Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with travel and driving

On The Road To Feeling Weird

mmmbacon — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:27:26 -0800

Why do I feel so weird when I return home from a long car trip and how can I prevent these feelings? Every time I take a long car trip, I feel very out of sorts when I get home. I always feel tired, restless, emotionally drained and generally icky. This never happens when I arrive at my destination, no matter how long the trip there is. Also, I feel just the same whether or not I am doing the driving.

Italy or bust

sundri — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:23:38 -0800

Traveling the Italian coast This summer (end of July) my spouse and I are planning on driving the coast of Italy. We are taking the car train to Calais and from there driving down, little by little, to my families town of origin -- Castellammare di Stabia outside of Naples. We have been all over France so our stays along the way will simply be functional unless there is something "must see" that we may have missed.

We are planning to hit some of the major sites -- Vatican, Rome, yada yada. But we would love to have some "off the beaten track" experiences. And we love wine and food, so...

Here is map of the route without detours.

Any suggestions, anecdotes or warnings would be appreciated.

How can I get licensed to drive through Mexico?

mikeo2 — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:07:14 -0800

I live in the central USA and am thinking about taking a trip to Mexico City in August to catch a world cup qualifier game. I was wondering how difficult it would be to get the proper licensing/what licensing would be required to drive there?

Road trip: Minneapolis to . . . ?

sciapod — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:41:59 -0800

We have four days to take a road trip from Minneapolis to wherever we want. Where should we go? My friends and I (female, in our early twenties) are looking for suggestions for a fun and manageable four-day road trip out of Minneapolis. Ideally, we'd like to take this trip over a four-day weekend, but we could probably stretch it to five days if the sights or route demanded it.

We're not opposed to driving longish days or visiting our Canadian neighbors, and we're not picky on the natural wonders vs. big city front. We're looking to do this on the cheap end, but we don't want to cut any corners. Basically, we're just looking for a good time, some interesting sights, and the open road.

Destinations we've talked about include Mount Rushmore (Wall Drug, Sturgis, Black Hills, Badlands, etc.), driving around one of the Great Lakes, or hitting up Winnipeg or Toronto, but I thought I'd poll the experienced masses.

So, travelers, where to?

Help my foreign friends enjoy their American experience...

whiskey point — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:51:05 -0800

Any ideas on a route (and some great points of interest) for some Italian visitors to take from Mt. Vernon, Ohio to Fargo, ND? It'll be their first time in the U.S. and would like to see as much as possible. The parents of the Italian foreign exchange student (and said exchange student) who stayed with my family in high school are making their first trip to the US to attend his college graduation. They're going to rent a car to drive from Mt. Vernon (near Columbus) to Fargo, ND.

They would like to see any big attractions or wildlife, basically taking in some Americana. I'm sure any Italian-American towns/areas would be great for them to check out. Also, a fun place for them to stay overnight would nice (they'll be splitting the trip into two days, so somewhere close to the halfway point).

If you've taken trips along the route, or live along the route, any advice you have would be greatly appreciated - these people are very special to me, and I'd like them to have the best experience possible! Thank you in advance.

Chicago to Louisville

ae4rv — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:03:32 -0800

Are there any fun places to stop between Chicago and Louisville? We'll be making the drive on a Sunday. Restaurant ideas are also appreciated.

I usually go in the middle of the day...

Korou — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:15:15 -0800

TrafficFilter: Help me get to San Diego! I live in Camarillo, CA. I am driving to San Diego, but have to stop in South Pasadena and Long Beach. I am picking someone up in Long Beach—he doesn't get off work until 6:30pm.

I want to arrive in SD as early as possible, with the least amount of driving, stopping in these two places.

When is the best time to leave? Is this the best route?

What are the best places to stop (for great PHOTO ops and delicious FOOD) along Hwy 101 from San Francisco to Seattle?

dcruzin — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:16:09 -0800

Please recommend the best places to stop for PHOTO opportunities and delicious FOOD along the 101 from San Francisco to Seattle on a 3-day road trip? I have search some previous posts like this. But I have more specific criteria.

We leave San Francisco early on a Monday (maybe 7-8am), and we want to get to Seattle by 9-10pm on a Wednesday.

Like I mentioned, my friend and I are avid photographers and looking for some great landscape and nature photo opportunities. We also LOVE food, so unique and DELICIOUS places are requested (cheap doesn't hurt, either).

We're planning to camp out, so we need 2 different parks/forests to camp at.

Right now we're thinking about:

-Redwood National Forest
-Eureka, CA
-Mendocino, CA
-Oregon Dunes

We live in Seattle, so we prefer places that would be tougher to get to from Seattle since we could do those another time.

We know that 3 days isn't very long, so we will have to be pretty selective, but just wanted lots of suggestions to choose from.

Any links to photo/travel blogs, especially ones with photos are welcome!

Thanks!

Please evaluate my route from Italy to Spain by car

zaebiz — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:07:07 -0800

I plan to drive from Venice, Italy to Valenica, Spain in April or May 2009 using the following route. I will stay for a few days or weeks in little spots along the way. I should have about six weeks in total. I mostly want to see a little of Spain and Italy, the French Riviera, Montpellier, Marseilles and finish at Valencia. Apart from that anything else I should try to see? Any parts of the chosen route I should avoid? What's driving like along that route? Any rental car companies which will let me pick up in Italy and drop off in Spain?

