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[silverwood]

Next summer me and my friend are planing on the doing the classic american road trip!
Were from the UK, and would idealy love to buy a car in New york and sell it on somwhere on the west coast at the end of our trip.
I was just woundering if anyone on this board has any experience with this, and knows if there are any obstacles or frustrations for a foreign person buying and driving a vehicle in the usa.
Also were trying to do it as cheap as possibly, and i dont have a clue about anything like insurence and registration fees in America.
id love to hear some advice from anyone else whos done it, or some alternatives if buying a car is just too expensive!
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[lauragek]

Hey, I'm planning a travel accross America as well! However, as I turn 18 júst before I leave, I won't be able to drive... I'm thinking about getting an all-round Greyhound ticket, just seeing where I'll go. But having your own car would be so nice. Can't help you on the experience part, but I did just get a bunch of travel brochures to see where I want to go (not everything is equally exciting). What are you planning for?

[brunser]

Maybe best to hire a car instead of buying one to be honest - less hassle.

i personally like the west coast more than the east, so make sure you leave enough time for san francisco, yosemite, grand canyon, monument valley etc etc.

[silverwood]

were currently a bit split on our plan, were not sure wether to go down through the deep south, starting in new york, then driving down to alabama, mississippi, texas, new mexico, arisona then LA, then go all the way up the west coast to seattle
OR
New York, chicago, and then across all the way through mid america to seattle and then down the west coast.
Im a bit apprehensive of going through the south, being the foreign, atheist that i am.
what do people reckon?
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[lauragek]

All my family tell me I shouldn't want to go through the middle of America, because it is just hundreds of miles of road with nothing in between. I just can't imagine theres nothing there... But maybe that's just because I grew up in the overpopulated Netherlands

I don't really have anything to say about the south... But how much time will you have? Because the distances are all just só huge! Oh, and remember it will be summer when you go, so it will also be HOT. I guess especially in the south.

[misshelenc]

I could never do a road trip myself, but I am going to New York in March 2013 for my 30th birthday which should be good. Only because my mum is paying xxxx
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[silverwood]

I kind of like the idea of travelling through nothingness! i wanna see all the little towns. i live in england where your never more than a few milles from a mottorway, city or town, id live to be able to travel and camp out in the vast wilderness!
Im going for 2 months, should be enough time to do a fair bit of travelling, only problem i face now is price. renting a a car for 2 months in summer looks to cost about £3000.

New yorks great, i went once with my family when i was young, we left august 11th 2001... boy was i happy my parents didnt book that trip a month later
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[AFB]

That's crazy, I went with my family to New York literally a month before too.

[scott]

come to the south! i've got a place for rest in south carolina and you can see the mountains. i wouldn't want to do much traveling up through north u.s.a. because there isn't too much up there.
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[silverwood]

That sounds great scott! how much do you charge for a few nights at your place, and where is it?
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[scott]

i wouldn't charge anything for a few nights... well, maybe a beer or two. I'm in greenville, sc. it's also about an hour and a half to asheville, nc and close to atlanta and other parts of north carolina. i hope your trip works out!
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[silverwood]

i totaly read the word 'rent' instead of 'rest' for some reason. but thats awesome, sounds great. me and my friend would definitely pay you back in beer and music. guaranteed.
Weve been listening to the Anthology of american folk again alot recently and want to do a folk roots tour of 'weird old America' if it still exists
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[jack fe]

I'm super envious! I did a big trip of the USA this summer (and two summers ago), both of them touring, with traveling thrown in. This was (among others) along with Moe (MoreEats) from this very board.

Our route this year was from the midwest (Ohio - Illinois), heading through the southwest (St Louis, Oklahoma, northern Texas, New Mexico, Arizona) to the west coast, driving all the way up it, to northern Washington (Olympia, Seattle, Anacortes). We then drove back to Ohio through the northwest (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska...).

I experienced no problems (or special treatment) as a brit, the smaller, more out there towns (Amarillo, Texas, for example) all treated us with nothing but kindness, on the whole. There are just as many bigots and assholes as any other place, but certainly no more.

We listened to the Harry Smith Anthology all the way around (along with other similar compilations), and its quite a treat!

If there's anything I can help with, as a brit, let me know!
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