West USA road trip advice and thoughts
Discussion
I know there is plenty of info on this both on the wider internet and on here and I am looking through as much as I can.
Flights to NYC booked, plan on spending a few days there before flying into LA to start the road trip. Rough itinerary LA, Lake Tahoe, possibly SF, back down via Yosemite, Sequoia, Death Valley, Vegas, Zion, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, before driving to the end point to fly back to NYC.
Some questions:
- I'm open to starting the road trip from a different place instead of LA, but has to be somewhere I can fly into from NYC and not too far from the above places I want to visit.
- The above route is approx 2k miles which I think is easily doable over the 18 days I have, am I right?
- Car wise, toss up between muscly car like dodge charger or 4x4 like ford edge or toyota 4runner. I'm leaning towards 4x4 as 4 people inc kids and suitcases. Any thoughts?
- Last stop looks like Monument Valley, any suggestions about where to go next in order to fly back to NYC? I'm currently leaning towards Albuquerque as it has cheap flights back to NYC and also breaking bad! The one way car hire charge isn't bad either. But any other suggestions are welcome though.
- Would be grateful for any other general advice and thing's to know/see/do etc.
Flights to NYC booked, plan on spending a few days there before flying into LA to start the road trip. Rough itinerary LA, Lake Tahoe, possibly SF, back down via Yosemite, Sequoia, Death Valley, Vegas, Zion, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, before driving to the end point to fly back to NYC.
Some questions:
- I'm open to starting the road trip from a different place instead of LA, but has to be somewhere I can fly into from NYC and not too far from the above places I want to visit.
- The above route is approx 2k miles which I think is easily doable over the 18 days I have, am I right?
- Car wise, toss up between muscly car like dodge charger or 4x4 like ford edge or toyota 4runner. I'm leaning towards 4x4 as 4 people inc kids and suitcases. Any thoughts?
- Last stop looks like Monument Valley, any suggestions about where to go next in order to fly back to NYC? I'm currently leaning towards Albuquerque as it has cheap flights back to NYC and also breaking bad! The one way car hire charge isn't bad either. But any other suggestions are welcome though.
- Would be grateful for any other general advice and thing's to know/see/do etc.
We've just come back from a fairly similar holiday, which we did as a family of 4 in April of this year. We flew LGW->JFK with Norse (Fantastic airline - Premium was absolute heaven). 5 days in JFK was ample, taking our time whilst recovering from Jetlag.
We then flow JFK to Las Vegas with Delta, which again was easy peasy and felt much quicker than the quote flight time. Landed into LAS at sunset, which was beautiful in itself looking over a landscape which resembled another planet before the bright lights of the Strip came into view.
We then had 3 days in Las Vegas without a car, which again was plenty and on the last day I took an uber to the car rental centre and picked up a 'Full Size' SUV from National (booked via Stressfreecarrentals). It was a top spec 2024 Wagoneer and it was simply fantastic for our road trip. Tons of space, great visibility and tons of power.
We only had 8 days, but we did a clock wise circular route from Las Vegas round to Los Angeles, via Zion NP, Marble Canyon, Antelope Canyon (Page), Grand Canyon (South Rim), Williams/Route 66 stretch, then down to Yuma by the Mexican boarder (Which was so so hot) and across to San Diego (avoiding Indio, as it was Coachella kicking out day and traffic was horrific) and then up the coastal road (via La Jolla Cove) and Dana Point (whale/dolphin tour) into LA for a couple of days at Universal Studios, finishing up with a night at the Shore Hotel at Santa Monica by the Pier, which was just perfect. We then flew home from LAX with Virgin on a red-eye flight back to LHR.
Try and plan at least one overnight stay somewhere out in the sticks - we stayed at the Marble Canyon Lodge for the night in a cottage with a fire pit. Such an incredible experience and the stars at night are amazing. If you haven't been to the Grand Canyon before, this is an absolute must. We did a helicopter ride across the canyon, which was just incredible....but to be honest, the views from the view points are equally awe inspiring.
