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Old 26th June 2019, 14:24   #1
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USA Road Trip: Houston to Detroit in 3-4 days

My wife and I are planning a short (read: 3-4 days) road trip (approx 1300 miles) from Houston to Detroit in mid July this year.

We have just 3-4 days to do this due to other commitments in both Houston and Detroit. A quick search on Google Maps and this is a reasonable route that I came up with https://goo.gl/maps/9Zr1YXgJxfPU7Zju6:

Day 1: Houston > Memphis
Day 2: Memphis > Indianapolis
Day 3: Indianapolis > Detroit

Day 4 for any unplanned stops along the way / contingency plan etc.

A few questions, if anyone has tips and suggestions this would be much appreciated:
  1. Has anyone done a similar route before? Does the above itinerary look reasonable?
  2. Any other recommended stops along the way? We prefer rural countryside and nature so happy to avoid the cities even if it means a little longer drive.
  3. Any tips on hiring a car locally? How does insurance work? I have a full UK DL and have hired many cars in the UK using my own rental insurance but believe in the US it works slightly differently?
  4. Any tips on driving in the US in general? Driven in many other countries but never the US.

If anyone has any other pointers or recommendations we'd love to hear them.

Many thanks in advance for your help.
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Old 26th June 2019, 21:20   #2
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re: USA Road Trip: Houston to Detroit in 3-4 days

Quote:
Originally Posted by s4ch View Post

A few questions, if anyone has tips and suggestions this would be much appreciated:
  1. Any tips on hiring a car locally? How does insurance work? I have a full UK DL and have hired many cars in the UK using my own rental insurance but believe in the US it works slightly differently?
  2. Any tips on driving in the US in general? Driven in many other countries but never the US.

If anyone has any other pointers or recommendations we'd love to hear them.

Many thanks in advance for your help.
Most rental companies have a limited choice and an additional fee for a different drop off location (sometimes they have issues with out of state drop off). You might want to shop around to get the best deal. Your car choices will be limited (sometimes that works to your advantage). Check if your insurance or credit card covers you in the US. If not, I suggest you get the minimum required and also the theft/damage insurance.

Driving in the US will be very similar to driving in most other countries with LHD. However, the major difference between countries like Germany and the US is the driving etiquette. People in general aren't as disciplined in the US.

Some useful tips

1) Choose to return the car with a full tank of gas vs signing up for their fuel rates. They are generally more expensive.

2) Most modern cars have an inbuilt GPS, so check before paying for the add on GPS.
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Old 27th June 2019, 00:22   #3
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re: USA Road Trip: Houston to Detroit in 3-4 days

In US, you can normally cover 1300 Miles in 2 days with a break at night. Since you have planned for 4 days for the trip, you can stop and visit some places along the way.

Rental Car: You can book the car with any of the popular rental companies - Hertz, Budget, Enterprise, National, Avis or Alamo. Typically you can find better and more popular cars with Hertz and the rates vary from company to company. While you can also try with aggregator sites like Kayak for better rates, some sites like Hotwire do not always guarantee good cars. But lookout for any discount codes on the net.

Based on the details provided, you are not returning back to Houston and are going to drop the car in Detroit. It would cost you extra for one way rental usually. Check with the rental company

DL and Insurance: You can drive in US with UK DL. However in Texas they may ask for a secondary ID which can be your passport. If you dont have any insurance cover already, I suggest you buy the insurance with the rental company while booking the car. The following are the components to be covered
1. Loss Damage Waiver/Collision Damage Protection - This protects against any damages to the car during the trip
2. Personal Accident Insurance - Protects you and others travelling with you in the car
3. Supplemental Liability Protection - This is the most expensive component of the insurance and most important as well. It will cover for any damages sustained to third parties in an accident caused by you

Depending on your risk appetite, you can buy one or more of the above.

Most US cards, especially AMEX covers the insurance when you book the car using the card and pay a nominal amount. Pls speak to your card company to check for coverage. If not buy it from the rental company. Even though its expensive, it gives you peace of mind. I am speaking from experience, never take chance with insurance in US.


