SanFrancisco - NewYork

[Si737]

Hi
I need some massive advice, i've been trying to plan a road trip from San Francisco to New York stopping off hopefully at most of these places, some may be too out of my way:

Los Angeles
Las Vegas
Nevada
Arizona

Then right across to Florida for
Tampa
Miami
Orlando

Then up to New York for
New York city
Washington D.C

There will hopefully be 3 or 4 of us, sharing one hire car.



Thats the plan
I'm a student so im willing to stay in Youth Hostels/B&B's/Camp

Just a few questions:
Is it achievable?
How long do you think it would take?
Can we hire 1 car and have 2 or 3 of us insured to drive it?
How much money would we need between all of us?
and Is there anywhere else you advise we go in between each group:
Arizona area to Florida
and Florida to New York area?

Thanks

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

Any trip is achievable if you want to do it badly enought. I'd think for a trip like this you'd need about 3 weeks just to cover the distance at a pretty good pace. From there, add on whatever time you think you'll want for sightseeing, exploring, rest from the road, etc.

Its hard to start putting numbers on expenses, without knowing more about how long you'll be on the road, where you'll be staying, what you're driving, etc.

Renting a car with multiple drivers won't be a problem, but you should expect to pay a fee for each additional driver. Anyone who is going to drive the car needs to be on the rental agreement, so you really can't skip this to try and save money - it could result in serious legal problems if you had a problem while on the road.

[PNW Judy]

There is usually a surcharge for any drivers under age 25.

For budget planning, check out the suggestions here. It should walk you through the steps you need to start getting a handle on this.

It's hard for us to answer a wide-open questions like this "Is there anywhere else you advise we go in between each group: Arizona area to Florida
and Florida to New York area?"

There are literally thousands of places to explore along those roads. Thousands. What appeals to you might not appeal to me. We can better advise you on this if we know what kinds of things you all want to see and do. Historic sites? Beaches? Clubbing? Amusement parks? Hiking? Scenic vistas? State/national parks? Cities? Roadside kitsch? Unique shopping? Antiques? Cultural experiences? Yada yada?

Give us a hint of what you're looking for.

You might also get out a good map or atlas and look at the cities, parks, etc. that are shown on the map along the roads you plan to travel. This should give you a good idea of what's out there.

And keep asking questions. Happy planning!

[Si737]

Thanks for the replies
Ok well the main things i want to do are
see the grand canyon, golden gate bridge, hollywood walk of fame, six flags theme parks, empire state building, ground zero, time square, china town, see a new jersey nets game, and central park..

Any ideas?
Thanks

[PNW Judy]

I'm only suggesting that because everything you want to see is in LA, San Francisco, and the general NYC area. If that's the case, maybe just driving from SF to LA and then flying to NYC might be the best trip for you? Just a thought.

SF to LA: driving the coast would take you 2 days if you want to stop and explore a bit and enjoy yourselves.

LA to Florida: Figure 5 days minimum. This doesn't include time to stop and explore. Just the minimum time to make the drive.

Florida to NYC: Figure 2 days minimum.

Of course, the more time you have, the more time you can explore along the way. And, of course, this will impact the budget you'll need.

Also, be aware, there will be a drop off charge from any car rental agency to pick up a car in one place and drop off in another. It's usually several hundred dollars but varies depending on company, dates of rental, etc. so you'll want to get several quotes.

Since you didn't identify what kinds of things you'd want to see while driving cross-country, I will make suggestions based on my interests and what I would focus on (time and money permitting).

After LA, I would head to Las Vegas, then do a loop into Utah to see Zion and Bryce NPs, then down to the Grand Canyon. Then south to Tucson to go east on I-10 to visit Bisbee and Tombstone (old west towns). I'd then head to El Paso and then south in Texas to Big Bend NP. Then to San Antonio to see The Alamo and Dallas to see the Texas Book Depository. I'd then explore New Orleans and enjoy the Gulf Coast on the way to Florida. In Florida, I'd enjoy DisneyWorld and the other nearby theme parks like Universal, Sea World, etc. I'd drive down to Key West on the Gulf side of the peninsula and then back up to Miami via the Atlantic side. Then I'd meander up the coast enjoying cities like Savannah, Colonial Williamsburg, Washington DC, and Alexandria, and also swinging into various Civil War and Revolutionary war historic sites while also visiting various beach areas to NYC. I'd probably swing through Connecticut, Rhode Island, and up into Boston area first.

I guess what I'm trying to illustrate is that you've still left us little to go on so we know if the recommendations fit your time, your budget, and your interests. So I can only suggest what I'd do. I'm still not sure I understand what you would prefer to see.

Earlier I suggested you get a good map or atlas and go over it with your friends. You should mark on the map or make a list of all the things that jump out at you of interest. Once you've done that, and shared with us some of your ideas, it will be easier for us to give you more specific recommendations.

[Si737]

Hi,
I'm planning a road trip from LA to New York which should take around 60 days with all the stops

I was looking at the Avis website for car rental. And the extra fee they add on for the one way drop off was $1600!

Thats loads right?
I could drive it back to them from New York for less than that!


Anyone have any advice on car rental companies for one way trips?
Thanks
Simon

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Only you know what kind of car will meet your needs and what the dates are that you have available for your trip, so I'd recommend that you just keep looking at all the major companies: Hertz, Avis, National, Budget, Thrifty, Dollar, and Alamo. I did find a compact from Budget available for around $2250 but again, price will vary with dates and car type.

AZBuck

[PNW Judy]

Welcome to the Roadtrip America forums!

This is something that you just really need to shop around for because the fees for the rental, for drop-off, etc. vary like crazy. Sometimes just a change of dates a few days one way or the other, or a change of which office you pick-up and drop-off at can make a big difference. Some folks have reported that dealing with an agency outside of NYC has sometimes produced a big savings.

Since they all have one-way fees, and all these variables, shopping around is really the best we can suggest.

[Si737]

Heya,
For the last 4 or so months, i've been planning a trip from California to Florida, to New York. And i thought the best accommodation for the trip would be places like Motels 6, Super 8 etc.

But i recently read reviews on them and they sound pretty messy.

All i want is a basic clean room. I don't care if it has a fridge or microwave etc.

Just a bed, and a shower.

Could you help me find something cheap and basic without sacrificing cleanliness?

Thanks,
Simon

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

You're already doing the best you can by looking at reviews of the individual locations of the low cost chains. You might expand your search a bit by also including Red Roof Inns, Microtel, Econo Lodge and Travelodge. Personally, for the reasons you're finding, I generally prefer to pay a bit more and go up one step to chains such as Days Inn, Comfort Inns, La Quinta and others. I find their prices competitive and their value much better.

AZBuck