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I just moved from San Diego to AL; drove it alone in 3 days. I'm a big "planner"...spent many hours researching where to stop, which motels had easiest highway access, etc. Originally planned it at 3.5 days (about 550 mi/day), and made reservations, but after a day and a half of very boring and HOT! AZ/NM/TX, I scrapped the plan and drove as far as I could on day 2 with the goal of getting OUT of TX! (I'm also very impatient... ) I made it to Tyler, which was about 800 miles. Drove over 600 mi. on day 3. Was tired and also tired of driving, but more glad to be off the road. I had done the "sightseeing" type of cross-country drive in 1987 and had no desire to do it again.
Essentials: leaving early in the am (just after sunrise), XM radio, a cooler with snacks and giant cups of ice water or other cold drinks to keep you going.
I second the idea of avoiding stays near big cities, not only for the $$$ aspect, but also to avoid the morning/evening commuter traffic. Best to blow through cities midday if at all possible.
Lots of great advice in this thread! I am sure the OP has moved by now, but in case people continue to look here for ideas, I will add one.
If you don't have AAA (Auto Club), get it. Our minivan broke down in the middle of nowhere, Utah, and the annual $80 membership paid for itself that trip. You can also usually get discounts on hotels and sometimes restaurants, and they have this nifty trip planner on their website.
If you only use it for a discounted 3 nights in a hotel a year, it pays for itself.
Add in a flat tire or a dead battery, and it's paid for the next year too :-)
Earlier this year we drove to our home in Alaska from Ohio; 3 adults and 3 dogs (2 large dogs and 1 small). It was about 4000 miles. Definitely get a GPS. We always use Super8's since most of them are pet friendly and only charge $10 per pet. I would be leary of sneaking your pets in; too easy for them to catch you. The GPS will give you listings of motels of whatever area you are in as well as addresses and phone numbers. At any Super8 pick up one of their directories which list all of their locations and tell whether they are pet friendly or not. It was a tough trip since my MIL is 80 yrs old and we had to stop more often for her. We crated one large dog; one large dog was in back seat and the small one (pekinese) sat on a pillow on my lap and she loved it.
This is an awesome sight. I drove from Duluth, Mn. to San Francisco last spring, just me and my minpin. At the time I was pretty low on $$ (like the rest of the country in this economy). And I had a deadline for work. I made 1800 miles in 3 days and survived on packets of oatmeal. I had a mobile card but there is no exxon/mobile west of utah! UGH
This next trip is from San Francisco to No. Carolina! Does anyone have any idea's of best route and/or things to make a point of seeing along the way? I have more time this go around and can afford a little bit, though not much. My gas alone is going to be around 375.00, so my budget is a concern. I am absolutely grateful that I have work when I get there so no complaints. I am worried but excited. Oh and I think I'll be able to eat a little more than oatmeal this time.
Any thoughts on Greenville No. Carolina would be appreciated.
I moved last year from California (Silicon Valley area) to Northern Illinois. Drove just over 2,100 miles taking I-80. For preparation I used a trip planner (sorry I forgot the website, may have been AAA), but only used it to look at what hotels/motels were along the way. I then spent lots of time on Google Maps looking at the course of the trip. I knew from past trips that I could drive 800+ miles in a single day, so I planned for 3 days of driving with a goal of completing 700 miles each day. I laid this out on Google figuring out approximately where those 700 mile points would land and determined what cities to stop in based on that. I then made lists of the hotels at each "700 mile" city and read every single review I could possibly find about them to get an idea of which one's may be unsavory vs others. I also looked at what restaurants were right outside the hotels, and what the street/intersections were like getting to the hotels. Basically, I wanted to make sure that anywhere I stayed would be easy to get to, and easy to get back on the highway from.
For the driving, I tried to leave early every morning (before 5AM) to avoid any rush hour traffic of whatever city I stopped at. Don't drive like you're at home, slowdown for the construction zones, drive the speed limit, leave plenty of room between yourself and everyone else. I didn't bother planning out when to get gas, I simply kept an eye on the signs watching for "no gas next xxx miles", as well as kept a mental track of how far it was going to be to the next city and stopped for gas whenever I had reached the 1/4 tank mark. Same thing with stops to rest, I pretty much pulled in to every other rest area to stretch my legs and drain the main vein. Caught a few naps here and there too when my eyes got tired. In fact, I would recommend that if your eyes get tired, be sure to stop somewhere immediately to nap or get a hotel, shortly after they get tired they get hard to keep open.
Lastly, and this is very important to have whether you travel alone or with someone else: FEBREZE!
Part of the fun for me was not planning things too meticulously (I love getting lost, makes things memorable). Having a laptop also helped since I would just double-check Google each night to see what I would be in for the next day. When highways go through downtown regions they tend to change numbers, names, and directions which can be disorienting.
I'd heard AAA usually pays for it's self on long road trips. Once I get a car I'll be joining.
The great thing about AAA is that it follows you - not your car. If you're riding with someone else, you can still use all of the benefits. I've been a member since 1999 and added my kids when they hit their teens-about the time they started traveling with other people. Their trip planning is great. If you ever need a tow or tire change the money saved pays for the annual cost of membership. I drive an SUV and there is no way I'm changing that tire! I've traveled long distances, but this is my first cross country trip and there is definitely a lot of good information on this thread. Thanks to all who have contributed!
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Another vote for getting it over with ASAP!
) I made it to Tyler, which was about 800 miles. Drove over 600 mi. on day 3. Was tired and also tired of driving, but more glad to be off the road. I had done the "sightseeing" type of cross-country drive in 1987 and had no desire to do it again.
Once I get a car I'll be joining.
I have more time this go around and can afford a little bit, though not much. My gas alone is going to be around 375.00, so my budget is a concern. I am absolutely grateful that I have work when I get there so no complaints. I am worried but excited. Oh and I think I'll be able to eat a little more than oatmeal this time
