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The Top 10 Unusual Hotels Around The World

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Some holidays are made by the location, some holidays are made by the local attractions and some are made by the activities available. Sometimes, though, the star of the show is the hotel you stay in, especially if the hotel is a little unusual.

For just such an occasion, here is a list of ten of the most unusual hotels you are ever likely to find, spanning destinations around the globe.

Canopy Tower Ecolodge and Nature Observatory, Gamboa, Panama

In 1965, the United States military built a radar dome to defend their interests around the Panama Canal. The all-encompassing views of the Pacific mouth of the canal, the skyline of Panama City and the canopy of the surrounding rainforest once served to provide great strategic advantage. Now, those same views generate one of the greatest wilderness hotel experiences in the world.

Since being demilitarised, the radar station now contains 12 rooms and a restaurant that looks out over the rainforest in every direction. Enjoying your meal while watching sloths and tropical birds eating theirs is an experience you will never forget. Rooms range from £65 a night for a single room out of season to £153 a night for a suite in high season.

Hippo Point Wildlife Sanctuary, Kenya

 

Located on the shores of Lake Naivasha, the Hippo Point Wildlife Sanctuary is an African safari with a difference. Visitors have the choice of either a magnificent colonial manor house or an eight story spire known as Dodo’s Tower. Either one will see you immersed in a reserve that is home to 1100 of Africa’s most famous animals. Visitors to Hippo Point’s manor house can wander the English rose gardens as buffalo, zebra and hippo meander past the grounds’ perimeter. Those choosing Dodo’s Tower can enjoy one of the most unusual and luxurious retreats in Africa, taking in breathtaking views of the lake as the wildlife move past the foot of the tower. Rooms start at approximately £350 per night.

Jumbo Stay, Stockholm, Sweden

A night on a jumbo jet typically means tossing and turning in a seat, trying to snatch a few quiet moments of sleep. Not so at Jumbo Stay in Stockholm, a real once-functioning jumbo jet now operating as a hotel/hostel at Arlanda airport. A ten minute walk from the terminal, this highly unusual accommodation has a wide variety of rooms on offer, ranging from a budget dormitory priced at £35 a night through to a luxury suite in the cockpit for £315 a night, with most needs catered for in between.

Sanya Nanshan Treehouse Resort and Beach Club, Sanya, China

For the most tranquil holiday imaginable, picture treehouses nesting in beautiful tamarind trees, in the midst of 5000 acres of Buddhist parkland. Surrounded by peaceful gardens, pagodas and temples and encircled by miles of white sandy beaches, this isle of calm is the perfect place for romance and relaxation. The luxurious treehouses are all near the beach and cost between £250 and £350 per night.

Kasbah du Toubkal, Morocco

Standing at the foot of Jbel Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak, Kasbah du Toubkal is a unique opportunity to sample Berber hospitality. Established as the gateway to the beautiful Toubkal National Park, the hotel is run as a community by the Berbers who live there.

There is a wide range of accommodation on offer, with prices ranging from £35 to £175 a night and everyone staying at the Kasbah shares the same communal spaces. For those who value this sense of equality, this is a truly special place. The views of the National Park are stunning, with trails winding away from the Kasbah up into the hills.

Jules Undersea Lodge, Key Largo

Surely any hotel that can only be accessed via a 21 foot scuba dive deserves a place in any list of unusual hotels! In fact there is very little about this hotel that can be described as normal, as guests lay in bed looking out of 42 inch round windows into the tropical mangrove waters. The hotel is in no way gimmicky, it is in fact a fully functioning underwater habitat that began life as an aquatic research station. A stay in the Jules Undersea Lodge starts from £275 per night.

The Boot Bed & Breakfast, Tasman, New Zealand

As close as a traveller can hope to get to a true fairytale, this romantic little bed and breakfast is your chance to actually live in a shoe, at least for a day or two. The Boot is every bit the stuff of fairytales, nestling in a copse of hazelnut trees and surrounded by 2.4 hectares of gardens and orchards.

If you can tear yourself away from the home comforts of a warm hearth, you will find you are also in a prime location to explore the Ruby Coast of Tasman Bay. Your fairytale will set you back £150 per night per couple.