Leaving New York, Never Easy... Car hire?

tomble — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:59:42 -0800

I'm currently in Astoria, NY, and planning to drive to DC tomorrow in a hired car. The question is - where should I hire a car to get a good rate? Is it worth it to travel to New Jersey as was suggested to me, or should I just go to La Guardia airport? Anything I should know about car hire? I'm from Australia, so the main thing is to remember to drive on the right side of the road.

Driving routes from Cincinnati to Ann Arbor?

matildaben — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:20:20 -0800

Please tell me about your experience driving the main or alternate routes from Cincinnati, OH to Ann Arbor, MI. Google Maps gives the main route as primarily on I-75, and says it takes 4 hours, but a friend of mine said it takes more like 6 hours and encounters big traffic jams in Dayton and Toledo. If I check "avoid highways", Google gives me a route that goes up the western side of the state, primarily on route 127, and it says that takes 6 hours. If the alternate route is a pretty drive, I'd be happy to take it. If you've driven from Cincy to Ann Arbor yourself, please tell me what you know about this or any other routes, and which you would recommend. Time is not so much the issue, I'd just like to have a nice non-frustrating drive.

Austrian villages

TiredStarling — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:52:46 -0800

Pleasant towns in Austria? In May we're spending a couple of days driving south through Austria from Salzburg, via Spittal an der Drau and Villach, into Italy. We're mainly sticking to the autobahn but enjoy the back roads.

Does anyone have suggestions for a couple of towns or villages along the way to break the journey? We're a couple, over 40, like old churches, the simple life, local cuisine, small places.

Hudson River Crossing - Pro Tips?

Miko — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:16:34 -0800

GW vs. Tappan Zee: Pro tips for deciding on route? I travel back and forth between New England and my relatives in NJ (and points south) frequently. Most of these journeys entail a Hudson River crossing.

I'm pretty good at telling when the bad times are to cross (Sunday evenings, especially in summer, and rush hours on both ends) but I don't really have any sense of what factors to weigh when choosing a crossing. I listen to the traffic report like anyone else, and know where the points are that I can easily switch from Garden State Parkway to Jersey Turnpike. But I feel like I'm doing guesswork and floundering in the dark. It seems to me that there are people who are sort of wizards at knowing where and when to cross the Hudson. What are your pieces of advice on trip planning and on when a last-minute change-up is called for? GW, upper or lower? When and why?

Doing the Dingle Run

selfnoise — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:34:45 -0800

I'm going to be in Dingle, Ireland for a week in May, and I had a question about driving and the relative sanity of my plans. Specifically, I have a plane to the U.S. to catch at Shannon Airport on Saturday at 1:15pm (departure time). My plan was to leave first thing that morning from Dingle and drive straight to the airport. Given the roads and travel times, is that crazy? Should I revise my plans to stay closer the day before travel?

Aerlingus suggests arriving at 10:45am. Google maps is telling me 2 hours 40 minutes, so that would mean leaving around 8am. I'll have a GPS if that helps.

Bonus questions: as a first time left-hand driver, how do I avoid death? What will I kick myself over if I miss in the Dingle area?

Driving across country where to stay (no hotels).

huxley — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:32:43 -0800

I'm driving across country in a month (Oregon to NY). I drove out here 2 years ago and stayed in hotels both nights on the way out. I don't have the funds to do that this time around. Any advice about sleeping in my car at rest areas? I'm trying to marathon it and camping would probably slow me down more than I'd like. Is it better to stop at highway side rest areas or pull off into cities and try to find a parking lot that won't boot me out? I'm going to have many of my belongings with me and won't be able to stretch out in back. Thanks!

Driving is fun, for a while.

517 — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 16:24:14 -0800

What's the best way to drive from Chicago to Seattle in February? What are some interesting things to see and do along the way?

Any advice on driving through the mountain passes?

How do we go from NYC to LA in a week in the most interesting way?

minicloud — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:38:47 -0800

My brother is moving to LA and I'm going to drive out there with him. I can only take about one week off of work so we want to keep it within 8 or 9 days. Where should we stop on the southern route from NYC to LA? We're thinking route 81 south then another highway west to California. Basically does anyone have any advice for a trip of this short a length along that route? We want to see some sites, but still get enough driving done per day. Also, its going to be the end of January so daylight time is much shorter. Any recommendations for sites, cheap but clean and/or interesting Inns/motels (we're both on a tight budget), music venues to check out in Austin or New Orleans for indie stuff, etc? Any help is appreciated!

Road Trip to say Bye Bye to Michigan

mrflibble — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:28:00 -0800

Need help planning a 2-3 week road trip in spring for a new place to live. We're starting out in Michigan. 2 spots we know we want to hit are Colorado and Oregon (Portland area). Girlfriend needs water. I need high altitude.

We're going to take my van and sleep in that most of the time to save on what we'd end up paying at hotels.