We totalled 1300 driven miles in those 8 days, which is about the limit of what I would like to do, so your distance seems more than do-able....just factor in at least 2 or 3 complete car free rest days, otherwise it'll grate on you.
As for car selection, IMO you absolutely don't want to be doing that sort of trip with 4 people in a Dodge Charger, with a low slung with low roof line (Would your cases even fit in the boot). As I say, we had a Full Size (8 seat) SUV and I wouldn't want to do it in anything smaller personally....for the cost difference, just go as big as you can. The roads are so easy to drive and parking is a doddle in most places, so it makes no odds. We had 3 full size cases and what with all the paraphernalia we amassed, day bags etc - The boot was very full. Plus, you'll want the best 'view' over the road side barriers of the scenery etc.
In terms of flights back to NYC - do you actually need this additional step? Could you not do a circular route fly back to the UK directly from LAX, LAS or SFO on a red-eye and knock it out in one go?
What time of year are you planning to do this? It may very well constrain (or expand) your options and available routes....?
We then flow JFK to Las Vegas with Delta, which again was easy peasy and felt much quicker than the quote flight time. Landed into LAS at sunset, which was beautiful in itself looking over a landscape which resembled another planet before the bright lights of the Strip came into view.
We then had 3 days in Las Vegas without a car, which again was plenty and on the last day I took an uber to the car rental centre and picked up a 'Full Size' SUV from National (booked via Stressfreecarrentals). It was a top spec 2024 Wagoneer and it was simply fantastic for our road trip. Tons of space, great visibility and tons of power.
We only had 8 days, but we did a clock wise circular route from Las Vegas round to Los Angeles, via Zion NP, Marble Canyon, Antelope Canyon (Page), Grand Canyon (South Rim), Williams/Route 66 stretch, then down to Yuma by the Mexican boarder (Which was so so hot) and across to San Diego (avoiding Indio, as it was Coachella kicking out day and traffic was horrific) and then up the coastal road (via La Jolla Cove) and Dana Point (whale/dolphin tour) into LA for a couple of days at Universal Studios, finishing up with a night at the Shore Hotel at Santa Monica by the Pier, which was just perfect. We then flew home from LAX with Virgin on a red-eye flight back to LHR.
Try and plan at least one overnight stay somewhere out in the sticks - we stayed at the Marble Canyon Lodge for the night in a cottage with a fire pit. Such an incredible experience and the stars at night are amazing. If you haven't been to the Grand Canyon before, this is an absolute must. We did a helicopter ride across the canyon, which was just incredible....but to be honest, the views from the view points are equally awe inspiring.
We totalled 1300 driven miles in those 8 days, which is about the limit of what I would like to do, so your distance seems more than do-able....just factor in at least 2 or 3 complete car free rest days, otherwise it'll grate on you.
As for car selection, IMO you absolutely don't want to be doing that sort of trip with 4 people in a Dodge Charger, with a low slung with low roof line (Would your cases even fit in the boot). As I say, we had a Full Size (8 seat) SUV and I wouldn't want to do it in anything smaller personally....for the cost difference, just go as big as you can. The roads are so easy to drive and parking is a doddle in most places, so it makes no odds. We had 3 full size cases and what with all the paraphernalia we amassed, day bags etc - The boot was very full. Plus, you'll want the best 'view' over the road side barriers of the scenery etc.
In terms of flights back to NYC - do you actually need this additional step? Could you not do a circular route fly back to the UK directly from LAX, LAS or SFO on a red-eye and knock it out in one go?
What time of year are you planning to do this? It may very well constrain (or expand) your options and available routes....?
Edited by MattyD803 on Thursday 15th May 16:29
I did a road trip over there back in 2007. Started in LA (3 days there), drove over to Las Vegas (3 days there), out to Grand Canyon, back up to San Francisco (3 days there) via a couple of the national parks and back to LA down the Pacific highway. I think 3 days in each of these places was plenty and these days I'd be keen to spend longer out in the national parks, rather than just driving through. LA and SF are both a bit rough around the edges these days I think and LV doesn't take long to explore.
