Trip around America

[crgb14]

Need some advice on a possible trip around the USA. Whats the best way to travel round in 3 weeks....car, train or plane?

Ideally we'd start at New York, travel down the coast then back accross to the West. Is 3 weeks long enough for this? Also, which cities would be best to visit?

[dzug]

A mixture of transport will be best - if you drive everywhere you'll spend the whole 3 weeks driving. Suggest you pick 3 or 4 areas, hire a car there and plane (or occasionally train) between them.

My views on US cities are probably heretical, but I wouldn't visit any of them from choice other than to hire a car at the airport and head out of town. I'd concentrate on the National Parks - but you may have more varied tastes.

[Clanad]

I notice a number of questions very similar to yours and I think about trying to travel the U.S. in just three weeks... and I live here! It's one thing to zip through places, I suppose just to say you've been there, but I think it would be a whole lot more satsifying if you selected perhaps 4 or 5 places (for various reasons to suit you) and spend a few days at each place. For example, if you are planning on arriving in New York City, you can spend at east 4 days there just to get the flavor. While in that part of the country a few days driving (or flying) to Boston and a tour of the beautiful New England States would take at least another 4 days. Then, if the lure of the west calls you (where I live) a flight out to Denver (however, I would strongly recommend Billings, Montana for an interim destination) would put you in a good position to tour a bit of the mountain states (at any rate, take the time to get away from Denver metro area). The distances, however, for any European or Brit are a little daunting. It's nothing at all to travel 150 to 250 miles to the next sizeable stop, but the scenery more than makes up for it. By this time you've used up the better part of your time, but either a drive via rental car (think ya'll call it car hire) or a flight out to San Francisco or L.A. will get you there in time to return home. At any rate, figure out what you'd really like to get out of visiting the U.S. and plan accordingly. Welcome, by the way!

[jno]

I once spent 3 weeks just touring New England (the northeast corner of the USA). Honesly, it's a huge country. I think you should set your sights lower.

[crgb14]

Its very early days yet ....probably a little over 12 months to go but we need to plan it properly.

I've found a great deal with AA to go from Toronto - New York - Florida - LA for a mere �286. Thats based on a week at each place.

Does that sound any better as an idea??

[jno]

yes, that does sound good. Plenty to see in each place.

[fourteen85]

In one of Bill Brysons books, he says that the house he bought after moving back to america was nearer to his old house in the Yorkshire dales than it is to the Pacific coast. This should give you some idea of the immense size of the place

[Clanad]

That's a wonderful price for that trip.... however, please don't form your opinion of the U.S. based on only that exposure... New York and Florida, nice as they may be, are not representative of the rest of the U.S.