Trip Route: You can try the below route instead of what you mentioned

Houston -> Memphis -> Nashville -> Louisville -> Cincinnati -> Detroit. This route will have similar time and distance however you can try to cover a few places along the way. With this route, you can try for

Day 1: Houston -> Nashville
Day 2: Nashville -> Louisville/Cincinnati (depending on what you want to see)
Day 3: Louisville/Cincinnati -> Detroit

Alternate Day 2: Nashville -> Knoxville -> Smoky Mountains National park (You can spend the rest of the day exploring Smokies even though its too less a time to visit such a vast park.)
Alternate Day 3: Smoky Mountains -> Lexington -> Cincinnati -> Detroit. Again you can break further along this route and proceed into Day 4

Places you can try to cover: Houston -> Memphis goes through southern states like Arkansas, Mississippi, where its better to stick to highways and not venture into too much of rural areas. As is, these states dont have many places of interest. Anyways, for a good part in Texas, you will be going through state highways covering the rural areas.

Nashville has a Nissan plant where you can take a quick plant tour if you reach there in time and if you are interested to see.

If religious places are of any interest, Nashville Ganesh temple is another place you can stop by. While temples are there in almost all major cities in US, this one is gaining a lot of popularity offlate

Between Nashville and Louisville, you will come across a city called Bowling Green which has a Corvette museum. This is a nice place to try. There was a sink hole in this museum where cars got buried. I dont know if they have covered it up now

After Bowling Green there is Mammoth Cave National Park which has the largest cave network in US. This is on the way to Louisville

In Louisville, there is a Ford assembling plant. But Louisville is more known as the birthplace of KFC and you can visit the Colonel Sanders(KFC) Museum here

Louisville is also the place of the famous Kentucky Derby

If you are willing to take a little diversion from Louisville towards east and try to do Louisville -> Lexington -> Cincinnati instead directly doing Louisville -> Cincinnati, in Lexington, which is considered the horse capital of US, you can try Kentucky Horse Park.
Near Lexington, there is a Toyota Camry plant(which is the only Camry plant outside Japan) in a place called Georgetown.
Infact the interstates I-65 and I-75 in these regions all the way till Detroit are known are automobile super highways for the number of assembling and manufacturing plants along these freeways.

In case, you take alternate route to Smoky Mountains, on the way from Smoky Mountains to Lexington, there is Cumberland falls which should have water now and is quite scenic

Pick from these places based on whatever suits your itinerary

General Tips

1. Keep more than one card which will work in US
2. Ensure you have sufficient cash, in case cards dont work
3. Keep 2 phones with 2 service providers and ensure that atleast one of them has sufficient data plan
4. Rental cars in US are mostly basic low end models of the brand. So unless you ask for a car which has GPS in it, you may not have it. If you take GPS separately, it will be charged extra on per day basis. If you are carrying phones with good data plans, then you can use your phone as the GPS
5. You can get good hotels at good rates along highways for overnight stays. Pls make sure you book ones with breakfast option so that you can optimize on time spent searching for the same. If you have a fluid plan, you dont need to book them in advance and can book as you go along the way. In such case, book hotels which are slightly away from cities to get better rates
6. Almost all cities in your route will have Indian restaurants, but unless someone local recommends a specific place or you are craving for Indian food, you can keep away from them and try the regular American restaurants. Never get into Chinese buffet places.
7. Driving in US, especially in the route you are going to travel, will be a breeze. Dont need to worry about it.
8. Exits from freeways at certain places can get pretty tricky, if you are not used to the exits in US. In case you miss an exit, dont panic. proceed forward and take the next exit and stop by at the nearest gas station and recalibrate your route. GMaps will automatically do it for you for the most part.
9. Since its summer time, it can get pretty hot there. Carry sunscreen lotions, in case you want to spend extended periods under the sun.
10. Watch out for the speed limits in different stretches of the freeways. Normally you can go at +10 over the speed limit without getting caught by cops. For 65MPH limit, you can go at around 75MPH without the risk of being caught. However in Texas they are a little more strict, so its better to stick to the limits.
11. Speed limits on the same freeway change from state to state. The Southern and Midwestern states have higher speed limits compared to the eastern states. For example, Tennesse allows for 70MPH - 75MPH limit on most sections of the freeways where as in Ohio its limited to 65MPH. Also apart from Texas, Ohio is one of the stricter states where people get ticketed for speeding violations. As a thumb rule, make sure your are around the stated speed limit or follow the traffic around you
10. Carry your passports and other documents which you prove your stay in US is legal
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Old 27th June 2019, 06:15   #4
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re: USA Road Trip: Houston to Detroit in 3-4 days

