Touring holiday to Nevada, California & Arizona

funkyfin2000

yeah seen that as a tip, think we will probably just avoid the coast...but thank anyway!

yeah wioll check out old inn, need to email them

Will up date on progress next week........on where we are at!

Murphy_The_Cat

funkyfin2000 wrote: »

yeah seen that as a tip, think we will probably just avoid the coast...but thank anyway!

yeah wioll check out old inn, need to email them

Will up date on progress next week........on where we are at!

Before OHI updated their website, you were able to book 'live' with them and the prices were there to be seen. Its a bit of a case where the improvement has made their offering worse, IMO.

funkyfin2000

hahahah you could br tright there!

will send an email once finalise days we would be there, just checking out the rewviews, look great, love the idea of free wifi as well as would like that

duchy

I did bits of your trip this July
Three days is about right for LA if you want to do Six Flags and Universal (day at each plus a day for Hollyweird sightseeing and Santa Monica) I wouldn't do any more than that but less would be too rushed........and SatNav to us was a must. We brought the UK one with us and loaded up the US modules online for around $70 before we left which for three weeks and obviously can be used again wasn't bad compared with the extra cost of hiring it with the car (and a system we were already familiar with so no learning curve ) Where SatNav (for us) had a huge advantage over maps was if we were looking for specific places locally-ie a supermarket, quick meal enroute it showed all the useful ones-Not needed so much once you were at a place as hotels gave good advice but good when on the road.

funkyfin2000

Try this for another itinery! Taken out flying from Vegas to LA as its a bit pointless and double backing on ourself. Have also removed NAPA as feel we could loose this at the moment.

Cheers for the heads up on Sat NAv...I already have the USa maps and a PDA with TOMTOM, so as long as USA cars have a 12volt ciggie lighter im quids in on that front

1) Fly to San Fran @ 17:00 Pick up Car and Stay @ Family near San Fran (45 miles)

2) Drive to Yosemite, Blue Butterly Inn (3hrs) (162 Miles)

3) Stay in Yosemite, Blue Butterfly Inn

4) Drive to Lake Isabella (5Hrs) (248 Miles)
Stay at Lake Isabella

5) Drive to Death Valley (4Hrs) (189 Miles)
Stay at Furnace Creek Ranch (?)

6) Drive to Las Vegas (4Hrs) (118 Miles) Probably Luxor
Stay in Las Vegas

7) Stay in Las Vegas, Luxor

8) Stay in Las Vegas, Luxor

9) Stay in Las Vegas, Luxor

10) Drive to Palm Dessert - (6Hrs) (286 Miles)
Stay in Palm Dessert - Embassy Suite

11) Drive to San Diego - (3Hrs) (155 Miles)
Stay in San Diego - The Old Inn

12) Stay in San Diego - Sea World - The Old Inn

13) Travel to North LA - (4Hrs) (137 Miles)
Stay in LA

14) Universal Studios
Stay in LA

15) Six Flags Theme Park
Stay in LA

16) Drive from North LA to LA Airport (45 Miles) Fly from LA to San Francisco early morning for flights booked from San Francisco to Manchester (unfortuantly San Fran home trip is already booked so can't change it to LA - Manc)

Total Miles - 1400Approx

What do people think of that revised itinery......

Are there nice places to stay at Lake Isabella? Or is it better to stay at Bakersfield?

Another question is how many miles to a tank is a Dodge Charger (or similiar car) going to get us do you think? and how much at present is it to fill a car of this proportion?

Cheers so far, great information and help! Appreciated!!!

Rich

Total Miles - Approx 1400

Car hire for a Dodge Charger about £275 for 15 nights.

Murphy_The_Cat

funkyfin2000 wrote: »

10) Drive to Palm Dessert - (6Hrs) (286 Miles)
Stay in Palm Dessert - Embassy Suite

Another question is how many miles to a tank is a Dodge Charger (or similiar car) going to get us do you think? and how much at present is it to fill a car of this proportion?

