What is the best way, value for money and experience to travel the USA???|158665

I am planning to tour the USA for a couple of months next year, but are having difficulty deciding on what to do. I will be travelling with 2 of my friends who are pretty much set on doing group tours for 20+ days at a time. This is rather expensive at a cost of over $3500 per trip. I am not sure if should go to the US alone and do my own thing or do the group thing. I would rather do a hop on hop off bus tour where i get to do my own thing but still have the availability of transport to get around. Any suggestions would be most helpful.

There is so much to see in the US and it is so large I hope a couple of months would be enough. maybe dividing up the US into three or four areas and choosing the highlights from each area. I would personally look into Renting a car if you go by yourself or a SUV if you get your friends to go with you. Or Amtrak or Greyhound.just remember that there is not a lot of public transportation in some cities and you will need to use taxies to get around which are expensive if you choose this idea. If you drive yourself contact AAA for travel help. You will need to become a member but they will do great maps for you with highlights of sights to see, you will get AAA discounts to hotels and restaurants, and travel advisers.
Have fun this sounds exciting

Get an Amtrak pass. While passenger train service in the USA is woefully inadequate, the size of the country is such that it won_t matter that you can_t get everywhere by train as one can in Europe. There is more than enough that you can get to by train.

I_m not sure that group travel is worthwhile anywhere but I would think it would be particularly useless in the United States which is more a place to be experienced than anything else.

My bet would be to either backpack it, (packing a good lightweight tent), or buying a VW camper van.

My favorite of all would be:- I was once reading an old National Geographic article entitled: _A Sikh discovers America_, about a guy from India who came over and towed a small silver trailer hitched behind his car. That way, every night he had a clean, secure, and comfy abode in which to sleep. (Just find a place to park, I guess.)
It saved him a whale of money, money better spent on food, gas, clothes, going out on the town and meeting people, etc. goodies we deserve, rather than just forking our hard-earned money over to strangers to catch fleas with.
The price of accommodation really sucks, no cheap motels under $50 a night, even Youth Hostels getting kind of expensive.

Train then rent a cheap car when you get to your destinations. Visit either coast, the Rocky Mountains and as many National Parks in Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona and especially Utah.

Bring more money. The best advice I got when going to Europe for the first time way: lay out all your luggage and your cash. Now, remove half the luggage and double your cash.

kayak or sail to it with a friend then cycle or hitch hike the rest never tried it just an idea