Road Trippin’ Route 66

Route 66 has long been deemed the ultimate all American road trip. The 2400-mile ‘Glory Road’ spans America from Los Angeles to Chicago and has inspired many authors, songwriters and directors, capturing the imagination of many. Though officially decommissioned in 1984, due to new and faster routes, it has been forever ingrained in history as one of the greatest routes of all time. Its rich history and breathtaking country vistas make this route ever popular with nostalgic travellers. If you’re looking for an all-American experience, look no further and “get your kicks on Route 66”.

The attractions on Route 66 are endless and all preserve a special time in America’s past. From the Dixie Trucker stop to The Blue Swallow Hotel, each site has a special charm that keeps driving travellers to their doorstep. Here is a rundown of some must-see stops of Historic Route 66, so that you don’t miss a thing while you’re riding, hood-down and hands up.

You can follow in Elvis’s footsteps and take a hike around the Meteor Crater in Arizona. The meteor crashed there around 50,000 years ago leaving an out-of-this-world crater nearly a mile wide (half the size of a football field).

At the El Morro National Monument in New Mexico you can bear witness to the travellers from over seven centuries before you. The huge, 200-foot tall sandstone Questa are covered in the names of those who passed before you and hold carvings of Native American petroglyphs.

The Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico provides the perfect spot to take an overnight rest. Listen to the buzz of their famed neon sign and talk to fellow travellers in their cosy courtyard. Just over the road is the Odeon Theatre. Open since 1936, it’s famed for its authentic date-night appeal.

The Blue Whale pond in Catoosa provides the perfect spot to cool down in landlocked Oklahoma. You can fling yourself off the large whale’s tail into the cool swimming pond and peek through his blowholes at people enjoying the Route 66 icon.

If love to revel in a rebel’s story, visit the Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Missouri. The cave system provided refuge for legendary outlaw Jesse James but apart from it’s sordid past, the 6000 caves that dot the Missouri limestone bedrock are a spectacular natural attraction that have lured travellers since 1935.

By the time you get to Illinois your stomach will be grumbling and your eyes beginning to droop along with your petrol gauge; stopping in to The Dixie will solve all your problems. The Dixie is the oldest truckers stop on Route 66 and in the 70 years its been operating it has been closed only one day. The old Dixie will provide weary travellers with food, fuel and things to reminisce over in the museum full of Route 66 memorabilia.

It is widely recommended to hit this Route up in a hired soft-top or American classic to maximise all that the ‘Mother Road’ has to offer.

At the time of writing we have plenty of RVs that you can take along this historical route, so click here to make your booking and get ready to get your kicks!

The Pacific Coast Highway: The Road Trip of Your Dreams

So you’ve gone and read some Jack Kerouac and now you want to pull your own Dharma Bum trip on the Pacific Coast Highway?! We don’t blame you! One of the most travelled routes in the great US of A; the Pacific Coast Highway is a hair-raising, cliff-hugging, stomach-churning 123 mile road along the central Cali coast that takes about five hours to drive. This All-American road is almost as iconic as baseball or apple pie, and it’s worth a trip if you’re looking for a memorable road trip.

Start Your Engines

Once you’ve picked up your free Transfercar rental start your trip in historic Monterey and thread your way through Big Sur, where sky-scraping mountains plunge into the great Pacific. In certain patches the road gets dangerously narrow, so stay alert. There’s enough road kill around here my friend. Here’s a short low-down on the amazing spots you’ll be passing by and probably stopping in on your journey!

Carmel-by-the-Sea

After enjoying Monterey, drive 3 miles south on Highway 1 to Carmel-by-the-Sea, a fancy village of quaint, but expensive colorful cottages, restaurants, hotels, shops, and art galleries.

Point Lobos State Reserve

From Carmel head 3.5 miles south to Point Lobos State Reserve. This 550-acre park offers coves, headlands, tide pools, and the nation’s first undersea ecological reserve that has kelp forests 70 feet high! Check out the park’s 250 species of birds and mammals like black-tailed deer and sea lions!

