Two Students Are Planning 4-6 Weeks In America, Summer 07....Any Advice!?!?

We are two students, 19 years old studying at University in the UK. We are planning to travel America this summer (07) for around 4-6 weeks, and wanted to know if anyone had any advice regarding: places to go: places to stay: things to do: visa requirements: getting around: ways to save money: ect!! Any help would be gratefully recieved!! :) It would be really good to talk to anyone who has done this before about routes, hotels, attractions, ect. Thanks!Two Students Are Planning 4-6 Weeks In America, Summer 07....Any Advice!?!?
OK I have travelled around America on a number of occasions, you can book in this country an Amtrak train pass, you can either do the East Coast which covers the mid-west States including Texas, North and South Dakota. Or you can do the West coast which also includes the mid-west states, or you can do all the states which you may not have long enough to visit bearing in mind the size of America. I would suggest taking the East Coast pass, because there is so much to see on the east coast. Don't get the grey hound ,they are uncountable and they go to dodgy places. The trains often have a observation room, in the middle state trains, they have an upstairs on the trains, so you can look out, they have a restaurant and a Buffet car, so you can move about. I have slept on trains and they are a lot more comfortable than buses as there is much more leg room.


In most large cities there are youth hostels, in the smaller towns they are less likely to have youth hostels and so you can stay in a motel 6 or 8. If there is two of you they are very good value as they often have kind size beds in ,and you will get a TV and a fridge in them. The most expensive motel I stay in was $60 a night which is just over 拢32 which is really good if you are sharing a room. This motel also had a swimming pool and you got breakfast included in the price. America is generally cheaper than the UK.


Places worth visiting in America are Martha's Vineyard, great place for cycling and there is a very good youth hostel there. Portland Maine is amazing, great place for boat trips. Philadelphia is a great place with great history attached to it, there is a youth hostel there. Charleston South Carolina, wonder place to visit and Savannah Georgia. Atlanta Georgia the home to coca cola worth a visit and James town Virgina, where the first British landed. Cape cod is a really nice place to visit and they do have youth hostels there, lots of beaches and good place to cycle, whale watching and sea fishing. There is a Portsmouth in Mass, and it is where the Pilgrims fathers landed. It really is worth a visit too. Don't forget Florida, the state with the most visitors. You have more than enough to do in six weeks on the East Coast. Oh yes most cheap flight go to New York often. your best bet is to get out of there as quick as possible, it is a very expensive place and I am no fan of New York. Resever all your hostels places on the Internet the day before, they do often have access to the Internet in the youth hostels, if they don't libraries are free. Also you must know this, Amtrak trains maybe good but they are often late, and when they are late in America they can be 4,5 hours late, you should phone before going to the station to find out if the train is running on time. Americans are friendly and can be very helpful especially if they know you look lost.


You can buy ';lets go America'; that is a very good book for travelling around America.Two Students Are Planning 4-6 Weeks In America, Summer 07....Any Advice!?!?
Always remember to stay safe. Men, women and couples may not be as nice as first appears.. just keep that in mind.





Sorry if I sound like a party pooper, but I do watch a lot of the FBI programmes.





Enjoy your travel and have a great time.
Most important - Get good travel insurance.





medical care is expensive over there and if you have an accident and have to come home via air ambulance (or similar) you will never have enough money to pay the bills.
www.gapyear.com





Website for backpackers - Brilliant. Check out the Boards as well.
You should look into spending time in the Canyon Lands, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon - anything canyon (in the South West). Driving would be cheapest, but for most car rental companies, you need to be 25 to rent a car. Most hotels in Las Vegas you stay in have info or can help you get hooked up with tour buses that that go to the Grand Canyon.