Roadtrippin' the US.

Hi,
I'm from Israel, I'm here at San Jose right now, and I want to do a road trip.
How can I do that with 5000-6000$ ?

I don't really care about conditions, just care about the experience... getting in a car, traveling the US, and meeting people.. =]
I'm 22 years old, my prefrence is to rent/buy a van and sleep in it so i could save the money from motels..
I might do it with a friend... Don't know about that yet...

I really don't know how or what to start with, so I'd appreciate your help...

[ Edit: Edited on Dec 16, 2008, at 2:33 AM by Dr. MaNiAk ]

It depends on what type of route you want to take. You can either go to the northern route which you will need to be careful of snow and ice (AND not to sleep in your van if that happens). Or the southern route which may be warmer but you still have some conditions to be aware of.

Can you tell me what you wish to see or states to visit? In the US, you can travel from one state to another and not really see much because of the highways... There are many sites to see but if you have an idea as to what states or monuments, I may be able to help better.

As far as the cost, the price of gas also varies from state to state so you will need to factor that in. send me an email and I can help further if you wish. Good luck and have fun!

below are two possible places you can speak with someone regarding renting a van

Enterprise Rent A Car
1485 Kerley Dr, San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 437-1001

Capps Van And Car Rental
(800) 969-9329

but without knowing the cities you want to visit, can't advise regarding route;

however http://www.aaany.com/index.asp is a good website for road trip

You don't say how long you plan the trip to be. If its for a month or more you might be ahead to buy and old van and then sell it when you finish the trip

I am also 22 and it is more expensive to rent a van for us because of our age. I would go with buying a van and selling it when you are done. Last January two friends and myself drove from New York to California and back. We left December 26th.. visited in Charleston which was awesome and spent New Years Eve in New Orleans. All together we spent 4700 for the three of us. That included gas, hotel, food and activities (we stayed in cheap hotels most of the way except for Vegas.. we upgraded to Excalibur) There is so much to see in this country but you should decide when you are going then plan which route to take. If you are going in the winter stick to the southern route.

Okay, you need to know a few things:

(1) Israel is in the Mediterranean climate zone--quite mild all the time. The US is made up of a bunch of climates--but about 5/6ths of the US is going to be very cold from now through the end of February/beginning of March. The only areas that won't be freezing are in the areas from San Diego, California across to the southern tip of Florida. Even some of these areas will get a bit cool/cold.

From here in San Jose, California (I live nearby), head down the coast through Monterey and Carmel, then down to San Simeon and visit Hearst Castle, then south through Pismo Beach, through Solvang, down to Santa Barbara, and through Los Angeles and down to San Diego.

From San Diego go east through Yuma and up to Phoenix, then east through Tucson, onto Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, and on to El Paso, Texas. In Texas, head east to San Antonio, take a detour up to Austin, then head on over through Houston and on to New Orleans. From New Orleans go north to Memphis, then head east to Nashville, then come back south to Atlanta, and south down to Jacksonville, then on to Orlando (and Disney World), then down to Miami, then down to the Florida Keys and all the way to Key West (the southernmost point in the US). At ths point, you'll finally be warm (and happy), and enjoying rum drinks or margaritas and living the good life.

Write back after you get this far--and we'll give you the next part of the trip to take.

P.S. This trip will take you anywhere from four weeks to 8 weeks depending upon how fast you go (I'm presuming you'll take at least a few days at each key place). You can also go north from Phoenix to Albuquerque and Santa Fe and then down to Carlsbad Cavern if you want, but then you will hit snow in the Santa Fe area.

Enjoy.