I would definitely recommend a drive down Highway 1 between SF and LA if you can work it in, some good places to stop (Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, 17 Mile Drive at Pebble Beach etc.) and stunning scenery.
I'm not sure I'd bother to drive out from LV to Grand Canyon again, some of those roads are a bit soul destroying, especially the straight road up from the I40 that seems to go on forever! You come over a crest thinking you must be nearly there and the road stretches on as far as the eye can see. Since GC is a big hole in the ground, there's nothing to suggest you're getting closer to it
I reckon if I had the funds (which I definitely didn't then as a 23 year old) I'd probably get a heli-tour from Vegas (although I've been back to Vegas twice since then and still haven't done it). The drive over Hoover Dam was cool though but I don't think you actually drive over it anymore, since they built a bypass (which is a f
king big bridge I believe).
Our trip was around 2,000 miles over about 11 days so in 18 you should have loads of time to explore. We had a convertible Mustang which was great but for 4 you'll want bigger, we only just got our suitcases in the back and we were only two people. We had a Challenger for a recent trip to New England and that was a similar story, coupled with the fact that this time we were three (albeit one only 7), the back seats and view out the back window for our son was, not great. I'd definitely go massive 4x4 with a monstrous engine and cruise around in luxury.
I would definitely recommend a drive down Highway 1 between SF and LA if you can work it in, some good places to stop (Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, 17 Mile Drive at Pebble Beach etc.) and stunning scenery.
I'm not sure I'd bother to drive out from LV to Grand Canyon again, some of those roads are a bit soul destroying, especially the straight road up from the I40 that seems to go on forever! You come over a crest thinking you must be nearly there and the road stretches on as far as the eye can see. Since GC is a big hole in the ground, there's nothing to suggest you're getting closer to it
I reckon if I had the funds (which I definitely didn't then as a 23 year old) I'd probably get a heli-tour from Vegas (although I've been back to Vegas twice since then and still haven't done it). The drive over Hoover Dam was cool though but I don't think you actually drive over it anymore, since they built a bypass (which is a fking big bridge I believe).Our trip was around 2,000 miles over about 11 days so in 18 you should have loads of time to explore. We had a convertible Mustang which was great but for 4 you'll want bigger, we only just got our suitcases in the back and we were only two people. We had a Challenger for a recent trip to New England and that was a similar story, coupled with the fact that this time we were three (albeit one only 7), the back seats and view out the back window for our son was, not great. I'd definitely go massive 4x4 with a monstrous engine and cruise around in luxury.
Anyway to guarantee a non American car? They are ste. Although I guess that could also be part of the experience?
That Toyota 4 runner, its built on a ladder frame chassis with a solid rear axle and is a semi serious offroad vehicle. Unless you need it for that, I’d get a regular SUV or Crossover with independent suspension. It will be a lot more comfortable.
te. Although I guess that could also be part of the experience?That Toyota 4 runner, its built on a ladder frame chassis with a solid rear axle and is a semi serious offroad vehicle. Unless you need it for that, I’d get a regular SUV or Crossover with independent suspension. It will be a lot more comfortable.
Edited by wyson on Thursday 15th May 16:33
MattyD803 said:
We've just come back from a fairly similar holiday, which we did as a family of 4.
We flew LGW->JFK with Norse (Fantastic airline - Premium was absolute heaven). 5 days in JFK was ample, taking our time whilst recovering from Jetlag.
We then flow JFK to Las Vegas with Delta, which again was easy peasy and felt much quicker than the quote flight time. Landed into LAS at sunset, which was beautiful in itself looking over a landscape which resembled another planet before the bright lights of the Strip came into view.
We then had 3 days in Las Vegas without a car, which again was plenty and on the last day I took an uber to the car rental centre and picked up a 'Full Size' SUV from National (booked via Stressfreecarrentals). It was a 2024 Wagoneer and it was simply fantastic for a road trip. Tons of space, great visibility and tons of power.
