dbdurand

I have a few suggestions for things to see in the "in-between cities" portions of your trip. Of course, if you fly between the cities, my suggestions do not apply. I'll put them in several posts.

Fly from NYC to Phoenix instead of Las Vegas. That way you can take one route to the Grand Canyon and a different one to Las Vegas. Head north from Phoenix on !-17 to hwy 179 and go through the Red Rock Scenic Byway (see link), to Sedona and then on to Flagstaff on hwy 89 through Oak Creek Canyon. (scenic).

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/byways/byways/11290/maps

Where you stay overnight after your flight depends on your flight schedule and your preference. Could be Phoenix, Sedona, or Flagstaff. If Flagstaff, you might find the Lowell Observatory of interest.

http://www.lowell.edu/visit.php

Then on to the Grand Canyon, followed by the drive to Las Vegas. On your way, stop at Hoover Dam.

http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/

Then to Las Vegas for X days.

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/l...city-guide.htm

cinqueterre

thanks everyone for all your advises really helpful !

330east

Dear 5T-When I am in the West Village of Manhattan (big tourist draw) I see many tourists consulting their guide books. Do you have guidebooks? Study them. Incidentally, in NYC you might look into the Salisbury Hotel on 57th st.

jayne1973

Also, depending on where you stay in California, check out the Vagabond Inn motel chain. We have been pleased with their locations and rates, which include free breakfasts.

rjasnumberonefan

Cinqueterre, I'm not sure of your age or if you're traveling alone but I'll throw this out there because it seems budget is an issue for you. This site http://www.trekamerica.com/ allows you the ability to know how much money you need upfront. Lodging is included. They do the driving, so no rental cars or gas involved. If you choose a camping tour, you provide only a sleeping bag and $10 a day towards a food kitty. The non-camping tours, you feed yourself along the way. You would have more options if you bumped up your dates by a few days as it seems most leave out on the 23rd. Sites like this do cross country in a hurry and you get to see more than 3-4 cities. The cost saving in plane flights and hotels in pricier cities might be worth a thought.

cinqueterre

thank you everyone! I decided to postpone my trip to US for now, I realized I need more time to plan and more money to spend But your comments were quite helpful, thank you !

Tabernash2

Sounds like a good idea, ct. Don't give up on it, though. You just need more time to plan your trip so you can get the best deals and make the best itinerary.

Keep posting questions to guide you through the planning process.

opaldog

It's too bad you are cancelling your trip. Have you considered a visit to just one coast, say the East coast flying into NYC and then maybe do Washington D.C. & Baltimore or Boston and the New England Coast? I think you could do it for less money that way. You can use airbnb everywhere for an apartment and I think you can even use it for a room in NYC.

If you chose to do this you could either use a train, bus, or plane between NY and wherever else you choose to go. NYC is only 5 hours at most from Boston in one direction and Washington D.C. in the other direction. You could easily do this in 10 days or even two weeks.

RVvagabond

Plan trip scenario
There are thousands of campgrounds in the US.
Germans are very fond of renting a medium sized Recreational Vehicle (RV). I suggest no longer than 27 feet. Then tour US from campground to campground. Two people can comfortably travel in that sized RV. Start in Las Vegas?

If you select that option, I suggest these books for Utah parks. It gives driving instructions mile-by-mile. Only such book to my knowledge (other than in Alaska) The appendix gives you considerable camping information.
http://www.southutahparks.com/

Vaga

nytraveler

I think CT is having issues with overall budgeting and the rental of an RV, plus insurance, gas, tools, campground fees, etc - would probably blow it out of the water.

Ozarksbill

Too bad you are backing out. I do think your trip plans might be too ambitious, i.e., NYC to LA. And too general. I'm wondering what you really want to see in the US. There are many wonderful scenic sites such as the coast of Maine and Niagra Falls and caves in Missouri/Kentucky and Yellowstone Nat'l Pk and the Grand Canyon and the California Redwoods. Also of course much to see and do in New York City and elsewhere in terms of shows and museums. Yes, our family has traveled widely over the years with and without children. Much was camping in a tent or trailer.

But travel in the US is different than in Europe for sure.

nytraveler

If the OP needs more time to save to pay for a trip I think that's fine.

However, if it were me I would go for a shorter more manageable trip - with the idea of returning in several years to see more. After all, life is long and as one advances in their career collecting enough funds is much easier.

But there is no doubt that traveling in the US is much different than in europe, primarily due to 1) the size of the country and 2) the availability of public transit. Bot can be solved by taking smaller bites - and doing the longest distance and wide open spaces trips when the OP has more funds - and can best travel in places without public transit.