Touring the United States

Q: My wife and I are contemplating a tour of the United States that will include cities on both the East and West Coasts. While there we plan to use both public transportation and car rental. Can you advice me on the feasibility of such a tour and possible places to visit? Would fifteen days be enough for this kind of tour? - Boti Tlhabi

A: When we think of the United States, the images that come to mind are the Statue of Liberty, the White House, Disney World, Hollywood and Broadway. Clearly, there are some cities you just have to visit when you visit the USA. On the East Coast, the cities that stand out are the "Big Apple", New York, and the capital city, Washington DC. On the West Coast, top of the list would be Los Angeles, the home of Hollywood, followed by the gambling mecca, Las Vegas. It is a short flight between the two cities or an easy drive through the Mohave Desert. If you want to visit other great west coast cities, such as Seattle, San Francisco or San Diego, you will need more time. The other state you need to visit is Florida. You can't miss Miami, with its Cuban influence and trendy South Beach, but you also need to find time to visit Orlando, home to Walt Disney World, the most popular theme park in the world. If you can manage these must-see cities you will have had a taste of the great USA, but you will still be missing out on great cities such as Chicago, Atlanta and fabulous New Orleans. So, decide what you really want to see and build your holiday around these places. You can do it in 15 days, but a month would make for a more relaxing trip. While you can use public transport and car rental to get anywhere, you should consider joining one or two organised tours. For example, if you want to cover the east coast fairly extensively in only six days, you can take a tour that visits New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Niagara Falls and Boston. Prices range from $360-$480 per person including transport and budget-style accommodation (www.tours4fun.com). The same company has day tours of Los Angeles and Las Vegas that may appeal to you, or you could opt for a seven-day bus tour from Los Angeles that includes the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, San Francisco and the Yosemite National Park. Prices start from $400 per person (www.tours4fun.com). If you don't want to preplan your trip in detail, you could fly into New York for a night or two and then travel by bus or train to Washington. From DC you could fly across the country to Los Angeles to discover the west coast at your leisure before flying to Miami and then returning to New York for your trip home. You should not have a problem finding hotels, except for New York or when conventions are taking place in the cities you intend to visit. (22/5/11)