America/Canada Discussion Forum

Discussions regarding holidays in America and Canada
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I did a similar journey from Boston to LA back in the mid-nineties, along with my wife and 2 children.

I rented a car from Alamo, but any of the big companies will do, so long as they have depots in both locations. There was a one way drop fee of $500, which represents the cost of returning the car to it's home base. I would imagine that with the increase in fuel costs, this is probably much higher now. Apart from the drop fee there was no problem in renting for a long drive. The route I took was 3750 miles coast to coast and I never attempted more than 550 miles in a day, alternating with a short drive or city stay to break up the journey. All told I was on the road for 3 weeks.

One tip I found useful. If you are a member of the AA in this country, you get reciprocal membership of the AAA. I found a local office in Boston and was able to get guidebooks and highway maps for each state I was visiting, free of charge. They were invaluable in identifying towns to stay in and hotels. Apart from the big cities where I pre-booked hotels from the UK, I just used to book one day ahead, rather than take a chance and just turn up.

All in all, I found it quite an easy trip to undertake, although it was a little daunting when first setting out, knowing that you have to get to the other side for your flight home!

If I can help any more just let me know.

John
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Or you could take the train and stop off enroute if you wish, or book a roomette. Great way to see the US and meet other travellers at the same time. http://www.amtrak.com

Be aware that passenger trains have lower priority to freight so allow for delays on long sectors. I did Philadelphia to Washington to Chicago to San Francisco 2 years ago and the train journeys were wonderful.
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Did a long trip three years ago using http://www.airline-network.co.uk for car hire, pre paid in the Uk.
It was Dollar where the car came from, $200 drop off fee and no problems. The fee does vary with the distance between points.
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