Magic Mountain Hotel, Panguipulli, Chile

In the heart of the Hulio Hulio reserve in Southern Chile, the Magic Mountain Hotel is an architectural marvel. With barely a right angle to be found, the mountain is a conical building built from local timber and stone, giving the impression of a small volcano. A waterfall cascades down the walls and Tolkein-esque windows peak out from behind mosses and ferns. It is a surreal and beautiful structure rising out of the jungle.

Although a long way from civilization, there are plenty of creature comforts to be found, including an ingenious miniature golf course and hot tubs fashioned from massive tree trunks. The thirteen rooms, each named after a different local bird, will cost from £125 to £200 per night.

Kumbuk River Resort, Sri Lanka

There are many aspects of the Kumbuk River Resort that could be considered unique. In the heart of the Okkampitiya on a beautiful river front, the lodge can be booked out exclusively by groups of almost any size, from one to over ten. For those with the financial means, Kumbuk can provide unrivalled solitude in an area of awesome natural beauty.

The truly distinguishing feature of the lodge is, however, the enormous elephant that is its heart. This is not a living elephant, although these often visit the resort, but a mammoth wooden structure in which guests sleep. £155 plus 10% service charge per night will secure exclusive occupancy of the lodge for two people.

Anantara Golden Triangle Resort and Spa, Chiang Rai, Thailand

Many hotels are able to offer their guests transport, perhaps to the airport or even to explore the surrounding area. Few can claim an on-site elephant camp housing 34 pachyderms! The Anantara Golden Triangle has no need of gimmicks, it sits in the heart of lush bamboo forest, housing rooms of supreme luxury enjoying awesome views over Laos and Myanmar. The onsite elephants are a regular part of rural Thai life and guests can get involved in many aspects of their day to day life, either riding them through the jungle or learning about their husbandry from the mahouts.

The article was written and researched by the team at Travel Supermarket.

 

Planning for your USA Road Trip: Popular Routes

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Route 66

Decisions, decisions. You’re all set for your very own great American road trip, but there’s a tiny problem. America is a huge country with lots of roads. Unless you have unlimited time (and money for fuel) on your hands, you’ll need to narrow down the options and think about what you’d like to see on your USA road trip. Are you a fan of winding mountain roads? Perhaps you prefer the open plains or empty desert highways? Maybe you’d like to drive city to city along the coast?

If you need a little inspiration for planning your USA road trip, here are some of the most popular routes to help you along the way.

1. Route 66 – Los Angeles (CA) to Chicago (IL): It would be rude to omit Route 66 from any list of popular USA road trip routes. Opened in 1926, the original Route 66 running west-to-east from Los Angeles to Chicago was declassified in 1985, with sections replaced by newer alternative routes. However, you can still retrace all (or part) of the original route, but at almost 4,000km that’s a lot of driving. On the plus side, Route 66 will guide you to some outstanding American landmarks, towns and cities and runs close to the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

2. East Coast – Miami (FL) to New York (NY): It’s possible to drive the east coast of America along I-95, the interstate highway between Florida and Maine but end-to-end that’s more than 3,000km of motorway driving. With planning though, you can cover the 2,000km between Miami and New York far more enjoyably on the country roads which follow the coast and take you through the towns, villages and resorts of Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey passing Civil War sites, iconic landmarks and mile upon mile of pristine sun kissed coastline.

3. Route 50 – Sacramento (CA) to Ocean City (MD): For a true coast-to-coast trans-American road trip, route 50 is hard to beat. Cutting through the heart of America at a length of almost 5,000km the journey along Route 50 takes in some of America’s finest scenery, including the Rocky and Appalachian mountains. The Nevada section, at which point Route 50 traverses the desert, has been dubbed the loneliest road in America thanks to its lack of towns and other traffic. But there are enough towns, cities and US landmarks elsewhere on this iconic route to provide an American road trip of unending variety and interest.

4. The Blue Ridge Parkway – Waynesborough (VA) to Cherokee (NC): At just over 750km, you’ll want to take the Blue Ridge Parkway at a leisurely pace in order to enjoy all that it has to offer. This is an American road trip for lovers of breathtaking natural beauty, as the Blue Ridge Parkway takes you across the crest of the Blue Ridge mountain range on a route that winds its way through the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in North Carolina. A feast of natural phenomena from creeks to caves, lakes to gorges and an abundance of colourful flowers and foliage make the Blue Ridge Parkway an unforgettable American road trip.

