Trip of a lifetime...

nonnatus

Hi.

Next August my kids will be 15 and 16. GCSE's will have been taken, life is about to get serious. We have holidayed at home for the last 6 years but next year, I want to fly to somewhere in USA, hire a car for the three of us and drive to another bit of the USA to fly home.

I'd like to do it over about 15-16 nights. I don't want pre-booked hotels (well apart from the first night maybe!) but instead to make choosing accomodation a part of the adventure.

Is it possible to pick up the car at one point and drop it off at another?

Is there a good standard route that hits a main attraction every day? Anyone done it can offer advice?

I'm geographically challenged but would love to include, San Fransisco, Las vegas, california. The kids are NOT too old for a Disney adventure (:D).

What should the flights cost? If I book the flights first, is it then feasible to "build" the rest of the holiday around them in an "add-on" sort of way? Or are there package deals for this sort of thing?

Thanks in advance for any tips or pointers anyone may have (good or bad...)

torbrex

There are plenty of 'West Coast' package deals available and some good prices as well but building your own trip (in my opinion) makes it a lot more like a real holiday

One-way drop-off car hire is common place in California and usually always includes Las Vagas so don't even think of that as a problem.

If you start in Vegas, head for SF and finish in LA or San Diego (or the reverse), it gives you the option of taking in the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Sequoia, Yosemite and the Pacific coast highway.

It really all depends on your own preferences, whether you would rather have a high life city tour or a low stress scenic tour or a combination of both


ETA: remember that a booking for the first night is compulsory for the immigration people.

cubegame

It's a great way to spend your holidays. We do it every year. It's very easy to book it yourself as you only need a flight, a car and one night's hotel really. My top tips are:-

- Plan yourself a vague route so you at least have an idea of where you should be on a certain day.

- Don't be scared of the distances. It's easy to drive 400 to 500 miles in the USA in a day if you need to.

- Get a big car! For three, an SUV is probably the most suitable. You will curse your vehicle every day if you need to struggle to get all your bags out every night and in every morning.

- If you're going to National parks, add up the entrance fees and see if it's cheaper to be the America The Beautiful pass at $85 (last time I checked)

- Don't be afraid to find a bed for the night late (even after 10pm). We usually stop to eat and then drive a bit more. The later you walk in, the better price you will get when haggling. As you say, bookng is not usually necessary as there are plenty beds. However, be aware of public holidays and you will need to book ahead to stay in Yosemite or other National Parks.

- Look out for motels with free breakfasts. Although you never know what you'll get this can often save quite a bit of money. We have seen some really pathetic offerings over the years though as well as some wonderful spreads!

- Use Gas stations as a refuelling stop for yourself and not just gas. Unlike the UK, US gas stations have a plentiful supply of drinks and snacks at cheap prices.

- Do take a Sat Nav as a backup. It can save you hours and hours of frustration.

- Do take a Laptop/netbook. This will allow you to book hotels ahead if you really need to (can be handy for city centre hotels).

- Read. Road Trip USA is a good book which is summarised at https://www.roadtripusa.com

Hope that helps.

blindman

nonnatus wrote: »

Hi.

I'd like to do it over about 15-16 nights. I don't want pre-booked hotels (well apart from the first night maybe!) but instead to make choosing accomodation a part of the adventure.

Is it possible to pick up the car at one point and drop it off at another?

Yes-Usually free if between CAL, ARIZ, NEVADA

Is there a good standard route that hits a main attraction every day? Anyone done it can offer advice?

See this thread

I'm geographically challenged but would love to include, San Fransisco, Las vegas, california. The kids are NOT too old for a Disney adventure (:D).

Under 21's not allowed in Casinos

What should the flights cost? If I book the flights first, is it then feasible to "build" the rest of the holiday around them in an "add-on" sort of way? Or are there package deals for this sort of thing?

Yes
Depends on season but IMHO £500 was this years cost. But August could be a lot higher.
My this years trip

Thanks in advance for any tips or pointers anyone may have (good or bad...)

Plenty of info in the links I posted.

My last trip this year has some ideas and tips.

You need an ESTA

America the Beautiful Pass can be got from Ebay at a reduced cost :cool: My last one cost £25 :cool: And I sold it one to another MSE for £10.

Usually more expensive to fly into LAs Vegas than other places-
"Open Jaw" airline ticket lets you fly into one place (San Fran) and out of another ( e.g.Las Vegas)

ETA: remember that a booking for the first night is compulsory for the immigration people.Nope-You just have to tell them an address :cool: -they don't actually check.

Use Hotwire for cheap first\last night-(Priceline only guarantees 2 in a room)

Accomodation in Yosemite needs to be booked 9-12 months in advance to get to stay inside the park.

Seasons-
It will be high season for accomodation so factor this in to last minute stays-Have a backup plan if your first choice is full\too expensive.

Weather-
It will be boiling in Vegas, hot and steamy in Yosemite (and crowded), cooler on the coast. So factor this into your plans.

Don't spend every day driving

Disney rides are for kids, bigger better rides at Six flags. Disney at LA is smaller\older than the others at Florida.

Have fun planning the trip!

spannerzone

cubegame wrote: »

It's a great way to spend your holidays. We do it every year. It's very easy to book it yourself as you only need a flight, a car and one night's hotel really. My top tips are:-

- Plan yourself a vague route so you at least have an idea of where you should be on a certain day.