We prefer a liberal atmosphere. Arts and whatnot nearby. Not big on being in the middle of a big city but like having one near by.

What I'm asking for..
Hotspots, Travel Tips, What to avoid, What not to miss, Locations of interest, Cities that you love, Where would you move? etc..

Thanks in advance!

How to get to San Carlos?

cior — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:31:33 -0800

What's the best way to get from Tucson, Arizona to San Carlos, Sonora (Mexico)? We're investigating flights, car rentals and such. Any hints and pointers would be much appreciated.

1) Are there flights from Tucson to San Carlos or the surrounding areas?

2) Is it possible to rent a car in the US (Tucson) and take it to San Carlos, or is this just a silly idea?

3) Are there public transit options (Mexi-Greyhound?) between these two points?

4) Anything interesting to see on the way, supposing we do take a car?

Thank you!

What to worry about while driving to Ensenada, Mexico?

vegetableagony — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:49:47 -0800

9 other friends and I are all planning to drive down into Mexico for our fall break. We will be going in two cars, one of which we borrowed from someone not coming on the trip. We would be staying for about 72 hours (maybe just slightly more). What do we need to do to prepare? Any other general tips for a weekend trip to Ensenada? I think we need to get Mexico driving insurance.
Some information online mentions needing a tourist, needing to have a registration for the car in the name of the driver, and needing to post a $400 bond.

Many of these sites mention exemptions if you are staying for under 72 hours and are staying in either the border zone or the free trade zone.

How do I tell what of these things apply to us?
If we need the car to be registered to the driver, is there anything we can do to get the car into Mexico? (Or should we just use one of the buss companies? If so does public transportation work well in Ensenada?)

If the requirement is that we stay less than 72 hours and we stayed about 80, would we get into trouble?

On a mostly related note... How much cheaper is hard alcohol in Mexico, and how much are we allowed to bring back per 21 year old?

Sorry for asking so many different things, but We are all sort of worried about the large number of ways in which our trip might not work out.

Color me Griswold

Toekneesan — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 17:27:49 -0800

Heading to the Big Easy for a couple of weeks around X-mas. Driving ~1,800 miles from PA with a 2 and 3 year old. Suggestions on making it bearable for them, and us? I fly a bit and can't imagine exposing my little monkeys to modern air travel. Especially around the holidays. I've decided to do it over three days and two nights. Three six hour legs. Borrowing a friend's minivan rather than trying to do it in our Ford wagon. Borrowing the in-laws portable DVD player to keep them distracted. Wondering about driving at night. Though if they sleep while we drive, when do we sleep? Anyone else tried something this sketchy? Advice, anecdotes, warnings?

Japan maps in english

nintendo — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 05:32:25 -0800

Where can I get driving directions in Japan in English? Tired Google all day, Im going from Yokohama to Hiroshima, if only I'd anted up for the GPS. :)

Transit times between Vancouver, Seattle, and Los Angeles

oldlies — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 20:21:33 -0800

Quickie road trip! How long does it take to drive from L.A. to Seattle? And how long to drive from downtown Seattle to downtown Vancouver, BC? And how long from Seattle to L.A.? How would you budget your time in each city? We're leaving on Sunday evening and we have to get back by Friday night. We might skip Vancouver if the timetable gets too tight. There are two drivers and we'll only stop for gas, meals, potty. We're not going to risk getting a speeding ticket, so we'll be driving (roughly) the speed limit. No time for scenic routes.

1) How many driving hours to get to Seattle from L.A.?
2) How long to get from Seattle to Vancouver, BC (taking ferries and all that stuff into account)?
3) After we leave Seattle, how many hours to get to San Francisco?

Snow in Mountains for Aug. Road Trip?

morallybass — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 12:28:38 -0800

I'm going to drive from Boston to San Francisco in August. Will I encounter snow or other weather hazards in the Mountains? I've got an AWD sports car, but I've put on my UHP summer tires - only good for rain, not rated for snow. Someone told me the mountain passes have extreme weather. I shouldn't encountered snow or other hazards in the middle of August, will I? Are there any other obstacles like this I should be aware of?

What is the best way to live-blog a cross-country road trip??

tarthur — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 19:40:01 -0800

What is the best method & location for live-blogging a cross country trip using a MacBook, DSLR camera, DV camera, t-mobile EDGE and intermittent wifi? I'm about to drive/move back to Southern California from Central Florida with my boyfriend and we want to document the trip with photos/video 'live' as we progress across the United States. Our travels will bring us up through New Jersey, Chicago, Denver with a stop at the Grand Canyon.

I have a t-mobile phone capable of EDGE (slow but useable) data transfer for the Mac and plan on stopping at wifi equipped locations to upload video/photos. A GPS type hookup would be sweet but I'm not familiar with doing that with a Mac.

It would be nice to have some type of map showing progress (GPS preferred but manually updated OK), the ability to post photos, gas prices, mood and other utterly useless information.

Has anyone had any experience with this type of blogging? I'm trying to determine if it would be best to use my limited skills to build some type of moveable type/wordpress with google + flickr or use something like Vox.

Thanks!