Brought to you by Miles Car Rental Orlando & Viajemos.com

If America is anything, it’s a county of truly great driving holidays. From big highways and desert drives to hairpin mountain roads and cruising coast, the USA is a road-tripper’s paradise.

America is also home to some of the best theme parks on earth.

In fact, my first ever trip the States was to Orlando, FL, whose nickname ‘the theme Park Capital of the World’ says it all. I was only a kid at the time, but I still love telling Jim about the time I had at Universal Studios, Walt Disney World and Epcot Center. They’re memories that will stay with me forever.

Planning a trip now, Jim and I always look at how far we can explore from our base. Of course, a trip to Orlando has to include the theme parks, but we also make sure we have time to drive.

How to explore Orlando

Getting from the airport

There are public transport options from Orlando International, but it can be complicated depending on where you’re staying.

Picking up a rental car from the airport is probably the easiest thing to do – companies like Alamo Orlando and Hertz car rental Orlando have desks at arrivals.

Getting to the parks (and which parks to choose)

Access to parks – especially if you’re not staying on-site – can be tricky with public transport and expensive with taxis or Uber.

Having your own car is much better, because you can arrive and leave whenever you want. It’s important to remember that Disney World is not in Orlando – it’s actually in the nearby town of Bay Lake 30 minutes from Orlando and its airport.

Depending on how much time you have and what you’re interested in, Orlando offers over a dozen different theme parks and water parks. Even a full week would only just about let you see all of them.

If you don’t have much time, locals say Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Universal’s Island of Adventure should be on your priority list.

Downtown

Downtown Orlando is pretty small, so exploring on foot is possible. There are lots of bars and places to eat in the city, and being quite compact, it’s easy to get a feel of Orlando’s culture.

But urban sprawl being what it is, seeing anything other than downtown means hiring a car. There’s a bus system, but it’s not ideal, and rental car prices are pretty good in Florida.

What else to do in Orlando and how far things are away

As with many tourist destinations, there’s more to Orlando than just its theme park draw-card.

The network of lakes and rivers from Jacksonville down to the top Miami offer a touch of natural beauty to your trip, while the city of Tampa is just over an hour away.

It’s even possible to drive down to Miami from Orlando. The 3-hour drive will take you past some of the most iconic beaches in the country. Here are our tips on Miami and how to get about and also our other posts on the Magic City are all here.

There are so many things to see and do while you’re in Orlando, FL and there’s never enough time. But having your own rental car really helps.

And if you’re looking for more top tips on Orlando, Florida, check out this really helpful post on y-Travel Blog on The City Beautiful.

Do you have any tips on visiting Orlando? Which theme parks would you make a beeline for? Tell us in the comments!

The post Is it worth hiring a car in Orlando, FL? appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Brought to you by Miles Car Rental Miami and Viajemos.com

When we were looking for places to stay in Miami, our focus was primarily on Miami Beach – arguably Miami’s best feature. The long set of ‘barrier islands’ that run parallel to the mainland make up Miami’s famed coastline.

Miami Beach is only one of these islands, which run from Fort Lauderdale north of the city all the way down to South Beach and into Biscayne Bay.

You’d have thought, with all that coastline, finding somewhere affordable, salubrious and close to everything would be quite easy.

We were wrong.

Thanks to a year-round warm climate, Miami’s peak holiday season never really slows down. This means finding fairly priced, accommodation that’s liveable and in the right place can be tricky.

If designer beach club resorts are your disco, you’ll easily find beautiful accommodation along Mid-Beach. But if you’re like us and prefer exploring the rest of your destination to staying by the pool all day, staying in these resorts can feel claustrophobic.

Here’s how you compromise:

Where to stay in Miami FL and how to get around

Where to stay in Miami Beach – El Paseo Hotel

Right in the heart of Española Way, a pedestrianised street in South Beach, is El Paseo Hotel.

