Those who traveled USA

[Everz]

Or Cerb..

Got a something I need answering.

Best transport? - I'm not going to drive, neither is the gf so what is considered the best transport for getting from one side to other (NY to Cali for example), are internal flights cheap still or is better to stick to the trains?

Additionally, since I really couldn't get an answer elsewhere.. what are the state of the hostels there? Been told that the motels are worth it and there are alot of cheap ones and heard a few horror stories bout the hostels, but what are peoples experiences?

 

[megadave]

Driving is blatantly the way!

 

[Aoami]

gotta be a wannabango or a fat chevy convertable or no point

 

[Everz]

Cant be fooked, specially the chosen route ;D.

 

[Cerb]

Between cities that are anyways close together (eg New york and DC are around 4 hours) I would definitely go with a bus. The train takes more or less the same amout of time but in comparison a bus from DC to NY cost $19 but for the same train ride you are pretty much looking at a minimum of $100 so for short distances I would go with a bus.

Traveling from somewhere like New York to Chicago it kind of depends. Sometimes you can find flights with Southwest that are reasonable but sometimes the prices suck. Amtrak the main train company over here probably works out a little cheaper than than flight but then you have to decide if you want to spend the extra money to make that journey and save yourself an 18 hour train ride. If you aren't here for that long it might be worth paying that little extra to be able to use the time you have better.

The flights can be weird. When you think about it NY to Cali isn't that much further than London to NY but it is a bit cheaper. For example right now you could fly from ny to la on june 21st for about $200-250. A train ride at the same time costs almost the exact same. If you book well in advance I would definitely choose flights over the train for a journey that long.

As for hostels....let me get back to you next week. This weekend I'm going up to New York to see a friend and I'm staying in a hostel so when I get back I'll let you know.

I guess your best transportation method depends on where you want to see and in what order.

let me know if there's anything else I can tell you!

 

[Everz]

Cheers bud.

Yea well basically the plan was to start in NY as I've got a huge chunk of family there and the flights would be cheapest (got a couple for <£150).

Flights from DC to New Orleans cost much? Weren't much interest in the other states leading down towards there (unless there anything to recommend?) Other then that trains will be our best bet as we just state-to-state hop from there onwards.

Time isn't much of an issue, should be leaving at the back end of July and (fingers crossed) should have a work placement that start in the New Year so thats a decent amount of time.

 

[DaGaffer]

Drive. drivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrivedrive. Its the American dream.

I've driven from Seattle to San Diego and From NY to Boston, and I'd love to drive across one day. Its just the right way to travel in the US, just like you'd cross Russia by train or Egypt by boat. Get a driveaway and just do it.

 

[tierk]

Get yerself a Harley and ride across the USA, it is the only way to do it

 

[Ch3tan]

Drive, I did bus and train as I couldn't drive at the time.

Hostels vary, as they do everywhere in the world. Check the reviews and only stay at the best rated ones. You'll miss out on the travelling experience staying in motels and hotels.

 

[confused]

Trains are expensive, and the stops are quite far between, fine on the east/west coast, but if you're wanting to travel in land then it'll be a long journey

 

[Laddey]

There are places outside of the UK?! Since when?

 

[Punishment]

You gotta drive man seriously its a once in a lifetime thing

 

[leviathane]

Greyhound bus?

 

[ford prefect]

Yeah, I agree bus or train for places that are relatively close, otherwise internal flights, although the security over there is a bit of a nightmare still. Definately worth doing some driving though, there is a lot of suprisingly beutiful countrysie in the US and no bugger actually lives there.

 

[Everz]

You gotta drive man seriously its a once in a lifetime thing

Probably not, huge chunk of my family are over there, just the option to go there has arised earlier .

 

[DaGaffer]

Look at it this way, trains are good when you can get them, but coverage is patchy and they're quite expensive, planes mean having to deal with the TSA and their perv-o-scan tech, and if you get the bus you'll be murdered. Car is the only answer.

 

[Huntingtons]

hitchhike, come on you can do it!

that or train surf the Am-track on freights

 

[Everz]

Look at it this way, trains are good when you can get them, but coverage is patchy and they're quite expensive, planes mean having to deal with the TSA and their perv-o-scan tech, and if you get the bus you'll be murdered. Car is the only answer.

Haha, bluntly put .

 

[Cerb]

Security at airports is greatly exaggerated. Even on thanksgiving this year when there was supposed to be "Chaos" things were fine. Don't let that be a factor in your decision.

