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Backpacking America – Part 1, An Introduction and Transportation

The aim of this blog is to provide some insight into traveling around in the United States to take in some if its best sights, food, and culture (yes, America does have some culture). Subsequent entries will be more location specific, but to begin, here is some useful first hand information on how to cover as much ground as possible on the money available while being budget-conscious, but still having a good time.

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To be certain, backpacking around the United States is not like traveling in Europe or Asia. Public transport in most places is scarce and hostels are definitely not as abundant. Furthermore, distances between points of interest can be huge, with few signs of civilization in between. Out of necessity, Americans have devised a somewhat different approach to the same goal of seeing and experiencing as much of their country as possible: the road trip.

Given that America is the birthplace of “car culture,” transportation can be the backpacker’s biggest hurdle, but there are a few ways to get around cheaply and legally. This does not mean that backpacking America cannot be done. It simply means that resourcefulness and adjustments in approach may be in order, especially for international visitors.

 

Transportation

To start with, a discussion of various transportation methods, and a few suggestions. Read on to find out how to take in some of North America’s most incredible scenery and interesting cities on either a single coast-to-coast mega trip, or during several shorter excursions.

This will be a running series of blogs, so check back often for a review of many of the must-see destinations in the U.S.A. broken down by region. For now, this entry will focus on getting prepared for a sojourn into Americana, including some information for the inexperienced and a little insight into some specific laws in America that many foreigners may not be aware of.

 

Public Transport

Anyone wanting to undertake a trek through part or all of the United States should be more than capable of booking an international plane ticket to get to the country in the first place. Therefore, the transportation options and suggestions provided here start after the traveler arrives in the country.

For travel within the “East-Coast Corridor,” the cities along the Atlantic coast between Boston and Philadelphia, public trains, buses and coaches (public or private) are plentiful and cheap, and getting around is fairly easy. Thus, anyone wanting to do a New England trip could fairly easily avoid needing their own car. Bus lines such as TripperBus (www.tripperbus.com), Bolt Bus (www.boltbus.com) and MegaBus (www.megabus.com/us) all offer easy, cheap, comfortable rides between many major East Coast cities.

Careful planning, and being aware of when and where local trains and buses run abbreviated routes late at night or on weekends, can make getting around easier, though not necessarily quicker. Just be aware that America has some of the most expensive taxi fares of any country in the world, so the less time and distance spent in a cab, the better.

 

Cars (and Minivans!?!?!?)

As aforementioned, getting around in America has been almost exclusively relegated to the use of the private automobile. Because of this, the United States has built an exceptional network of roads, state highways, and interstate expressways; the vast majority of which are free.

Additionally, since gasoline is cheaper in the U.S. than just about anywhere else on Earth, it is easy to see why the great American road trip is so popular. (Do remember that hitchhiking in America is illegal in most states, as well as dangerous). The best option is to accept the car as a necessary tool for taking in the country like a true America. Climb behind the wheel, and get out on the open road, and see what there is to see.

For the ultimate freedom, consider renting a car from a discount rental agency like Rent-A-Wreck (www.rentawreck.com/index.html) which offers low rates on well-used, but reliable vehicles. Just be sure to check with the rental company prior to arrival to find out what the rental requirements will be for a specific pick-up location, since all states have laws regulating automobile insurance and rental agreements.

Most car rental companies will accept a foreign driver’s license for up to a month. For longer periods of time, an international driver’s license document is usually required.

Another very popular option, especially for a small group of budget travelers, is to simply buy a used car or van to cruise the U.S.A. Because used cars are so abundant in America (there are literally millions of used cars to be had), many very serviceable units can be found at very cheap prices. They may not be pretty, but as long as they are safe, reliable and legal, they will get the job done.

Possibly the very best value for money in finding a road trip-mobile is to search for a late model used minivan. These vehicles tend to be fairly well maintained by virtue of the fact that they are almost always purchased new by parents of small children, and then are often sold while still in decent condition. Because they are definitely not considered “cool,” a five or ten year old minivan often has a very low asking price due to their poor resale value. A well-maintained engine will easily go 200,000 miles (320,000 kilometers); just check the odometer before buying.

A cheap minivan can not only haul one, two, three, or sometimes up to seven road-trippers around America, but it can also serve as a mobile living quarters for a couple of people (think improvised camper-van) if the back rows of seats are removed. Thus, the lowly minivan will serve double duty as a motel when needed. Just be sure to vacuum up the cracker crumbs left over from the previous owner’s kids. Most minivans get decent fuel mileage as well, which will help keep costs down.

Finally, some or possibly all of the expense of buying the old battle-wagon can usually be recouped when the road trip is finished by selling the van on to the next person in need of a cheap set of wheels.

To locate a potential used vehicle, check online classifieds such as Craigslist (www.craigslist.org/about/sites) or AutoTrader (www.autotrader.com). These are also good resources for reselling the vehicle when finished with it.

Check back soon for coming installments: Backpacking America – Part 2, Accommodations and Safety and then Part 3, The West Coast.