im looking to travel to american to drive down the coast, im not sure which one is better?????

Question

im from london england and im looking to travel for a few weeks in america either east or west coast or the famous route 66. does anyone live or have you ever travel down any of them. give me any tips. any help would be greatful thanks thanks.

Answer 1

First of all there is no such thing as driving down the East Coast. There is no continuous highway linking Maine with Florida on the east coast. You would have to take interstate highways and the turn off of them to visit coastal cities. In some places you may see beaches and in others you will not see much of scenic value.

On the other hand on the west coast you can drive along the coast (on the Pacific Coast Highway) where you can see the ocean most of the way from San Diego, California all the way past San Francisco to Washington State. Some of the road does go inland from the coast but most of it is coastal. Its very scenic as many places you drive between the ocean and the mountains.

If you want to see the USA, get a rental car in Washington, DC and drive on Interstate # 70 west all the way west to Utah (where it runs out) then take Interstate #15 South (through Las Vegas) to California. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to pull off the interstates and see the towns beside/near it. That route will also take you over both the eastern mountains and those in the west which are much higher and more majestic.

Answer 2

I've driven all three, and all three are distinctly different. I don't think one is better than another, generally speaking, but if you have a specific interest one may appear more attractive to you.

The East Coast is very historical. The West coast has the Pacific Coastal Highway that has breathtaking views. Route 66 will allow you to see the heartland (although not all of Route 66 is still driveable - there are some detours). If you're a beach person (or are interested in American History), drive the East Coast - if you want to see the 'real', small-town America, drive Route 66. If you want the stunning views and the chance to see San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles, drive the West Coast.

Each trip has something great to offer, so it's really going to depend on what you want to see.

Answer 3

Most of Route 66 is gone now. I have traveled up and down both the East and West coast. More things to see and do on the East coast drive, more scenic in general on the West coast drive. I think gas is less expensive in the East right now.

Answer 4

I have travelled both coasts and both have their good spots.

East coast:
Northern area is by far the most beatiful coastline. Maine coast is very similar to the Oregon coast, but more so. There are more barrier islands, more coves, more capes, etc., etc. Therefore more character. All of the New England coast is littered with absolutely charming fishing villages.

Enter New Jersey. From New Jersey to North Carolina you have sandy beaches. Cape May, NJ is very nice. But because of the longer summers in this area, without it being sweltering hot, these areas get more crowded. It's hit and miss, though. Either crowded, touristy town, or really socioeconomically depressed. Either way, if you choose this coast know that there is NOTHING like Maryland seafood. The more hole-in-the-wall the place looks, the better the food.

South of NC you start to enter the tropical areas. Charleston, SC is a great town with a lot of history. Beaufort, SC (where I live, BTW) is just about heaven on earth and located just north of Hilton Head, which many consider to be the most beautiful place they've ever been (I will disclaim that I don't agree). Keep heading south and you have Savannah, GA, one of my favorite places - EVER. The beaches on Tybee Island, just outside of SAV, are awesome. Not much coastline to GA, but the you enter FL which is all coastline. There is a stretch on the eastern FL coast the is 76 miles of uninterrupted beach. St. Augustine where the oldest house in America is, Daytona, Cape Kennedy (NASA), it goes on and on all the way down to the Keys.

WEST
Washington coast is nice. It is very characteristic with many barrier islands, but the basic coastline is pretty straight. Not so much of the jutting that you get in Maine that makes the coastline so beautiful. This continues into Northern Oregon. Around Coos Bay, OR it changes to a sandier coastline. Northern California has higher elevations about the shore, so the beaches are fewer. Get to Santa Barbara and there is a beautiful stretch of Rt. 5, but you see the offshore oil rigs. Then the beaches around LA that so many think are so wonderful, but I think are crowded and polluted.

I do love the Northern Oregon coastal towns, though. More charm, less crowds.


One thing to consider, do you want to swim in the ocean? If so, east coast all the way. We have the gulf stream which brings warmer water to our beaches. The west coast does not, and the water is COLD.

Answer 5

My advice is try west coast. The Midwest is boring as hell to drive throug, and the East coast is run down and know for bad traffic.

Answer 6

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