How long is this drive?

Please elaborate. Do you mean just the section from DC to B'more. Or,from Duvall street in key west to the border of Maine and Canada?

The History Channel just aired a 4-hour piece on Route 1 over two days last week. You might be able to purchase a video tape at their web site if your interested.

I would not say it was the most interesting travel piece they've ever done but it did cover the history from pre-revolutionary days to now and had a few spotlight features I found interesting.

Travelling 12 hours a day by car from Duval Street to the Maine/Canada border with no stops except for food and rest stops, I'd say about 8 days. Other than that, you'd have to give us more info on where you plan to go and what you plan to see. But just driving, this would be my best guess.

This query fascinates me. Plates, please chime in and tell you what sparked your interest, whether you intend to do it, or is this just an idle question maybe for a term paper?

If you are not from the US and have the idea that this would be a great way to see the east coast, be aware that much of Rte. 1 is now choked with the peri-urban garbage of car dealerships, chain restaurants, discount houses, etc. etc. But there are, indeed, some stretches that are either historic or scenic or both.

It could be an interesting trip but you'd have to like McDonald's.

Thanks for the responses so far. Sorry it was such a vague question! The reason I'm asking is because myself and my wife to be are planning our honeymoon trip and would like to do a 10-14 day campervan trip. We did a month long trip as part of our round the world trip last year and absolutely loved the freedom and flexibility it gives you. We had considered a trip to BC in Canada but it looks like it would be a wee bit too cold at the time of year we're going (start of May). We're from Ireland so we would appreciate a bit of warmth and sunshine!!

Any advice on either Route 1 or other potential campervan trips around the world would be much appreciated. We would probably stick to locations in the Northern Hemisphere due to the fact that we only have 2 weeks.

Thanks, Ken

You might also consider Route 66.

Keith

Plates...Route 1 does not run thru northern NH,but that is a much better idea for a region to stick to. Dixville notch,the Balsams,crawford notch,franconia notch are all fanastic and there are plenty of nice campgrounds along the way.

If you do not need to be on the east coast, consider a trip along the California Coast. Start in San Diego (the weather has a better chance of being good in the south that early) and stay as close to the coast as you can, ending in San Francisco.

You'll like this trip a lot better than you would traveling Route 1 in the east.

With 10-14 days, you'll have plenty of time for a leisurly drive, exploration of areas that interest you and, maybe, some little side trips.

Search this forum for "pacific coast" and you'll find a bunch of threads with information about this route.

Have a wonderful trip.

Another area to consider would be to visit parklands in Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Arizona, etc. Absolutely stunning landscapes, and well suited for campervan travel I think.

Plates, you might find the adventures of the previous governor of Maine and his family, who spent the first 6 months of last year touring the US in a motor home, helpful--particularly with regards to the weather in various areas of the country at different times of the year: http://www.wheresmolly.com/

I'd recommend the west coast also. I live on the east coast and love it, but from what it sounds like you're looking for, the west coast is much more scenic and suited to camper van travel. So, basically I agree with dwooddon, but if time permits I'd continue north of SanFran into Oregon. That is supposed to be spectacular as well.

We drove Rte. 1 from Portland (cutting over from Portland) to northern CA and it took 7 hours or so with stops along the way. There is great scenery on that stretch though, especially in Oregon.

It sounds from your posts that you may be from outside the country. If so, some of our responses may be a bit confusing to you. When you referred to Route 1, it was obvious your question related to US Hwy 1 which runs the length of the eastern seaboard of the US.

swalter518's post about Route 1 is talking about the pacific coast route which, in Oregon, is US Hwy 101 and in
in northern California, quite a few miles south of the Oregon border, becomes California Hwy 1 (Hwy 101 continues south but inland from the coast).

The Pacific Coast Highway is often referred to as Route 1 but it is a Claifornia State designation, not to be confused with US-1.

I also agree with a previous post about continuing further north if you have the time. I would not, given your original comments, because doing more miles in the same time limits the ability to stop and explore but that is surely a matter of personal preference.

Thanks again for all the suggestions so far. The reason I was looking at the East coast rathar than the West is that I lived in Palm Desert CA while working for Hyatt for 2 and a half years so I've seen quite a bit of CA and driven Pacific Coast Hwy twice. Maybe a bit further north of San Fran might be the answer - but again I'm not too sure about the climate in early May.

Another thought I had was to rent a car rather than a campervan and stay in motels along the way - quite fancy the idea of a convertible Mustang on a sunny day!

Any more info, links etc would be much appreciated