Big Sur

After the Carmel Highlands, you reach the beginning of Big Sur, which extends 90 miles south to San Simeon. On this legendary coastline, redwood groves reach heavenward, the Santa Lucia Range falls into the sea and waves froth on sharp rocks.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Meet the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park where the Big Sur River runs through 964 acres of redwoods, sycamores, and ferns. Pack a picnic for the white sands of Pfeiffer Beach, where the surf roars through massive arched rocks.

Nepenthe

You’ve got to check out Nepenthe: an indoor-outdoor restaurant perched 800 feet above the sea and famous for its views. An absolute must on this trip!

Cambria

Continue on to Cambria, burrowed into the hills where Monterey pines thrive in porous soil of decomposed sandstone. At Moonstone Beach, be on the look-out for moonstones (obviously!), and California jade.

This is the End: Morro Bay

The end of the Pacific Coast Highway is easily identified by the landmark Morro Rock. A turban-shaped, extinct volcanic cone roughly 23 million years old, it is 576 feet high and sits on the bay. Keep an eye out for Peregrine falcons blue herons and monarch butterflies. This may be the end of the PCH but you can keep on driving! Your free rental car can take you anywhere you want to go in America! Check out our latest deals on the search pages if you’re looking to extend your trip. And if you haven’t registered yet, now’s the time.

 

How to Save Money on the Road

Yes! You can save money while travelling! Just look at how much money you’ve saved with your free Transfercar rental. And then follow these rules and you’ll save even more money…

Food Rules

Most travellers spend way too much money on drive-thru food. Not only is it expensive, but it’s going to make you feel tired and sluggish, two things you don’t want to feel while driving a Transfercar! Bring a cooler with you so that you can make grocery runs along your trip. Bring the necessary cutlery and treat yourself to nice cheeses, salamis and breads while you’re on the road, instead of spending your money on average food from diners on route. If you’re absolutely desperate for a cooked meal, veer off the main road and into small towns for cheaper, and often better, meals.

Snack Attack!

Snacks are an absolute killer on road trips, especially when you’re stopping for gas. Before you leave town, pack your car with snacks from the grocery store. You can easily make your own treats and store them in your cooler. Fruit stands on the side of the road are always great in summer, too.

Mean Gasoline

  • Following  a few simple gas-saving tips can help you save a lot of road trip money:
  • Turn off the AC: just open the window!
  • Ease off the pedal well before a stop sign and coast to a stop; take off in a mellow manner. Burning rubber burns gas needlessly.
  • Inflate tires to close to max — carry a teeny tire gauge and read the tire’s side.
  • Avoid cruise control.
  • Don’t speed. Wastes gas and one ticket can destroy a summer road trip budget.

Sneaky Tips

  • A prepaid credit card can help to keep you within your budge. Just make sure it doesn’t have excessive fees associated with it.
  • To avoid going into debt, save money with a detailed budget for what you’ll spend on lodging, meals, activities and gas.
  • Carry some cash with you in case you need it.
  • Limit your time away to less than 10 days.
  • Pack the right necessities.
  • Book accommodation in advance.
  • Book a free Transfercar rental car.

We don’t want to toot our own horns, but travelling with a free rental car is obviously going to save you more money that paying for one. Also, if you’re looking for an even cheaper trip, why not rent an RV or campervan, thus eliminating the need to pay for exorbitant hotel rooms especially if you’re travelling as a family?! Some of our deals even come with ferries and a free tank of fuel, which means you save even more money! I know it sounds too good to be true, but thousands of travellers all over the world have cracked onto our services, saving money as they ride with us, and making their trips last longer. If you haven’t registered, you’re not saving money. So get amongst it. And let’s hit the road.