5. The Great River Road – Lake Itasca (MN) to Venice (LA): Not a single road in fact, but a collection of connected roads that travel the length, north to south, of the legendary Mississippi River. An American road trip of almost 3,800km, the Great River Road meanders through landscapes industrial, suburban and rural as it follows the Mississippi down through ten different states. From cornfields to cotton plantations discover for yourself the river that inspired Mark Twain and a million blues songs, on a truly classic US road trip.

6. The Oregon Coast Highway – Olympia (WA) to Los Angeles (CA): At almost 2,500km in length, the north-south Oregon Coast Highway actually originates in Washington, but it’s only when you reach Oregon that the true outstanding beauty of this route reveals itself. Dramatic rock formations and unspoilt beaches line the route, eventually giving way to the mighty redwood forests of North Carolina and onward to the spectacular beaches of Southern California. The Oregon Coast Highway gives you an American trip that contains a little of everything; interesting communities and grand cities, breathtaking scenery, sites of historic interest and, from time to time, the pleasure of having the open road all to yourself.

This is the 4th and final part of a series of guest posts by John from Alamo California car hire. See the earlier posts here:

Part 1: What to pack for your road trip

Part 2: Road trip driving tips

Part 3: When to go on your road trip

 

Travel News: America’s Most Dangerous Airports

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Chicago O'Hare Airport

According to a report released this week by Travel + Leisure, travelers flying into and out of Chicago O’Hare are using the country’s most dangerous airport.

The magazine compared 35 of the busiest commercial airports in the U.S. and weighed certain incidences on the FAA’s Runway Safety Support, especially ones which could have ended with with a collision.

Here are the Top 5 airport offenders:

1. Chicago O’Hare

2. Cleveland Hopkins

3. Los Angeles International

4. San Francisco International

5. Honolulu International

For more information on this list, including the other airports that made the cut., check out Travel + Leisure.

Travel News: Japan to Give Away 10,000 Airplane Tickets to International Tourists

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Himeji Castle in Japan

Japan’s national tourism agency announced Monday it plans to give out 10,000 complimentary airline tickets to international travelers who visit the country.

Upon government approval, the giveaway would kick off this April. This promotion was put together in hopes of boosting interest to Japan tourism after last year’s tsunami and Fukushima nuclear plant disasters.

People interested in scoring free tickets will need to submit an online application with information on where they plan to go upon arriving in Japan.

Japan tourism hopes the 10,000 visitors discuss their experiences online via blogging, social media sites as well as telling friends and family about the country. The tourism ministry is requesting $150 million in funding for the promotion.

Tourism to Japan was down 30 percent in July and August when compared to the same time period one year ago.

 

Drinking Your Way Through France

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Cheers!

Wild for wine? Crazy for Cognac? Psyched for cider? Then France is your country – and the best part is, you get to combine sightseeing with drinking, which frankly is the best of both worlds.

Champagne – Sparkling Paris Day Trip: Unlike other wines, Champagne can only be called as such if it’s made in a specific geographic area of France called – wait for it – Champagne. And no matter what your favorite brand is, chances are you can visit them for a tour – including Tattinger, Veuve Clicquot, and Moet & Chandon.

It’s only a 45-minute train ride from Paris to Reims, the capital of the region, and from there you can take a taxi or rent a car to get to the vineyard of your choice. If you’re more into just walking around and sampling the bubbly, then take the train to Epernay (about 1.5 hours), stroll down the Avenue de Champagne, and stop into whichever Champagne house strikes your fancy!

Bordeaux – Vineyards-A-Go-Go: Over 13,000 vineyards surround Bordeaux, from Château Lafite Rothschild right on down to the dude who makes enough wine to last him and his neighbors for the year. With 960 million bottles produced, there’s more than enough to go around.

Bordeaux is definitely not a day trip from Paris, but it’s a great weekender idea and there are plenty of vineyard tours you can take. These tours are good for a couple of reasons – one, you’ll gain better access and learn more about the art of making wine, and two, you won’t have to worry about drinking and driving.

Brittany – Cider by the Sea: Beer has put a damper on cider’s popularity in France in recent decades, but that doesn’t mean the French don’t love it. Both Normandy and Brittany are big producers of the sparkling drink, but there’s just something about the ruggedness of the Breton coastline that makes you want to enjoy a nice pint of cider.

It’s served in a huge, mutant teacup when drunk with a crêpe, it makes a wonderful apéritif (kir Breton, which is cider and crème de Cassis), and no one’s ever said no to a dozen Breton oysters and some cider.

