Hi Everyone,

My boyfriend and I are looking to go on a trip around North America for two months this June/July. We are looking for some advice on which way to travel. We have looked around at renting a car, bus passes and train passes. The train pass only allows us 45 days and from a lot of people we have been advised not to travel around by buses. We are starting in Boston and finishing in LA. We are looking to do everything at a reasonable price. So far I think renting a car is the best idea but can anyone advise us on any good companies, what way it works with parking etc... Thanks for the help in advance.

First, where specifically are you hoping to go and what are your interests? In general, renting a car is by far the best way to see large portions of North America, with the exception of the big cities and also the northeast U.S., where the population is large and the train service is also a good option. There are also some scenic rail trips in both the U.S. and Canada that might be appropriate depending on what you want to see.

You will at least need to rent a car for part of the trip, or your sightseeing will be pretty limited. For example, the Western U.S., which has some spectacular sights, the national parks in particular, is best seen by car and relatively easy to drive, outside the major cities.

I suggest you compare costs between driving and the train pass. A car, including a drop-off charge if you don't return it to the point you picked it up, can be expensive although you may find a deal on a long-term rental. Don't forget to include the cost of gas in your comparison.

If it seems the train will be the most cost-effective option, check several routes around the country and plan your stops accordingly. There are so many great places to see that I don't believe you'll suffer, even if you must narrow it down to places along the route. There's no possibility of seeing everything anyway, and I find choosing some criteria, for instance, what's along this rail route, is as good a way as any to narrow your choices to a manageable number.

Well you'll definitely want the car for LA. Are you from outside the US or Canada? If so look into renting a car from an overseas broker like carhire3000.com. They will include all the insurance you need.

In big cities such as NYC it will cost $30-40 per day to park a car. There are private parking garages all over the city.

So consider using bus, train or even occasional flight to get between major cities, then rent a car in areas where you want more personal mobility.

You could use that 45-day Amtrak pass IF you were willing to spend two weeks not taking the train at the beginning or the end of the trip.

If you rent a car there is almost undoubtedly going to be a drop charge even if you use some sort of consolidator (and they'll roll that charge into the overall fee).

If you don't use a consolidator then any of the major companies would work BUT you could also try renting the car through Priceline or Hotwire.

How familiar are you with lodging chains or other accommodations in the US? There are plenty of so-called "budget" options if you really want to save some money.

You really need to draft out an itinerary before you see what makes sense.

Except for the northeast corridor (Boston down to DC) trains are NOT a good option. Many places have no train service at all, others have only one train a day and they are often late - many hours late - since the tracks are owned by the freight company and freight trains have priority over passengers - who often have to pull aside and wait for a train with 100 or more cars to pass.

For longer distances you are probably better off flying (usually cheaper as well as much faster than train) and while car does make sense in certain areas distances are so long that doing the whole country by car doesn't make a lot of sense. In some places - LA and the wester national parks - a car is really a necessity. But - in several cities - NYC, Boston, DC, SF - cars are a very expensive nonsense - you can't use them and they sit in a garage at $30 or $40 per day plus the cost of the rental.

If you give us your initial thinking on destinations people can help make recos - but it's a big country and two months isn;t long if you're trying to see all of the hot spots.

I think I have read on this board that for foreign visitors, there may not be that huge drop off fee. Just a thought.
No car in cities.
Since you are a couple (as in "not travelling as a solo female), you might investigate the Megabus type connections around the northeast--and wherever they go now. I would NOT recommend the normal bus lines, which may not be all that cheap anyway.
Depending on your age, car rental may not be an option.

And just to a point, this is a USA trip!! LOL

I would use what makes sense in each area . .

One approach would be to fly into a city in each geographic area you are interested in, and plan a loop so that you avoid drop charges. In some areas ( LA to SAF in California for example )you can rent one way with no drop off charge . . there are likely others as well.

Use trains where it makes sense, planes where that makes sense, and a car where that makes sense.

From Boston, a car likely makes little sense if you want to see the larger cities (NY, DC . . )

opps . . hit submit too soon . .

What are the sites/areas that interest you the most?

What do you want to see between Boston and Los Angeles? Any ideas at all? Since it's summer time you could take a northern route, southern route, drive straight across. Will you be camping out? Staying in motels?