Enjoy your trip! I can't give any local POIs there, but any cross-country American trip is going to be quite an experience.
Quote:
Originally Posted by s4ch View Post

Any tips on hiring a car locally? How does insurance work? I have a full UK DL and have hired many cars in the UK using my own rental insurance but believe in the US it works slightly differently?
Try airport/city locations depending on your schedule. City locations are slightly cheaper but generally, work limited hours and might be closed on weekends.

Try Hertz, SixT, Enterprise, Alamo, National, etc. You can also rent using websites like Kayak.

For insurance, there are options for getting liability insurance supplement, collision damage waiver, roadside assistance, and personal accidents insurance. All are best bought from the rental company itself.

For CDW, you can check whether your credit card will cover the damages. Same with RSA.

For PAI, you can see if it overlaps with your medical insurance.

Quote:
Any tips on driving in the US in general? Driven in many other countries but never the US.
I'm sure you'll be able to drive easily. Just a few pointers:
1. Freeways can be boring, so make sure you stop every 90-120 minutes and get some exercise and coffee.
2. Speeding is generally not enforced. Although it is never recommended to go over 5-6 mph over the limit. You never know which car can be a cop car. In the event that you're stopped by the cops for whatever reason, pull over to the shoulder and put both your hands on the wheel.
3. Avoid rush hour in major cities- they are not fun. Generally 6am-9am and 3pm-7pm.
4. People are aggressive and there will be more than just a few tailgaters. Just allow them to pass when safe.
5. Just brush up on basic right-of-way rules.
6. Download offline maps- gmaps, sygic etc as coverage will be spotty in rural areas.

Last edited by landcruiser123 : 27th June 2019 at 06:18.
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Old 29th June 2019, 01:43   #5
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Re: USA Road Trip: Houston to Detroit in 3-4 days

Quote:
Originally Posted by s4ch View Post
[*]Any tips on hiring a car locally? How does insurance work? I have a full UK DL and have hired many cars in the UK using my own rental insurance but believe in the US it works slightly differently?
Are you working for a large company & visiting on business ? If so try your company's code (eg. CDP # for Hertz). You should get a CDW included quote. That is your best bet even if slightly costly.
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Old 29th June 2019, 03:52   #6
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Re: USA Road Trip: Houston to Detroit in 3-4 days

Quote:
Originally Posted by s4ch View Post
  1. Has anyone done a similar route before? Does the above itinerary look reasonable?
  1. Barring bad weather, this is easily doable. USA google map times are predictable. Only your stop time determines the actual time delay
    Quote:
  2. Any other recommended stops along the way? We prefer rural countryside and nature so happy to avoid the cities even if it means a little longer drive.
  3. Freeways pass through rural areas too but if you go off the freeway driving B roads your driving time could double. Stick to freeways and use Vista points for scenic viewpoints. Or use one day for slower driving. Choose the most scenic route on one day

    america has something called scenic byways
    https://scenicbyways.info/

    Also look at publiclands.org for more stuff

    Quote:
  4. Any tips on hiring a car locally? How does insurance work? I have a full UK DL and have hired many cars in the UK using my own rental insurance but believe in the US it works slightly differently?
  5. Any tips on driving in the US in general? Driven in many other countries but never the US.
When we rented privately we used our Indian license, and had to pay for the following

1. Car (about 20$/day for intermediate)
2. Liability third party (12-15$)
3. Collision damage waiver (10-20$ depending upon car)

It all depends on your budget. If you are on a tight budget, rent a hybrid even if its more expensive than a compact. If you can splurge, go for a mid size or specialty like a charger/Mustang.

