West Coast USA Trip Planning

scaredofdebt

Hi,

I am due to retire soon (couple of years) and have always wanted to take a trip up the west coast of the USA in an RV so this life event will give me the chance to do so.

I'd appreciate any advice, best time to go, best route etc.

I am currently looking at September (the year after I retire) and route is from Las Vegas to Anchorage.  I will have 4 weeks to do the journey but could extend that if the time seems a bit tight, it's a 3,300 mile trip but that's if I go in a straight line.

Some of the places/things I'd like to visit are (more ideas welcome as long as they are not too far off the route), in no particular order:

Las Vegas
Death Valley
Grand Canyon
Meteroite Crater
Mammoth
LA
SF
Yosemite
Rockies
Vancouver
Anchorage

(not got to the route planning stage other than a broad overview).

I'm expecting flights to be around £5-600 each return and the RV hire is around the £3-4k mark.

Specific questions -

Any issues around safety? 

Can you simply park up for the night or do you need to park in a designated RV site?

Is living in an RV for this length of time comfortable?

Any other suggestions/advice appreciated thanks.

David

phatbear

Ive done San Francisco, to yosemite, to monterey, to cambria to LA to San Diego and back to LA, this was over two weeks and staying in hotels/air bnb's. 

Safety issues, i dont see why there should be, other than being reminded many years ago when driving in florida and wanting to get out of my car and have a "chat" with someone that according to my ex that "everyone has guns" so i stayed in my car and swore a lot. 

Parking up depends, for example you cant just park up in yosemite, which is beautiful by the way and highly recommended, things have changed a lot there and now you have to book your entrance time, when we went you just pitched up. 

Living in an RV, no one will have any idea about your comfort levels, for example younger me would happily sleep under canvas at the drop of a hat and now older me shudders if the hotel im staying in doesnt have a walk in steam shower. 

If you went at the moment you would also have to factor in fuel costs as fuel is bonkers expensive over in the US at the mo and the dollar to pound exchange rate is poor too so factor in poss £1k for fuel. 

You will also need to ensure that whoever you hire your rv from that they let you cross country borders with it too, this wil prob add additional expense to the hire.

Finally £500-£600 return is possibly do able but i wouldnt want to be sitting in cattle class for 10hours plus

Murphy_The_Cat

That looks like one hell of a trip.

A few things spring to mind straightaway.

4 weeks doesn't seem a long time to be doing what you are doing.

What size RV are you looking at ?  A biggie will give you lots of space and luxuries, but will possibly be to large to explore the more rural areas & cities (give LA a miss, it's bleeuuuggghhhh!!!).

Cost's in RV parks can be quite hefty and some parks (especially the nice ones in popular areas) can get booked up quickly.

Check the mileage charge and / or one way drop off fees for your RV - in particular the one way charge.

I'm quite envious of what you are planning

p.s if your RV rental company won't let you cross borders OR is going stiff you with a hefty one way charge, consider flying some portions and then picking up another RV.

OR, do a grand circle route from (say) Vegas, through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and return to Vegas. I appreciate that it wasn't your original plan, but it's just a thought for you - there are some outstanding places to vist in those states (New Mexico I could take it or leave it, but others really like it) and all 4 states are very RV friendly.

sammynunes

Don't bother with an RV. You cannot pull up and pitch roadside and will have to use RV parks. The cost of an RV plus the cost of RV parks will cost a great deal more than staying in hotels. It will also be less comfortable and will restrict you going to places a large vehicle can't get to.

Alan_Bowen

I would endorse the view that an RV could be more trouble and cost than it is worth. RV rentals come with a limited mileage allowance (some as low as 300 miles per week, Cruise America allows 100 miles a day) and you could be driving 4000 miles if you covered everything you mentioned.

You will also get stung by a huge one-way fee even if travel through Canada is allowed. Incidentally, it would be criminal not to drive across the Canadian Rockies and see Jasper and Banff and drive the Icefield Parkway, we spent two nights in each town but there was a lot more to see than we had time to. 

If you are determined to do the RV thing then at least Cruise America has an office in Anchorage so you could drop the vehicle there but the cost of the one-way fee may be nearly as high as the original rental charge again. 

NoodleDoodleMan

We did an East coast tour of the USA a few years ago - an organised coach party with one of the big name operators.

Couldn't fault it - no driving and a great guide who knew all the places of interest to visit.

Driving in America can be a challenge in my experience.

Murphy_The_Cat

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Driving in America can be a challenge in my experience.

On my trips, I've found driving an asolute pleasure and a doddle to do (but I've not used anything larger than a Suburban)

jackieblack

Murphy_The_Cat said:

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Driving in America can be a challenge in my experience.

On my trips, I've found driving an asolute pleasure and a doddle to do (but I've not used anything larger than a Suburban)

Like Murphy, and others here, I've driven thousands of miles in and across many different states, both with a co-driver and solo, and generally I've found driving in the US far less stressful than driving in the UK with the exception of driving in cities (although I don't like driving in cities in the UK either). 

We considered an RV on a couple of occasions, but it always worked out far more expensive than a car and hotels and some of the most scenic roads I've driven on were signposted as unsuitable for RVs - what a shame to miss those!

I also agree 4 weeks doesn't sound a lot of time - we did LV/GC/LA/SD over two weeks, SF/Yosemite/LA over two weeks (subsequently extended by a bonus 8 days when that Icelandic volcano erupted ) and 3 weeks in the Pacific Northwest (although that included just over a week on Vancouver Island, which I would highly recommend)

Finally, on the west coast I'd always recommend driving north to south as you'll be on the coastal side of the road so the views are less interrupted and it's much easier to pull into and out of the viewing points along the PCH without having to cross oncoming traffic.