Its rooms may not be the biggest or the most elegantly decorated, but service is impeccable and its location is perfect – in fact this little gem is hidden in plain sight.

And it comes with so many benefits.

Española Way is probably one of the most popular restaurant streets in Miami Beach, with all kinds of bars and cuisine lining its thoroughfare. And the surprising thing is, for somewhere so touristy, the food’s pretty good.

From here, you’re about three blocks from the beach, but with all the eateries you’ll need literally on your doorstep. Plus, residents of El Paseo get a 15% discount at all the venues on Española Way, which makes them affordable as well.

You also get free access to loungers and umbrellas on South Beach and the wifi is fast and free.

What more do you need?

How to get around

If you’re in Miami for any longer than a day or two, you’ll need a car. Of course, there are plenty of taxis, and Uber is going strong here, but that gets expensive fast.

Car rental in Miami is your best bet. And there are heaps of places that offer deals on hire cars in the city.

The USA seems to have a much more flexible system for renting cars than most countries, but there are always little tricks and tips for renting cars. Check out our post on how to win at car hire.

Where to go and what to do

Once you’ve finished exploring Miami Beach – or in between beachside forays – there are so many places to check out. And with a hire car, things get a lot easier.

Little Havana and Calle Ocho

With so many Cubans having made the 90-mile journey to Miami, it’s hardly surprising that the culture has come with them. Little Havana is a fun taster of what Cuba’s really like.

Here’s more on what we did and saw on Calle Ocho – the heart of Little Havana.

Wynwood Walls

Once a no-go area full of empty warehouses and derelict buildings, Wynwood has been resurrected by Miami’s artistic and hipster communities. Enormous murals cover many of the walls and there’s a strong craft beer and food culture here too.

Everglades National Park

A surprisingly short drive from the glitz of Miami Beach is one of America’s most important wetland national parks. Covering a vast 1.5 million acres, the Everglades swampland, which is in fact a giant river delta flowing into the sea, is home to an incredible wealth of wildlife.

Get to the visitors’ centre and try a ride on an airboat – the ones with the giant fans on the back – or explore one of the many boardwalk treks through the park.

Get burgered

We were impressed with Miami’s burger scene. From chains like the much-loved Shake Shack to little independents flipping home-made masterpieces, you’ll want to seek out some of these. Here’s our run-down of Miami’s burger town.

Florida Keys

Stretching out into the Caribbean, Florida Keys is a unique string of islets all connected by a long road of bridges. Crystal water, stunning beaches and historic vestiges of what Miami once was like are here in abundance.

Most famous of all, Key West far out at the end of the chain, is a 3-hour drive from Miami. But there are many that are closer. Still, you’ll need to rent a car for this trip as public transport just won’t cut it.

Orlando

It’s surprising that Orlando, with its array of theme parks and water parks, is only 3 and a half hours from Miami. Of course, you will definitely need a car for this journey, but being able to drive up and enjoy Disney World or Universal Studios for the day is quite incredible.

Better still, make Orlando and its rides part of a longer road trip as you work your way north.

If you’re heading north before or after your time in Miami, here are our tips on driving and car hire in Orlando too.

The USA is such an amazing place for road trips. It’s a land of so much space yet with so many things to do on the way to wherever you’re going.

We love driving in the States and have some great tips for hitting the road there.

And for more tips on Miami, here’s our snapshot guide to the city.

Have you been to Miami? What are your top tips for things to do there? Tell us in the comments!

The post Where to stay in Miami and how to get around appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

The San Fran – LA drive is one of the great American journeys with plenty of that Hollywood feel about it. Highway 1 winds and curves round some of the most dramatic cliffs and coastline, through some amazing towns and national parks.

We did this famous drive as part of our recent trip to the USA. It’s the perfect route to put to the test how good a driving holiday in the States can be.

The distances between San Francisco and Los Angeles are small – and made even smaller by modern freeways. You can get to LA in 5 ½ hours if you want to. Or even faster, take the 1-hour 15-minute flight.