We only had 8 days, but we did a clock wise circular route from Las Vegas round to Los Angeles, via Zion, Marble Canyon, Antelope Canyon (Page), Grand Canyon (South Rim), Williams, down to Yuma and across to San Diego (avoiding Indio, as it was Coachella kicking out day) and then up the coastal roads (via La Jolla Cove) and Dana Point (whale/dolphin tour) and up into LA for a couple of days at Universal Studios, finishing up at Santa Monica.
We totalled 1300 miles in those 8 days, which is about the limit of what I would like to do, so your distance seems more than do-able....just factor in at least 2 or 3 complete car free rest days, otherwise it'll grate on you.
As for car selection, you absolutely DO NOT want to be doing that sort of trip with 4 people in a Dodge Charger. (Would your cases even fit?). As I say, we had a Full Size SUV and I wouldn't want to do it in anything smaller personally....for the cost difference, just go as big as you can. The roads are so easy to drive and parking is a doddle in most places.
Great info thanks! We flew LGW->JFK with Norse (Fantastic airline - Premium was absolute heaven). 5 days in JFK was ample, taking our time whilst recovering from Jetlag.
We then flow JFK to Las Vegas with Delta, which again was easy peasy and felt much quicker than the quote flight time. Landed into LAS at sunset, which was beautiful in itself looking over a landscape which resembled another planet before the bright lights of the Strip came into view.
We then had 3 days in Las Vegas without a car, which again was plenty and on the last day I took an uber to the car rental centre and picked up a 'Full Size' SUV from National (booked via Stressfreecarrentals). It was a 2024 Wagoneer and it was simply fantastic for a road trip. Tons of space, great visibility and tons of power.
We only had 8 days, but we did a clock wise circular route from Las Vegas round to Los Angeles, via Zion, Marble Canyon, Antelope Canyon (Page), Grand Canyon (South Rim), Williams, down to Yuma and across to San Diego (avoiding Indio, as it was Coachella kicking out day) and then up the coastal roads (via La Jolla Cove) and Dana Point (whale/dolphin tour) and up into LA for a couple of days at Universal Studios, finishing up at Santa Monica.
We totalled 1300 miles in those 8 days, which is about the limit of what I would like to do, so your distance seems more than do-able....just factor in at least 2 or 3 complete car free rest days, otherwise it'll grate on you.
As for car selection, you absolutely DO NOT want to be doing that sort of trip with 4 people in a Dodge Charger. (Would your cases even fit?). As I say, we had a Full Size SUV and I wouldn't want to do it in anything smaller personally....for the cost difference, just go as big as you can. The roads are so easy to drive and parking is a doddle in most places.
Edited by MattyD803 on Thursday 15th May 16:03
That sounds very similar to my plans, I am doing 4 days in NYC. I think your clockwork route worked well as the places you visited were all east of Vegas, whereas I am starting with places that are west of Vegas such as lake tahoe, before going east past Vegas. Starting in LA seems to result in the least amount of backtracking.
My route is around 120 miles per day avg, I will have days when I don't drive at all which means doing 250-370 miles on other days, which is also easily doable.
Nice to hear about the 4x4 as it's exactly what my head was telling me!
Yes I have Grand Canyon in my itinerary, it's my 2nd from last stop.
AF11 said:
I know there is plenty of info on this both on the wider internet and on here and I am looking through as much as I can.
Flights to NYC booked, plan on spending a few days there before flying into LA to start the road trip. Rough itinerary LA, Lake Tahoe, possibly SF, back down via Yosemite, Sequoia, Death Valley, Vegas, Zion, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, before driving to the end point to fly back to NYC.
Some questions:
- I'm open to starting the road trip from a different place instead of LA, but has to be somewhere I can fly into from NYC and not too far from the above places I want to visit.
- The above route is approx 2k miles which I think is easily doable over the 18 days I have, am I right?
- Car wise, toss up between muscly car like dodge charger or 4x4 like ford edge or toyota 4runner. I'm leaning towards 4x4 as 4 people inc kids and suitcases. Any thoughts?
