Can someone give me some advice when it comes to travelling in california..?
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…I’m from europe, and really want to go to the US, the problem is that no one really is willing or interested in 
travelling with me..so I’m thinking about going alone.
I know many people say that it’s not a good idea. Last year I joined a guided tour (trek america)…but I really want to be more free when I go somewhere. The question is: Is it safe? maybe not safe but I hope you get what I mean…
I want to see San Diego, Los angeles, and grand canyon and the Hoover dam, I know there are tours from Las Vegas. How "good" is it to travel with greyhound or Amtrak?
How easy is it to find a good hotel/hostel? And what standard should I go for?
I’m really interesting in knowing "everything", thanks!!
(I know that the best way to travel is by car )
There are a few touring companies that will be able to assit you, Amtrak is slow, but a great way to see a lot of the country. Greyhound has some risk involved. Many of the terminals have seedy people hanging around for a handout and they are not located in the best neigborhoods. If you use them, do not walk to your hotel/motel–use a taxi or hotel service van. As long as you stay with the tour you will be safe in Los Angeles and San Diego–be aware that both of these cities have major gang problems, so you need to stay close to someone that knows the area so you don’t venture outside of safe areas. There are few hotels close to the dam and canyon and they are pricey , best to stay in Las Vegas and make day trips. Try and not get sucked into gambing at the hotel casino’s, you can loose a lot of money real fast.
You may consider visiting a web based travel service like priceline.com, or orbits.com, or expedia.com.
The canyon is the most wonderful thing I have ever seen in my life, it is worth the trip, even if you don’t get to see anything else.
4 Responses to “Can someone give me some advice when it comes to travelling in california..?”
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August 16th, 2010 at 7:52 am
Why do people from Australia and UK always go to the crappiest places in America? Lol.
Go to Oregon, British Columbia, Montana, Wyoming… all your potential problems will be nill.
Oregon and BC have every type of public transportation you can imagine, and are far more interesting and beautiful than anything you’d find in California, Vegas or the Southwest (where are you getting your info??)
Good luck.
Oh and, for god’s sakes whateever you do, DONT ride Greyhound… its full of junkies, runaways and convicts on the run. I know this from personal experience. Rent a car, take a plane or train where needed.
Again, highly recommending you try Portland, OR or Vancouver, BC.
References :
August 16th, 2010 at 8:18 am
Assuming you are fluent in English, and your letter indicates you are, travel alone in the US is not particularly dangerous, just a little expensive. The places you want to see are spread out and rather far from each other so that a rental car is really the only way to see them other than on an organized tour. Greyhound is not the best way for a single young woman to travel, as the clientele can be rather seedy, and the stations tend to be in rough parts of towns. Amtrak trains tend to be few and far apart, sometimes only 1 per day on a given route, like the one the comes closest to Grand Canyon. And the station is still 75 or so miles from the scenic part of the canyon.
Getting around San Diego and LA is possible without a car, but it can be tedious as both cities are spread over vast areas and it is a long distance between them with limited public transit services. Check Expedia and the other internet travel sites as sometimes they have cheap rates for rental cars, especially in LA and Las Vegas.
Las Vegas, especially the touristy part, is pretty easy to deal with sans a car, and it is fairly easy to get an organized tour from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon. That route passes across Boulder (Hoover) Dam. Remember that until October Las Vegas gets really hot.
References :
August 16th, 2010 at 8:28 am
There are a few touring companies that will be able to assit you, Amtrak is slow, but a great way to see a lot of the country. Greyhound has some risk involved. Many of the terminals have seedy people hanging around for a handout and they are not located in the best neigborhoods. If you use them, do not walk to your hotel/motel–use a taxi or hotel service van. As long as you stay with the tour you will be safe in Los Angeles and San Diego–be aware that both of these cities have major gang problems, so you need to stay close to someone that knows the area so you don’t venture outside of safe areas. There are few hotels close to the dam and canyon and they are pricey , best to stay in Las Vegas and make day trips. Try and not get sucked into gambing at the hotel casino’s, you can loose a lot of money real fast.
You may consider visiting a web based travel service like priceline.com, or orbits.com, or expedia.com.
The canyon is the most wonderful thing I have ever seen in my life, it is worth the trip, even if you don’t get to see anything else.
References :
August 16th, 2010 at 8:57 am
1 thing U ought not to try is driving in Southern California,especially at night. It’s not that they don’t know how to drive,quite the reverse. It’s just that they drive as they own the road! Be careful!
References :
Took a road trip to San Diego years ago and almost had my car hit a pedestrian head on. Also nearly got involved in 10 car accidents in just the 3 days I was there.