hey thanks x for the info, I'll def bear that in mind!!<BR><BR>I have some mates in Concord, NC so I could use that as a base..perhaps. the grayhound coaches...not good??? Also how much approx would they cost driving state to state?? are we looking at alot?

well its good to know there are some helpful people out there!!! If anyone wants any tips on London travel, let me know!!

Concord will be hot but an OK base. It is a three hour drive to Charleston and then another two to Savannah from there.

Actually, xxx, Karen said she's &quot;start her travelling after July.&quot; I thought after might be the wintertime. You'll say that make no sense. And I'd say having a conversation with you makes no sense. Apparently, once I'm making no sense I just keep on keeping on. Now, lets see, which one makes the most no sense. By jove, it's talking with you. Now, which winter month would that be, Karen?

right ok, i've taken your advice and ignored the ass holes here!!! anyway, yes July is still &quot;summer&quot; I believe and for the following months will then be autumn which i gather the temperatures will start to drop. Thats cool cos I dont fancy treking around in boiling heat!! I;ll be signing off now, but thanks for the info from all you &quot;nice guys out there.<BR><BR>Cheers!

one thing I will say...those people who have to be negative...why not use your name when replying to messages??? seems to be the easy way out for those!!!! Very brave!

Travel may be your biggest problem. If you have friends near Charlotte, by all means take advantage of that. It will be hot in the south so a consideration (from Charlotte) may be the Mountains - Asheville, Knoxville, etc. by all means spend some time in NYC, the transportation there is probably as good as you will find in the states. Certainly Boston is another good option from NYC. There should be many jobs (especially in the Mts.) to do a little work if you need some spending $$. Again, ignore those who only criticize &amp; provide no info (they probably have nothing to share) !! Good luck &amp; when you have narrowed it down a bit, let us know &amp; perhaps we can help w/the specifics. Happy traveling. In addition, if you go to the top of the board &amp; type in Charleston or NYC it will pull up posts related to that area that may be helpful.

Karen, still hot in the South through October! Good luck and don't worry, everybody has air conditioning!

Transportation - I would definitely recommend travelling by Amtrak - check out their web site to see where the routes are. From the train you will have a chance to see a lot of the countryside. I think Amtrak has monthly passes that give you unlimited rides for a flat fee. Greyhound is definitely sketchy as another poster pointed out - and the bus stops tend to be in bad neighborhoods. You mauy want to rent a car for part of your trip if there are areas you would like to see that aren't accessible by public transportation. <BR><BR>If I were to take 2 or 3 months to see the country by train, these are the routes I would consider:<BR><BR>Eastern Seaboard - Boston to Savannah with stops in New York, Washington DC, Charleston, Philadelphia. <BR><BR>Mississippi River area - Chicago to New Orleans. Definitely spend time in Memphis and New Orleans. <BR><BR>Chicago to San Francisco - stopping at Glenwood Springs CO, somewhere in Utah Lake Tahoe. <BR><BR>West Coast - the Coast Starlight goes from San Diego to Seattle. I'd stop in Los Angeles and Portland. <BR><BR>Seattle to Chicago - stopping some places in Wyoming and Montana. <BR><BR>Side trips I would would make, either by car or some other public transportation would be to Yosemite, Yellowstone, Moab, UT, Monterey/Big Sur, CA, the Grand Canyon. I would also plan some stops in smaller towns along the way rather than just the cities to get a more well-rounded feel for the country. The Amtrak web site has some good summaries of places it stops. If something interests you, then you could do some further research about the area.<BR><BR>Weather-wise, it will be very hot in the south and along the eastern seaboard when you arrive in July. I would head west immediately because the weather is great there during the summer. It can get hot, but the humidity is low so it's not bad. Also, if you go up to Montana and Wyoming, do that in the summer time too because once fall hits, it can get very cold. Save the southern and eastern states for later in your visit, like September. The weather will be getting cooler by then. <BR><BR>Sounds like a really fun trip - I wish I was going.

