Even after our school days are long gone, there’s something about the beginning of spring that gets us excited for a road trip. The possibilities are endless, but one option that’s always exciting is a lengthy road trip — especially one that involves driving from coast to coast. Depending on where you live, you may have to fly somewhere to start your journey, and you’ll certainly want to find a great rental car deal. But being able to say you’ve dipped your toes into the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean mere days apart will be worth it — and so will the scenery.
The Lincoln Highway
One of our country’s earliest transcontinental highways. Using this route, you’ll start in the middle of New York City and end up in San Francisco (or vice versa). You’ll drive through parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, swing through Chicago, coast through Nebraska and hit Denver before driving through parts of Wyoming. Salt Lake City and Nevada are next, followed by the Golden Coast. This is a great choice for a first cross country road trip because it’s pretty tough to get lost.
Washington State to Florida
If you’ve got a solid week or two, why not try a drive from one opposite corner to the other? Getting a fuel-efficient rental is a good idea — you’ll save on gas mileage and avoid wear and tear on your own vehicle. You’ll start on the beautiful Pacific Northwest Coast and end up on a white sandy beach in Florida. Take I-90 East through Montana and South Dakota, drop down through Iowa and Missouri, pass through Nashville (an amazing place to stop), then head south through Georgia into sunny Florida.
North Carolina to California
Carolina to California sounds lovely, doesn’t it? We recommend going from the Southport area to San Diego. The fastest route takes you through most of South Carolina, through Atlanta and the heart of Alabama. Since you’ll drive through Texas, you may want to take a slight detour and check out Austin and San Antonio — both cities have plenty of attractions worth exploring. After that you’ll drive through Southern New Mexico and Arizona before entering California.
US Highway 6
Want to go coast to coast on one single highway? US Route 6 is the longest transcontinental highway in the country. The highway starts in Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod all the way to Inyo County, California. You’ll be treated to stunning scenery in Indiana, Illinois, Utah and Colorado and the peaceful plains of Iowa and Nebraska. This route includes a little bit of everything, and we recommend enjoying it over the course of at least a week. You’ll want to stop and take pictures in every state you drive through.
Renting a car for a cross-country trip saves your own vehicle from thousands of miles of wear and tear. Plus, you can drop it off at your destination and fly back home.
Find the perfect rental car for your cross-country adventure and start mapping your route.