Fly Drive Holidays To The States - Any Advice?

ShaggyRS6

ShaggyRS6

ShaggyRS6

Associate
Joined
11 Jan 2009
Posts
981
Location
Kent UK & New Jersey USA
I must e getting old!!

But I really want to do a fly drive to the states. I am big into hunting and wildlife and would love to spend some time around the great lakes or even in Canada.

I have no idea where to start with this type of holiday. I dont want the family to be bored so will need various trips and so on to keep them happy.

RV or Log cabins, I really dont mind, i just do not know where the best place to look is.

Anyone have any advice?
 
Some companies will offer Fly-Drive as a package and it will encompass lots of places and include travel, transport and accomodation.

However they are usually quite unflexable as you have your entire route planned out by them and you may miss interesting things or want to spend more time in some places.

If you are planning it alone then it takes a lot more organisation.
Work out what area you want to visit, this will then narrow down what cities you can fly to and from.

When you've done that you can find appropriate flights and then look at vehicles. As a family we've done it 3 times but never used an RV so you'd have to check the availability if you want one.

Then start planning a route, look at guide books and websites and find what interesting things there are to see and do. If you don't want people to be bored then it is important to not have long periods of driving, either find things along the way to look at or plan a route that has short(er) distances between towns/cities.

You can book accomodation in advance if you know where you plan to be and for how long that way you can know when you turn up somewhere you have a place to stay. It can be a bit nervewracking when you're driving round a town in the dark trying to find a hotel (as we experienced!)

With it all planned it gives you a lot of freedom that other holidays don't offer, even when you have a schedule and plan. You'll see a lot of awesome things and hopefully have a great time.
 
Thanks so much for the reply. I have been thinking about what i want to achieve, and its not necessarily driving long distances.

What i would like to do is spend at least 5 days in a Log Cabin on a lake somewhere, like in a National Park so we could do some fishing and swimming and hunting.

I guess all that type of thing would need to be planned by me and not an agency?
 
Canada is bloody awesome. It has a brilliant winter season and an equally good summer season, plenty of activities. I was based in BC when I went there and there's plenty to do.

I travelled for a few days through Alberta and I never tired of the surroundings. Stayed in a small town/village called Field which was like something out of a dream, also stayed in Banff and Jasper, probably better to go there in the winter season.

Also did a trip to Vancouver, has to be my favourite city, also plenty to do there, with an aquarium, capilano suspension bridge, good night life and plenty of places to eat. I'd reccomend Fog and Suds if ever you go there. There's free bus services to some of the attractions.

Edit: Not sure on the hunting fishing side of things as I didn't do any, but obviously they do have all that.
 
Guess you're looking to start somewhere like Boston and then travel the eastern Seaboard (Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine) and then on to the Great Lakes via Canada?

Just google around and see what is out there (maybe look at some of the fly drive holidays as examples of what is out there) and where youcan go/stay then book a few cabins hotels. Depending on how long you plan on spending there you could either book all in advance or book as you go along.

EDIT: Not sure you can hunt in National Parks but there is plenty of hunting done in the North East so it wouldn't be very difficult to find somewhere that was near a NP, other things and hunting.

EDIT2: Or fly into Halifax (Canada) and drive down the eastern Seaboard to the great lakes and then fly back from Chicago or somewhere. Halifax really did seem to be deserted though (no sightseeing) whereas Boston is very good for a couple or so days.
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys, the information you are giving me is helping me a great deal. I would love to do some bear watching as well at some point. Boston would be a good starting place, i was also thinking of maybe Minnesota?
 
We did the West Coast last summer. Yosemite park is one of the most stunning places I have ever visited. Didn't make it to Lake Tahoe but that is also supposedly stunning.

That's another option to consider...
 
In a couple of years we are going to Canada for a month for a fly-drive. Landing at Calgary then going to Medicine Hat to see my nan. Going to rent an RV and drive all the way through the Rockies to Prince George.

If you go to the Rockies, I recommend Banff. We are going to do it all ourselves, like we did when we went before.

:)
 
get a cheap flight to jfk, rent a car, go to walmart and buy a sat nav, get on the net for places to see, drive to upstate ny/niagra falls, go along the great lakes through pa,oh would be a great experience. motels are cheap as chips.
 
Acadia National Park is supposed to be stunning, we were contemplating going there when I was in the area last year. Probably definately worth a visit if you go near it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom