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Heey everyone,
Well im planning a road trip from the uk across america in a couple of years time when i finish school, but im really unsure on some aspects of the trip so, of course, i have created a list of questions i have:
Whats the best way to travel there?
Should i buy a car once i get to america?
Around how much money will i need on a monthly basis?
Any tips on where to start my trip?
Whats the best car to get for the trip?
Im going alone (and im female) any advice on that ?
Any personal advice greatly accepted
Ohh and im planning on working my way across america any advice on how to go about this?
How much luggage should i take with me (average)?
Should i be looking at staying in hotels, renting places etc?
Any other questions i should be asking myself let me know ,these are just off the top of my head. Please feel free to only answer a few
I am not sure if you will be able to buy a car without having an American social security number (tax id.) or how much work you will be able to get without having a work permit/visa. You could travel across the USA by train as I had a cousin who did this one way and she was able to stop anywhere she wanted along the way for as long as she wanted to and then fly in the other direction.
Heey everyone,
Well im planning a road trip from the uk across america in a couple of years time when i finish school, but im really unsure on some aspects of the trip so, of course, i have created a list of questions i have:
Whats the best way to travel there?
Should i buy a car once i get to america?
Around how much money will i need on a monthly basis?
Any tips on where to start my trip?
Whats the best car to get for the trip?
Im going alone (and im female) any advice on that ?
Any personal advice greatly accepted
Ohh and im planning on working my way across america any advice on how to go about this?
How much luggage should i take with me (average)?
Should i be looking at staying in hotels, renting places etc?
Any other questions i should be asking myself let me know ,these are just off the top of my head. Please feel free to only answer a few
THANKS EVERYONE!
Hey There!
When I first moved to the U.S. (from Australia when I was 22) I did the majority of my road tripping by myself- and managed to get to every state aside from Alaska (obviously I'd flown to Hawaii previously). As a single female, depending on your confidence level and travel experience, I think you should be fine. Like any travel though, just keep your wits about you and trust your instincts.
As far as working your way across America goes though- you'll need either an Employment Visa or Green Card for this. Before you make any direct plans, this should be your first priority.
Luggage for any trip should be kept to a minimum. Think about what can fit in the trunk of an average sized sedan- I never recommend road tripping with 'visible' luggage in the back seat unless you feel like hauling it in to every single motel room with you at each stop.
Whether you should rent or buy a vehicle depends on how long you'll be staying and your budget.
I personally did most of my roadtripping in a 2002 Buick Regal which was great for highway driving (super comfortable) but awfully unreliable and I had a multitude of mechanical issues with it. However, a small sedan is usually best due to the better gas mileage than an SUV while still being more comfortable than a compact car.
As far as hotels vs renting a place- that too depends on how long you'll be staying in each place.
Remember, America is in a recession right now. Jobs in a lot of places aren't as easy to come by as they were 10 years ago.
Unfortunately, with this plan, you may struggle to get an employment visa.
Your best bet is to come over on a 3 month travel visa (not a working visa) for the sake of a vacation, and ensure that you have enough savings to get you by across America and back. Without a precise job lined up in one place, an employment visa is probably going to be pretty impossible to get (plus, it would be null and void once you left that job_
I am not sure if you will be able to buy a car without having an American social security number (tax id.) or how much work you will be able to get without having a work permit/visa. You could travel across the USA by train as I had a cousin who did this one way and she was able to stop anywhere she wanted along the way for as long as she wanted to and then fly in the other direction.
You can buy a car without an SSN I bought my Buick before I had mine.
You can buy a car without an SSN I bought my Buick before I had mine.
I guess it depends on which state one is in. I had friends who were staying in NJ as the husband was on some kind of businessman's visa and they were not able to purchase a car without a SSN.
Heey everyone,
Well im planning a road trip from the uk across america in a couple of years time when i finish school, but im really unsure on some aspects of the trip so, of course, i have created a list of questions i have:
Whats the best way to travel there?
Should i buy a car once i get to america?
Around how much money will i need on a monthly basis?
Any tips on where to start my trip?
Whats the best car to get for the trip?
Im going alone (and im female) any advice on that ?
Any personal advice greatly accepted
Ohh and im planning on working my way across america any advice on how to go about this?
How much luggage should i take with me (average)?
Should i be looking at staying in hotels, renting places etc?
Any other questions i should be asking myself let me know ,these are just off the top of my head. Please feel free to only answer a few
THANKS EVERYONE!