 

The World’s Top 10 Most Dangerous Roads

We’ve traversed the earth to bring you ten of the most scary, interesting, beautiful and down right dangerous roads on the planet. Thanks to our research and the awesome powers of the internet you can relax and explore these places from the safety of your own couch. Enjoy the ride.

Zojila Pass, India

zojila Pass, India

If you can make this pass through the blustering winds and heavy snowfalls, we salute you. But watch out for the sheep! Even when the sun is shining on your curry-stuffed belly, the roads are ridiculously narrow with barrier-free steep drops. Consider some hard-core meditation (or medication) to keep you relaxed for this ride.

Source: http://bit.ly/1c6QLGB

Atlanterhavsveien (Atlantic Ocean Road), Norway

atlanterhavsveien

In Norway, known for its pickled Herring, this particular drive will have you rethinking dining before hitting the road. While it looks rather treacherous in bad weather conditions, Atlanterhavsveien is one of the most beautiful roads to travel in the world, with epic curves that can rival those of the top Scandinavian models.

Source: http://bit.ly/1zT4Txn

Podgorica–Kolašin, Montenegro

Podgorica–Kolašin, Montenegro

Say hello to Montenegro and to a white-knuckle ride of a lifetime while driving along the Podgorica–Kolašin road through the Morača Canyon!  Riddled with countless cliff-side bends and tunnels, this road is basically out to get you, but if you survive you’ll be blown away by the beauty of the landscape that surrounds you. Good luck (you’ll need it)!

Source: http://bit.ly/1wBdrI5

Halsema Highway, Philippines

Halsema Highway, Philippines

Known as the highest of all highways in the Philippines, the Halsema Highway takes a whopping six hours to traverse so bring some light reading or some serious sleeping pills. Its bark is worse than its bite: it’s got a relatively low number of deaths considering its extreme altitude and zigzag design.

Source: http://bit.ly/1rbu6kO

Guoliang Tunnel, China

Guoliang Tunnel, China

Fancy a ride through a tunnel that looks like it was handmade?! Well we’ve got one for you. This beaute is a mere 16 feet tall and 13 feet wide, and was built by villagers in 1972. Many of the Guoliangers died during its five-year construction, and judging by the incline, can you guess how?

Source: http://bit.ly/1GLEXWm

Passo dello Stelvio, Italy

Passo dello Stelvio, Italy

We bet you’ll be saying a massive “Grazie” once you’ve made it to the other side of Italy’s Stelvio Pass! At 9045 feet, this road is the second highest paved mountain pass in the Alps, but it’s the most dangerous.

Source: http://bit.ly/1x12uhE

Dades Gorge Road, Morocco

Dades Gorge Road, Morocco

This snake-like road can be found up in the High Atlas Mountains at the edge of the Sahara Desert. You may be able to beat the heat of the Sahara but can you handle driving along the 1600 ft cliffs and weaving through 30 ft fissures?

Source: http://bit.ly/1ClIISG

Skippers Canyon, New Zealand

Said to be as scary as it is beautiful, this 22km long scenic gorge, just a short drive north of Queenstown is a mostly one-way, narrow route featuring epic vistas as well as neck-breaking drops of several hundred meters. Known as one of New Zealand’s most scenic roads, some rental car insurance companies don’t feel the same love as the Kiwis do and won’t cover you on this trip! If you have problems you can find a Public liability insurance online by clicking the link.

Source: http://bit.ly/1wcIjcK

James Dalton Highway, Alaska

James Dalton Highway, Alaska

This 414-mile gravel road heads straight through arctic tundra to the farthest north reaches of Alaska. It may look like a Winter Wonderland, but it’s not a road for the faint of heart, or those of you who cherish your car! As it’s the main supply route for the Prudhoe Bay oilfields,you’ll be sharing the road with mammoth tractor-trailers kicking up rocks. Kiss your windshields and headlights goodbye!

