At the end of this year or the next, my friend and I want to travel across the US for a heck of a road trip.
We haven't planned out a route, but for sure we'll be hitting NY, Chicago IL and Malibu CA. A few friends want me to visit them as well, most of them are from Boston, and one from Maryland.
So here come the list of questions: 1) If time were not an issue, what is the cheapest way for one to travel across states? Is a rented car allowed to travel across states? I have a Singaporean Driver's license, does that let me drive cars in America?
2) What the heck is there to do in Boston and Maryland???
3) I'm 18, and my friend is 20. Drinking isn't allowed till you're 21 in the US right? Can we still go to clubs?
4) Can anyone recommend a good place for skiing in any of the states? We're probably leaving in Nov/Dec. Which I assume would be winter in the states?
5) Does anyone have any tips for a road trip of this scale? I am a pretty frequent flier, but my friend hasn't traveled anywhere outside of Asia in his entire life! Also, we're on a pretty damn low budget, so assuming that lodging would be free, how much should I put aside for this trip?
* Also, if this has to do with anything, we're both Chinese but speak English very fluently.
ponderingonline2009-09-27T16:01:44Z
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It's very difficult to rent a car in the U.S. if you're under 21. It's also expensive to rent cars. If one of your friends owned a car and were willing to loan it to you, that might be a good solution, although risky for your friends. It's difficult to go most places in the U.S. without a car, outside of major cities, so you might want to consider bus tours, especially in the western U.S.
The trip you're planning is very ambitious, and very costly unless you have free lodging or plan to backpack and stay in campgrounds.
It also could take a lot of time as the U.S. is quite large. A good idea is to discuss your trip with your friends in the U.S., and let them help you to make it manageable.
There's a lot to do in Boston (Massachusetts) and Maryland (if you want to understand America, try to walk the Freedom Trail in Boston, then try to get to Antietam, Maryland, site of the bloodiest day in American history and the beginning of the end of American slavery). Read through the resolved questions in the travel categories for Boston and Washington D.C. for other things that would interest you.
In Washington, D.C., things to see not always mentioned in tour guides: National Cathedral, changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery, Ford Theater, and Mount Vernon and the new Washington Museum. You probably also would enjoy visits to Williamsburg (Virginia) and Baltimore's inner harbor, both nearby.
While drinking generally isn't allowed until age 21, there are some under-21 clubs.
Without knowing where you're going and what you'll need to spend for food, lodging and travel, you'll probably need at least $1,000 each and probably much more if you're in the U.S. for too long in addition to food and lodging costs.
The cheapest intercity travel system in the U.S. is Greyhound bus lines, but you might want to take Amtrak from Boston to Maryland, or from Boston (or Maryland) to Chicago.
There are many places to ski in the U.S., but the premier locations include the ski resorts in Colorado (e.g., Aspen, Breckenridge), Utah (Park City), and California (Mammoth).
http://www.skiresortguide.com/
The American Automobile Association state travel guides are superb. It's well worth an annual membership in order to obtain the guides.
Also, unless you're certain that you'll be back to the U.S., it would be a shame not to visit such places as Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park and Yosemite National Park. Here's a sample:
http://www.pigseye.com/mc/index.htm
In Chicago, be certain to visit the Signature Lounge at the top of the John Hancock Building, one of my favorite places in the U.S., and consider the newly built Ledge at what was until recently the Sears Tower.
Malibu wouldn't be high on my list of places to visit in California, and I've spent many, many weeks in the state over many decades. E.g., Santa Barbara is much nicer IMO.
Above all else, be careful. America has many cultures and you're not necessarily attuned to any of them.
Yes, you can travel with a rented vehicle just keep your rental papers handy. In Boston anything warm and inside (Wine Expo) if you don't mind the cold and snow try snow tubing or the winter jubilee. Stop in Maryland and ask the locals about what there is to do. Skiing is in just about in every state in winter. I've done trips like this one many times. I think your going at one of the times where you have to keep a check on the weather. You'll be heading through mountains that can have some pretty nasty snow storms with some heavy accumulations. I noticed with Chicago Ill. you'll be around the Great Lakes. Those are a must see. I live close and people are amazed at how big they really are. Watch out for the Lake Effect Snow. Have fun! I'm sure you will.
Boston has an abundant history and a diverse neighbourhood; it's a heritage of arts, lifestyle, and education; Boston has something for everybody so find what Boston may offer you with hotelbye . The three-mile Freedom Trail leads you previous - and in to - 16 of the city's principal historic monuments and sites. It's easy to follow along with, by the type of red stones in the pavement and by footprints at block crossings. The path can take you to Old Granary Burying Ground wherever Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock are buried; will take you to King's Chapel Burying Ground, the Boston's oldest cemetery; Old South Meeting House where in actuality the calling speeches of patriots spawned the Boston Tea Party and the Old State House, Boston's oldest public creating and the website of the Boston Massacre.
You won't be disappointed. Lots of people recommend areas in southern California, but I'm partial to northern California myself. You could go to Napa Valley while you are in the area. San Francisco is a favorite place for tourists. I would also recommend looking up the redwood forests on the internet to check out places to see the sequoia trees. They are amazingly beautiful and are said to be the tallest in the world. Depending on what you are interested in, you might want to look up the locations of volcanoes in the areas you visit. By the way, most of the places you rent cars have locations everyway and may let you drop off the car in a different location. Try emailing someone at Hertz. You will have a great time. Hope this helped.