Best way to travel United States: Orlando, Houston, San Diego, LA, San Francisco

[S.o.a.r.]

Me and my friend are already planning our next USA vacation. This one will take place in January 2017 and start off in NYC since we're flying directly there from Sweden. We've been discussing the different ways to travel from place to place and am currently considering taking the Amtrak. We've been told it's cheaper and a beautiful way to travel across the country.

At this point, our travel route goes like this;
NYC - New Orleans - Texas - Wyoming - Arizona - San Diego - Los Angeles - San Francisco.

So, are we on the right track travel wise?
Any and suggestions are welcomed! Also, if you think there's a place or two we need to visit, feel free to say so!

[kaoskat]

That does sound fun! I've never been on a train before but it's always seemed exciting, so it sounds like a good idea to me!

[buttonso]

Going to that many places, a train would be a bit more comfortable than a bus, that's for sure! You just need to check to be sure Amtrak goes to all those places (if you haven't already)- you can take trains to a lot of places but not EVERYWHERE.   

(If you had the time, I actually really like driving across country but it would take a loooong time to visit that many places and driving in a foreign country is probably not an option anyway...?)

[Princess Lala]

OMG TEXAS!? Wheeeeere at in Texas?! I would love to stop by and say hello to you! I have never met anther person of Swedish blood down here! There is like a zillion awesome places here in DFW or Austin to visit! OMG! The diversity of restaurants here is some serious competition to California! *still taking your offer of me being your long-lost cousin thing in the Swedish member thread lol* 

I recommend against using a Greyhound bus for travel! My father-in-law is head of a location in Richardson, TX and they apparently break down all the time! He tells me every time I come over to his house about a bus story how one broke down or how the GPS took them off the route to another state, all kinds of unreliable travel things a visitor wouldn't want LOL! Ive never taken Amtrak but I have heard great things about it! My cousins-in-laws travel from Kansas to Texas on Amtrak and they have had no bad experiences! They say the trip feels like  how Harry Potter goes to Hogwarts at the beginning of each year haha! Is it possible for you to get a rental car? The driving part will be backwards for ya and we turn right on red here, but its not too hard! Plus you will be able to see the beautiful countrysides! I would go with the train honestly! Trains are nice and you can sleep in between stops!

I would suggest going to Disneyland, heck even Disney World if its possible for you to stop by Florida! My dad from Sverige moved down to FL because he just looooved it soo soo much! The beaches and little islands near Sarasota are so beautiful and affordable to visit! It is totally different from Sweden im sure!

[Lilithdrff]

If you're going to San Diego you *must* go to the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park. The Zoo especially though, go see the Pandas!! The Zoo is right next to to the museum complex which is always a treat, and a great way to spend a day. Trip to old town San Diego is always a nice way to end up a day as well.
 Up in Los Angeles, I recommend checking out Griffith Park Observatory, has amazing views of the Hollywood sign and downtown. If you like museums, have to check out LACMA and the adjacent Brea Tar Pits, if you can swing the trip, go check out The Ghetty Center. There's also the obvious, Hollywood and the Chinese theater, etc. if you've never been there before, otherwise, skip the crowds!
Have fun!

[LadyMoondancer]

Be sure to get a sense of how big the US is before making your travel plans.  It is a BIG country.    And our train system is not as good as Europe's, as our politicians will try to trash Amtrak once in a while.

The nice thing about Amtrak is that you can walk around, which is much more pleasant than being stuck in a cramped plane seat.  They usually have an observation car and a dining car where you can order surprisingly good food. However, it also takes a looong time to get anywhere compared to a plane.

NYC to New Orleans by Amtrak:  30 hours, $155 for the cheap seat
NYC to New Orleans by plane:  3.5 hours, $300 - $350

It's a great way to see the scenery, but make sure you want to see that many hours of it, LOL.

If you get the cheap seats on Amtrak you will have to sleep in them, which works best if you're a sound sleeper / the type who can sleep through anything.

Would not recommend a Greyhound bus at all . . . As cramped as a plane, but slower.

I don't know how complicated this would be for international folks, but personally I think the ideal way to see the US is to rent a car and drive, with intervals of flying to save on time / skip the boring "nothing" stretches of highway.

NYC to New Orleans, driving:  ~19 hours, but that would be if you drove all that time without stopping.  No pee breaks, no food breaks--wouldn't be much fun.   

[Sweet_Stuff]

Where in Texas are you thinking about going? There's so much to see and do in the Lone Star State! 

[LadyMoondancer]

Also, you might want to consider checking out the flight deals from Alaska Airlines (or other airlines) and just lining up your travels based on their deals, to save money--since your main goal is to see the US in general.

Alaska Airlines' special deals

^  Their deals change regularly and might be restricted to certain times of the year or whatever.  Keep checking back.

[zombienixon]

If you're going from NYC to New Orleans, you may want to stop by Washington DC.  They have a lot of cool museums, a bunch of national landmarks, and everything is fairly close together. I'd recommend it if you're interested in American history.

I can't say much for comparing methods of travel, since I prefer to drive.  If you do end up renting a car, you may want to spend a bit extra for a nicer car just to avoid driving across the US in something uncomfortable. We also have no speed cameras on our motorways, so you don't have to worry as much about tickets.