Source: http://bit.ly/1JFK3pw

The Highway of Death, Bolivia

The Highway of Death, Bolivia

Remember that song ‘Life is Highway’? Well, it really is when we’re talking about the La Paz ‘Highway of Death’ that leads from Bolivia into the Amazon. Formerly known as the ‘World’s Most Dangerous Road’, this death-defying 38 mile long trip comes with no misnomer: an estimated 200-300 unlucky travelers die annually attempting this infamous route.

Source: http://bit.ly/1E0pOTa

Need a rental car this summer, check out our home page to see our  available vehicles – just promise us you wont take any of these routes!

Hostels: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Fun Fact: Good hostels can be hard to come by. Places can be very hit or miss and often the reason a hostel is great has more to do with the location more so than anything else. When trying to pick a good hostel there are a few things to consider

Price

Budget travellers have a natural preference to go for the cheapest accommodation but that can sometimes bite back. Many cheap hostels are unclean, the showers are filthy and the pressure is terrible, and the place could be rife with bed bugs! The lower the price usually means the lower the cleanliness.

Check Out Time

The best hostels have 11 A.M. check out times and the excellent ones let you checkout at noon. Sleep is priceless on the road because you’ll rarely get enough of it, if you’re travelling correctly!

Safety

A good hostel comes with good lockers. Lockers in rooms are an absolute must and a safe at reception is a major draw-card. Building security has got to be taken seriously, so make sure you check out the level of security before you book.

Common Area

If your hostel doesn’t have a bar, leave. Kidding. But it should have a big common area. The best hostels have a place where travellers can hang out and socialize with each other. Common areas facilitate interaction and help solo-travellers have an easier time meeting people. They’re almost as important as…

..Staff

Oh man, is there anything worse than bad service at a hostel? The staff at a great hostel must be friendly, helpful and welcoming as well as knowledgeable about the city and its surroundings. The best hostels have natural people pleasers as staff, often fellow travellers themselves, or at least former ones, who can give good advice.

Fun Times

Even if the hostel you choose is clean and safe, you’re going to leave unsatisfied if it doesn’t provide a range of activities for guests. Tours and trips around the city, and special events at the hostel are great activities for fostering relationships between travellers. A recent Blackout Bingo review says that parties and barbecues are an even better way for travellers to meet and greet each other, swapping stories of brews and burgers. Many good hostels have a games room for rainy days, ranging from board games to pool tables.

If you’re pressed for time and can’t bother going through the multitude of hostel websites out there to check out individual facilities, you can just hop online at TripAdvisor where heaps of travellers leave honest, sometimes too honest, reviews of hostels from around the world. If you’re travelling in your free Transfercar rental, you might want to check if the hostel has secure parking. If you’re looking for a way to save money, check out our deals on free RVs and campervans, where the room is clean and comfortable! Just check out our routes and with a few simple clicks you’ve got yourself accommodation on wheels for free! You can’t beat that!

 

Editor’s Pick for Best Travel Blogs

Ok. There are literally tens of thousands, no, possibly millions of travel blogs out there in the World Wide Web that cater to every, and any, traveler’s tastes. Over the year we’re going to publish our picks of the most popular travel blogs and the ones we believe are the most inspiring, too. If you come across some that you think we should have a look at then get in touch as we’d love to see them!

Young Adventuress is a darling blog geared toward adventure and slow travel. Liz Carlson began travelling at the age of 16 and 40 countries later she’s not showing any signs of slowing down! She starts her blog while trekking through the Andes before moving to Spain for two years, where she was teaching English and living the expat life before kinda getting sent packing by the government for over-staying on her visa! Yikes! She’s so hard-core! With over 25 countries under her belt, Liz is living in New Zealand and you can follow her (mis)adventures as she wanders, eats, and photographs her way around the North and South Islands. Her posts on how to talk the talk with kiwi slang are well, sweet as, bro.

