Rainy

okay this is my first ever post, so i hope i get it in the right forum....

i'm from the UK and recently split from my long term girlfriend who i lived with for 3 years. i'm a 25yr old above average looking bloke, but my ex slowly wore away all self cofidence i had so i thought travelling and meeting new people in a different environment would be the best way to build up my once healthy self asteem. i quite like the idea of road tripping america.

firstly has anyone on the TFP done a road trip of the states recently?

was it a good way to meet members of the opposite sex or was it a lot of time spent on your own?

im also curious as to what american women think of guys from the UK?

are there any places i should deffinatly check out besides the obveous like the major cities??

maleficent

You're heading into winter in a lot of the country, so unless you are heading South, the weather for roadtripping might not be your friend. I don't imagine you've got a lot of experience driving in snow.

The US is a big country, where 'bouts were you thinking of heading?

What I might suggest is a national parks tour, which you also might be able to do as a Coach tour, depending on the group you hook up with, would have you meeting lots of people.

(For the most part, wimminfolk in the US like men, british accents, depending on where you are are a cute novelty and that gives you a few style points. Though some parts o the country, you might have a hard time being understood -- a girlfriend o' mine lives an hour outside of New Orleans in Louisiana, and you'd probably never be understood there... my hybrid ny/connecticut accent had a rough time -- but it was more that I talked really fast.

__________________

StephenSa

The UK accent should score you a few points, U.S. women find it exotic. The only road tripping I've really done was in a band and while yes, there were women it was an entirely different thing. Parts of the country will make driving difficult as we delve deeper into winter. I'm a major city kinda guy so I'm not sure what else to reccommend. Chicago is fantastic though quite cold in the winter and depending on when you fly in you could get snowed in a few days at O'hare. I live in Dallas now and the winter's are pretty mild with lots of night life so you'd probably do well here.
A driving tour of California might be of interest though some areas are quite expensive. If you like nature and wildlife Arkansas is quite beautiful and in the state capitol, Little Rock there is an active nightlife though in the smaller towns there's not a lot to do and while the women might find you interesting some of the "men-folk" might see you as a threat. The US is a big country and you can drive a great deal through a whole lot of nothing before you reach a point of interest. If I had some better idea of what you are looking for perhaps I could be of more help. I'll certainly be happy to do what I can. Cheers.

Rainy

you can tell i deserve the rookie tag, i should have been a bit more specific...

i'm not going travelling until next april, still saving the cash to fund the trip.

planning on starting in the northeast ie washington or new york and going down the east coast to florida, then accross to texas and hopefully make it up to seattle before moving down the west coast.

hope that is a bit more help?

maleficent

you planning on driving the whole way?

I'd start in Boston -- a very historic city with lots to see and do... Then hop on Amtrak (a choo choo train) to New York - one of the stops along the way is Providence Rhode Island, nice for a day if the weather is nice) Then head further down into NYC... spend a few days in NY -- then back on the train to Philly (one hour from the city) or to DC (3 hours on the train)

Amtrak has travellers type cards that you can purchase a pass for X number of days then get on and get off where you want... (No idea o the pricing, but it should be on their website www.amtrak.com)

You could then either fly to Florida (southwest airlines has really cheap fares from Baltimore to Most of the vacation destinations in Florida - -though April is spring break time -- the flights will be full) continue on the train to florida or drive.. (it's a boring drive)

From DC you can also tak a train to New Orleans -- and there it's a pretty easy drive to Texas...

Driving in the northeast is a challenge, parking in the north east is a challenge, in most areas you don't really need a car, you can do everything by foot - -and then use the cities public transport-- and take the train to the next destination.

__________________

StephenSa

Thats a bit more info! I'm not terribly knowledgable about the east coast though it sounds like a good route. There's Philidelphia and D.C., Boston and a host of other largish cities. The Carolina's are nice and I've heard the people are friendly enough. In April and May there is a Renn Faire outside of Dallas you might enjoy. Might be funny to see how Texans percieve Rennaisance era England! The Dallas area has lots of clubs, bars, events in which to meet girls. You are covering a lot of area thats out of my experience but it sounds like a good route. By the time your done you will have seen much more of he States than myself. I just got back from a three week tour of the UK. Actually a few days in London, then a lot of time in Scotland and a few days in Paris. Where in the UK are you from?

Rainy

I'm from cornwall, way down in the south, but haven't lived there for almost 7 years. i have worked all over the UK, not surprising considering its so small, have lived/worked in london, leeds, warwick, cardiff, edinburgh. I'm a contract engineer so have also worked in a whole host of other cities/towns, but the ones i have mentioned i have lived at.

thanks for the tips on the travels...been a real help. i think i will train/fly down the east coast, drive across to texas, where i will definately check out dallas..is el paso worth a visit? then maybe fly to seattle and drive/train down to Tiajana via LA etc.

oh one last question, what is the US like for hitch-hiking? thats something thats always appealed to me as a way of meeting different people, but how safe is it in the states and do you guys pick people up? i know us brits dont pick up people very often for lifts...

maleficent

I don't believe that hitchhiking is legal in any of the states (then again, nothing's illegal unless you get caught) People are probably going to be less apt to pick up a male hitchhiker than a female hitchhiker

For meeting people, your best bet is the train-- not the short commuter trains, but the cross country trains, even me, who will rarely talk to anyone, had no problem being social on a cross country train.

__________________

divagrrrl

You MUST come to San Diego, CA. Best place ever.

And men with British accents are utterly drool-worthy.

dy156

This reminds me so much of the guy in "Love Actually" though I wouldn't recommend that you set your expectations that high.

