Today's post is a guest post from our friend Oliver at Black Tomato.Here at Black Tomato we’re often asked how to make the most of a USA holiday and with so much to see and do in the States the answer is obvious – take a road trip. Cruising down the coastal roads and iconic highways, you can have the ultimate luxury holiday packed with landscapes to behold, cities to excite and beach retreats to replenish the soul. (Photo "Lonely Road" by Chemtec)
There really is no better way to see this outstanding part of the world. Having just returned from my own Californian adventure there are a few pointers I’d like to share with you all. Here are my top 10 tips for turning your road trip into a smooth running trip of a lifetime:
- Do your research – part of the fun is stopping in between places rather than just going from A to B – sometimes the best restaurants and views are in towns that you would never want to stay
- Don’t just follow the SatNav - get a real map too. A road trip is not all about how fast you can get to your destination, it’s about taking the best route. Your SatNav doesn’t have the same insight as you do, so make sure you overrule it when you need to
- Make sure your hotel has parking – free if possible. You don’t want to waste time and money searching for a parking spot when you could be enjoying the city.
- Don’t drive more than 5 hours in one day. Frequent stops make for a much more enjoyable trip.
- Get a convertible for the Spring, Summer and Autumn – if it’s not raining then get the roof down and feel the wind in your hair.
- Get an SUV for winter – the bigger the better.
- Specifically for Highway 1 - Always drive south from San Fran to Los Angeles as you are then on the outside of every bend and get the best views and photo spots
- Never buy petrol on a tourist road – for example, petrol at Big Sur garage is $20 a gallon more than normal
- Take the right music with you – my favorite from my most recent US trip was The Rolling Stones greatest hits.
- Don’t get caught out by US speed limits – typical US speed limits are around 60 mph which tends to feel quite slow for European drivers but they tend to be quite strict about it.