Provence – Summer Rosés: Provence is known for their rosé wine, and rightly so. But lest you think it’s some kind of sissy version of wine, think again – it’s taken very seriously ‘round these parts. It’s also the quintessential drink to have during the summer; it’s not a heavy red, nor is it a bland white. Take it from this local – nothing says “summer has arrived in Provence” like sitting at an outdoor café terrace, sipping a glass of chilled rosé.

Marseille: Pastis… and Absinthe?: Seventeen years after wormwood was banned, absinthe makers rejoiced when Paul Ricard (later of Pernod-Ricard) invented a similar anise-based drink called pastis, which has quickly become the drink of choice for old French men at 8am, and for the rest of us sometime later in the day. It’s best drunk in Marseille, where it was invented, preferably at a salty old sailor bar at the Vieux Port (although really, anywhere will do).

And as for Absinthe? Well, it’s making a comeback, currently served in an almost speakeasy-like fashion at places like the Maison du Pastis on the Quai de Port in Marseille. Go on, you know you want to summon the Green Fairy!

Christine Cantera is the writer at BootsnAll’s WhyGo France Travel Guide. She lives in Montpellier, is obsessed with the light in Brittany, and has declared Beaujolais Nouveau Day as her own personal holiday.

Flickr: e_calamar

 

 

Heading to New York? A Brief Guide to the Airports

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Isn’t it odd how we spend so much time planning our trips away and yet rarely pay much attention to the airports we need to fly into and out of? Take New York, for instance. Somewhere around 50 million people visited New York City in 2010, many of them getting there by flying.

Yet I bet very few of them thought much about the relevant airports when booking their trip. It’s hard to blame them – with so many exciting trips to plan, airports come further down the list of priorities. But it’s hard to deny their importance. After all, the airport you fly in to is often the first glimpse you’ll have of New York (unless, like yours truly, you get airsick, in which case the first sight you see in New York is likely to be a blurry haze).

New York is home to three of the country’s major airports: John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia. Between them, they have a current capacity of around 110 million passengers every year. Interestingly in 2010, they came rather close to fulfilling that capacity with 103 million passengers passing through the Big Three airports.

By 2029, demand for EWR, JFK and LGA is expected to be 130 million passengers every year. This is reflected in much of the planning developments that the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has in store for the airports. The plans which are yet to be rubber stamped would affect terminals, runways and parking at JFK, Newark and Laguardia airports. So, these airports are clearly worth taking note of. But which one should you use if you’re flying to New York? Are they interchangeable as some people suggest or should you think more carefully about which one you go for?

Where are you flying from?

Picking whether you’re going to fly to EWR, JFK or LGA might not actually be that much of a choice. For instance, you might find that the airline you’re planning to use only flies to one or two of the airports, or that you can’t get a direct flight to one airport with undertaking a massive voyage to get to another destination first.

What’s the distance from Manhattan?

Assuming that you do get some control over which airport you fly to, the distance from Manhattan is something to consider. Most people going to New York are really going to Manhattan, so this is worth thinking about. LaGuardia is the closest and Newark is the furthest, so if you’re someone who gets a bit queasy during cab rides or travelling for business, the 45-60 minute journey from Newark might not be the best idea. Then again, there are good transport links from all three airports so there’s not actually that much in it.

What services are there?

It seems to be a human condition that we latch onto food wherever we are. This may explain why the main memories this writer has of both Newark and JFK are of the food halls. I can’t speak for LaGuardia, but if you’re basing your choice of airport on whether you can get a good meal, I can recommend ice cream at Newark and Chinese food at JFK. You never know what might sway your decision…

So, there you have it. Airports probably aren’t the bit of the vacation you want to focus on (especially if there’s a massive queue at customs!), but getting the right one can get your trip of to a good start. Plus, in a city as exciting as New York, New York, it stands to reason that the airside services are as top notch as everywhere else.

Written by Adam Croft, traveler and author.

 

Planning for your Road Trip: When to Go

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Road Trip Year-Round

Funny, isn’t it, how we assume that the best time to take any kind of trip is in the summer? But with such a diversity of terrain, climates, weather and road conditions, knowing the pros and cons of driving around different parts of America at different times of the year might just change your idea of when it’s best for you to embark upon your American road trip.

