when you are in urban areas.

What I suggest you do is, since this trip is still three months off, you get hold of some good detailed maps. If these are not available locally (you don't say which State you are in) I can recommend you get a Rand McNally road atlas from the RTA store via the link at the bottom of this page. The maps in this popular directory are in great detail showing all natural and historical attractions as well as touristy and more. They also grade the roads - from high speed interstates to local and back roads, and highlight scenic routes. All the sort of information you will not get within the confines of a little screen. If you order it now you will have it in a couple of weeks.

For affordable car rental try some of the consolidators. We hear at times that they waive some of the additional charges. A member from Brisbane used them on his last trip and was happy with the service.

Enjoy the planning and as questions arise feel free to ask.

Lifey