But that’s not what road trips are about.

We took our time and chose the scenic route along Highway 1 as far as we could. Even then, this way will only take you around 10 hours.

We made it last 3 days!

Driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles

Day 1: San Fran – Carmel-by-the-Sea

Driving time: 2h 50m

From San Francisco city centre it’s pretty straightforward to get on Highway 1 from where it splits from the 101.

Then it’s a case of following it all the way out of town. Before long you’re driving down the coast and the blacktop with its signature double yellow line is leading you on into your adventure.

We must have stopped about a million times on the way south. The views are just spectacular over cliffs and along huge beaches.

There are plenty of parking bays to pull into as you go, which makes stopping much less stressful.

We weren’t sure where we were going to spend the night so we drove until it started to get dark and we were tired. We found ourselves in Carmel-by-the-Sea – a beautiful little seaside community made famous by its Hollywood resident.

None other than Clint Eastwood has a ranch here. You can stay here the night if you like, but it’ll cost you!

Accommodation: Carmel River Inn

Instead we found a motel with good rates and clean rooms. The Carmel River Inn was comfortable, had free wifi and was all we needed for the night. We also had a visitor – the motel cat Penny decided to spend the night in our room.

Before you book direct though, try 3rd party apps like Priceline, which can get you some very good deals.

Dinner: Sea Harvest

For dinner, Mrs Romance had a hankering for clam chowder, so we hunted out a local seafood restaurant.

Sea Harvest is a locally owned fishmonger’s but also has a little restaurant serving delicious seafood. We grabbed the last table at 6.45.

We realised we’d made a good choice to eat here. Mrs R looked up to see the table in the corner leave – it was Clint Eastwood himself having dinner here. We couldn’t believe it.

Day 2: Camel-by-the-sea – Santa Barbara

Driving time: 4h

In the morning, after a quick drive round the beautiful little roads of Carmel to check out the real estate and views from the cliffs, we headed back out along Highway 1.

This section of the road is incredible. The coast along here is stunning and when it’s not too busy, the 1 really is a driver’s dream.

Once again, we stop off regularly to check out the views and take photos.

About half an hour south of Carmel is Big Sur. There’s so much to do in this part of the enormous Los Padres State Forest – hikes, climbs, camping and there’s a magnificent waterfall to see, but sadly we didn’t have time to explore Big Sur.

However, we did pull in at Piedras Blancas, a fairly nondescript rocky section of coastline. But this area is home to one of the largest elephant seal rookeries.

There are hundreds of them lumbering around on the coarse sand or just laying there like enormous slugs.

They’re quite active all the same and it’s not uncommon to see them flicking sand over themselves to cool, slipping into the water to feed, bellowing at each other or even fighting. Well worth stopping.

We also stopped in at Pismo Beach. Mrs Romance had always wanted to see what was so special about this beach as it’s often referenced in her favourite Bugs Bunny cartoons. He’s always trying to get there.

It’s a beautiful public beach and worth checking out – no sign of Bugs though.

We reached our accommodation quite early tonight – by about 3.45. This was to be our last night in the States so we wanted to make the most of it before the long flight back to Sydney.

Santa Barbara is a beautiful little coastal town by all accounts but we didn’t even try to explore it. We decided to stick close to our digs instead and make the most of our luxurious surroundings.

Accommodation: Bacara Restort and Spa

The Bacara is an incredible resort and has a real old-school feel to it. The likes of Oprah, who also has a house in Santa Barbara, Kurt Russell and Michael Jordan are regular guests here, so the resort and its facilities really are first class.

For more information, check out our full review of Bacara Resort here.

We’ve decided that, when you’re travelling long distances like the LA-Sydney flight, a comfortable first and last night is absolutely essential.

Day 3: Santa Barbara – LA

Driving time: 2h 15m

We reluctantly checked out of the Bacara to keep heading south.