OK, the relying on public transportation will be a handicap. Most of us in this country are used to personal transportation. That is a big trip and there are likely to be as many different answers as there are people here.<BR><BR>You might start by looking at http://www.amtrak.com/ and at http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/national.pdf for the route map.<BR><BR>With that length of time and starting and ending from NYC, I would visit New England first, then head west visiting Niagara, possibly Chicago, Colorado and on to San Francisco. Down to Southern California with a side trip to Las Vegas. By the last month of your trip, the southern US will be getting more comfortable, so head across the south and visit El Paso, San Antonio, New Orleans and Florida before returning up the eastern seaboard with a stop in Washington, DC and possibly Philadelphia. <BR><BR>I would save New York City for last. It is more pleasant in the Fall and you won’t be hauling your purchases around the country with you.<BR><BR>Those are pretty broad brush strokes, but without knowing more about your tastes, it is a start. You can pay a brief visit to Canada at Niagara and to Mexico at El Paso. Otherwise I wouldn’t stop in El Paso.<BR><BR> Keith<BR>

WOW!! Thanks j Correa!!! Thats brilliant info!!! I'll definately consider those routes! Now how much do you think this is likely to cost?? For 3 months, budget..everything Amtrak, hostels etc etc???

GREAT info J Correa!

thanks to you too keith! I may save NY til last then I can blow any money I have left on Shopping!!!!

The cost of your trip will depend on a lot of things. I think you can do it on your budget though. <BR><BR>If you plan on staying in hostels, then your lodging will be relatively cheap. I am not really familiar with hostelling, but there have been a few threads on this site about it - try doing a text search for hostels in the US forum and the budget travel forum to find the posts. <BR><BR>Check the Amtrak web site to find out if the rail pass is available and how much it is. Travelling coach you can travel pretty cheaply. It's the sleeping cars that are expensive. There have also been a few threads on Amtrak travel on this site. <BR><BR>For food, I have heard that the food on the trains is expensive, so to save money you could buy food ahead of time and bring it onto the train and then only buy your main meal of the day on board. Also, every region has it's local specialties which are usually pretty inexpensive. The people wherever you are staying will have good ideas on where to find good cheap eats. Like in New Orleans you can fill up on Po Boy sandwiches for next to nothing. In California you can get huge burritos for a few dollars. <BR><BR>For sight seeing, take advantage of historical societies and other non-profit groups that give tours. Many are free or very low cost. In larger cities, there are generally specials where for 1 discounted price you can get admission to 3 or 4 museums. <BR><BR>I have found Frommers guide books to be great at pointing out cheap or free tours, museums, and so on. If they aren't available in your local bookstore, you can buy them online.

$4500 over 90 days is about $50 per day to cover all your expenses including travel. I am afraid you won't be able to go bouncing around the country. My personal opinion is that you stick to the east coast. Start in NC. Free accomodations while you get over the jet lag. Move on to Washington DC. via Amtrak and use the Metro to get around. Most attractions are free, so you should be okay there. You can then Amtrak it to Philadelphia and on to NYC. From NYC to Boston, and then right out of the USA to Canada. Exchange rate is $.63 USA to $1.00 CAD, which would give you about $80 per day vs $50. Spend some time in Montreal and Quebec City. I'd book the hostels NOW as summer is the most popular travelling time.

I also like J Correa's list.<BR><BR>Visiting national parks is one of the best things to do here. Spend some time in cities, but bring a tent and hit as many national parks as you can. This won't be easy using public transport, but it is possible, and inexpensive. Do consider car rental.<BR><BR>The east coast is too like England to give you the full &quot;American experience&quot;. The most different places from the UK are the wide open, very dry places in the western USA. If you stick to the mountains or the northern half, you won't get too hot.<BR><BR>Buy a copy of Let's Go USA. Have a great time!

Montreal and Q City are certainly some of our better destinations. Many say it's the best place in the US to hear real french.

The east coast is too like England? Have you hit your head? Don't recall Palm trees in England. Don't remember salt marshes and alligators in England. Don't remember seeing white sand and tourquoise water of South Florida in England.

Tourquoise water of South Florida?<BR>Did you hit your head xxx or something else?<BR><BR>

Speaking of hitting heads - unless you were actually trying to be funny - Montreal and Quebec City are the best places in the US to hear real French? First of all, they aren't in the US - hello!? They're in Canada. Secondly, while the French spoken there is certainly &quot;real&quot; (as opposed to what?) it's almost incomprehensible to people from France. Thirdly, if Karen lives in London she's probably had ample opportunity to hear Parisians speaking their language; I'm not sure listening to Quebecois would qualify as an exciting tourist experience.<BR> Having said all of that, and bearing in mind budget restrictions and time constraints, I would still suggest, Karen, that you try to get to New Mexico (Santa Fe, Taos) if you can. It's very different from what you'd see at home, and very beautiful.