Spring, summer, autumn or winter? If you need just a few pointers to help you decide, here’s our brief guide to planning for your USA trip: the best time to go. Remember to check out the other parts of this series of posts on USA driving tips and what to pack.

Spring: There are definite benefits to taking your USA road trip during the spring. Temperatures and weather are generally good and unlike the summer months major tourist attractions such as the Grand Canyon (a short detour away from Route 66) are far less crowded but offer the same spectacle. The Blue Ridge Parkway, running between National Parks in Virginia and North Carolina will provide an amazing spring road trip as blossoming wildflowers gradually carpet the valleys and hillsides below the famous mountain range. If you’ve chosen to follow the Mississippi on the Great River Road for your American road trip, don’t miss the opportunity to stay in New Orleans, Louisiana during April for the Jazz Festival and the French Quarter Festival. Note that the American Spring Break (half-term) usually takes place in March, which means that many popular destinations on your road trip, and particularly in Florida, will be more busy than usual so you may have to book accommodation well in advance.

Summer: When better to get the top down on your convertible, feel the sun on your face and make that great American road trip? Whilst it’s true that the weather will be great in most parts of America, it’s worth remembering that everyone will want to be out enjoying the sunshine, so traffic in and out of the major cities and on the highways is likely to be plentiful; do you really want to be gridlocked in New York or Chicago on a baking summer’s day?  Planning on driving through Arizona or Nevada during June, July or August? Better make sure you have good aircon and a big cooler packed with iced drinks, because if you’re driving in desert regions the average daily temperature in these parts can reach more than 100oF. If your road trip happens to take you along Route 50 (aka ‘America’s Loneliest Road’), you really don’t want to break down in the summer heat. Summer is perhaps the best time to hit the coastal routes, for example from Florida to New Jersey on the east coast or taking the Oregon Coast Highway on the west.

Autumn: The autumn may not be the best time to embark on a road trip around Florida as hurricane season hits its height between August and October although, of course, no-one can predict when and where a hurricane might appear. A better bet is a road trip around New England. The six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut are renowned for their spectacular autumn foliage from September through until November and provide ample scope for a great American road trip. Alternatively consider a road trip along the California coast around September as this is harvest time in the vineyards of the Californian wine country between Santa Barbara and Mendocino. The autumn is a good time to drive Route 66, since the weather will still be temperate but not oppressive in the desert sections and again you will be rewarded with fantastic seasonal colours.

Winter: Winter has its attractions for an American road trip; Thanksgiving and Christmas are celebrated throughout and there is the promise of some great winter scenery. The question is: where to go? Unless you’re prepared with snow chains and a good deal of winter clothing it’s safest to stick to the southernmost states: northerly areas such as New England and parts of New York State can see two feet of snow fall in just a few hours. Thus Florida is a winner in winter (the Overseas Highway (Route 1) might be a useful inclusion in your road trip) as are southern California and most of Texas. Although it’s likely to be chilly, the winter is another good time to follow the Great River Road alongside the Mississippi. A rule of thumb to remember when planning your USA road trip for winter is that the higher your elevation above sea level, the colder it’s going to get, which means road trips involving mountain passes or through National Parks can become hazardous for those not used to driving in more challenging winter conditions.

Written by John from Alamo who offer cheap car hire Orlando – look out for part 4 in this series of posts on the mo

Three Luxury Hotels in New York City

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While there is nothing wrong with a motel, hostel or surfing on someone’s couch, from time to time you need to allow yourself to enjoy some luxury while on the road. Here are three hotels located in New York City that have set the bar pretty high and deliver when it comes to treating guests like rock star or royalty.

 

Gansevoort Meatpacking District

Located in the trendy Meatpacking District, the Hotel Gansevoort is definitely a great choice for travelers looking to stay at a chic, sexy, and centrally located property. The 187 rooms range from 250 square foot superior rooms to a regal 1,400 square foot duplex penthouse!

Upon entering the Gansevoort, you can not help but feel the cool vibe that they have obviously worked hard at perfecting. The lobby was full of “beautiful people” and most seemed to be carrying more money in their wallet than I have in my bank account.

I was booked in a Grand Deluxe Room which offered such great features as 9-foot ceilings, king size bed, a seating area complete with couch, chair, and coffee table, a 30″ flat screen television, work desk, cd player, alarm clock with ipod docking station, in-room safe, and best of all super fast complimentary wireless internet. The bathroom had a deep sink, plenty of mirrors, a shower with decent water pressure, and was decorated nicely.