- Last stop looks like Monument Valley, any suggestions about where to go next in order to fly back to NYC? I'm currently leaning towards Albuquerque as it has cheap flights back to NYC and also breaking bad! The one way car hire charge isn't bad either. But any other suggestions are welcome though.
- Would be grateful for any other general advice and thing's to know/see/do etc.
In 2019 I did 2,200 miles over 18 days. We did LA, San Diego, Vegas, Yosemite, Sonoma, San Fran, Monterrey and back to LA - spending at least 2 nights in each spot. Distance wise it was fine. Can't comment too much on your route but if you go to Yosemite, The Bug is a great place to stay.Flights to NYC booked, plan on spending a few days there before flying into LA to start the road trip. Rough itinerary LA, Lake Tahoe, possibly SF, back down via Yosemite, Sequoia, Death Valley, Vegas, Zion, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, before driving to the end point to fly back to NYC.
Some questions:
- I'm open to starting the road trip from a different place instead of LA, but has to be somewhere I can fly into from NYC and not too far from the above places I want to visit.
- The above route is approx 2k miles which I think is easily doable over the 18 days I have, am I right?
- Car wise, toss up between muscly car like dodge charger or 4x4 like ford edge or toyota 4runner. I'm leaning towards 4x4 as 4 people inc kids and suitcases. Any thoughts?
- Last stop looks like Monument Valley, any suggestions about where to go next in order to fly back to NYC? I'm currently leaning towards Albuquerque as it has cheap flights back to NYC and also breaking bad! The one way car hire charge isn't bad either. But any other suggestions are welcome though.
- Would be grateful for any other general advice and thing's to know/see/do etc.
I know the US has got a lot more expensive since then, but I found renting a car off the airport to be way cheaper. We rented a GMC Yukon XL which was hilariously massive for the two of us and enormous by European standards - but absolutely fine for the US. I would rent the same if I was doing the trip again as it was supremely comfortable. For a family of four it would be a no brainer.
JagYouAre said:
I did a road trip over there back in 2007. Started in LA (3 days there), drove over to Las Vegas (3 days there), out to Grand Canyon, back up to San Francisco (3 days there) via a couple of the national parks and back to LA down the Pacific highway. I think 3 days in each of these places was plenty and these days I'd be keen to spend longer out in the national parks, rather than just driving through. LA and SF are both a bit rough around the edges these days I think and LV doesn't take long to explore.
I would definitely recommend a drive down Highway 1 between SF and LA if you can work it in, some good places to stop (Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, 17 Mile Drive at Pebble Beach etc.) and stunning scenery.
I'm not sure I'd bother to drive out from LV to Grand Canyon again, some of those roads are a bit soul destroying, especially the straight road up from the I40 that seems to go on forever! You come over a crest thinking you must be nearly there and the road stretches on as far as the eye can see. Since GC is a big hole in the ground, there's nothing to suggest you're getting closer to it I reckon if I had the funds (which I definitely didn't then as a 23 year old) I'd probably get a heli-tour from Vegas (although I've been back to Vegas twice since then and still haven't done it). The drive over Hoover Dam was cool though but I don't think you actually drive over it anymore, since they built a bypass (which is a fking big bridge I believe).
Our trip was around 2,000 miles over about 11 days so in 18 you should have loads of time to explore. We had a convertible Mustang which was great but for 4 you'll want bigger, we only just got our suitcases in the back and we were only two people. We had a Challenger for a recent trip to New England and that was a similar story, coupled with the fact that this time we were three (albeit one only 7), the back seats and view out the back window for our son was, not great. I'd definitely go massive 4x4 with a monstrous engine and cruise around in luxury.
Thanks, I am definitely trying to fit in the highway 1 route up to SF, I am going towards that area anyway so might as well take the most scenic route. It's not much more miles than the route suggested by apple maps. I would definitely recommend a drive down Highway 1 between SF and LA if you can work it in, some good places to stop (Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, 17 Mile Drive at Pebble Beach etc.) and stunning scenery.
