hi

anyone have tips on car/rv rental companies in the usa? looking at month long trip starting in Jan from either san fran to orlando......or new york city to san fran.
would this be enough time to do either trip? would it be better ( and by better i mean cheaper) to buy a car and sell it at the end orlease a car. with the rv idea, how much would site fees set us back? to cover a tip of approx 3000 miles ( but allowing a bit more for side trips) what is gas likely to cost?

thanks for your help

RV rentals are quite costly...and then you are left with the problem of trying to see a city, with an RV to manuever/park. I would think a rental car is a much better idea for those two reasons, plus the aspect of gas/mileage. You don't say where you are coming from, and wherever it is, you may be paying a good deal more than our current US gas prices, but nonetheless, for a month's worth of driving, cross-country, you are looking at a substantial out-of-pocket expense on fuel. Currently, in the upper Midwest, gas is running $1.75 gallon (for the lowest grade). Also, most US companies will charge a drop=off fee for a rental car that is not returned to the original rental location. Not a lot of help, but a few things to be aware of, as you begin your planning.....

Hi Nell and Kate,

I would definately go for the rental car. There's no need to bring your accomodations with you when there are so many hotels here. In a month you should definately be able to do either trip. Driving from NY to San Fran generally takes a week of straight driving. Have you thought of where you will be stopping and which route you will take? I've driven cross country a few times. If you have any more questions feel free to email me.

Are you sure you want to do this trip in January? Weather will be a big issue that time of year in most of the United States. Where are you planning to visit in between?

Barbara, I agree with you.

Vary wrong time to drive across. Over the years of traveling I have run into blizzards even at El Paso. If I didn't have 4WD I would have had to stop. I have had layovers on routes from I-40 north, because of snow and ice. One would be lucky not running into bad roads that time of year. BTW, 4WD, even on a diesel pickup, is little help on ice.

Nell and Kate, assuming January was chosen because it works best for you, your best chance of avoiding snowy weather is to stay as far south as you can as you travel across the country. While it can be cold and nasty anywhere in January, the odds are far less if you stay to the south, recognizing that even on that route you will encounter some higher altitudes (in the southwest) where conditions will get more wintry the higher up you are. You can still have a great time, but if the prospect of poor driving conditions puts you off, you might consider touring the southeast, lose the wheels, then beam yourself across country to California for a repeat. Frankly, with a month I could easily see you spending 10 days or so in the southeast, then flying west for a fun 3 weeks or so in California/Nevada, comfortably away from the snow and ice. If you do choose to drive, figure on around 6-7 days' driving (not counting side trips) to get across the country in winter. If you want to get a sense of the continental size of the US but don't want to drive, take the train.

Also assuming you're not US residents, purchasing a car is probably not on. Residency in a US State is required to register a vehicle, and obtaining insurance without a US driving license or address will be next to impossible. You might check out National Car Rental for one-way deals, they appear to have the most options. There may be special circumstances in one-way renting in Florida or California, where the agencies in winter are very busy and want to keep their hands on all the cars they have.

I would strongly nix the RV idea; the additional cost, drop fees, chilly nights, and lack of maneuverability would all take their toll on your budget and mood; better spend the extra money on upgraded hotel/motel accommodations. Think king sized bed and heated pools instead of empty RV parks, or worse, full ones.

I have done the drive across country from San Francisco (where I live) to Orlando (where my parents live) several times - last summer being the most recent, although I have also done that drive in the winter. (When I was in college I once did the entire trip in less than 72 hours, driving more-or-less around the clock with two friends, but I don't recommend that schedule!)

If you drive from SF down to LA and then across highway 10 through Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, New Orleans and then on to Orlando you shouldn't hit too much bad weather in terms of snow, although anything is possible of course. (Highway 40, where another poster mentioned hitting bad weather, goes through higher elevations than highway 10, so is much more problematic in terms of winter weather.)

I actually think the SF - Orlando drive gives a very interesting view of many regions of the US: the California coast and the cities of SF and LA, the Arizona desert, then barren West Texas shading into East Texas, New Orleans is great, and then the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Florida before you hit Orlando - the whole trip is really quite a smorgasboard of Americana.