I've been to London, and was fascinated by British culture. Please let us know what you think of Americans.

Rainy

Yeah san diego is on the list before i cross over into mexico, i have heard good things about SD.

Think i will leave the hitch-hiking for when i go to NZ and Oz.

Cheers for the ideas of where to go, it just occurred to me are there any places where i should avoid? for any reason ie they dislike foreigners, its boring, high murder rate etc etc

AxelF

Cheers Rainy, sounds like a great trip! I assume you will spend at least the whole summer on it.

I bought a pass (in '84) on an airline for 30 days and went to New Orleans - Seattle - Portland - San Diego - LA - San Fransisco - Washington DC. I can tell you that 30 days was way too short for that, even though I was flying all the way.

It is not a country, it's a continent. Flying from 40C in New Orleans to 10C in Seattle wearing shorts made that clear.

I loved all cities but New Orleans and San Diego stood out, and of course New York where I lived at that time.

I still dream of doing it again, but in a cadillac convertible!
This one: Cadillac 1959 Convertible

__________________
Coffee

Rainy

I'm hoping to spend about 5-8 months in the states before going into mexico, but depends if i can get the visas, otherwise it will be for 3 months.

i too like the idea of a convertable cadillac, preferably electric pink for me though to stand out and make an impact!

i will have to look into the various deals with trains and planes etc, do they still do 30 day plane passes?

his post has been really worth while, thanks.

Oh and dy156, i watched love actually last night as you mentioned it. i can see where you are comming from, but believe me i'm not comming to america just to get laid! i'm comming to see the country and draw the places i visit and maybe write a book - getting laid is something i will be trying but only as a bonus......

WillyPete

Rainy.
If you buy or rent, one of your main problems will be insurance andemissions.
You may want to go to a state that willallow you to get a drivers license in order to buy US insurance. If you rent, it'll include the insurance to liability for the car. YOu might have to pay a premium. It might be cheaper in the long run to rent.

If you decide to sell the car, then you might not sell it depending on where you do so. Most states have different permissible emissions levels and I'm betting that as a tourist, the amount of money you have will be for a very cheap car. Cheap cars usually just meet local emissions. Say you want to sell in california after having bought in Montana, chances are that you won't meet emissions and will have to sell for a lot less.

That said, the smaller states can hve some pretty good deals. Factor in about a week in your first stop to make a good purchase.

Also remember to take along any proof of having driven or insurance in the UK. It will get you a lower rate if you insure over there.


One of the best tips I've ever heard is to wear a kilt for hitchhiking and pubs.
Even if you don't have a Scot's accent, you are different sounding enough to make a difference. People will pick you up (In both places!) just to speak to you. Almost everyone in the states has an aunt/uncle/grandma/etc 15 times removed who was from scotland. ("Do you know my cousin Jeff?")


US GUYS, do they still do the $50 monday night flights on southwest airlines?

goddfather40

In my opinion, having visited there many times, El Paso is one of the lamest cities on the planet. Nothing to really see there. If you're looking for that southwest atmosphere, I would suggest Santa Fe, New Mexico.

__________________
My name is goddfather40 and I approved this message.

I got ho's and I got bitches,
In C++ I branch with switches
-MC Plus+

greytone

Trying to see the US in one visit is a hopeless task. Think about the advice you would give someone from the Americas who wanted to come to Europe. Your answers to that question could give a lot of insight into those trying to advise you. I find that many Europeans don't really get the scale of this country until they actually visit. Texas is roughly the size of France to give you an idea.

If you want to see urban areas, concentrate on the Northeast. New York and Boston are obvious. Washington is interesting and is an entirely planned city. It is full of large scale monuments and museums. It will give you insight into what Americans find important, but it will not give you an idea of what it is like to be in the US. Philadelphia is full of historical sights from the time of the Revolution just like Boston and is interesting for that reason.

The midwest is full of great and friendly people. I love Chicago for the urban feel. The plains are interesting to see for about five minutes.

If you want to see something you have never seen, go West. The grandeur of the landscape is worth the trip and the culture is important to experience. For history and trendy art blended in a small town try Sante Fe. There is a small building there that was built as the Spanish government outpost before many of the East coast settlements where founded, and to this day Native Americans gather on the porch to sell their art and jewelery to those who visit. That city as served as the meeting point of three cultures for hundreds of years. Many are surprised by the fact that this was going on while the British colonies where just barely in their infancy.

California is a microcosym of the US as a whole. Any type of landscape or activity you want can be found there. San Francisco is worth a trip (but bring a jacket any time of year) as is Big Sur. That is the area of the coast between Santa Barbara and the Monterray penninsula.

Las Vegas is unlike anything you will say anywhere else on the planet.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the Southeast, where I now live. But, it is hard to know what to recomend here if your time and finances are limited.

Later in life, you need to see Hawaii. So far, that is my favorite part of the planet. Alaska is also full of natural beauty should not be missed.

Obviously you can not do all of this. If you try to do to much, you will only be frustrated, exhausted, and broke. You would also miss out on the opportunity to experience spending time with us.

__________________
I was there to see beautiful naked women. So was everybody else. It's a common failing.
Robert A Heinlein in "They Do It With Mirrors"

ShaniFaye

I would pick up a hitchhiker in a kilt in a heartbeat lol, but then we all know my fascination with scotsmen lol

In Georgia I recommend Savannah...Im sorry to say I just dont think Atlanta is all that much fun and I've been here since 1976

__________________
I want the diabetic plan that comes with rollover carbs. I dont like the unused one expiring at midnite!!

ifiwereuiwould

I cann tell you that girls in Austin, Tx have a deep, umm, 'appreciation' for English men.