I'm not sure I'd bother to drive out from LV to Grand Canyon again, some of those roads are a bit soul destroying, especially the straight road up from the I40 that seems to go on forever! You come over a crest thinking you must be nearly there and the road stretches on as far as the eye can see. Since GC is a big hole in the ground, there's nothing to suggest you're getting closer to it
I reckon if I had the funds (which I definitely didn't then as a 23 year old) I'd probably get a heli-tour from Vegas (although I've been back to Vegas twice since then and still haven't done it). The drive over Hoover Dam was cool though but I don't think you actually drive over it anymore, since they built a bypass (which is a fking big bridge I believe).Our trip was around 2,000 miles over about 11 days so in 18 you should have loads of time to explore. We had a convertible Mustang which was great but for 4 you'll want bigger, we only just got our suitcases in the back and we were only two people. We had a Challenger for a recent trip to New England and that was a similar story, coupled with the fact that this time we were three (albeit one only 7), the back seats and view out the back window for our son was, not great. I'd definitely go massive 4x4 with a monstrous engine and cruise around in luxury.
I am not overly bothered by vegas or LA but at the same time would be annoyed if I didn't visit them when I was so close. Vegas is actually enroute so I wouldn't be taking extra time out for it.
PS over the last few years I've been completely put off ever stepping foot on a helicopter (I know thats probably completely irrational!).
wyson said:
Anyway to guarantee a non American car? They are ste.
That Toyota 4 runner, its built on a ladder frame chassis with a solid rear axle and is a semi serious offroad vehicle. Unless you need it for that, I’d get a regular SUV or Crossover with independent suspension. It will be a lot more comfortable.
Thanks hadn't thought about the chassis at all, but I was definitely trying to get a japanses/korean car for the reliability. I don't want to be broken down in death valley in august!te. That Toyota 4 runner, its built on a ladder frame chassis with a solid rear axle and is a semi serious offroad vehicle. Unless you need it for that, I’d get a regular SUV or Crossover with independent suspension. It will be a lot more comfortable.
AF11 said:
Great info thanks!
That sounds very similar to my plans, I am doing 4 days in NYC. I think your clockwork route worked well as the places you visited were all east of Vegas, whereas I am starting with places that are west of Vegas such as lake tahoe, before going east past Vegas. Starting in LA seems to result in the least amount of backtracking.
My route is around 120 miles per day avg, I will have days when I don't drive at all which means doing 250-370 miles on other days, which is also easily doable.
Nice to hear about the 4x4 as it's exactly what my head was telling me!
Yes I have Grand Canyon in my itinerary, it's my 2nd from last stop.
No problem - you'll get tons more advice via the forum, good luck with planning. That sounds very similar to my plans, I am doing 4 days in NYC. I think your clockwork route worked well as the places you visited were all east of Vegas, whereas I am starting with places that are west of Vegas such as lake tahoe, before going east past Vegas. Starting in LA seems to result in the least amount of backtracking.
My route is around 120 miles per day avg, I will have days when I don't drive at all which means doing 250-370 miles on other days, which is also easily doable.
Nice to hear about the 4x4 as it's exactly what my head was telling me!
Yes I have Grand Canyon in my itinerary, it's my 2nd from last stop.
I found having a cheap physical fold out map from Amazon on hand during the 'desk top planning' stage, plonking post it notes and stickers down onto it, really helped with visualising distances etc - kids enjoyed being part of that too, meaning they felt included with the whole thing.
Definitely get the 4x4. I booked a v8 Camaro, I arrived and it was the v6. I complained and they offered a v8 escalade. Very glad we got that it was just comfy quiet, plenty of room and the v8 still. Another time I had a durango which was great as well.
That looks like a great trip. I've done some of that, monument valley was a highlight to me. At the Grand canyon I had half a mind to do a helicopter or plane tour, I didn't but I wish I had.
