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My budget is kind of low, since I'm out of work right now. Can you sleep in your car at highway rest areas to save money on hotels?
Use truck stops. There are plenty of people around. Don't take a truck parking place, though. Use a smaller space in the front where cars go.
I'm an ex-trucker so I feel comfortable around the places and blend in with the active truckers. You can blend in too. Just wander around and look at the facilities. You'll find a TV room, laundry, and if you want to take a shower you can buy one at the front desk. Cost about $6 or so unless you buy 100 gallons of fuel
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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$500 - $700 would provide me a 2 month road trip.
1) Free fuel (cooking oil) - or.. appleseed fuel processor Appleseed Processor Kit - Utah Biodiesel Supply
2) Car is almost free... $35 and gets 50 mpg
3) Get my tires at wrecking yards ($5)
4) Eat by getting discarded produce in early morning at grocery
5) Stay in $10 - $20 / night guest homes Usually 1 -2 meals included
6) Camp here Free Campgrounds for RVs
7) or at city parks or fairgrounds in rural states.
8) Use city rec centers for shower. (Or a state park during the day use period)
It's the kind of scenario that would drive me nuts, so I supplement my hard cash travel budget with hotel & airline gift cards & points from assorted survey and get-paid-to programs, but it takes time to build up that stash.
Is couchsurfing like AirBnB? Also, try Airbnb.com....
PLEASE don't coach surf. You don't know what type of people that live in the homes of the places you're going to.
ETA: Instead of waisting money on sitting in a car all day long, why not go to the spa for a day and then a really nice lunch. I'm sure you can find something on Groupon.
PLEASE don't coach surf. You don't know what type of people that live in the homes of the places you're going to.
ETA: Instead of waisting money on sitting in a car all day long, why not go to the spa for a day and then a really nice lunch. I'm sure you can find something on Groupon.
I've Couchsurfed in 3 countries other than my own, and I've never had anything remotely close to a problem with it. It's those who haven't and don't understand it that are usually the most vocal opponents of it.
My experiences are a bit different than the others.
I have had problems with people at rest areas. I caught a nap at one on US-395 three hours south of Reno one night and some guy tried to put his fist through my window while I was sleeping. I was driving a boring Avis rental that trip.
I am not real keen on the truck stops either. The real large ones bring out a good number of prostitutes and other problems.
If I had to sleep in my car, I might do Walmart in a suburban area. I might also do a hospital parking lot as generally, someone sleeping in the car is NOT too far out of the ordinary., Also, who goes around hospital parking lots at night besides security.
Has anyone who is not a professional trucker actually taken a shower at a truck stop? I ask because most of the ones that I and my drivers have frequented limit the showers to people buying diesel. On occasion, some of them have taken a shower without a purchase but they are well known at those stops,
You'd be better off looking for the cheapest flight you can get, then grab a cheap hotel in the city.
I'm doing a 4 day trip to Miami and paying 800 dollars... and I am staying in a 4 star hotel and flying first class.
Good deals are always out there to be found.
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