Road Trips and how to do them

Drakeon

So, I've been giving some thought to a pretty massive roadtrip this summer and had some questions if anyone could help me.

Basically, I'd probably like to go back east and hit DC/New York (as I've never been there) and probably some places in between. The problem is I'm in California (Sacramento area to be specific) and have no idea how much itd cost (gas + motels + food) beyond a vague idea of "a lot" (for me anyways). Does someone with experience of long road trips have any idea how much this might run me and how I might save some money?

Also, it should be noted that the farthest east I've ever been is Nebraska, so I'd be kind of driving blind (although I'd probably end up picking up a GPS for this trip). Any other tips for general roadtrips would be helpful as well.

Improvolone

CA to NY on a straightshot is like, three days. Mapquest where you are to NYC, using some basic arithmetic and the national average gas price, and that will be half of your gas expenses.
It's horribly, horribly expensive.

But if you are going to do it, don't do it alone.

Drakeon

Improvolone wrote: »

CA to NY on a straightshot is like, three days. Mapquest where you are to NYC, using some basic arithmetic and the national average gas price, and that will be half of your gas expenses.
It's horribly, horribly expensive.

But if you are going to do it, don't do it alone.

Really? (Not the expensive part, I kind of expected that) I'm not sure I could scrounge up anyone else to go with me, why would going alone be a bad idea?

Improvolone

Because the drives length makes it not only boring, but dangerous to do by yourself. You'll be tired and you'll keep saying, "next town I'll pull over, next town", and there will be no one in the car to a) keep you awake and b) take over driving, and c) share the costs.
Ouch.

EskimoDave

Your car is going to need to be all maintenanced up. Last thing you need is to break down in Buttfuck Kansas.

Doxa

Improvolone wrote: »

Because the drives length makes it not only boring, but dangerous to do by yourself. You'll be tired and you'll keep saying, "next town I'll pull over, next town", and there will be no one in the car to a) keep you awake and b) take over driving, and c) share the costs.
Ouch.

This.

I've done a 12 hour with someone and a 6 hour alone. Even though in the 12 hour my partner only grabbed the wheel for 2 hours it was way easier.

Improvolone said everything else.

Improvolone

Yea, I've driven from CT to FL, once by myself, another time with someone. It sucked. Unless you are magical you will not stumble into a random town by yourself and have an adventure.
Why do you want to road trip, why not just fly? Tickets are actually pretty cheap right now.

Toastie Toast

If you're looking to save money and meet some nice new people, I've heard many good things about www.couchsurfing.com.

Don't worry. Chances of your head ending up in a stranger's freezer are very low.

Drakeon

So, would it be a better Idea to fly out to the east coast and take public transportation (would I be able to from DC to NY to Philly to Boston like that?). I'm not sure I could find a driving partner, so would that be a lot easier?

Improvolone

My vote is yes. There is a train that runs from Maine to Miami, so DC, NYC, and Boston will be easy. Getting to Philly is probably as easy as starting in NYC.
Plus when you fly or take the train, you can do stuff like read or play video games. Stuff you can't do when driving.

Iceman.USAF

I've done 12 straight (only stopping for gas) myself before. It was....interesting. Drove from Montgomery, AL to Maryland (DC beltway, really). I had never been happier to sleep after.

Honestly just make sure you're mentally prepared. It's a lot of driving. Going to be a lot of nothing going through some of those plain states.

Make sure you get your oil changed, and keep some coolant and oil WITH YOU. Gas is less important (unless you're a dope and run out!) but oil and coolant leaks can sneak up on you.

stlWill

Second on the couchsurfing suggestion. I'm a "participant" and while I've never stayed w/ anyone, I've hosted a person and took another person around the city.

Improvolone

Oh, I've also couch surfed though only once. I would not do it if you are just passing through though, it really goes against the spirit of it. Doesn't mean no one will take you, but the idea is for your host to show you where they live.

RocketSauce

I'd recommend having a buddy, just because shit can happen on a road trip and it helps to have someone there with you, instead of figuring it out all by yourself. But, I wouldn't let that stop you. Plenty of people drive across the country by themselves. Truckers do it every day. You just have to be responsible and know your limits.

If we get a couch surfing project for Drakeon going, I'd be willing to volunteer for Kansas. The bad part is it's at the very eastern edge near Kansas City. That means you drive through about 120 miles in Colorado, and 400 some in Kansas of pure wasteland.

kaliyama

figure out your gas mileage; it may well be cheaper if you can get a cheap virgin america flight than driving.

Improvolone

RocketSauce wrote: »

I'd recommend having a buddy, just because shit can happen on a road trip and it helps to have someone there with you, instead of figuring it out all by yourself. But, I wouldn't let that stop you. Plenty of people drive across the country by themselves. Truckers do it every day. You just have to be responsible and know your limits.

If we get a couch surfing project for Drakeon going, I'd be willing to volunteer for Kansas. The bad part is it's at the very eastern edge near Kansas City. That means you drive through about 120 miles in Colorado, and 400 some in Kansas of pure wasteland.

I love the idea of a PA couch surfing "team". We could research the people to see how active they are, see what type of relationships they form online, and then we can praise each other on the couch surfing site in order to bolster our scores.
Only when we actually stay with someone of course.

Quid

What RocketSauce said. Improvolone is right too, but I personally don't think doing it on your own isn't the most dangerous thing in the world so long as you're smart about it. Stop whenever you're tired, stop every couple hours even if you're not tired. Nap. It's amazing how much fifteen minutes of sleep can refresh you. And load an iPod with plenty of varied music and spoken word stuff to last you a few days if you have one.

And while I can also find road trips enjoyable by myself, this doesn't go for everyone and I definitely agree having someone else can make it much more enjoyable and easier.