You can get by in large cities with public transportation & between cities & states by plane, train or bus, but most people in the US get around with a car. If you're going to be staying a while, it might be best to buy or lease a car. (Leasing is different from renting a car - more economical, but may or may not be more economical than buying.)
The amount of money you need will depend on your choice of residence, recreation etc.
As mentioned, you need to get the proper immigration papers so you can work.
Most employment will require some time commitment, unless you go with a temporary employment agency.
You might consider working at places that provide room and board... ie: Camp counselor, National Park employee, etc.
I am not sure if you will be able to buy a car without having an American social security number (tax id.).
That's not a problem I've bought a dozen cars in the past 20 years, in several states, and people who sell cars don't want to see anything but the money. The DMV doesn't want to see anything but the insurance card. It is possible to drive in the USA for years, using temporary 30-day transit plates, which each state issues for about five bucks, again, requiring nothing but proof of insurance and a copy of the previous owner's title.
It is a very common occurrence in the USA for people to buy a car in a state other than that of their residence, and easily arrange the documentation to drive it home.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Get a used diesel VW Jetta wagon (manual tranny ~ $8000 - $10000 used). 50 mpg, good range, big enough to sleep in if necessary. Can be converted to run on FREE waste cooking oil.
Campervan conversion would be another choice. (~$3000 used) $12k for a decent Eurovan Westy.
I just use old VW diesels $35 used (whole car ) VERY cheap to keep running. and 50 mpg.
Buy and license it in a SALES TAX free state (Probably NH if starting in East, or OR in west, or AK if north) Delaware also, but I think Insurance / licensing is higher there. You will need an address and possibly someone with a State License to pick up the title. / plates. (find a 'friend') EZ... I have had cars living at 'boarding school' for over 20 yrs
I travel for about $10/day in food (Groceries and farm stands)
I have found work in small farm towns, farms at harvest time, and helping with senior citizens, folks moving, ... (non-std employers). Often you can work for food / lodging / fuel.
DEPENDS how long you have... May through Sept is best (long days, decent weather). I would start in West in early May California is REALLY pretty in April / early May). Then do the SW (AZ, Utah national Parks, (maybe over into TX BEFORE it gets HOT), then NM, COLORADO, WY (Be sure to see Tetons (take a float trip on Snake River)and drive the BEARTOOTH highway out of Yellowstone NE entrance), SD(main street manor hostel, Lead, SD), MN, WI (Then I would go to UP MI (Thunder Bay and into Canada) across to Niagra Falls, Then NY or Ontario. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are REALLY nice, as is Maine Coast. I would do Fall colors in New England, then venture down Blue Ridge Parkway to GA. (there are fall color maps to tell you where colors are at prime). DC is great for US folks, might not be same for UK.
Enjoy the backcountry folks, Bluegrass improv sessions, church dinners, community Ice Cream parties, Local brew pubs, History and photography walks / tours (free). Do some volunteer work at Habitat for Humanity projects. Get to know the locals and hang around awhile.
San Francisco is GREAT and very cheap / free for most fun stuff. I stay at Ft Mason Hostel. FREE parking close to Metro, VERY nice location.
Get a used diesel VW Jetta wagon (manual tranny ~ $8000 - $10000 used). 50 mpg, good range, big enough to sleep in if necessary. Can be converted to run on FREE waste cooking oil.
The chances that a stranger traveling across the country would be able to quickly find a local source of free waste cooking oil every time the needle hit empty, is very, very close to zero.
Furthermore, the traveler arriving at the airport would probably spend a week or two trying to track down exactly the make and model of car that you regard as indispensable, at a good price. I live in a city of 70,000, and I'd almost be willing to bet that there is not a single VW Jetta diesel stick shift in the whole city, and certainly not one being offered for sale, at any price, much less a favorable one.
The most economical way would be to go by bus -I've done Los Angeles to New York. Buy a hop on/hop off pass that's good for 3 months; I'm pretty sure as a citizen of the UK your travel visa will only be good for 4.
Keep your head on your shoulders though! The second they hear the accent they'll know you're obviously not from around _____(insert city).
Work now is not like work pre-9/11. Nothing is. I know of people that found the bar job or working at some kiosk etc, but nowadays it's much different. You might find something under the table, but I wouldn't bet on it. Unless you speak spanish you're done for i'm afraid.
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I bought my Buick before I had mine.