[xeevee]

Trains in America aren't as good or well priced as those in Europe.  There are no fast trains, the service is slow, irregular and frequently delayed.  And on top of that there are often very few good connections, especially for long haul.  And remember that America is huge.  You have place listed on 2 different sides of the country, you'd end up taking weeks and spending a fortune getting from east to west coast.  I normally choose train as default way to get around because I hate long drives and any flying, but in America, I would highly recommend forgoing most train travel and renting a car with some flying.  Car rental and petrol in the US is by far the cheapest way to get around.  The country is almost built specially for driving in mind.

For the places you have listed definitely fly from NYC to New Orleans.  The drive would be awful and since hurricane Katrina the rail system doesn't work properly, even still.

Depending on where in Texas you want to go either then fly to Texas or drive to Texas and then fly to Wyoming.  From Wyoming you can drive all the way to the end but you may want to add a stop in Las Vegas between Arizona and San Diego.  I've driven that distance, and it's pretty far.  But if you catch the train you will actually miss the Grand Canyon.   I've also drive from San Diego to San Francisco and I couldn't recommend that driving trip more highly.  If you go the coast road (route 1) it is just spectacular.  You will probably need to add one more stop between LA and SFC though.  Big Sur looks great.  But that road will take you past beaches completely filled with Seals, a zebra, a weird castle and cliffs forever.

[brighteyes]

If you're going cross-country on train, Chicago is a great stopping point as it is in the middle of the country and a big hub for trains.  It's the third largest city in the US next to New York and L.A. and is filled with museums and awesome neighborhoods like China Town, Down Town, Lincoln Park and Old Town.  The Lincoln Park Zoo is open to the public and free and nestled between Lincoln Park neighborhood and Old Town.  There are so many little shops in this area and if you love shopping the Magnificent Mile is not to be missed.  The public transit system of elevated trains is very good- just stay OFF the red line south of downtown!  It goes to some very unsafe areas.  Brown line is good. 

If you do go through Chicago let me know- we're members of many of the museums and zoos and can get you in for free or show you around the city.  We love our city and enjoy playing tour guide

[ponycake]

I'm an American and I've been all over my coast (driving) but I enjoy reading this information. I know nothing about buses or trains. Most of us drive or fly to where we want to go.

[zombienixon]

Car rental and petrol in the US is by far the cheapest way to get around.  The country is almost built specially for driving in mind.

She's right. The fuel costs won't be too bad. Fuel is about 1/5 as much as it is over there.  I was able to drive to Chicago and back with a stop in Ohio on the way up and it cost about $120 in fuel. And I have to use Premium.

[S.o.a.r.]

OMG TEXAS!? Wheeeeere at in Texas?! I would love to stop by and say hello to you! I have never met anther person of Swedish blood down here!

Oh, we're not 100% sure yet since we both know don't know a whole lot about Texas. I was thinking about visiting Houston but Austin is a pretty city too, so why not? If we decide to go there, I'll defintely let you know and then you can meet two Swedes!

Thanks everyone for some very useful information and friendly suggestions!
Obviously we still need to do alot more research, since I personally thought Amtrak could us EVERYWHERE in the United States. I mean, if it were possible, I would to stay for about 3 months and really explore almost every state. But at the moment we're hoping for 3-4 weeks' awesome adventure whilst trying to get around as much as possible; staying 3-5 days at each location except San Francisco. By 2017, we will both have our driver's liscence so renting a car shouldn't be a problem. We've actually talked about renting a car or an RV (to sleep in instead of expensive hotels) but then we circled back to the train option. This January we traveled with Amtrak from San Francisco to Los Angeles, which took way longer than flying but at the same time it was kinda nice to stay grounded while traveling. But from what I've gathered from you guys, renting a car isn't the fastest option (that would be flying of course) but apparently the cheapest and best way to explore the land? Also, it is possible to rent a car in NYC and return it in San Francisco?

We partly want to visit new places of course, but we also want to re-visit San Francisco for the second/third time since we both love the city. We planning on staying there about 7 days there to finish our trip on a high note. When it comes to the other locations, we'll be googling a whole lot about the typical tourist destinations. And in order to make the trips between locations shorter, we'll most likely make several stops along the way.

° Texas: So far all I know is that I would to visit "South Fork" since I grew up watching original Dallas. I would also really like to visit a horse ranch for a day to experience the ranch life. I'm always up for shopping and love discovering new shopping malls whenever I'm in a new city. We're most likely visiting Houston only but it really depens on what the state has to offer. Might not be able to experience everything on our first visit.
° New York: Central Park, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, World Trade Memorial etc.etc.
° Arizona: Grand Canyon (I know it spreads across more states, but can't remember the others atm.)
° New Orleans: My friend has found this city fascinating for many years and it's her top pick for this trip.
° Wyoming: This is one of my top picks because the landscape seems amazing, although I've only seen it in movies, and I want to explore nature more than shopping here actually. Similiar to Texas, I want to visit a horse ranch and possibly go riding.
° San Diego: Do typical tourist things like in SF and LA. Only San Diego seems to have amazing scenery, so we'll do a bit more exploring. But I would really like to visit San Diego Zoo; I love zoo's!

[xeevee]

You definitely can rent a car from NYC and leave it in SF, it's a little more expensive to do than if you were returning it to the place you rented it, but if you rent the car for a whole month you will find you get some significant discounts per day of rental, and it would save you much more time and money than flying/catching the train between all those places.

Hey one tip for you, did you know you can climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty?  It only cost $2 but you need to book well in advance, so I would recommend doing that as soon as you can.