Driving in USA is not too complicated and far simpler than anywhere in Europe. Just follow the traffic and use common sense. Read a state drivers handbook. And read up on unprotected left turns.
If anyone has any other pointers or recommendations we'd love to hear them.

Many thanks in advance for your help.[/quote]

Last edited by tsk1979 : 29th June 2019 at 03:53.
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Old 29th June 2019, 11:02   #7
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Re: USA Road Trip: Houston to Detroit in 3-4 days

Quote:
Originally Posted by s4ch View Post
...[*]Any tips on hiring a car locally? How does insurance work? I have a full UK DL and have hired many cars in the UK using my own rental insurance but believe in the US it works slightly differently?

If anyone has any other pointers or recommendations we'd love to hear them.

....
I will make my inputs quick.

1. Download Budget Car Rental (Ireland) app and get very competitive rates (50% less than website).

2. Google maps is reliable...except like the ones below (happened two days back), and you should have cellphone signals.

https://gizmodo.com/dozens-of-driver...goo-1835910269

Last edited by bsdbsd : 29th June 2019 at 11:05. Reason: Link wouldnt work
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Old 6th October 2019, 22:20   #8
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Re: USA Road Trip: Houston to Detroit in 3-4 days

Did this trip happen? Curious to know how it went and which route you took and how many days it took you?

Highest I have driven in a single day is 900 miles in 13 hours including all stops and as many said driving in US is pretty simple and relaxing as long as you follow all the rules
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Old 9th October 2019, 10:10   #9
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Re: USA Road Trip: Houston to Detroit in 3-4 days

Many thanks all for your responses. Really appreciate all the inputs and my apologies for responding.

Unfortunately though due to a last minute change of circumstances, we were unable to make the road trip from Houston to Detroit. We had to fly instead.

However we did drive from Detroit to Niagara Falls (the long US route through Columbus, Ohio, Pennsylvania and NY State.) It worked out to only about 400 miles one way, easily doable, but thoroughly enjoyable.

Ended up getting a Toyota Rav4 from Enterprise at DTW, brand new hardly 1000 miles on the clock, and it ate up the miles deliciously (2.5 litre, 4 cylinder, 16v, nice and juicy 200 odd bhp). Regarding insurance, I took the CDW, PAI etc from Enterprise directly and it cost about $20 a day total - very happy with their service. Was literally in and out of Enterprise in about 5-6 mins, probably the smoothest car rental I've ever had.

About timings on Google Maps etc, you were absolutely right. However I stuck to Waze, and it was pretty accurate 90% of the time with regards to road obstructions, stopped vehicles, police cars, cameras etc. Very impressed.

All in all, after covering about 2000 miles in total on this trip (both US and Canada), I can say that driving in the US is an absolute pleasure. True the quality of driving by others isn't as great as say the UK or Germany etc, however the infrastructure, roads, gas and food stops every other mile make for a brilliant experience.

Definitely going to plan for a longer trip next time, after getting a little taster now!

Many thanks again for all the inputs from you guys.
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Old 11th October 2019, 19:51   #10
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Re: USA Road Trip: Houston to Detroit in 3-4 days

Quote:
Originally Posted by s4ch View Post
However we did drive from Detroit to Niagara Falls (the long US route through Columbus, Ohio, Pennsylvania and NY State.) It worked out to only about 400 miles one way, easily doable, but thoroughly enjoyable.
Yeah, it's a nice drive on this stretch. I have done this route 4 times in the last 1 year and this route seems almost like home as I know most of the signage and exits on this route

How much time it took you to reach Buffalo/Niagara? 6-hours?

Quote:
Originally Posted by s4ch View Post
Ended up getting a Toyota Rav4 from Enterprise at DTW, brand new hardly 1000 miles on the clock, and it ate up the miles deliciously (2.5 litre, 4 cylinder, 16v, nice and juicy 200 odd bhp). Regarding insurance, I took the CDW, PAI etc from Enterprise directly and it cost about $20 a day total - very happy with their service. Was literally in and out of Enterprise in about 5-6 mins, probably the smoothest car rental I've ever had.
$20/Day I assume was only for insurance. How much did you pay in total per day for the Rav 4? Also, did you return it back in DTW?
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