How to plan the ultimate American road trip

Isn’t it every traveller’s dream to take to the open road and make a huge road trip from coast to coast across the great North American continent? It’s certainly been mine for years now and it’s always been on the back-burner. Well that’s all going to change this year, all-American road trip here I come!

First thing is first though, how to plan one. Making a trip like this abroad needs time to plan, that’s for sure. From the research I’ve done so far, it’ll be no easy task so here are a couple pointers that I’ve picked up along with my planning.

• Give yourself time, at least two weeks to do the trip so that you don’t feel rushed. Plan well in advance (working on this now) making sure you can get time off work and other responsibilities at home for that period. Once you book your flights to the USA, give yourself some days to adjust to the time difference before hitting the road.

• Make your itinerary, but leave room to move. The spontaneous style of road trips is almost their entire charm. Select some major cities and sights to see and then leave the rest open for new discoveries.

• Ditch the GPS and pick up state road maps instead. These electronic navigation systems are good but are nothing compared to maps which will tell you the name of that mountain you passed 30 miles back, where the next campground is, how long until the next junction, etc. For free maps, scour the visitor information centres.

• When planning your route, try to avoid making the whole trip using the interstate. Take the scenic rural highways instead. It will take you longer but you’re more likely to find something interesting on the way.

• Don’t drive too much in one day, this’ll tire you out. Make the trip with a fellow driver so you two can switch, travelling only for a couple hours each day to be able to enjoy what you see along the road.

• One last tip, make sure you don’t forget to apply for an international driver’s permit. It’s very important if you plan to drive in the USA to have this paper.

Have you ever taken a real road trip? Any tips to share with us?

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Touring New Orleans

I’ve never seen so many walking tours in one city before. Usually it’s just the usual historical town tour, but not in New Orleans. There’s something for every taste, time and interest it seems. There are a number of tour companies as well which means when it comes to finding a deal, there’s plenty of competition to shop. The main attraction is of course the French Quarter where tunes of sweet jazz, R&B, funky brass bands and blues fill the streets.

New Orleans has a riveting history which is part of the reason why it’s such a great city to visit. Whether you’d like to see how the city has changed since the Hurricane Katrina disaster or visit age-old taverns in the French Quarter, there is certainly something to dig your teeth into in this Louisiana city.

Which of these tours would you like to take?

Tours, tours, tours!

• New Orleans city tour
• Haunted tour
• Garden District tour
• Swamp tour
• Plantation tour
• Jazz music tour
• French Quarter tour
• French Quarter twilight tour
• Cemetery Voodoo tour
• Hurricane / Rebirth tour

Like I said, there is a whole lot of city to tour and one of the great things is that there are plenty of walking trails, pedestrian-friendly streets and parks to walk around. Always start your tour in the FQ and then branch out the explore the neighbouring “faubourgs”…

It may be quite a jaunt from London but there are enough New Orleans travel deals around to make it an affordable holiday destination just about any time of the year. For the most excitement though, head to Louisiana for New Years, Mardi Gras or Halloween!

 

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