At Ventura, we decided to move things along a bit. We wanted to get to Santa Monica before our flight that afternoon, so we hit Highway 101. It’s a monstrous 6-8 lane road. A real classic American freeway.

Unfortunately it was clogged with traffic, so Mrs R navigated us onto what I believe is the best road on earth.

Highway 23 is the rock and roll version of Highway 1 with more hairpins in it than on HairRomance.com! It’s incredible.

Running perpendicular to the 101, the 23 heads straight for the coast and to Malibu. It’s the best drive you’ll ever do!

We stopped briefly at Malibu to check out the world famous beach and to catch our breath. The drive here really was that exhilarating.

Finally it was a straight run to Santa Monica and some last-minute shopping. Santa Monica is really worth stopping in at, even just to check out the mall. But the beach is also amazing and that California vibe is super strong here.

Driving into Los Angeles – to LAX – was sad and a bit stressful. Make sure you leave plenty of time to get to the airport. LA’s traffic really builds up fast as you hit the city limits. We had plenty of time, but it’d be easy to see how things could go wrong very fast.

Accommodation: Row 25, seats A and C Virgin Australia flight VA2 ?

This really is a great mini driving holiday. If you’re in San Francisco and you’ve got a few days to play with, this will be the best way to spend your time.

Watch out for timing though – we were there very late on in the year – almost Christmas – and highway 1 wasn’t busy at all. In peak season, I can imagine this road becomes very congested so be aware.

Have you ever been on a driving holiday? Where would you love to drive to? Tell us in the comments!

Images by Mrs Romance using an OM-D E-M1 Olympus camera.

The post Highway 1 road trip – the best way to see California appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Fun fact: we don’t own a car. Usually you only rent a car when you’re on holiday but we also hire cars when we just want to get out of the city.

It’s just more affordable and simpler than long-term city parking. Plus we don’t have to pay for maintenance or bother with cleaning it.

With all this experience with car hire, we thought we’d share the things we’ve learnt over the years.

Start your hire car hunt here.

How to win at hiring a rental car

1. Which side is the bloody petrol on?

How many times have you pulled up to the gas station thinking: “which side is the petrol cap on?”

Every car (even non-rentals) has an arrow next to the gas pump symbol, which is next to the petrol gauge. Well, 80% of cars do.

It points to the side you fill ‘er up on.

If your car doesn’t have a little arrow, the handle on the little petrol pump picture tells you which side the cap is on your car.

2. Save yourself cash by checking pick-up and drop-off locations

When you’ve decided which car hire company to go with, shop around where you can pick the car up from and drop it off. Some – like airport offices – have premium location charges.

Downtown locations are often cheaper.

3. What to look for when you’re checking for damage

Look round the car carefully before you even get in. Often an employee will come with you and note down any damage. If you spot anything you’re not sure about, mention it or note it down.

Be especially careful about:

–  marks on the wheels and wheel rims
–  deep paint scratches on low-traffic areas (i.e. not handles, keyholes, petrol cap or boot)
–  deep scratches that go over more than one car panel (e.g. a door and a wheel arch)
–  any damage anywhere on the windscreen or any windows or mirrors
–  any damage to the roof at all
–  windscreens, undercarriage and roof are less likely to be covered under wear-and-tear car hire company policies
–  check the spare wheel and jack

Some people recommend taking photos of any damage – or lack of damage – before your leave and when you return your car, but we’ve never done this.

The company would have to be pretty dodgy to pull something like trying to charge you for damage that doesn’t exist. If they do, contesting it should stop any further action.

Marks on the boot where people chuck their luggage in won’t usually worry the car hire  company.

Other minor scratches on high-traffic areas like door handles and keyholes will probably be considered wear and tear – but check with staff anyway.

4. Petrol check

Make sure you’ve got a full tank before you drive off. Most places have a return-tank-full policy, so make sure that’s what you’re leaving with.

Some companies have a ‘return as found’ policy, which I find very odd.

Take a photo of the gauge before your drive off and make sure the level’s noted on the paperwork.

