Trip to Les Etats-Unis

[ertmann|CPH]

Im currently pondering about visiting my brother over in North Carolina next spring, and i have a few questions about the feasibility of such a trip...

How long would it take to drive from New York to North Carolina? from Miami to North Carolina?

How much would it costs to rent a car, nothing fancy, just a basic model, for 10 days? and more important can you rent manuals? because there is no way on earth i'll drive an automatic, i'll create trafic havoc and kill a 100 people+ the first five minuttes, if i ever get behind the wheels of such a monstrosity again! do you have some links to some good car rental agencies

What's the avarage price for a double in a basic motel?

When is Spring break?

if i come up with any more questions i'll let you know

[ScorLibran]

New York to North Carolina --> ~7 hours

Miami to North Carolina --> ~11 hours

Most economical 10 day car rental --> ~$200. But always figure for additional charges. $20 per day becomes $30 per day when you get the final bill.

You can rent manual shifts, but they're rare. The vast majority of rental cars are automatic because rental companies consider them more robust and not as susceptible to abuse.

Three low-cost car rental companies...
http://www.budget.com/budgetWeb/home/home.ex
http://www.dollar.com/
http://www.thrifty.com/

Double in a basic motel --> ~$30 to $70 per night, depending greatly on the area. Go a little ways outside of a metro area for lower rates.

Spring break varies across colleges, but there is a particular week that's the most common. You'll have to get this info from a college student around here. It's been 20 years since I went on spring break.



Have a great trip!

[k_rock923]

my spring break is march 14-18. i'm on my way out so i can't post too much about this now, but i will write more later.

[ertmann|CPH]

Originally posted by ScorLibran
You can rent manual shifts, but they're rare. The vast majority of rental cars are automatic because rental companies consider them more robust and not as susceptible to abuse.

Ouch, so much for renting a car

[SSJ4 Gogitta]

I've heard of people not being able to drive a standard, but can't drive an automatic??

[ertmann|CPH]

Originally posted by SSJ4 Gogitta
I've heard of people not being able to drive a standard, but can't drive an automatic??

Dunno, im probably just weird, i've driven automatics twice, and been in traffic accidents twice. Keep bumping into other cars rears, because im not used to keeping the distance and speed required for automatics.

/edit: removed a passage about police and foreigners to avoid potential derailment.

[SSJ4 Gogitta]

Eh, I'm the kind who would kill 100 people in 5 minutes in a standard. I avoid them like the plague. I drive an automatic, obviouslly.

As for being a foreigner, as long as you don't look Arabic, have a Flight for Dummies book in your passenger seat, and have a pilot uniform in your trunk, you're probably fine.

[ScorLibran]

I think a lot of rental companies envision people revving the car to 6000 RPM and dumping the clutch, just for the fun of doing it in a car they don't own (and therefore wouldn't be responsible for replacing the clutch in it when it wears out at 10,000 miles).

[ertmann|CPH]

Originally posted by ScorLibran
I think a lot of rental companies envision people revving the car to 6000 RPM and dumping the clutch, just for the fun of doing it in a car they don't own (and therefore wouldn't be responsible for replacing the clutch in it when it wears out at 10,000 miles).

awfully strange concept

anyway back on topic, presuming i can get a manual, or my friend is up for driving automatics (as far as I recall her dad used to have one)

From Europe the main destinations on the East Coast are Miami, New York, Washington and Boston, would it be better to fly to New York or Miami when it comes to sights along the route?

So far i prefer New York (cheapest flights, and i want too see it)

if i take that route, besides New York obviously, I'm thinking of making stops in Washington (want to see the White House, Arlington and the Vietnam memorial) and Phily (never had much on pre 30'ties US history in school, but what the hell it's on the way)

anything else interresting between Philly and Charlotte?

having had some rather courious encounters with this in the UK and Japan, would sharing a double with a girl without the same surname cause in problems? (not that i expect this, just checking )