Anyone done a USA roadtrip ?

Jalapeno

Cape Canaveral is superb, look for the nesting birds on the telegraph poles (they're blimming huge), and loads of alligators in the creeks.  Check dates in case there's a launch of a satellite or something - that was one off the bucket list for me ! 

gavin_axecaster

hungrymark said:

US drivers are usually courteous and don't drive too fast,

I'm guessing you've never driven in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex! I'm pretty sure it's actually illegal to use an indicator or change lanes more than 50 feet from your exit there...

hungrymark

No I haven't! All my US experience has been in the West or East, not a lot in the middle.

koneguitarist

I found the driving there much better than over here, much more courteous than over here. Would love to fly to SF or LA next time then drive back to Atlanta and stop here and there on the way.

Stevepage

If you're going to Cape Canaveral and have time to chill, I recommend coco beach. Really nice.

gusman2x

We did LA, Arizona, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Death Valley, San Francisco, Sunshine Coast, back to LA in 2008.

Easily the most enjoyable two weeks of my life. We had a convertible mustang, and I would heartily recommend getting something similar. You don't want to have some boring generic piece of shit. They're also not particularly expensive. Seem to remember it being cheaper than hiring a Polo in Germany. Corvettes were a popular choice when we were there too, but they're a hard top.

Driving was a piece of cake, and we covered an average of 300 miles per day, with still plenty of unscheduled stops. One day we did 600 miles, but that was tough.

I think plan kind of waypoints, but let everything else inbetween be quite free. Our most enjoyable part were just staying in some crossroads town, and eating in a diner, with no other tourists around. Wouldn't bother with the sat nav either, roads and maps are dead easy over there.

Just remember, there will probably/definitely be a charge for dropping off the rental car at a different location from where you hired it.

Have a blast.

joneve

holnrew said:

I'd love to do Seattle (or even Vancouver) to San Diego and Tijuana, via Portland and Las Vegas.

Is the right answer. The Pacific Coast is one of the most beautiful drives ever. 

jellyroll

joneve said:

holnrew said:

I'd love to do Seattle (or even Vancouver) to San Diego and Tijuana, via Portland and Las Vegas.

Is the right answer. The Pacific Coast is one of the most beautiful drives ever. 

The drive might be beautiful.....but have you ever seen Tijuana?

joneve

jellyroll said:

joneve said:

holnrew said:

I'd love to do Seattle (or even Vancouver) to San Diego and Tijuana, via Portland and Las Vegas.

Is the right answer. The Pacific Coast is one of the most beautiful drives ever. 

The drive might be beautiful.....but have you ever seen Tijuana?

Well, I've never been that far south as I have no urge to do so. But the drive from Vancouver through Washington and Oryguns is spectacular. 

holnrew

jellyroll said:

joneve said:

holnrew said:

I'd love to do Seattle (or even Vancouver) to San Diego and Tijuana, via Portland and Las Vegas.

Is the right answer. The Pacific Coast is one of the most beautiful drives ever. 

The drive might be beautiful.....but have you ever seen Tijuana?

I just want to see a donkey show.

hungrymark

joneve;335493" said:

jellyroll said:



joneve said:



holnrew said:

I'd love to do Seattle (or even Vancouver) to San Diego and Tijuana, via Portland and Las Vegas.





Is the right answer. The Pacific Coast is one of the most beautiful drives ever. 





The drive might be beautiful.....but have you ever seen Tijuana?





Well, I've never been that far south as I have no urge to do so. But the drive from Vancouver through Washington and Oryguns is spectacular. 

Try the south-west, it's great.

littlegreenman

holnrew said:

jellyroll said:

joneve said:

holnrew said:

I'd love to do Seattle (or even Vancouver) to San Diego and Tijuana, via Portland and Las Vegas.

Is the right answer. The Pacific Coast is one of the most beautiful drives ever. 

The drive might be beautiful.....but have you ever seen Tijuana?

I just want to see a donkey show.

http://www.royalvincent.co.uk/images/donk2.jpg

Danny1969

In New York glad I'm not driving here they are all nutters ! Staying in Times Square very colourful

EricTheWeary

The worst bit about driving on the right is traffic islands, but you probably won't find one them on your trip! Generally avoid city centres, look for park and rides or similar. Taking the wrong turn off a freeway can be scarey - don't read Bonfire of the Vanities before you go. Unless it has changed recently hire cars are very easy to spot and make rich pickings for anyone breaking in so you need to be a bit more circumspect about parking than you might be in your own car.

Danny1969

Yeah I'll be careful . Here for another day and night and then off to kenerdy space centre for a couple days and then the driving starts

fretmeister

Just saying.

Danny1969

Drinking in Times Square wanted to watch a live band but it was 25 dollars each just to get in !
A pint of Stella here is 8 dollars but I like the way you can sit at the bar and never have to wait to get served

DulcetJones

As you enter each State there are travel centres (on the interstate highways) that have free booklets with loads of great info and coupons with deals on hotels and restaurants.   

Fuzzdog

koneguitarist said:

I found the driving there much better than over here, much more courteous than over here. 

I lived over there for a few years, I generally found the standard of driving to be pretty scary, personally.  I did wonder why, until I took a driving test over there - it was quite literally 'Start engine, turn left, turn left, turn around, drive back to test centre, receive licence'  :-O

Best tip I can give for road trips in the US is look up the traffic laws of each state you'll be passing through, as some differ widely.  For example, some states require you to have lights on all the time, some after a certain time regardless of daylight, and some will pull you over and fine you if you have even a hint of a light on in the daytime.

I drove up and down the length of the entire east coast a couple of times, was great fun, particularly as the ratty old Dodge Intrepid I had bought for the trip somehow waited until the day after I got back to expire!

Danny1969

Well I got to Orlando very hot here . Picked up hire car was able to choose from any mid sized car in the lot . Some of the their mid sized were six seater jeeps and big chyslers . I chose a Toyota as I wanted something reliable . Not crashed yet