The room is equipped with overpriced temptations galore. Some of the more eye catching and head scratching products included the four bottled waters at a mere $8 a piece sitting next to my alarm clock. The room also featured an intoxicating collection of mini liquor bottles and the intimacy kit filled with adult goodies.

What the hotel does offer for free besides internet is…wait for it…video games! Yes if you want to spend your days or nights in a stylish hotel playing Mario Bros. then the Gansevoort is the hotel for you. You can actually borrow a Playstation, Wii, or PSP from the front desk. There is also a 24-hour business center and fitness area.

Head to the top floor and you will find the rooftop lounge area and pool. Although I did not have time to check out either of them, how can a pool and a lounge ever be a bad thing?  The location of the Gansevoort is perfect in my opinion. You are within walking distance from some of the very best bars, clubs, cafes, and restaurants that New York City has to offer. The water views from my room were also spectacular with Pier 54 and New Jersey in the distance.

 

Trump SoHo

While I may find the Donald’s aspirations to become the leader of the United States a little bizarre, there is no denying that the 46-floor Trump Soho gets my vote as one of the premiere luxury hotel options in the Big Apple.

This modern and spacious hotel offers guests lucky enough to be sleeping the night some of the city’s best views via the floor to ceiling views in each room.

Trump SoHo is situated downtown by the United Nations Building and Wall Street, which means it is an ideal locale for business travelers.  The hotel has 391 rooms designed with Feni Casa décor, deep soaking bathtubs, high quality linens and 42-inch LCD televisions. Oh and did we mention the view!?

Now as hard as it will be to leave the room, be sure to save time to head to the lobby and check out Quattro Gastonomia Italiana, which serves up authentic Italian cuisine. Enjoy some quiet time over tea, coffee or wine at the Library, which features a great selection of books to read.

 

Setai Fifth Avenue

Midtown Manhattan luxury has been taken to a whole new level with the addition of the Setai Fifth Avenue, located just east of Bryant Park and in the shadows of the Empire State Building. This marks the first hotel company Capella’s first venture into the U.S. market and what a great debut by them indeed.

A neat feature that comes with being a guest at this luxury 214-room property is that Setai provides you with your own personal assistant. Whether it’s reservations at the top restaurant in town or assisting with buying Broadway tickets, no task is too little or too small.

I requested a special bottle of wine for when I checked in and they found it nearby and had it ready in my refrisgerator upon arrival. Speaking of the refrigerator, it comes equipped with soda, water and other goodies complimentary.

The staff couldn’t have been any nicer or helpful. They showed me around my suite and how certain things worked, like the television hidden inside the bathroom mirror. They even took my clothes, ironed them for me and had them back quickly because they knew I had a reservation at their restaurant.

Speaking of their restaurant, I did dine at Ai Fiori, which is run by celebrity chef Michael White and Altamarea Group. Excellent service, quality staff on hand and I left with a full belly and a smile on my face. Highly recommend checking it out during your stay or even if you’re in the area.

Planning for your Road Trip: Driving Tips

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Road trippin'

Once you’ve become accustomed to the fact that you’re most likely driving a rental car with an automatic transmission, that the driver is situated on the left-hand side of the car and that you’re driving on what you regard as the wrong side of the road the accepted wisdom is that driving in America isn’t anything like as daunting as most drivers thought it would be.

American roads are wider than their British equivalents and are generally very well maintained. Nevertheless, no matter how good a driver you may be there are always things that can be learnt to help make your USA road trip a little safer and more enjoyable.

To help with planning for your USA Road trip, here are our top twenty tips for driving in America.