Cheers so far, great information and help! Appreciated!!!

Rich

Total Miles - Approx 1400

Car hire for a Dodge Charger about £275 for 15 nights.

Hi Rich

I stayed at the Embassy Suites in Palm Desert -- its the only time in my life I've been somewhere where the hot tub is COOLER than the outside air !

Regarding the Dodge Charger, it all depens which one they give you. If you get a 2.7lt V6, it will be fairly gutless (4sp gearbox, but it cruises ok) and give you about 33 mpg whilst cruising, if you get the 3.5lt V6 (5sp gearbox) it's quite a bit smoother, has a lot more go and will get mid -to high 20 mpg, if you get the 5.7lt V8 HEMI, it will go like stink, be as smooth as silk and give you low 20mpg.
What class of car have you booked ?

funkyfin2000

Hi MTC,

You really are full of info!!!

I didn't think you could gurantee what car you got etc. But any how, its not booked yet as still getting itinery correct....

It just says VehicleFull Size 2dr A/C - Dodge Charger or similar

So wouldn't know what you got? I suppose it would be a case of booking and ringing up?

This is through usrentacar, but its Dollar hiring.... I presume it would be OK to take the car to Nevada as part of that trip?

Murphy_The_Cat

funkyfin2000 wrote: »

Hi MTC,

You really are full of info!!!

I didn't think you could gurantee what car you got etc. But any how, its not booked yet as still getting itinery correct....

It just says VehicleFull Size 2dr A/C - Dodge Charger or similar

So wouldn't know what you got? I suppose it would be a case of booking and ringing up?

This is through usrentacar, but its Dollar hiring.... I presume it would be OK to take the car to Nevada as part of that trip?

No problem whatsoever with taking your car into Nevada (the only time that it becomes a problem is if you are doing a one way drop off out of State, in which case you can pay some extra $$$$$'s.

FWIW and this is only my opinion -- check out the price difference between a fullsize, premium and luxury class car. Sometimes the price difference can be tiny, but a fully specced up, large engined, larger car will make your holiday driving experience so much nicer.

funkyfin2000

yeah will do, us rent a car gives you all the options so will have a check in the minute..i think the chrysler300 was a luxury option which i read about that you weren't to happy with....yeah checked leaving the car in nevada as well and actually the cost wasn't any difference... anyway, looks like we would take the car for the full amount of holiday i think, even though we probably wouldn't use it much in Las Vegas at all......did i read correctly that all parking in Las Vegas hotels are free?

have you got any ideas for hotels round the Universal/Six Flags area? We will be staying there for 3 nights or so.......have you stayed in that area?

Rich

Murphy_The_Cat

funkyfin2000 wrote: »

yeah will do, us rent a car gives you all the options so will have a check in the minute..i think the chrysler300 was a luxury option which i read about that you weren't to happy with....yeah checked leaving the car in nevada as well and actually the cost wasn't any difference... anyway, looks like we would take the car for the full amount of holiday i think, even though we probably wouldn't use it much in Las Vegas at all......did i read correctly that all parking in Las Vegas hotels are free?

have you got any ideas for hotels round the Universal/Six Flags area? We will be staying there for 3 nights or so.......have you stayed in that area?

Rich

The Chrysler 300 can be a fine car - the one that we got however wasn't. I'm 95% sure that we got fobbed off with a 'Premium Class' car, rather than the Luxury Class that we booked & paid for. The Lincoln TownCar was a much, much better piece of kit.
Usrentacar do a nice job for us in the UK, as one way hire via CA, NV & AZ is free, whereas a lot of others charge you for it. Also be aware that you are automatically covered for two driver with Dollar - so you don't need to take the 'Gold' insurance option for that reason.

I've never paid to park in LV, but I've only been twice ! & sadly, I'm unable to help with Universal/Six Flags - but I'm sure that someone else will:beer: