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Thu Mar 06, 2025 8:25 pm

Very soon we are moving from NY to CO.

One of the many things I have to figure out is automobile transportation. The distance is 1800 miles.

We have three cars. My '63 Beetle is definitely going by truck. My wife and a friend of hers are going to tag team drive our Forester because we have two 12+ year old dogs that most likely wouldn't survive being knocked out in kennels in the cargo hold of an airplane.

My quandary is whether to fly or drive my Civic.

I don't want to fly out there and be without a car until it would arrive by truck.

The drive would take 3 days at about 500 miles per day. I know I can do this in about 10 hours per day with stops as I have done 1-day 500 mile NY to Ohio/Ohio to NY drives a number of times.

So my main concern is overnights. I don't want to camp, and I don't want to sleep in my car on the side of the road.

Is it even feasible to expect to be able to pull into a random hotel after dark and get a room without a reservation? Or should I, as carefully as possible, plot it all out on a map, locating hotels every 500 or so miles and hope I get there at a reasonable hour each night?

For anyone who has experience with this type of drive, your advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thu Mar 06, 2025 8:39 pm

why not air b&b, l've not rented one, as we only travel by vanagon, so we always have a bed.

Thu Mar 06, 2025 9:17 pm

I did Milwaukee to San Diego round trip a few years ago, and planned on camping in the bus. When nightly lows were below 20f, I got hotels, which ended up being 9/10 nights…. There was only one rural stretch in Kansas where I got a sketchy room that didn’t lock all the way. The other nights I was able to get a nice 2-3 star hotel/motel for 100-200 a night, depending on the day of the week.

Use all the discount apps you can, then call the hotel before dinner with your info and tell them the price you will pay on the app. (Not the advertised price, but the checkout price after taxes and fees.) I have never found a hotel that wouldn’t match the online price. Most are small business or franchise-owned that respect you booking through them. They’d rather cut $20 off the price for you than cut $20 off for an app that takes 30%.

Hotel Tonight is my favorite app for finding who is open, has deals, or has certain amenities I want. (Always breakfast, don’t care about WiFi or pool…)

Interstates have tons of options, but Blue Highways have fun themed and kitschy places that you’ll remember long after the move is done.

Robbie

Thu Mar 06, 2025 10:23 pm

I've done many long road trips like you describe, just driving and relying on chance that a room can be found when I wanted to stop, and on only one occasion did I completely strike out on finding a hotel/motel room to stay in and had to sleep in the car. Typically the worst that would happen is the first town I looked was full up, but I'd find something available within an hour's drive farther down the road.

If you're risk averse or generally tend to stress easily, planning the route out and making reservations beforehand would be a good choice.

Either way, in my opinion driving is the much better method of getting where you need to go if you have the choice. The views are better, the food is definitely better, and you have the opportunity to see some cool attractions and make memories along the way. Plus it's always nice to have your own wheels when you get to your destination.

Fri Mar 07, 2025 6:11 am

scottyrocks wrote: Very soon we are moving from NY to CO.

One of the many things I have to figure out is automobile transportation. The distance is 1600+ miles.

We have three cars. My '63 Beetle is definitely going by truck. My wife and a friend of hers are going to tag team drive our Forester because we have two 12+ year old dogs that most likely wouldn't survive being knocked out in kennels in the cargo hold of an airplane.

My quandary is whether to fly or drive my Civic.

I don't want to fly out there and be without a car until it would arrive by truck.

The drive would take 3 days at about 500 miles per day. I know I can do this in about 10 hours per day with stops as I have done 1-day 500 mile NY to Ohio/Ohio to NY drives a number of times.

So my main concern is overnights. I don't want to camp, and I don't want to sleep in my car on the side of the road.

Is it even feasible to expect to be able to pull into a random hotel after dark and get a room without a reservation? Or should I, as carefully as possible, plot it all out on a map, locating hotels every 500 or so miles and hope I get there at a reasonable hour each night?

For anyone who has experience with this type of drive, your advice would be greatly appreciated.

Gonna miss you on the Islet of Langerhans.

1500 miles is really a minimum of $500 plus 3 days of life

You can get SWA from isp to DEN for one way $250 plus rent a car for a week in advance?

I got peeps in DEN who cam help you receive if needed

Fri Mar 07, 2025 6:16 am

Never done it that way. On trips longer than a day the wife and I tag team the driving. Fill up at 10PM (the car is good for 10 hours on a tank) and take turns driving and sleeping. Usually 2 to 3 hour shifts.

If we take the Buggy (3.5 hour range) we carry several full Jerry cans.

Fri Mar 07, 2025 7:18 am

Mrs. Cusser and I have done the "just look for a place as it got around dinnertime" thing, even when we traveled with the kids, but that was over 25 years ago. We had the information books from AAA, and of course, before cell phones.

In 1986, we had driven to Carmel/Monterey and all was booked or out of budget, we stayed in next-door Seaside. Returning, we just found a place in Bakersfield.

In 1994, on a drive from Arizona to Iowa with the kids, we stayed overnight in Tucumcari NM about a mile off the Interstate; small motel with a pool, and pizza place across the road, kids loved it. Returning, just found a place near Pueblo CO and another near Window Rock or Winslow.

Fri Mar 07, 2025 10:27 am

oprn wrote: If we take the Buggy (3.5 hour range) we carry several full Jerry cans.
An open car cross-country? You get wet when it rains and cold if it snows.

Max

Fri Mar 07, 2025 10:59 am

Get lodging and food as you go, not stuck with a route or time deadline that way. You may have a day where you want to keep driving, or see a sign for something you want to see. With a smart phone it will almost always (unless you are really in the sticks) bring up food and lodging options. We have done many trips in the car and on the bike this way, and only one time going through Utah, we needed to hit the next town for a room

Fri Mar 07, 2025 11:28 am

I've driven I40, I80, I90 many times traveling coast to coast. I never needed a reservation at any hotel during those travels.

The only time I have had an issue finding a room for the night was during a snow event when the roadways were closed. Then finding a room becomes a challenge.

Traveling with dogs will slow you down a bit. They need pee breaks, so you need to factor that into your daily mileage driven.

Fri Mar 07, 2025 12:43 pm

I have driven many times by car from Los Angeles to Guadalajara Mexico, about 1250 miles by car, both in modern cars and in aircooled VW's. Easy task. 24hr drive non-stop, 4 hr driving shifts. My job as a copilot is to cater to the pilot's needs. water, soda, food , tell jokes and vice versa. Had a blast every single time.

Fri Mar 07, 2025 1:18 pm

mukluk wrote: I've done many long road trips like you describe, just driving and relying on chance that a room can be found when I wanted to stop, and on only one occasion did I completely strike out on finding a hotel/motel room to stay in and had to sleep in the car. Typically the worst that would happen is the first town I looked was full up, but I'd find something available within an hour's drive farther down the road.

This makes sense, and my thanks to others who have suggested it, as well.

Quote: If you're risk averse or generally tend to stress easily, planning the route out and making reservations beforehand would be a good choice.

This is the crux of my issue. I don't love change or uncertainty, and that, combined with some medical issues, would probably benefit me to plan the route and the stops.

Quote: Either way, in my opinion driving is the much better method of getting where you need to go if you have the choice. The views are better, the food is definitely better, and you have the opportunity to see some cool attractions and make memories along the way. Plus it's always nice to have your own wheels when you get to your destination.

I love driving, don't love flying, and I see the value in your other points, as well. Danke.

Fri Mar 07, 2025 1:29 pm

Abscate wrote:

Gonna miss you on the Islet of Langerhans.

1500 miles is really a minimum of $500 plus 3 days of life

You can get SWA from isp to DEN for one way $250 plus rent a car for a week in advance?

I got peeps in DEN who cam help you receive if needed

We've got almost no family here anymore, our daughter is in Denver, and for many other reasons, we're going. Colorado is a completely different place than LI.

I love driving so the 3 days of life will be enjoyed.

The costs of flying vs driving are not astronomically different, so that's a wash, afaic.

And thank you for the manpower assistance offer. :)

Fri Mar 07, 2025 1:33 pm

scottyrocks wrote: Very soon we are moving from NY to CO.

One of the many things I have to figure out is automobile transportation. The distance is 1600+ miles.

We have three cars. My '63 Beetle is definitely going by truck. My wife and a friend of hers are going to tag team drive our Forester because we have two 12+ year old dogs that most likely wouldn't survive being knocked out in kennels in the cargo hold of an airplane.

My quandary is whether to fly or drive my Civic.

I've done cross country a bunch of times. I would help except I'm not sure I have one more in me. It's a little rough solo but I'm as good once as I ever was co- driving. My secret is to keep talking. That's what I did recently on a long drive halfway down the east coast. We started after 9:00 p.m. almost past my bedtime and drove 'til daybreak the next day. I drove the whole way. I talked the whole way. I stayed awake 'cuz I was talking. My co- driver stayed awake 'cuz he wanted to punch me after the first hour or so.

Max Welton wrote: oprn wrote: If we take the Buggy (3.5 hour range) we carry several full Jerry cans.
An open car cross-country? You get wet when it rains and cold if it snows.

Y'all are little fuzzy kitty cats. Try it on a motorcycle. It rains, you get wet. If it's cold you get cold. The real fun is when it's cold and raining.

.
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Fri Mar 07, 2025 1:38 pm

67rustavenger wrote: I've driven I40, I80, I90 many times traveling coast to coast. I never needed a reservation at any hotel during those travels.

The only time I have had an issue finding a room for the night was during a snow event when the roadways were closed. Then finding a room becomes a challenge.

Traveling with dogs will slow you down a bit. They need pee breaks, so you need to factor that into your daily mileage driven.

My wife will be driving with a friend to get the dogs out there. I will most likely make my trip before they do to get the house as set up as I can before the moving truck(s - furniture and Beetle) arrives. The complete details have not been worked out yet. I have never done anything like this before.

Fri Mar 07, 2025 1:53 pm

Few years back a buddy called.

"Cam you help me move?" he asked.

A friend will help you move. A true friend will help you move a body.

I said, "SURE!"

Buddy then told me (over the phone) where I could pick up the 24' U-Haul he reserved. He told me he and the wifey were already out west. I simply had to load up his three bedroom New England farm house with front parlor, back parlor, formal dining room w/ canning cupboards, large mirrors and oriental rugs in every room. Oh, yeah. The two vintage motorcycles went in first.

I did it because I'm a dumb- ass on some level. I would do it again just not for that particular buddy and if you're wondering, he asked. That kind of thing is one per customer.

Easy- peasy. That ride was mostly down I-81 then across I-40. I would do I-70 to Colorado because I have less seat time on 70 than I do on 90, 80, 40 and 10.

80 might be a little sketchy weather- wise for another month, 90 more so. Although... there's no need to go anywhere near 90 for your trip.

You get a good measure of Pennsylvania when you drive I-80 all the way through.

One of these days I'd like to do Route 50. 66 gets all the glory. 50 is the real Mother Road. I'd like to start in Nevada and end up eatin' crabs in Maryland.

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Fri Mar 07, 2025 2:49 pm

Dusty1 wrote:
One of these days I'd like to do Route 50. 66 gets all the glory. 50 is the real Mother Road. I'd like to start in Nevada and end up eatin' crabs in Maryland.

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I was disappointed that I didn’t take Route 50 (due to flash flood warnings), but I was delighted to find the Bonneville Salt Flats as I crested over the hill on my way out I80.

Fri Mar 07, 2025 10:20 pm

I moved out of a 30 year 8 person family house to a small ranch on Long Island 5 years ago. Pros moved the furniture, I moved belongings in 26 foot Uhauls x3

They should not rent such a large truck to “ civilians” . These things are too big for the inexperienced.

Sat Mar 08, 2025 4:50 am

We travel with the rv a lot. By 1 or 2 pm we have an idea how much further we care to go. We will make a reservation at this time so we arent scrambling for a place.to stay.. Campgrounds/rv parks have become real crowded since covid.

Sat Mar 08, 2025 6:07 am

Well, I've done some traveling and I've made it planned and also unplanned. In the unplanned examples, I did stop at hotels randomly and make day-of hour-of reservations. Will you get the best deal? Probably not, and you'll save some cash reserving ahead, but it does give you some flexibility. I'd go hotel all day long over Airbnb, simply for the fact that it's usually about the same price and you get included breakfast. If you wanna find a "deal" on an Airbnb, you may have to stay in a dangerous neighborhood or worry about cameras spying on you in the shower! Maybe they have an only fans for old wrinkly men, and you didn't know you were on it!