Some companies try to sell you the deal where you pay a pre-set price for fuel before you leave the office. It can sound like a good deal, but it rarely is.

5. Can’t get used to driving the new car? Try this:

All cars drive differently. Some have very sensitive brakes, some don’t speed up very quickly, some steer weirdly or have a tiny turning circle.

Drive for a short time, get out, then get back in again. Your brain does a sort of weird reset and you’ll find you can drive the car better next time you get behind the wheel.

6. Is everything working?

When you’ve checked the outside for damage, make sure the features are working:

–  cigarette lighter port (for chargers or GPS)
–  USB port for phone etc
–  air conditioning
–  GPS unit if you’ve rented one
–  lights inside and out
–  does the car smell of cigarettes or anything weird? We once had a car that stank of Tabasco sauce – we think someone had broken a bottle in the boot. We took the car back and got a different one.

7. Drop-off times

You usually get 59 minutes’ grace (sometimes only 30 mins) to get the car back on time – check with the company.

If you’re more than 3 hours late, you might as well pay for another full day, as charges will probably exceed the daily rate.

8. What about insurance?

We don’t usually bother with extra car insurance. If you have travel insurance, that should cover your excess – but check first!

If you’re travelling domestically and haven’t bought travel insurance, we’d recommend paying the reduced excess – it will help if there is an accident.

If you need to buy extra insurance for your rental car, look at independent insurers like insurance4carhire.com.

9. Only book basic packages – ignore pressure of add-ons and upgrades at the desk.

Some places will try and upsell you different deals when you go to pay. Unless you’ve booked the package beforehand, don’t go for it. Follow the rule of ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.’

10. Think flexibly with your dates and times

Booking the car for a bit longer can lower your base rate especially if you book into a Friday or Saturday to get a weekend rate.

Try adding an hour or two – or even an extra day. If you don’t need your car for that long, just return it early and the company will refund you the remaining time of your booking.

Some firms like Hertz, National and Foxx do have early drop-off charges. Check what the fees are – if any – first. They’re likely to be less than late penalties though, so you might want to do this to give yourself a time buffer anyway.

11. Don’t pay for GPS

For maps, use your mobile. If your phone doesn’t work overseas, you can still use it in airplane mode if you use an app like Galileo offline maps.

Download the map of the country or area you’re visiting using before you go. Location services will still work. We used this in Cuba – a place where the internet does not exist – and it worked perfectly.

Finally, of course, make sure you know the local road rules. Here are our tips for driving in California and our tips for driving in Mexico too.

There’s nothing like the freedom of a road trip and being able to go wherever you want whenever you want on vacation. Don’t let the hidden costs or dodgy dealings of car hire companies spoil your time.

Happy driving!

Do you have any tips for hiring rental cars? When was the last time you went on a road trip? Tell us in the comments!

The post 11 secrets to winning at car hire appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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Everything you’ve seen in the movies – the road stops, the winding blacktop, the flying yellow line flying down the middle of the road – it’s all true.

And on our recent road trip from San Diego to Las Vegas, we saw it all. If you ever wanted proof that the best way to get a feel of the country is to drive it, this is it.

Here’s a free downloadable doc of our itinerary boiled down for you to use easier.

And here’s an interactive map of where we went to make it a bit clearer:

Our road trip from San Diego, California to Las Vegas, Nevada

Day 1: San Diego – Palm Springs (via Julian for apple pie)

Driving time: 3h 15m

From San Diego it’s a little over an hour to the little town of Julian – home of award winning pies and some very cute houses!

We popped in for a slice of the action (sorry) and were very impressed. If you want to try American apple pie at its best, go to the Julian Pie Company.

We did try the Apple Alley Bakery’s offerings too, but weren’t as impressed. The people were a bit odd (shouting and having a domestic out the back) and the pies weren’t quite as good.