- Don't be scared of the distances. It's easy to drive 400 to 500 miles in the USA in a day if you need to.

- Get a big car! For three, an SUV is probably the most suitable. You will curse your vehicle every day if you need to struggle to get all your bags out every night and in every morning.

- If you're going to National parks, add up the entrance fees and see if it's cheaper to be the America The Beautiful pass at $85 (last time I checked)

- Don't be afraid to find a bed for the night late (even after 10pm). We usually stop to eat and then drive a bit more. The later you walk in, the better price you will get when haggling. As you say, bookng is not usually necessary as there are plenty beds. However, be aware of public holidays and you will need to book ahead to stay in Yosemite or other National Parks.

- Look out for motels with free breakfasts. Although you never know what you'll get this can often save quite a bit of money. We have seen some really pathetic offerings over the years though as well as some wonderful spreads!

- Use Gas stations as a refuelling stop for yourself and not just gas. Unlike the UK, US gas stations have a plentiful supply of drinks and snacks at cheap prices.

- Do take a Sat Nav as a backup. It can save you hours and hours of frustration.

- Do take a Laptop/netbook. This will allow you to book hotels ahead if you really need to (can be handy for city centre hotels).

- Read. Road Trip USA is a good book which is summarised at www.roadtripusa.com

Hope that helps.

This is excellent advice!!

I spent 3 months touring the states in an old car and did pretty much the same, never booked any hotel at all, chanced it every night, haggled at every hotel/motel/- if they didn't reduce the price we'd walk out and 9 times out of 10 they shout out they could reduce the price just as we hit the door.

We used discount coupons for other cheap hotels, booklets found at all tourist information offices (lots scattered along the main highways) and we got many cheap priced hotels, literrally half price compared to people turning up and booking the night the arrived.

We even managed to walk into the inn at Old Faithful Hotel overlooking Old Faithful geyser and get a last minute canellation on a national holiday (normally needs 6 months pre booking apparently) and at the Grand Canyon got a room at El Tivor, again just walked in and got a cancellation (this is rare)

It was 10 years ago when I did this (boo!) and here's our route for anyone interested. The one big advantage I had was travelling with an American

Grumpygit

Totally agree with Blindman about Disney - ok, maybe go there for a day to see it (no-one is ever too old to cuddle Mickey or Goofey (I have the pics of me to prove it!) but for rides, only the adventure park is worth it for older kids and it's not that brilliant.

If I knew before our holiday what I figured out after Disney, I would have only spent one day there and gone to the other places like 6 Flags etc.

We did a fly drive last year but in and out of LA - we went to LA, Monterey, SF, Vegas then back to LA.

When in Vegas because we had our 12yo, Casinos were out, but it was more for the experience, lights and tackiness of it. We went to the Canyon and Hoover Dam and we loved it.

We didn't think much of SF and couldn't wait to leave - but we did the touristy bits as you do.

If our dd had been older, we maybe wouldn't have booked all of our hotels and booked them on the road, but I wanted the security in knowing that we had somewhere "decent" to stay every night.

zagfles

Good advice in this thread.

Is the "first night booked" rule new, because I've certainly been allowed to enter the US without booked accomodation for the first night - they ask for it on the landing card, I just write the city. An immigration officer queried it once, but it wasn't an issue.

Don't be afraid to haggle at hotels/motels, they expect it, unless they are full (or expect to be) they will almost certainly offer you a discount.

torbrex

zagfles wrote: »

Good advice in this thread.

Is the "first night booked" rule new, because I've certainly been allowed to enter the US without booked accomodation for the first night - they ask for it on the landing card, I just write the city. An immigration officer queried it once, but it wasn't an issue.

I have always been told that it must be booked but Blindman says that you just need to give an address, which is correct, I don't know but I tend to book the first night anyway so that I have something to aim for when leaving the airport.

jackieblack

zagfles wrote: »

Is the "first night booked" rule new, because I've certainly been allowed to enter the US without booked accomodation for the first night - they ask for it on the landing card, I just write the city. An immigration officer queried it once, but it wasn't an issue.

Several years ago, on the first trip to Florida of a friend of mine, they were staying with her husband's parents in a villa that the parents had rented. The parents had flown out a week or so previously and were picking my friend and her family up from the airport (Miami).
When they completed the landing cards on the plane they realised they didn't know the address of the villa and once they arrived were denied entry because they couldn't give the address they were staying at. They were taken to a room and questioned about where they were staying and why they couldn't give an address. Eventually they were allowed to contact the in-laws, who were waiting for them in the airport, to find out the address and complete the cards. Only then were they permitted to enter.

nonnatus

WOW. An amazing amount of help there - thanks! Lots of reading to do...

So I think the West Coast is where I want to head but teen daughter has a longing for Seaworld and all things dolphin / whale. That seems to be restricted to the East coast and florida though? Is there anything "dolphin" on the West Coast?

torbrex

nonnatus wrote: »

WOW. An amazing amount of help there - thanks! Lots of reading to do...

So I think the West Coast is where I want to head but teen daughter has a longing for Seaworld and all things dolphin / whale. That seems to be restricted to the East coast and florida though? Is there anything "dolphin" on the West Coast?

Sea World in San Diego was where I saw my very first whale in 1979 and there are lots of whale/dolphins swim up and down the Pacific coast so there are bound to be boats going out to do watching trips.