From NZ driving LA to NY

[Kylie and Jamie]

My boyfriend and I are travelling from New Zealand to the USA in October 2010. Our plan is to rent a car - prob catch a train from LA to Las Vegas - then drive along the Southern states. Grand Canyon, along the south to Dallas, Memphis etc and finish in New Orleans. We then want to fly to New York to spend at least 5 days there (or better to finish our drive in New York?)

We will be on a budget so buying a tent when we get there and camping with the odd hotel thrown in. Any tips for us? I am working out our budget. We will be booking camping grounds along the way in case we want to go off course or change plans slightly.

Anywhere along that route that we absolutely must see/do? How much should we plan to cover petrol/gas? Total trip plan to do around 4 weeks total.

Thanks,
Kylie :)

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

There actually is no train service from LA to Vegas, so you'll have to rethink that section.

I can't say which will be better, finishing your drive in New Orleans or continuing to New York. I'd suspect driving the whole way would be cheaper, and that would let you also see the east coast, but that's really somthing you have to decide based on what's most important to you.

There is a fuel cost calculator located at the top left side of this forum, so that should help you estimate that expense.

[Kylie and Jamie]

Maybe a bus? I'm just thinking after a mega long flight from NZ prob best we don't try and then drive out of Los Angeles where more people live than our entire country!

Thanks heaps for the advice, I'm quite keen to carry on the trip and drive to New York as well. Will check out the fuel cost calculator :)

[Midwest Michael]

There actually isn't any passenger train service to Las Vegas at all, but bus service is available. Of course, if you aren't spending any time in LA, it might be easier just to fly from LA to Vegas. There is frequent service for the short flight, and its usually quite cheap.

In any case, you are right to plan for at least a day or two of down time where you should keep your plans very light so you can recover from the flight and adjust to the major time difference.

[Kylie and Jamie]

Hello,

Well our flights are booked!! Now to finish the planning - please give us any advice.

Me and my boyfriend (27 & 29) from NZ arriving LA on 16th october. From the 18th we are getting a rental car (best place to rent from?) driving the following places arriving in New York on the 9th November:

LA, San Diego, Las Vegas, Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Lubbock, Eastland, Austin, ??, New Orleans, Memphis, Knoxville, Nashville, Roanoke, Washington, New York

I have added in places in between the "big" places that can fit in with driving times. We are spending a bit longer in Austin, New Orleans and Washington. We are open to going "off the beaten track" etc. Anything around this area we must go or stay at?

We are booking hotels/motels along the way apart from LA and New York. After 6 days in NY we fly to San Fran and they back to New Zealand.

Any comments appreciated :)

[AZBuck]

There is no such thing as a venue which is universally 'must see'. What would be a required stop for you would bore someone else to tears. Similarly, anything we know about has already had a path beaten to its door. Nevertheless, we do have a few lists of ideas and suggestions sorted by state and major highway that you may not have found in more generic travel recommendations and that may appeal to you. There are also little corners of relatively undisturbed beauty near many of the more bustling places you'll be visiting. A case in point is the Eastern Shore of Maryland. After seeing Washington, DC, try taking US-50 east, stopping in Annapolis for a short walking tour, and then crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Kent Island. Poke around some of the smaller towns and inlets of the Bay including St. Michaels and Chestertown before heading north to rejoin I-95 up to New York.

AZBuck