I'll put in a shout out for santa Barbara. I really liked the whole feel of that place. Big bear was also cool and stunning for hiking we stayed in an old miners cabin. I wouldn't be too bothered about LA. There was a guy who made a thread with a similar sort of theme to you last year but not as wide spread if you can find it.
That looks like a great trip. I've done some of that, monument valley was a highlight to me. At the Grand canyon I had half a mind to do a helicopter or plane tour, I didn't but I wish I had.
I'll put in a shout out for santa Barbara. I really liked the whole feel of that place. Big bear was also cool and stunning for hiking we stayed in an old miners cabin. I wouldn't be too bothered about LA. There was a guy who made a thread with a similar sort of theme to you last year but not as wide spread if you can find it.
Surprised with all the good reviews about the huge 4x4’s.
In the States, as hire cars, I’ve gotten:
A Ford Mustang, ste.
A Chrysler 300c, ste.
A GMC SUV, that was huge. Might have been a Yukon. Or Denali? ste.
All were thirsty, vague, floaty and numb. Horrible interior materials and seats. Hated them all and would hate to road trip in any of them.
In the States, as hire cars, I’ve gotten:
A Ford Mustang, s
te. A Chrysler 300c, s
te.A GMC SUV, that was huge. Might have been a Yukon. Or Denali? s
te.All were thirsty, vague, floaty and numb. Horrible interior materials and seats. Hated them all and would hate to road trip in any of them.
Edited by wyson on Thursday 15th May 16:51
wyson said:
Surprised with all the good reviews about the huge 4x4’s.
In the States, as hire cars, I’ve gotten:
A Ford Mustang, ste.
A Chrysler 300c, ste.
A GMC SUV, that was huge. Might have been a Yukon. Or Denali? ste.
All were thirsty, vague, floaty and numb. Horrible interior materials and seats. Hated them all and would hate to road trip in any of them.
The Wagoneer we had was absolutely thirsty (c.17 MPG uk), vague steering, floaty handling and weak brakes....but for 1300 miles of cruising along with 4 up and 3 full size cases, plus other bags...it was absolutely perfect. Very very comfortable....and amazingly, didn't break down or even throw a fault code. At times, the soft suspension and very large side wall tyres were an absolute blessing.In the States, as hire cars, I’ve gotten:
A Ford Mustang, s
te. A Chrysler 300c, s
te.A GMC SUV, that was huge. Might have been a Yukon. Or Denali? s
te.All were thirsty, vague, floaty and numb. Horrible interior materials and seats. Hated them all and would hate to road trip in any of them.
Back in 2009 we had a Chrysler 300C (Hemi) and whilst the engine was a beaut, despite the Merc underpinnings, the handling and fit/finish was horrific. There was an endless rattle we never quite found - it drove us mad!!
Edited by MattyD803 on Thursday 15th May 17:02
wyson said:
Surprised with all the good reviews about the huge 4x4’s.
In the States, as hire cars, I’ve gotten:
A Ford Mustang, ste.
A Chrysler 300c, ste.
A GMC SUV, that was huge. Might have been a Yukon. Or Denali? ste.
All were thirsty, vague, floaty and numb. Horrible interior materials and seats. Hated them all and would hate to road trip in any of them.
I don't think anyone hires a whopping great American 4x4 or muscle car for the build quality or drivability, it's just part of the all-American experience isn't it.In the States, as hire cars, I’ve gotten:
A Ford Mustang, s
te. A Chrysler 300c, s
te.A GMC SUV, that was huge. Might have been a Yukon. Or Denali? s
te.All were thirsty, vague, floaty and numb. Horrible interior materials and seats. Hated them all and would hate to road trip in any of them.
Edited by wyson on Thursday 15th May 16:51
Thirsty, vague, floaty and numb is a perfectly fine way to drive for thousands of miles along straight, badly finished roads.
Not read the thread properly but tips:
Apple Maps for SatNav work exceptionally well... don't forget to download the maps as there are pockets of no signal and you might end up with having to use the onboard sat nav.
Grand Canyon - do go to the North Rim, as well as or instead of the South.
