Hello Fodorites,

After a smashing London trip with friends, I am now thinking of taking an escorted tour next year, and this time, I would like to explore more of the States. As I don't drive and may have to travel solo - which I often do and always enjoy - group travel sounds like a good option within the country.

One tour that sounds like a wonderful adventure is Trafalgar's Route 66 tour:

http://trafalgartours.com/USA/Displa...earchPageID=12

Has anyone here taken this or any other Trafalgar tour to similar destinations? Would you recommend other companies? I've heard good things about Tauck but tthey are too expensive, especially with the dreaded single supplement. I'd welcome any feedback from travel savvy Fodorites. I realize that this would be a whirlwind tour, but don't mind terribly. I can always return to my favorite places.

Thanks!

Initially, I cringe in the thought of doing a coach tour of Route 66. That's because Route 66 is about the private car, about personal freedom. So, at least in philosophy, a coach tour is just WRONG.

But I looked at the itinerary, and it's actually pretty good. None of the rides are too long, and you actually get to visit quite a bit of attractions. If you don't drive, then this is probably as good as it gets.

Hi Rebecka!

I'm not sure what to say about the Route 66 tour. We live in Springfield, Missouri, and have lived in the other Springfield, in Illinois,i.e., and are quite familiar with St. Louis (where we've lived) , Chicago (where I was born), Branson (entertainment center just south of us) and other places, too.

rkkwan has it right inasmuch as Route 66 was a special transcontinental route for many families, and about freedom of an excursion back with automobiles were more of a novelty, and so riding a coach seems strange in some ways. But of course Greyhound buses certainly used the route, too, and they have almost disappeared. And we ourselves have done bus tours in Europe which are anathema to many Fodorite folks!

I see from the itinerary that this is essentially a sightseeing tour of the Middlewest and Southwest of the U.S. and as such might be of interest. Too many visitors never get past New York or Florida! Beautiful scenery out West for sure. You are covering alot of bone-weary miles, in contrast with touring around the UK or Italy.

Truth is, there really isn't much of Route 66 left although efforts are being made to recapture some history. Here and there are vestiges like the old tourist cabins once so popular. Mostly it parallels or is often part of interstate highway...I-55 and I-44.

I'd be glad to comment further on specifics.

ozarksbill
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We explored part of Rt 66 last summer, from Needles to Williams. Click on my name for our trip report.

Previously, we explored Winslow, AZ ("Standin' on a Corner") and also slept in a concrete teepee at the kitchy Wigwam Motel on Rt. 66 in Holbrook, AZ -- that was great, unique fun.

But i agree with rkkwan, Rt 66 is best seen in a private vehicle. Preferably a vintage corvette or something similar and sporty.

have the fortune of traveled a bit for my youngish age (30) one of my dream trips is driving cross country. i was interested in what rkkwan was saying, route 66 is all about just getting in the car and going at your own speed. nothing would please me more than to hop in a car with music, and roadside resterants all across country. i want to take the southern route (austin, new mexico) head up to california and probobly go back west on route 80. someday...!

Thanks, all! I appreciate the helpful feedback.

Yes, I realize that the romantic ideal would be to hop in a cool vintage red corvette with a pal or two and just hit the road, but it may not be practical. Finding a friend or friends willing to take the time off and drive that huge distance would be daunting, not to mention expensive.

I usually travel independently around Europe, but as you know, that may be impossible in this car-oriented country.

Ozarksbill, I may well pick your brain if this dreaming of mine ever progresses to a planning stage. I've heard great things about Chicago, for instance, and would love to visit. ellen, thanks for the tip. I'll have to take a closer look at your report.

And speaking of personal freedom, you'd be simply amazed how free I feel without the hassle and expense of car and gas payments, insurance and the threat of road rage, but that's another story. (Guess I'm just lucky to be living in the Boston area with a decent - but imperfect - public transit system that takes me just about anywhere. I know this is not the case for most Americans.)

Apparently, you can visit Chicago on your own, using public transport. So, the day in Chicago is kind of a waste. But the rest of the itinerary is pretty good, and you will have a very very hard time doing those by public transport.

Again, I think it's a good tour on paper. Everything's included, so no extra expenses on the "optional" tours.

But again, like others said, there's really not much left of the old Route 66. So, don't think you'll see a lot of relics. If you keep that in mind, you'll enjoy it more.

OK, Rebecka, somehow I assumed you were European. But you're from Boston where we were just a month ago for an Elderhostel program and family...son's friuend new house manager of American Rep at Harvard and daughter is in Amesbury. And BTW we went around everywhere on the T.

Yes, I do see the point of leaving the driving to someone else, at least overseas. And sometimes in big cities driving your auto and parking is hectic. But in the States we (and there are two or more) it is preferable to be in your own car.

As for the Route 66 tour and all, I can't help but feel you might want to consider simply highlighting several destinations instead...like Chicago which you mentioned. There is so much to do there! Otherwise, you are mostly on day long bus rides and missing alot. An example: in Springfield, Ill. there is a new and innovative Abraham Lincoln Library & Museum with live recreated exhibits which itself takes four or more hours to see, plus the Lincoln Home, Old Capitol, Law Office...besides the Lincoln Tomb.

Springfield, MO, is the heart of Route 66 and there is a Route 66 Association and very good little guidebook.

Just some thoughts...ozarksbill

Sampling a few cities along the way is very different from traveling the whole route. What you see in Chicago, IL or Springfield, MO is entirely different from western Oklahoma or Flagstaff, AX, for example.

If you want to see the route, then do the route. Like I said, they divide the trip into like 13 days, so you won't be sitting on the bus for very long each day.

It's not like when I was trucking - where I could do the whole trip solo, legally, in 64 hours; or taking the AMTRAK Southwest Chief, which takes about 48.

Ozarksbill, I grew up in southern Illinois and traveled the route up to Springfield, IL quite a bit. In 1981 I moved to Texas, and have thus made the cross Missouri trip quite a bit. I remember on past trips, there were quite of a few of the old abandoned motor courts with the cool signs between Springfield MO and St. Louis. We made the drive last summer and I saw virtually none of them. Have they all been torn down? (BTW, when in Springfield MO we stated at the Route 66 Best Western.)

Yep, that Rte. 66 Best Western is just north of our house. And it does seem as though much of the Route 66 ambiance is no more. You have to really know where to look to find those little motor courts. I do recommend this: Route 66 Travelers Guide, by Tom Snyder, to find those places. Somewhere along I-44 there is a new little Route 66 Museum we saw last year.

And BTW, we lived in Carbondale for some years.
ozarksbill

Ozarksbill, yes I am Swedish although I've now lived in the US for most of my life. I find that while they can take the gal out of Europe they can never take Europe out of the gal. But I do love the US and have no desire to move back to Europe. In an ideal world, I'd have a second home in London perhaps, but that's a fantasy, so never mind.

I tend agree with you, rkkwan, about wanting to see the whole country. I don't expect an in-depth tour of any one place this time; just an overview of the country. The sheer variety is what excites me about the trip; that, and the fact that all the planning has been done for me. I did take a look at a couple of books about Route 66 and can see that some of the trip would consist of abandoned gas stations, motels and miles upon miles of what looks like desolate terrain, but that's okay too, as long as there are some high points along the way. BTW, a co-worker alerted me to this site which seems to have some fascinating info and even has a separate Route 66 section:

http://legendsofamerica.com/

Thanks again for all the helpful feedback. You Fodorites are great!