Bridges and Balloons Victoria and Steve, a writer and filmmaker from London packed up their home in 2012 and took their careers on the road for as long as they can. They were recently in South America, but right now they could be just about anywhere! They happen to be serious vegetarians and their posts do a great job highlighting how to continue that lifestyle choice while travelling the globe. Their blog is composed of travel stories, photos, personal tales, interviews, curated content, and practical guides that are written in a way to inspire you to explore, dream, discover.

The Polar Route is a travel photography blog geared towards anyone with a hunger for seeing this incredible world through pictures. The best thing about this site is the daily photo which could be taken from anywhere in the world. No country seems too far for Ed Graham who has travelled almost everywhere and manages to produce professional style travel photography. This site is a great inspiration if you’re looking to travel but you’re not quite sure where you want to go yet.

Four Jandals: Cole and Adela, an adventurous traveling couple from New Zealand, started this blog when they began travelling together in 2009. They have great posts on how to travel as a couple and not break-up! Ha! Trust me, it happens! Their posts have an interesting take on locations, pushing you to experience all that there is available in certain locations. The idea for their blog began during an 18,000km road trip across Canada. Man, I bet if Transfercar had been there they would have saved some sweeeeet cash! Clearly they managed because the adventure continues! FYI: “Jandals” is kiwi slang for flip-flops or sandals.

Anywhere But Home is the creation of Naomi, a 20-something wanderer pursuing her travel dreams on a backpacker’s budget. In 2010, she left home in search of unique experiences and hasn’t looked back since, which is I guess why her blog is so aptly titled. She gets up to all kinds of no-good: she’s been shot at with live fireworks in Taiwan, tracked wild orangutans and pygmy elephants in Borneo, worked with mummies in Peru and dropped plans to impulsively move to Georgia, the country. Her posts on Australia will have you packing faster than you can say “koala” so maybe book your Transfercar now for that epic Aussie road trip?!

Emma’s Travel Tales is a blog aimed at the under-30 traveler, but not necessarily a backpacker. Emma is a 22-year-old Scottish lass who has already been on over 10 cruises. Girl likes boats! Her quest is to see the world and to work wherever she can to satiate her wanderlust! She’s an inspiration for travelers who want to keep going and who work travel into their life plans.

Our Tasty Travels Brett Domue, a lifelong gypsy who has been traveling the world since 2004 created this blog to inspire everyone to quit their jobs and work overseas!  He started in the Netherlands and Taiwan and then paired up with the lovely Erin De Santiago, an avid foodie and wine-lover, and together they search the world for tasty dishes. Yum! Erin just happens to be “Best of” Food and Drinks writer for CBS Sacramento and she regularly contributes to Examiner: Belize Travel Examiner, Luxury Hotels Examiner, International Travel Examiner, Culinary Travel Examiner, Islands Travel Examiner, and Worldwide Disney Theme Parks Examiner.  She was previously the Topic Editor of Asian Cuisine and Old World Wine for Suite 101. I think she knows her food inside and out! Consider yourself warned: do not look at this blog while hungry. You will eat your computer.

Flora the Explorer is one cool chick who is out in the world looking for the wonderful weird and wacky! Over the years, adventurous Flora has studied Italian in Florence, literature in San Francisco, volunteered with villagers in Kenya and orphans in Lithuania, and worked with musicians in Iceland and celebrities in India. There is no stopping her! She’s eaten crickets in Thailand, slept in the deserts of Jordan, read nursery rhymes to numerous classes of Nepali children and navigated her way around America’s East Coast via the notorious Chinatown bus system. Oopf! If you’re looking to do the same, maybe grab a free rental car from us first?!

And there you have it, some of the finest blogs on the Web to date. Dirty secret: I wanted to put the Transfercar blog on there too, because we have posts on everything from budget travel tips to how to party in some of the great places in America, Australia and New Zealand. If you’re looking to explore any of those three countries sometime soon, have a look at our free rental car system. And then book!