Comments please! 1st time road trip Deep South

[AZBuck]

As someone who has driven several times in the British Isles, I will tell you that it has never been driving on the 'other' side of the road that has bothered me. As Dave and Lifey (two other people with experience on both sides) have pointed out, the fact that you will be on the 'other' side of the car as the driver, and all the other cars will be on the 'other' side of the road as well will make the transition feel natural in very short order. There are also a couple of things working in your favor that haven't been mentioned yet.

First off is the state of the roads here. I spent a week last spring in southern England and was amazed at how narrow the inter-city roads were, especially the B roads. They, and the lorry drivers who insisted on going full speed (and then some) down these roads with no shoulders and no center line were what made driving uncomfortable, not being on the other side of the road. You will find no such roads in America. The vast majority of the roads between your stated stopping points will be motorway quality (Interstates or "I" roads). "US" roads, especially in the south also tend to be four-lane divided highways. State roads will more often than not be only two lanes. But even so those lanes are wide enough for American cars of the late '50s, huge behemoths that make even today's "full-sized" cars look like minis.

The other thing that will be working in your favor is the fact that almost without exception, rental cars in America come with automatic transmissions. So that is one less thing you will have to handle as the driver. Basically there will just be a 'go' button (the accelerator) and a 'stop' button (the brake) and that's it. If you take a few minutes before setting off from the lot with your new car to adjust the seat and mirrors, and familiarize yourself with the other major buttons (lights, wipers, audio, etc.) you should feel very comfortable in short order. By the way, the hire firm will always have somebody available to show you the controls. After all, they want the car (and you) back in one piece too.

Finally, on the one-way drop off fee for picking the car up in Atlanta/Nashville and leaving it in New Orleans, your travel agent probably knows this anyway but often if you make your reservation through a European consolidator such as Europcar or RentalCars.com, that fee is waived.

In short, you are in for a very enjoyable trip. Don't worry. Be happy.

AZBuck

[Lifemagician]

Having being assured that it is no big deal to drive in the US, let me focus on the Greyhound.

On my first few trips I did half a dozen or so legs with Greyhound. I can't say that any of them were enjoyable. I am also sure that if you were to take the bus you would soon wish you were in a car. Besides not going the route you would like to go, most stop frequently to pick up and set down passengers, and stop for food at places like Maccas. If you happen to be scheduled on a bus which is an overnight journey, it is even worse, and you don't get to see anything.

Rent the car and head out with confidence. I felt just like you before my first trip. Fortunately the gent who gave me the car got me to drive round the block with him first. But then that was in the heart of LA.

Oh, and please do not rely totally on a satnav. Do you have good detailed maps to help you plan this trip?. If not, I would urge you to purchase a Rand McNally road atlas from the RTA store via the link at the bottom of this page. (Order it now and you will have it in a couple of weeks.) I am sure if you spend the next few months studying those maps, and seeing how many roads and routes there are and what there is to see along the way, you will feel much more confident heading out on to the open road. Your sister can be the navigator having studied the maps with you. Use the satnav to find addresses, but out on the open road, be sure to follow good maps.

Enjoy your trip.

Lifey

[missmental1965]

Thank you for taking the time to reply guys! You have made me feel much more reassured about driving in the US and your advice has been invaluable. We have given up with greyhound idea and i will drive!
I've been looking at you tube videos of driving and it doesn't seem to bad. I definitely order the road map and get oriented with the route!
Thanks for all you help, we can't wait for our adventure to begin.
Best wishes,
Heather.

[missmental1965]

Having made the decision to drive, I've been looking at routes. Firstly, Nashville to Memphis. I-40 looks pretty dull but fast.
I fancy the Natchez trace but can't work out how to include it in this journey or even how many miles it is & how long it would take. Or maybe we would be better fitting the Trace in the journey from Memphis to Natchez?
Any suggestions for a more scenic route that won't take all day?
Cheers,
Heather. :)