Photo by Alexander Kovalchuk
The most thrilling part of preparing for a road trip is choosing the route. Alexey KHORUNZHY, author of the magazine 'Voyage and Leisure', preferred the following: New York - Boston - Buffalo - Chicago - Minneapolis - Denver - Albuquerque - Las Vegas - Los Angeles - San Francisco. The author is deeply grateful to his American and Russian friends who suggested this interesting route, and recommends it to anyone who decides to conquer the expanses of the States in this manner.
Why by car? And why not? You could, of course, go by train, bus, or plane, but that is not the same at all. For all the perfection of the transportation system in the States, a significant portion of your allotted time will be spent on fuss: arriving early, tickets, luggage, hotels... And most importantly, at any destination you will inevitably face the need to 'sort out' the problem of getting around.
The concept of 'public transport' in the USA applies only to megacities, so you will have to use expensive taxis or a rental car. So why, one might ask, rent a car in twenty places if you can take a rental car once at the most favorable transcontinental rate? Moreover, you can set your own travel schedule and adjust the route. It is also important that rental cars of a decent class, along with the cost of gasoline, which is cheaper in the USA than anywhere else, will cost one and a half times less than traveling by bus, let alone by plane! And what can you see from a plane? Besides, the direction you choose does not always coincide with the existing railway, bus, or air routes. So a car and again a car! Multiplied by the excellent quality of American roads, it will give you a lot of pleasure.
Renting a car in America is very simple. You just need an international driver's license. It would not hurt to also have a translation of it into English. Some rental companies ask for a guarantee from an American citizen or legal entity. When signing the rental agreement, you only pay for insurance, similar to our 'CASCO', but much cheaper. The entire rental process takes 15-20 minutes. After that, you can go.
But you must firmly learn a few simple rules, without which you risk getting into serious trouble. First of all, remember that the American Themis severely punishes speeding and driving through a Stop sign without a complete stop. The permitted speed excess is five miles. There are no allowances with regard to the Stop sign. The other American traffic rules are similar to those back home, and even more democratic. For example, a right turn on a red light is allowed, and a police officer will never stop you without sufficient reason. Although the word 'stop' is not quite adequate to American traditions. Here, a violator is usually 'chased down'. So if you see a police car with its flashing light on your 'tail', immediately, in good faith, pull over to the shoulder, stop, put your hands on the wheel, and wait.
PART 1
PART 2
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