Feeling a bit sick, we plopped ourselves back in the car and carried on to Palm Springs. The road’s a good one, crossing the Santa Rosa – San Jacinto Mountains, and about half an hour out of Palm Springs, there’s some good hairpin driving.

Accommodation: Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Palm Springs

The Ace is a very cool hotel. Everything here is crafted and styled to within an inch of its life. It used to be a Westward Ho motel with a Denny’s attached. Now it’s a slick, uber-hipster joint with matching restaurant.

Day 2: Palm Springs

We stayed here to explore for the day (plus it bloody well rained) and were pleased we did. There’s an outlet mall about 30 minutes out of town where you can pick up some amazing bargains.

Alternatively, when you’ve seen the town, which shouldn’t take too long, head out into the nearby mountains. There’s a cable car ride you can go on that gives you some amazing views out over the desert.

Accommodation: The Saguaro, Palm Springs

Another hipster hotel, but a little more approachable. Each room is very brightly coloured and has a balcony facing into the pool and resort.

It’s a cool little place and pretty good value.

If you’re looking for something more up-market, you have to stay at the Parker. What an unbelievable hotel that is.

Don’t forget to have a drive around the neighbourhoods before you leave – and check out where Sinatra’s old house at 1148 E. Alejo Road.

Day 3: Palm Springs – Twentynine Palms (via Joshua Tree National Park)

Driving time: 1h direct, longer via Joshua Tree National Park

We didn’t leave much time to explore Joshua Tree National Park so we took the 62 to Alta Olma Drive and the Joshua Tree Visitors’ Center. We chatted to a park ranger, who told us to drive in via the West Entrance Station.

It costs $15 to go into the park. Make sure you buy supplies in Twentynine Palms – the snacks and drinks in the visitor’s centre are ridiculously expensive.

We took what’s known as The North West Loop (though we did it more west north!) with a very worthy detour down to Keys View to check out the San Andreas Fault Line.

Joshua Tree National Park is an incredible, unique habitat, full of these bizarre eponymous trees. There are also magnificent rock features to explore like Skull Rock – and it’s a beautiful drive.

Twentynine Palms is a remote town on the northern border of Joshua Tree, but it’s got plenty going for it in spite of its size.

Accommodation: we stayed in the Best Western Gardens, which was cheap and comfortable. However, we’d recommend staying in the Twentynine Palms Inn on the eastern end of town on Inn Avenue.

Twentynine Palms Inn has the best restaurant and bar in town attached to it.

Other dinner suggestions are: Bistro Twenty-Nine, Edchada’s Mexican, The Rib Co, Rocky’s New York Pizza and Red Lotus Thai and Vietnamese Restaurant.

Day 4: Twentynine Palms, CA – Laughlin, NV (via Route 66, Amboy, Oatman and Bullhead City)

Driving time: 2h 30m direct. Via above locations, it’s a half-day drive.

North of Twentynine Palms, along the Amboy Road, you’ll find saltpans, which are worth stopping for a photo. The Amboy Road ends at a crossroads where it meets Route 66 – also known as the National Trails Highway.

Left is the Amboy Crater – an extinct volcano you can climb.

Route 66 heading east will take you past Amboy itself and Roy’s Motel and Café – a classic Route 66 photo op.

Take Route 66 as far east as you can – it’s not a maintained road any more, so many areas of this fantastic historic road are impassable or closed. Make your way to Needles.

We were planning on spending the night in Needles, but it’s a bit of a sad little town. We did refuel here, which was a mistake. Wait until you get across the Colorado River into Arizona to get petrol. It’s a lot cheaper.

From Needles, we head north on the 95 on the Nevada side of the Colorado River. Then go right on the 153 to Oatman.

Oatman used to be a mining town and produced a lot of gold until the mid-1930s. At its height 10,000 people lived here. Now it’s all but a ghost town, but is popular with tourists.

The donkeys miners used have become feral and roam the streets of this peculiar place. But best of all, it’s here that you can find Route 66 once again.