Loved Vegas but it is busy and expensive. Never been before so was a must go. LA... great massive place and boxes ticked but Hollywood filthy. San Francisco ws cool but a bit sketchy - though not as sketchy as we were led to believe.
Death Valley - hot but cool IYKWIM.
Yosemite spectacular. DO NOT MISS!! And do the Tioga Pass if you can.
PCH? Check the route via the local websites - last year a huge mud slip meant we had to cut a chunk out - but meant we could see these:
Our truck and the girls!!
Another thread where I am so frigging jealous.
fk it - we are going back next year!
Apple Maps for SatNav work exceptionally well... don't forget to download the maps as there are pockets of no signal and you might end up with having to use the onboard sat nav.
Grand Canyon - do go to the North Rim, as well as or instead of the South.
Loved Vegas but it is busy and expensive. Never been before so was a must go. LA... great massive place and boxes ticked but Hollywood filthy. San Francisco ws cool but a bit sketchy - though not as sketchy as we were led to believe.
Death Valley - hot but cool IYKWIM.
Yosemite spectacular. DO NOT MISS!! And do the Tioga Pass if you can.
PCH? Check the route via the local websites - last year a huge mud slip meant we had to cut a chunk out - but meant we could see these:
Our truck and the girls!!
Another thread where I am so frigging jealous.
f
k it - we are going back next year!Just seen you are going up to Monument Valley - the best place of our entire trip - recommend if you can getting a Premier Rimside Cabin at The View Hotel..... a bottle of bourbon and some sandwiches... and watch the night go by. Was so emotional my wife cried! The hotel at MV is actually garbage - better food from the vending machines in the petrol stations! Valley of the Gods just up the road is a great little off road trip --- Moki Dugway a bit further up we bottled because of rain - but regret that now.
Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, and the Petrified Forest and decent too.
Horseshoe Bend - breathtaking!!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfny94L2Co7...
Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, and the Petrified Forest and decent too.
Horseshoe Bend - breathtaking!!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfny94L2Co7...
Edited by mattyn1 on Thursday 15th May 17:16
We've done road-trips in the USA many times over many parts of the country and California/Vegas were 3 of them, it's a mega-trip and I want to go back again!
A big SUV is the easiest most comfortable and suitable vehicle, especially if there's more than 2 of you. We once tried a V8 Camaro in Texas for a week and after a few minutes of amusement it was wasted, cramped, pointless and less practical and comfortable than an SUV has been on every other trip. There are also few good driving roads in the USA and the Police will stop you (I've been stopped in Death Valley and fined after being chased down I-95 at 105mph).
Unless you book really expensive specific cars in the USA, which are rare, they are all generally poor quality, but they suit the roads and the way they need to be driven on a road-trip, which is often for hundreds of miles at a time on cruise-control with the a/c and stereo turned up in comfy seats.
A big SUV is the easiest most comfortable and suitable vehicle, especially if there's more than 2 of you. We once tried a V8 Camaro in Texas for a week and after a few minutes of amusement it was wasted, cramped, pointless and less practical and comfortable than an SUV has been on every other trip. There are also few good driving roads in the USA and the Police will stop you (I've been stopped in Death Valley and fined after being chased down I-95 at 105mph).
Unless you book really expensive specific cars in the USA, which are rare, they are all generally poor quality, but they suit the roads and the way they need to be driven on a road-trip, which is often for hundreds of miles at a time on cruise-control with the a/c and stereo turned up in comfy seats.
Essarell said:
How about starting in San Francisco, good options to visit Carmel / Monterey or Napa then picking up Lake Tahoe and the rest of your itinerary?
After Monument Valley you could consider Denver as an option with a couple of great options in Colorado to see on the way.
I was considering that but I also want to do PCH down to LA, which means I'd then have to go back up towards SF again to do Yosemite/sequoia, then back down a second time to continue rest of trip. After Monument Valley you could consider Denver as an option with a couple of great options in Colorado to see on the way.
If I start in LA then i can go up to SF via PCH, come down via Yosemite/sequoia and continue without much backtracking.
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