  1. First things first: thoroughly check out your car before you set off: ensure you have sufficient oil, water, petrol, antifreeze (if necessary) and windscreen wash. Check your air conditioning, tyre pressure and condition of the spare tyre, and make sure the jack and tyre iron are present.
  2. When leaving a car park, service area, shopping mall or anywhere else you’ve been parked for a while avoid the natural temptation to drive on the left hand side of the road. Pause for a moment to get your bearings.
  3. If time is on your side, plan your journey to avoid interstate roads. You can still travel at anything up to 60mph on most non-Interstate roads and you’ll get to see much more of the country.
  4. Gas (petrol) stations require you to swipe your credit card at the pump before they’ll allow you to fill up. Check and double-check that you’re putting the correct fuel into your car. If you get it wrong do not attempt to start your car; call for assistance.
  5. Always wear your seatbelt and ensure that all passengers wear theirs.
  6. Never attempt a U-turn; invariably this will result in an unwanted brush with the law.
  7. Some rental cars activate their central locking when a certain speed is attained. If yours doesn’t it’s wise to manually lock the doors as a safety precaution.
  8. If you are pulled over by the police (the will always be in a marked patrol car) stay calm and do not get out of your car. Treat police officers with respect.
  9. Avoid parking on the street; use a designated parking area instead. If you must park on the street do not park against the flow of traffic, and do not park within three metres of a fire hydrant. Don’t forget to feed the parking meter if there is one.
  10. The penalties for drinking and driving in America are severe. Any alcohol with you must be kept out of sight in the boot of the car.
  11. Drive defensively and considerately; be aware of what is happening around you at all times.
  12. It is illegal to pass a school bus that has stopped for passengers. You must stop.
  13. Right turns at red traffic lights are permitted as long as you have brought your car to a halt first and have checked that the road is clear and safe for you to turn.
  14. Even-numbered Interstate routes run east-west (e.g. I90), odd-numbers north-south (e.g. I95). Whilst Interstate roads are the quickest ways to make up distance across America, try not to miss your exit – you may end up driving a lot further than you had intended.
  15. Do not risk causing a city gridlock by stopping on an intersection. This is another good way of getting to chat to a cop.
  16. Keep your driver’s licence, car hire documents and insurance policy with you at all times; you can be stopped and spot-checked at any time.
  17. ‘Undertaking’ on multi-lane roads is not illegal in America.
  18. Don’t obstruct other vehicles in the fast lane of the highway. Road rage is never pretty and could ruin your USA road trip.
  19. A STOP sign or red light really does mean stop. Bring your car to a complete halt before proceeding at every stop sign even if the road is deserted. Ignore this law at your peril; the police don’t treat this offence lightly.
  20. Driving laws differ from state-to-state. If you know where you’re going on your USA road trip, check out the driving rules for each state before you get there.

Written by John from Florida car hire specialists Alamo – look out for part 3 in this series of posts on the best time to go on your USA road trip.

 

“Meet, Plan, Go!” Presents A Nationwide Event to Help People Realize Their Travel Dreams

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Meet, Plan, Go 2011

On October 18, 2011, Meet, Plan, Go! will be hosting their second annual nationwide event in 17 cities to inspire people to fulfill their career break and long-term travel dreams. The event will offer participants the opportunity to MEET inspirational speakers and like-minded travelers; get motivation, contacts and resources necessary to PLAN the trip of a lifetime; and start taking concrete steps forward to GO on that global adventure.

“Because we live in a society that doesn’t find value in taking time off, we wanted to create a community for people who do want to break out of the norm and travel for an extended period of time,” says co-founder Sherry Ott.

Casual local meetups are also being held in the time leading up to the October event. “It’s about creating a peer group of people with the same dream. Whether it’s a career break, running a marathon, or earning an advanced degree; we all need people to keep us accountable, energized, and focused on our goals,” added Ott.

Every event will feature individuals who have either fulfilled their own world travel dreams or are currently in the planning stages. In addition to offering tools and resources for planning a career break, they will also address the main concerns that prevent people from taking a career break, usually centered around financial, career-related, societal, and safety concerns.

Over 2,400 people registered for last year’s inaugural event – 23% of which were in a trip planning stage pre-event. In a post-event survey, that number rose to 41%. “We want career breaks to be more acceptable in America,” says co-founder Michaela Potter. “In fact, we would love to see a career break on every resume. And with the support of our 17 inspiring hosts, their panelists, and our sponsors, including Intrepid Travel, we are making great inroads to achieving that goal.”

Katy Healy attended last year’s event. “I was amazed at all of the people that have already done this and it was so helpful to see that this idea I had to leave my job and travel was not a crazy idea.” Katy has since joined their ranks, having experienced her own six-month career break. “Over the past 6 months on this amazing journey I have seen so many amazing places, had unforgettable experiences and made friends from all over the world.  I was once quiet, shy and afraid to fly but now I have taken off and have come back a whole new person – bolder, more confident, more independent.”

This year’s Meet, Plan, Go! locations include 10 returning cities and seven new ones: Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York City, Orlando, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Washington DC and Toronto, Canada.