Buy a cheap van that you can sleep in.
Something like this.:
https://www.martysautos.com/inventory/details/47458832

for less than $900?
i take it you didn’t read the thread. 🤣 Not to mention that he’d still need a (legal) place to park the van...food to eat...gas money...

Even that is $1200 +. The OP does not have even that much. He has only $900. Then there would be gas, license, tags, insurance, etc. I guess you are making a joke.

Not making a joke.
I did read the thread:
"I have around $900 for traveling around the west coast after paying for flights.."
Just suggesting another option.

The OP was looking at a flight that was RT $175.00, so even added together, not enough for the car. In the middle of winter, he really could not sleep in the car, and should not be driving cross country alone then anyway. Not a viable option.

He needs friends lined up along the way for places to stay or there is no chance to do more than a shorter time in a smaller area. He said he had made many new friends, so that could work. He mentioned RT tickets, so he probably has to return to PA to fly home. Other logistics he will have to deal with are where to leave his things and where to stay when he returns to PA to catch the flight home. It would also be good for him to have at least one person in the US that he could reach out to should he need help along the way.

Sorry for the late reply from me. Had a busy week and weekend. Thanks for all your suggestions! I really appreciate them.

I cut down significantly on my plans. You are all right and I shouldn't plan too big for this. I was just in a high after the last road trip and wanted to see everything.
My current plan is to find something through workaway.com. I enjoy helping around the house so that might even be a good thing to get your head clear from all the numbers and equations here at Uni. There are a few places in California and I'm going to ask them if they are available over Christmas. That will be my fall-back plan, even if everything goes wrong I will enjoy a few weeks in proximity to either LA, San Diego or San Fransisco. Once I have a place, I will plan around it. I found someone who could host me in San Jose for a week and I will reach out to more people here. Didn't cross my mind that even if they don't live in California they might know someone living there. I haven't messaged anyone on Couchsurfing yet. My profile is new anyways, so that might be hard to find something but I will still try it.

I would consider buying a van if I travelled with more people. But all of my friends willing to travel will be visited by their parents for at least two weeks at some point and I don't want to manage an old van in the winter on my own.

And then there is still the south-east as an option. My best friend from Germany is currently doing an internship in Charleston so that would work. My current plan was to go there during Thanksgiving and visit Miami with him sometime early next year. Also the water is warmer here, so going swimming during winter sounds intriguing ��

I will still be here for another semester after winter break. I have to pay rent for an apartment even during the time that I'm not in Pittsburgh. That's also why I have to return to Pittsburgh after my trip.

Have a great Sunday!

Ah, I thought you meant he should buy the car after he flew out here!

Either way, though, it wouldn’t work. Gas is crazy expensive. I make this calculation all the time. Ulcc tickets or driving? I like camping so I prefer to drive, but driving is literally NEVER cheaper. Even if his ticket wasn’t ulcc—let’s say $300–in gas money, that’s maybe as far as New Mexico. And that’s before snow tires, chains, decent sleeping bag. Most of that trip, including big bits of California, drops below freezing at night. Dangerous before even calculating the potential for inclement weather.

Please don't fly Spirit. Spirit charges extra for absolutely everything and that cheap fare quickly increases when you start adding in all fees. Southwest would probably be a better option and has no baggage fees.

I would assume the OP is a college student on winter break and will return to Germany at the end of the spring semester, not at the end of this trip out west. I would also assume he can leave his things in his dorm and stay there when he returns to Pittsburgh. There's no mention of him going back to Germany at the conclusion of this trip.

I presumed so also, becuase he said this was for a winter break trip. I think it's just a break between semesters at his school in Pittsburgh.

Spirit's fares are $200 or more most of the time to OAK or LA from PIT, anyway, from what I see. Which is more than SWA. They do have one really cheap fare to LAX only (not to OAK) on Friday 12/14 only for $61 late at night (which doesn't include baggage check or seat reservation), however it mysteriously turns into $122 if yu want to book it. And that is still without any extras.

IF he wants to, I could see trying that cheap Spirit fare oneway to LAX and then booking SWA to return from up north (Spirit is more expensive anyway to return). I wouldn't book Spirit to save maybe $50-75, which is all I think it will save though.

are you sure you’re looking at the round trip prices, Christina? Because when I compared the two, no matter what flights I look at, Spirit round trip is the same price, if not cheaper, than SWA one way. Minimum savings of $100.

I mean, there’s a reason for that of course, but I can understand why the OP wants to use spirit.

He only has $900 total for everything. How's he going to pay $1200 for a van? Even if he could, then how's he going to eat? Buy fuel? Pay for a campground? What if it breaks down?

Sorry for the late reply, but I've been really busy the last week and during the weekend. But thanks for all the answers and discussion. You are really helping me out.
You guys are right. I should cut down on my plans. I was just on a traveling "high" after my last road trip.

My current plans are as follows: Find a place to live via workaway.com near Los Angeles, San Diego or San Fransico. I'm fine with working for a few hours a day (actually I always enjoyed work around the house with my dad) if that's means saving significant amounts of money. Once I have a place I can plan around it. Maybe do some trips during the weekend. I found someone who could host me in San Jose for a week. Also it didn't cross my mind, that while people I know might not be in California during Winterbreak, they might know people that could host me. I'm going to ask around.

If I combine 2 weeks of living of workaway and 2 weeks of free travel I might be able to manage with $900. Also I haven't checked Couchsurfing yet. My profile is new though so that might be a problem.

Okay, there is a spirit flight for $51 +$34 for a checked bag up to 18kg from PIT to LAX on 12/12. My luggage I currently have fits their sizes perfectly. Kinda big to travel with but oh well.
Return would be from San Diego on the 1/11 for $50+$30 with Frontier. I'm a big guy, but at the same time I'm young. I can cramp myself into a seat if that means saving money.

Edit: I don't know where my previous post go. Going to type it out again.

Well that's a good start! Since you fly into Los Angeles and out of San Diego, I would stick to California for this trip. Don't try to go as far north as Vancouver BC Canada.

Yeah I crossed out the Vancouver plans. California it is for now.
Other option would be Florida with Miami as a center. Flights are cheap to Fort Lauderdale and water is warm. Hostels are cheaper, so traveling would be easier. But I haven't looked too much into it yet.

"I'm a 21 year old German exchange student..."
"I'm fine with working for a few hours a day .."

Do you currently have a visa that allows you to work in the US?

>>Find a place to live via workaway.com

Florida is a better idea than California with a limited budget.

Florida is a great choice for an R&R type of vacation, for sight-seeing, I'd still choose California.

>>for sight-seeing, I'd still choose California

I don’t think any kind of international student visa allows that. The work options are only major related last time I heard.

but yeah, I think the far bigger problem is that you are seriously overestimating the transit options, and UNDERESTIMATING both costs and distances in CA. Your previous road trip covered a lot less distance.

California is very similar to where I live, western wa. The transit options look pretty good until you get out to where most business is, and where people generally live. I need a car. I tried to do it without one, and actually, I tried to do your kind of road trip without one in California. There are just too many gaps, even before you add in the fact that you are dependent on the work scheme. I ended up spending a month on the road, and I’d argue that the only place more expensive than CA is Boston. I camped and ate cheap, but it was still a LOT more than $900 dollars.

you seriously need to do this trip with the budget you HAVE, and you need to make it as simple as possible, so you’re spending the least amount possible on transportation. You could go from city to city by bolt bus, but then you’re best off staying in the city center.