 

[Everz]

Security at airports is greatly exaggerated. Even on thanksgiving this year when there was supposed to be "Chaos" things were fine. Don't let that be a factor in your decision.

Experienced enough of US security to knows its greatly exaggerated as being over-the-top. Money as always is the main factor.

 

[Cerb]

Yeahhhh. Well from what you've said your planning on spending a couple of months there? In that case it might almost be worthwhile to takes buses as much as you can. Much cheaper. If you get the overnight ones they are even cheaper. You can get an overnight from Boston to DC for about $10-15 I think.

 

[Everz]

Yeahhhh. Well from what you've said your planning on spending a couple of months there? In that case it might almost be worthwhile to takes buses as much as you can. Much cheaper. If you get the overnight ones they are even cheaper. You can get an overnight from Boston to DC for about $10-15 I think.

Yeh, couple months there. Sounds like a mint idea tbh.

 

[Cerb]

So I stayed in a hostel in New York Saturday night. It was shit. It was dirty, in a broken down building and overpriced. At abut 4 am the guy sleeping underneath me got sick in his bed for about an hour. The vide didn;t feel anything like the euro hostels I've stayed in. Considering the prices you can get hotels/motels for on expedia and the like, I would defo now recommend that over hostels!

 

[DaGaffer]

So I stayed in a hostel in New York Saturday night. It was shit. It was dirty, in a broken down building and overpriced. At abut 4 am the guy sleeping underneath me got sick in his bed for about an hour. The vide didn;t feel anything like the euro hostels I've stayed in. Considering the prices you can get hotels/motels for on expedia and the like, I would defo now recommend that over hostels!

There are a few NY Hostels on Hostelworld that seem to have very good reviews. Maybe you were just unlucky.

 

[Everz]

So I stayed in a hostel in New York Saturday night. It was shit. It was dirty, in a broken down building and overpriced. At abut 4 am the guy sleeping underneath me got sick in his bed for about an hour. The vide didn;t feel anything like the euro hostels I've stayed in. Considering the prices you can get hotels/motels for on expedia and the like, I would defo now recommend that over hostels!

Haha, seems to have summed up what my cousin said about them. Motel>Hostel all the way.

 

[Ch3tan]

What Gaff said above Everz, don't turn away from hostels cause of stories like Cerb's.

Cerb, did you read a review for your hostel first? Or just go with the first one you saw? Highly rated hostels on sites like hostel world will rarely be bad. You run just as much risk of getting a shit hotel or motel.

 

[Exioce]

You realise how long it takes a bus or train to cross the US right?

 

[Cerb]

What Gaff said above Everz, don't turn away from hostels cause of stories like Cerb's.

Cerb, did you read a review for your hostel first? Or just go with the first one you saw? Highly rated hostels on sites like hostel world will rarely be bad. You run just as much risk of getting a shit hotel or motel.

Yes I did read a review. No not the first one I saw I actually looked for a while. Yes I booked with hostelworld. It got a 75% rating.

OK there probably good hostels but this was a bad one.

Swiss 1291 Hostel in New York, USA - Find Cheap Hostels and Rooms at Hostelworld.com

 

[Achilles]

Sorry to hi-jack your thread, but does anyone whom has driven in the States have any top tips?

Myself and 4 other lads are booking flights into NY and out of LA, 4 or 5 weeks apart. We are planning on driving across on route 66 and then doing some West coast charging up the west coast road. We are all 22/23. Havn't had a very close look at car hire, but most large companys seem to rent to under 25s, just at a bit extra.

Does anyone understand US car insurance? Whats the deal about driving in different states that have different laws RE car hire age etc? When getting quotes online with enteprise/avis/dollar there doesnt seem to be any extra charge for picking the car up in NY and dropping it off ~2600km away in LA. Is that really the case? Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

[DaGaffer]

You'll find it almost impossible to get the 22 year olds down as drivers; 23 is the lower limit. There will also definitely be a drop off surcharge for driving cross country (tbh most rental companies have daily mileage limits and you'll blow through those as well). I had to pay a surcharge for dropping off between LA and San Diego and that's the same state. As I recall it was even more when I dropped off in Vegas from LA.

You should investigate drive aways. This can work out a lot cheaper although you have to drive to a timetable. I imagine it will be quite hard to find a full NY - LA driveaway though; I did Seattle to San Diego and I seem to remember them saying that was unusual (that was a he'll of a long time ago though).