I also know someone who, having spent years yearning to take an RV trip down the PCH, spent the majority of the trip in the back with her hands over her eyes as she found the combination of RV and PCH absolutely terrifying! (although I can't comment on her partner's driving )

bagand96

It's always each to their own but I've found the US the easiest place to drive abroad. Depends what you drive at home as some can find the cars there very big. But the roads are also huge likewise car parks etc. The car is king in the US and the country is set up for it. I've driven through Manhattan and other but cities and it was a doddle. 

I've never done the RV thing. If your heart is set on it then go for it! But there's also some good pointers on considering a car and motels/hotels too. Many car hire companies allow free one way rentals within state, or to adjacent states so this can save you a lot of money. Also if you're staying in a city for a few nights it can be cheaper to return the car on day one and pick up a new car when you leave. Saves the parking costs which can be very expensive in cities. 

£500-600 return for flights can be doable but you may need to move that towards £700-800 depending on time of year and to give you flexibility. These days a £500 won't even include hold luggage, that'll be an extra £100.

The US has become pretty expensive post covid, particularly hotels and car hire. This may settle down, but it will be worth monitoring. Hopefully the car hire issue is temporary due to supply and demand issues. 

madswitcher

Hi

I have done several road trips in California over the last 20 years and have always hired a car rather than a RV.

Driving in the US is great and there is so much to see along the way.  This time of year is not too hot depending on where you go  August can be very hot, especially in Arizona if you go there.. 

Some things I have found that work for me are:

Use a spreadsheet to keep track of the plan - just my OCD kicking in

Choose a single point of entry/departure as this will give you the best deal on flights and cars.  Do most of the driving at the start of the holiday, but always give yourself (say) the last week in a single place so you can really rest up.  I choose Los Angeles for this and hit the sites like Disneyland and Universal Studios.  I then plan my trip from there.  In California their is a highway called the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway No 1) that runs along the coast from San Diego, through Los Angeles and up to San Francisco.  Its a beautiful drive with places like Hearst Castle along the way.  I then loop around into Yosemite after San Francisco/ San Jose and then back down to LA. 

Alternatively, some years I have driven over to Phoenix in Arizona (about 400 miles) stay there and then go down to Tombstone/ Cowboy county - great for Gunfight at the OK Coral.  On the way back to LA  I drive north of Phoenix to see the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam.

Flights: book these ASAP as you will get the best deal.  6 months ahead is about optimum. I always go Virgin Atlantic and if you book a seat in Upper Class (somewhere between Business class and First) you can get a very good deal and will feel it worth while by considering it as part of the holiday and get pampered on.  Virgin are more fun that BA in my experience and focus on the 'Customer experience' such as dedicated check in at Heathrow. I always book with Virgin Atlantic directly.

Hotels: I always stay in one hotel group - IHG - that run the Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express chain.   This allows you to accumulate loyalty points for the next trip and stays in the UK so make sure you join their loyalty card scheme.  The Holiday Inns are predictable and good quality.  The Holiday Inn Express are more like a bed and breakfast but still good quality and a predictable standard.  Again book these ASAP after joining the hotel chain loyalty club and do it via the their web site as you can control the whole process and cancel more easily if needs be.

Cars - never book these far in advance: I always book at the last moment and have seen prices drop to about 50% ( >£2K to < £1k) for a 3 week rental over a 6 month period.  Car rental companies do not want to turn down business and drop their prices in some weird way, particularly in the last 2 weeks before pick up dates.. I use AVIS car rentals and have never had a bum car hire. Also, get a medium/large car as they are more comfortable for long trips.  Hiring a sports car makes you stand out too much.

Last point when hiring a car, do it from the UK as you are better protected and don't get any surprises such as additional insurance.  Also don't hire their Sta Navs.  It is far cheaper to add an additional USA map to a UK Tom Tom and use that over there

Hope the above helps.

sammynunes

madswitcher said:

Flights: book these ASAP as you will get the best deal.  6 months ahead is about optimum. I always go Virgin Atlantic and if you book a seat in Upper Class (somewhere between Business class and First) you can get a very good deal and will feel it worth while by considering it as part of the holiday and get pampered on.  Virgin are more fun that BA in my experience and focus on the 'Customer experience' such as dedicated check in at Heathrow. I always book with Virgin Atlantic directly.

Hotels: I always stay in one hotel group - IHG - that run the Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express chain.   This allows you to accumulate loyalty points for the next trip and stays in the UK so make sure you join their loyalty card scheme.  The Holiday Inns are predictable and good quality.  The Holiday Inn Express are more like a bed and breakfast but still good quality and a predictable standard.  Again book these ASAP after joining the hotel chain loyalty club and do it via the their web site as you can control the whole process and cancel more easily if needs be.

Cars - never book these far in advance: I always book at the last moment and have seen prices drop to about 50% ( >£2K to < £1k) for a 3 week rental over a 6 month period.  Car rental companies do not want to turn down business and drop their prices in some weird way, particularly in the last 2 weeks before pick up dates.. I use AVIS car rentals and have never had a bum car hire. Also, get a medium/large car as they are more comfortable for long trips.  Hiring a sports car makes you stand out too much.

Some of this doesn't really wash in the post COVID world....especially with car rental which is exceptionally high as the car rental companies offloaded car stock during the pandemic and haven't been able to get their fleets back to pre-pandemic levels.

Car rental is generally cancellable until pickup so book as early as you can and then switch if prices do drop (they won't).

I'd also stay sticking to hotel chains is a false economy too as the best hotel rates generally do not accumulate loyalty points and the savings outweight that disadvantage.