We headed back south then turned left following 66. It’s called the 10 now, but it’s the best part of the 66, leading you through some great mountain scenery. Going north through Oatman is apparently even better with sharp hairpins steep elevations, but 66 will take you too far east.

For more information on Route 66 from Santa Monica Pier all the way to Chicago, Illinois, check out RoadTripUSA.com

Heading back past Needles, it’s a straight drive along the tri-state border to Bullhead City. We were going to stay here, but realised across the river, in Nevada, the casino town of Laughlin had cheaper accommodation.

Accommodation: Stay in a casino for a great hotel rate. We stayed at the Aquarius Casino Resort and paid the extra $10 for a river view room.

Laughlin itself isn’t the best, but it’s perfect to get you into the Vegas mindset – it’s a bit like Vegas was about 20 years ago! If you’re a non-smoker, you’ll find the casinos all very smoky – the ventilation here isn’t as good as Vegas.

Make sure you check out the Colorado Belle Casino – it’s in the shape of a giant paddle steamer – and the Pioneer Hotel and Gambling Hall for its sheer cheesiness. The Golden Nugget is worth looking at too.

Day 5: Laughlin – Las Vegas

Driving time: 1h 30m

The drive from Laughlin to Vegas is straight forward enough, but its here you’ll see some classic Nevada desert views.

The 95, the 582 then the 592 lead you through the Mojave Desert straight to the famous Las Vegas Strip where your next adventure begins!

Accommodation: We stayed at the Delano – a fantastic hotel that’ll make your time in Vegas so much more memorable. Check out our full review of the beautiful Delano here – an all-suite hotel with no casino attached, which is a rarity in Vegas.

For more to do in Las Vegas, here’s what we’ve covered so far:

Things to do in Las Vegas – helicopter landing tour of the Grand Canyon

Things to do in Las Vegas – the Neon Museum

Where to eat in Las Vegas – miX at the Delano

One of our top 10 burgers was found here too!

Do you have a favourite road trip? Where would you go if you could take a drive anywhere? What’s the longest road trip you’ve been on? Tell us in the comments!

Images by Mrs Romance.

The post American Road Trip – San Diego to Las Vegas… the long way appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Click here for our free printable cheat sheet for driving in the USA here.

California is an excellent place for a road trip. Spectacular coastal roads, enormous freeways, grid-patterned city streets, windy back roads… but driving here has its issues.

While we were there recently, we discovered California has a number of strange rules that – if broken – will get you a ticket faster than you can say zinfandel.

On the topic of zinfandel and wine, how’s this one for starters: you can’t have an open container of alcohol in your car. Makes sense, but if you’re in a taxi, bus, truck, camper or motorhome (and not driving), the rule does not apply.

Initially we thought we’d have maybe 3 rules to give you. But then we started digging and discovered a wealth of driving eccentricities and legal ambushes set up to catch the unwary visiting driver.

Some of these are not written rules, more like Californian habits that will make people a little cray cray if you don’t follow along.

Our top 10 tips for driving in California

1. Pedestrians are always right!
Drivers will go out of their way to give pedestrians the right of way. I was walking down the street once and a lady drove out of a driveway to get onto the road.

She saw me coming and hurried to reverse back into the driveway for me to cross. It was crazy. In Sydney, it’s the other way round!

Pedestrians should only cross at the corners of streets or at proper crossings. But if someone decides to walk out into the road, it’s their right of way and the driver’s problem. This is in the DMV book of road rules – just much wordier.

2. Street parking #1 – wheel positions
If you park on a hill along the curb, turn the wheels the right way.

Parking up hill? Turn your wheels away from the gutter so the car rolls into the curb.

Parking down hill? Turn your wheels the other way facing into the curb.

This is in case your brakes fail and your car doesn’t roll into traffic. Good idea. But aren’t most cars are automatic these days…

Anyway, you need to get your front tire touching the curb or you could get a parking ticket.

Also remember to park on the right side of the road (unless you’re in a one-way street) and you have to be within 18 inches of the curb.

3. Street parking #2 – look at the colours of the curbs
California has a system of colours to tell you if you can park there or not – and never park next to a fire hydrant!
White: loading or unloading passengers – no more than a couple of minutes’ parking.
Yellow: loading or unloading passenger or deliveries – maximum 5 mins.
Red: no stopping, standing or parking. Ever.
Blue: disabled permit holders only.
Other than that, you can park wherever you want!

4. Stop signs – the California Roll
Stop signs are everywhere in California. They’re more common that traffic lights. You’re supposed to come to a complete stop at stop signs, but most drivers just slow down until they’re pretty much stopped, then carry on.

People call this the California Roll. It’s not legal (or anything to do with sushi), but it’s what happens.

Pedestrians can cross at a stop sign because – in theory – you’re supposed to stop anyway. But then again, pedestrians can pretty much do what they want.

At crossroads, you might see an All Stop sign. This is a ‘four-way-stop and it means – if you’re the first person to the intersection, you have the right of way. If four cars all get to the intersection at the same time, it becomes a funny stand-off. Whoever takes the initiative goes first.

5. Don’t drive too slowly
In Cali, drivers don’t mind you cutting in front of them or even pulling out in front of them, but they hate being held up. Go the speed limit (at the very least) or woe betide you.

6. You can turn right even when the lights are red
If you’re at a red light and want to turn right, you can go! Just make sure there’s nothing coming before you turn.

Also keep an eye out for signs saying ‘No turn on red’. They crop up every now and then.

7. Beware the flashers
If someone flashes you, it means they’re not letting you in not the other way round!

8. Most cars don’t have yellow rear indicators – they’re red the same as the brake lights. Mrs Romance kept having trouble with this one. It looks like they’ve got an electrical fault or that they’re braking, but it’s not.

9. Turning left lane
If you’re on a multi-lane road and want to turn left, you’ll probably see an extra lane that no one really drives in. When you see your turning, indicate and get in that lane.

You can only be in the lane for 200 feet, so no overtaking in it or anything like that, and watch for people on the other side of the road turning left – they might be using the same lane!

10. Car pool lane tricks
When you’re on the freeway, you’ll see the far left lane sometimes has a diamond shape painted on the road. This is the carpool lane. Any vehicle with 2 or more people in it can use this lane and it’s awesome. It’s pretty much always much emptier and faster than the other lanes.

You have to get into and out of the carpool lane when there are broken lines. If it’s a solid line, you have to stay put. No weaving in and out!

In San Diego, the carpool lane is called the ‘HOV lane’ – High Occupancy Vehicle. In other words 2 or more people in the car. Hardly high occupancy but there you go.

Bonus tip: Getting gas – pay before you pump.
You have to pre-pay for your petrol – or swipe your card at the pump – to get the bowser to work. Problem is, you need to enter your postcode as well. This is to prevent credit card fraud.

Try typing 00000 or 99999 as the zip code, or 0 + your Australian postcode. Otherwise hand your credit card to the cashier, pump the petrol then go back in and pay.

You might have to sign for a nominal amount (say $50), pump the petrol and the actual amount will be charged to your card. If you want a receipt, go back to kiosk to sign for the actual amount pumped.

If this is all a bit too much to digest, here’s our free downloadable cheat sheet for driving in the USA.

Driving in America is great fun – there’s just so much to do and see. And the road systems are excellent. We can’t wait for the next opportunity to get back Stateside and out on the open road – we’d love to follow this itinerary Travel Meets Happy has done across the Pacific Northwest. What an amazing drive that would be.

If you ever get the opportunity to drive in the States, take it. It’s something you’ll never forget. The only problem could be you’ll be aching to get back out on the open road as soon as you’re home again.

Have you ever driven in the States? What did you think? Where did you go? Where’s your favourite place to take a roadtrip? Tell us in the comments!

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