For our trip last summer with our two kids, we looked into renting an RV and decided against it: they seem to be incredibly expensive, very unwieldy to drive, park, etc. in towns and cities, and we had gotten reports from 3 or 4 different couples my parents' age who had had mechanical problems with RV's they rented. (One couple had to sit a week somewhere waiting for the RV to be fixed. Another had the toilet stop functioning, but was unable to get a refund because the RV company does not consider that a "major" breakdown, i.e. they could still drive the thing. Ditto for another couple and the RV refrigerator.)

We took a car instead and spent most nights in motels and everything worked out fine.

We have an RV. You don't choose to go somewhere in an RV because of the cost. Between the cost of renting one and the cost of gas, it's a wash between the RV and staying in motels. You choose an RV because of the type of vacation that you're interested in. We haven't even discussed the maneuverability of the large RVs. I'm not convinced that a comercial driver's license shouldn't be required to drive one.

You're looking to make the trip in January? I have seen I-65 from Birmingham north covered in 3 inches of solid ice. You will definitely want to take a very southern route to avoid potential nasty weather!

I also concur with the posters suggesting to spend time in one area, then fly to your next destination. The USA is far more vast than many people realize. My parents live in the same state - but 300 miles away. My in-laws live 5 states away - a 12 hour drive.

Come to the US and have a great time - but seriously look into flying from one destination to another. Rent a car in each location and drive to all destinations of interest.

Rachel or been there,

my husband and I are planning our cross country trip (leaving Aug. 7, San Francisco Bay area, to arrive Providence, RI on Sept. 2) any recommended places to visit, must see, routes, advice about driving cross country?

We're driving our own car...(we're moving to Providence, RI)

as much information as you can give will be much appreciated.

Congratulations, yaddy, I think you've set the record for ancientness of a revived post!

My advice to you would be to take the most northerly route available. August is so hot and uncomfortable throughout the south.

It's wonderful that you have a whole month for this adventure. I would recommend that you bring very basic camping gear (smallish tent, sleeping bags, towels) to maximize your options for places to stay.

Planning an itinerary for a trip is lots of fun, it's a hobby for many Fodorites! Do you plan to have a structured type of trip, or the "Let's see what we fell like today" type? The more we know about you and your preferences, the more useful we can be.

In fact, I'd recommend that you start a new thread, since the title of this one is irrelevant to your actual questions (the RV vs car question is already settled for you).

Ooops, sorry, I just realized that you already did start a new thread!

I think a road trip of the US is a great idea - and a month is long enough to do it - if you keep moving quickly - to give you an idea of what you might want to see in depth on later trips.

But, January is really not the time to do this. Doing January would eliminate most of the northern US and even in the south (except Florida and right along the gulf) - there are also substiantial chances of the sort of weather that would make driving hell - not to mention slow and dangerous.

For perspective my retired parents drive from New York to visit relatives in Florida every January - but they watch the weather supercarefully, have the advantage of leaving at a moment;s notice when the weather looks good - and don;t care if they get stuck a couple of days along the way. Even so, they have run into unexpected bad weather 3 of the last 5 years.

I would follow other's recommendations and fly instead - allowing you to do some time in New York/Washington, Florida and California - and perhaps one other spot along the way. Air fare can be surprisingly cheap when bought in advance for midweek - and the chance of weather bad enough to close airports vs make driving hell is significantly less.

Dear, I am going to spend a month traveling through USA and ! Since I do not living there I am looking for some tips. My wife and to kids (5 and 14) will share this vacation , we are thinking renting a RV but it seems the best option is rent a car, maybe a 4wd.

I do not have the experience of driving in the snow so south or West coast could be an option.

We can arrive in Fl, TX or CA. My preferred option is renting a car in Miami , visit all south and head Vancouver via California ( we have a son living there).

Visiting a national park is in our plans, Vegas, New Orleans, there are so many beautiful places that at the end of the day, spent a month living US is the target.

Any tips will be welcome since we are planning arriving by Dec, 8th , spend Christmas and new year.

Thanks a lot

luiz

I recommend you start a new post with your questions. People reading this will think why did you add to a post from 2001 or will answer the original question.

Start your own thread. This one is old.

Agree to start your own thread - and be aware that trying to cross country by car that time of year is likely to be a major PIA. Even if you stay far south all the way to the Pacific and then head up the coast you are likely to find areas with snow and cold weather - possibly delays and potential dangerous driving. Not sure what park you are considering - but although much o Nevada etc is a desert - the weather is still cold - and the Grand Canyon often gets heavy snow.

You will need to investigate the weather and plan carefully - and may well have delays to avoid the worst of winter weather.