From Thelma and Louise and Easy Rider to the newly-released Due Date, which stars Robert Downey Junior as a frustrated father-to-be driving from Atlanta to Los Angeles, road-trip movies have sold Brits a dream of America as the ultimate driving destination.
The popularity of US fly-drives with UK tourists isn’t just down to the freedom and excitement of the open road, America’s huge landscapes and its quintessential roadside diners. There’s an excellent road network, and in most areas, far fewer cars than we’re used to seeing on our congested motorways.
A road trip in the States can give clients the perfect balance between adventure and familiarity, so make sure you know the basics of classic itineraries with our quick rundown.
Route 66
Many holidaymakers long to get their kicks on America’s most famous road, which stretches 2,400 miles between Chicago and Santa Monica, crossing eight states. Clients will need at least two weeks to cover the distance, driving at a couple of hundred miles everyday, plus stops to actually enjoy themselves.
Crossing so many States means clients will get to see the country’s variety, from the north’s high-rise cities and jazz clubs to the vast expanses of the southern deserts. Highlights include the Meramec Caverns, where Jesse James and his gang hid out from the law; Cadillac Ranch; Arizona’s Petrified Forest; and the Grand Canyon.
Florida
The year-round sunshine and Orlando’s theme parks are the most obvious attractions of this fly-drive staple, but there’s more to discover in the Sunshine State with four wheels.
If Orlando is the starting point, after a few days in the parks the family could drive to one of the Gulf Coast’s beautiful beaches, perhaps stopping at Clearwater or Sarasota. Then it’s on further south to the Everglades and over to Miami. The trip back to Orlando can be broken up at Cape Canaveral for the Kennedy Space Centre. Short distances mean this can be done in little more than a week.
The Florida Keys provides an extension to this, or works as another option on its own out of Miami. There’s only one road through the Keys, the Overseas Highway, and this narrow path between sea and sky was designated an ‘All American Road’ last year, giving it iconic status. The 113-mile journey from Key Largo to Key West passes over 42 bridges, including the Seven-Mile Bridge. Give plenty of time for stop-offs, as clients will want to swim with dolphins, snorkel and party in lively Key West.
New England
Rather than the broad, empty highways many associate with American road trips, New England is home to smaller byways passing through pretty villages and lush forests. Most itineraries start in Boston and head north through Salem up to Portland, before heading through the White Mountains into Vermont.
Then the circle continues heading back south through the Green Mountains to Rhode Island and Cape Cod before returning to Boston. These states are home to whitewashed villages, a picturesque coastline dotted with lighthouses and wooded lanes, the changing colours of which make it so popular in the fall.
This route covers a shorter distance than Route 66, so while there’s more than enough to do for a fortnight, it’s possible to do a taster trip in eight days.
Best of the West
Another classic itinerary visits California’s breathtaking coastline and the National Parks of Arizona, Nevada and Utah. With exciting and varied cities such as LA, San Francisco and Vegas breaking up the stunning scenery of some of America’s finest wildernesses, it’s no wonder this is such a popular option.
The Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, Monument Valley and Death Valley all provide wow factor photo opportunities, and those who love a coastal drive will be enchanted by Highway 1, which hugs every bend of the cliffside as it meanders for 650 miles down the western edge of the US. Three weeks would be best to do a complete circuit, but open-jaw itineraries between LA and San Francisco can be done in a fortnight.
The Deep South
Music and food tend to feature strongly in itineraries based around the Deep South, visiting Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Most itineraries last two weeks and begin and end in Atlanta. After passing through Chattanooga head straight for Nashville, home of country music. Then it’s down to Memphis for a taste of the blues, and through rural Mississippi to jazz capital New Orleans, one of America’s most unusual and fascinating cities.
Then tours tend to break the journey back to Atlanta with visits to the Gulf Coast’s beaches or cities such as Montgomery and Savannah, which have a real feel of the Old South.
The Rockies
An itinerary around Colorado, Wyoming and Utah will take travellers to some of America’s greatest National Parks. The arty, low-key city of Denver is the hub from which visitors head north, often popping across the state line to South Dakota to see the stone heads of Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington and Roosevelt at Mount Rushmore.
Then it’s through cowboy country to Yellowstone National Park and down to Jackson Hole, a great spot for hiking or horse-riding. The road back to Denver leads through Utah, with natural stops at Salt Lake City and Moab. A minimum of a fortnight is needed. Don’t attempt before May or after September, as the roads will be impassable.
Sample product
Jetsave offers the 17-day Historic Route 66 Drive departing April 4, 2011, from £1,199 including flights with British Airways, 15 nights’ accommodation
and car hire. jetsave.com, 0844 415 5550
Thomas Cook offers a 14-night Florida fly-drive in April 2011 from £629. This includes flights from Gatwick to Orlando and a hire car, including third party liability insurance, unlimited mileage and the services of a customer service representative, but no accommodation. thomascookworld.com, 0871 231 3234
Virgin Holidays offers a 14-night Discover New England itinerary including room-only accommodation, car hire, and Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow to Boston from £1,119 per person based on two adults sharing, on departures between January and March 2011. vhols4agents.co.uk, 0844 557 3982
