European needs help planning EC-WC travel

[tvdxer]

Originally Posted by baba44713

Hi everyone.

Me and a few of my friends have long been planning a trip to USA and it seems our plans are closely coming to fruition. This time next year we plan to fly to NY, rent a car and do a road trip towards the West Coast, probably finishing in San Francisco or L.A. - depending on plane schedules.

We DO have a year to sort everything out, but still, it's a monumental task. We need to decide which routes to take, what to see, where to stay and of course fit that all in a 4-week schedule. We all our outdoor types with extensive mountaineering experience so sleeping in camps and visiting National Parks is probably a must. Also, since this kind of trip will probably hit our pockets pretty heavily, cheaper options are always preferred.

Anyways, if there's a helpful soul on these forums which could offer any kind of advice or useful information related to any kind of aspect of such a trip, we would be extremely thankful.

Thank you all in advance. Cheers!

Well, you definitely won't want to explore New York City by car. And probably not Boston or D.C. either. So if you plan on visiting a string of more dense East Coast cities, you might want to wait on the car rental.

The National Park Service website, if you haven't visited yet, should be a great help: National Park Service - Experience Your America

If you plan on visiting several national parks, you should consider getting an annual NPS pass. They cost $80 and can be bought here: U.S. National Park Service America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass .

For three or four people, car rental will almost surely be the cheapest option.

Outside of major cities, roadside "motels" are cheap. The cheapest chain is probably Motel 6, which I'm guessing would stand about where Etap does in Europe. A double room in a Motel 6 can cost as little as $35 - $50, though you might have to pay supplements with more than two people.

[Kele]

You should try to find a way to see both the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park, two of the most stunning areas of visual eye candy in America.

Actually, as a born again Wyomingite, I would have to tell you that nearly every mountain range, prairie, valley, and foothill range of this state will simply take your breath away. I spend my off time from the University simply driving around this state and I am always amazed by the breathtaking vistas around nearly every corner.