Anyone done a USA roadtrip ?

bluechargeboy · August 2014

I have always found driving in the US to be OK, with some caveats:

1) When turning left at a stop sign, don't unthinkingly turn into the left-hand lane; it causes....consternation.

2) The driving on the right thing was most difficult when off the road, e.g. in a supermarket parking lot. There are no set rules but you should still keep right!

mudslide73 · August 2014

Giving way to pedestrians.. You can sometimes go through a red light if you're turning right too.

We did SF to Vegas via Death Valley, Grand Canyon etc. We had a Chrysler 300 which was good. Not a V8 which was a bit disappointing but full leather and a decent stereo. Sometimes you can get an upgrade to offset any surcharges for dropping off at different airports etc.

Danny1969 · August 2014

Some good stuff in this thread thanks guys

Looks like a big comfy car is probably favorite. I'm with a budget hire firm though so prob not going to get a huge choice. At the moment If we don't upgrade we've in a Nissan Juke which looks tiny!

boogieman · August 2014

Definitely get a decent sized car, petrol is still pretty cheap there and as others have said, you can't really get much speed up, so you'll still get reasonable mpg. Might as well go for something that at least sounds good and looks tasty. Driving on the right is easy after a short while. It's coming back and having to readjust that caused me all the problems!
Edit: forgot to say, make sure you have cash with you on the road, a lot of the motorways are toll roads.
Sounds a great trip, have a blast.

SRich · August 2014

I travelled from Phoenix through the desert into LA and then up the coast a few years ago.

I would never - however appealing it sounds - go for a convertible. It always sounds like a cool idea, but the reality is that it's unlikely you'd use it top down much at all. When it's hot, you'll be craving for great climate control.

FWIW, I had this vague notion that driving the Pacific Coast highway from LA to SF in a convertible would be immense.......it was foggy.

Plan B.

Have a great trip.

Jalapeno · August 2014

Some road trip, rod tips ....

At a 4-way Stop - you have to stop, even if you think the road is clear. The Police look for the tell-tale dip of the bonnet from braking and the car bouncing back up on the suspension.

Observe the speed limit near schools religiously - they are very hot on that.

Finally, do not pass a school bus when it is parked dropping/collecting - it's illegal - they often have a Stop sign that flips out from the side of he bus.

wave100 · August 2014

The last time I drove in America I thought OK I'm just off the plane I'll just take it easy and stay in the inside lane of the freeway. Unfortunately I sat in the left hand lane doing 55 and wondering why everyone was flashing me....

Danny1969 · August 2014

mmmm it's being in the wrong lane and getting squashed by an 18 wheeler truck that worries me

I have discovered I can have a bit of a virtual drive via Street view, that's handy

Drew_TNBD · August 2014

At the start of the year I did LA up to Flagstaff then over to the Grand Canyon, then Las Vegas, and back to LA. Was a really fun trip!

koneguitarist · August 2014

I did Atlanta to New Orleans, then up to Memphis across to Nashville then back to Atlanta, about 1500mile I think.

It was so easy, so little stress, but do your homework and rent a bigger than you would normally.

As it was my first time, I hired a car similar to what I am used to, which was a smallish hatchback, but wish I had a bigger car now.

chrispy108 · August 2014

Yup, get a bigger car, the roads are huge, as are parking spaces, so a big car isn't hard work.

The road surfaces are shit compared to ours, so a bigger wheelbase is definitely more comfortable.

Danny1969 · August 2014

My normal commute is a 4.5 ton extra long wheelbase Transit Jumbo so even a huge car seems small to me

jellyroll · August 2014

Just got back from a US trip.

- Aircon all the way. Forget convertibles - you'll melt

- Satnav. I bought one in Target (US chain store) for $120. Car hire firms charge €10/day+

- Insurance - I recommend taking out liability insurance ...but not from the car hire firm. If you need details PM me and I'll dig out my docs.

- If you have kids who use booster seats, take your own. They don't count towards your airline baggage allowance ( you just hand them over like an extra bag) and car hire firms charge $10/day+

- Petrol is $3.30 a gallon! In some states, you're not allowed to fill up the car, an attendant must do it. (Union protection).

- Driving on the right is straightforward (I recite "steering wheel in centre of the road" if I get confused.

Enjoy!

hungrymark · August 2014

We did a road trip round that way a couple of years ago. Hired a car in DC and drove down the smokies through tennessee to florida. If you have time a little detour to savannah would be worth a go. Driving in the US is a doddle, you just have to think a bit more in cities because of the lhd thing. Also, in some states you can turn right on a red light, worth looking at the regs in the states you're visiting.

US drivers are usually courteous and don't drive too fast, interstates are easy and well paved but on more minor roads the surface can be more changeable. One tip I'd give is to look at the mileage closely when you're planning a day's driving. It's easy to look at a map at something that looks just up the road then it turns out to be 300 miles or something. It's a totally different scale to Europe.

Petrol is cheaper than Europe but fuel economy tends to be lower so don't expect to save too much there, especially if you're hiring a big fat car, which you obviously should do ;-)

hungrymark · August 2014

Oh, also, at self service petrol stations you usually have to pay first for how much fuel you want and then fill up. And diesel is the green pump and unleaded black. I almost fucked up on that one.

bluechargeboy · August 2014

I've got another one: if you see a sign saying "BROKEN PAVEMENT", it means the road, not the pavement.

hungrymark · August 2014

The roadworks and the trains at level crossings go on for MILES. I've literally got a book out before now waiting for a green light.

JohnPerry · August 2014

Been lucky enough to have driven all over the States over the years. Agree with everyone else - as big a car as you can afford. Don't have a convertible this time of year. Fine in spring, autumn, otherwise not. Take as many back roads as you can - more interesting. Driving on right takes a few minutes to figure out, no more.

Love driving in the US - mostly far easier and more pleasurable than here.

TinLip · August 2014

AIRCON!

Nashville and Memphis are killer this time of year.

And stop in at eh Gibson factory.

Danny1969 · August 2014

Lots of good advice here, all appreciated

Right aircon it is no convertible then. Lots of stuff to remember like the pump colour @hungrymark mentioned. In additional to all the driving I've got a couple of days in New York and then a day at the Kennedy Space Center, lunch with an Astronaut, see the Saturn V rocket and all the Apollo stuff I love ..... really looking forward to that

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Anyone done a USA roadtrip ?

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