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by Sharyn McCullum | Last updated Jul 8, 2023 | Itineraries , Live Work Play Travel , USA Live Work Play
Thanks to a car-friendly culture and an unrivalled network of highways, taking a road trip across America is very appealing. And if you are looking for inspiration for a USA road trip look no further. Based on my own American travels I have put together this 1 month USA road trip itinerary taking you to many of the best bits of America. Of course you can’t go everywhere in one month, but we give it a good try on this road trip in America.
Table of Contents
This great American road trip starts in New York and ends in San Francisco. Of course, you can do the trip in reverse or even deviate. This itinerary is a driving itinerary of the USA so you will need a car. A car or a van. If you don’t have one you can rent one, get availability and a great rate here . If you aren’t taking your accommodation with you, you will need to find accommodation at each nightly stop. Either walk in to a motel when you have pulled into town or book in advance. I always use Booking.com when pre-booking accommodation. When searching for accommodation it shows me what accommodation is available, if it is available and the price.
Unfortunately, we can’t visit every state on this road trip, but this road trip is a good start. It includes visits to many cities as you cross the USA from coast to coast. There are many routes you could take across the USA, I hope you enjoy this one.
Days 1-3 – New York 4 – driving to Washington 5-6 – Washington 7 – driving to Chicago 8-10 – Chicago 11-20 – Route 66 – Chicago to Santa Monica 21-23 – Los Angeles 24-26 – driving to San Francisco 27-29 – San Francisco
Times Square, New York
New York is home to over eight million people and is where this one month USA road trip itinerary begins. There is so much to see and do here in New York to make the time to see as much as you can. After settling in to your accommodation, start making the most of your time in New York. I hope you’ve brought a good pair of walking shoes!
Hostel : Jazz on the Park Youth Hostel Budget Hotel : Bowery Grand Hotel Mid-range Hotel : Courtyard by Marriott Times Square West Splurge Hotel: Hyatt Grand Central New York
For more ideas of things to see and do in New York City, here’s my suggested New York itinerary .
Abraham Lincoln in the memorial
Distance: Washington is around 204 miles (329 km) from New York City and should take around four and a half hours to drive. Washington, DC, is the capital of the USA. There are plenty of iconic buildings to visit here.
Hostel : DC International Hostel 2 Budget : The Westin Washington DC Mid-range Hotel : Washington Plaza Hotel Splurge Hotel : Sofitel Lafayette Hotel
Distance : Chicago is a long drive from Washington. Some 700 miles (1126 km) which will take anywhere up to 11-12 hours to undertake, depending on stops you make. You may want to even stop in Pittsburg for a day or so.
When in Chicago eating Deep Pan Pizza is a must!
Welcome to the Windy City – Chicago. Why is it called the windy city? Two reasons. First because of strong winds that can hit the city plus, it was believed a lot of people were full of wind! Find out for yourself!
Hostel : Hi Chicago Hostel Budget : Gateway Inn Mid-range Hotel : Congress Plaza Hotel Chicago Splurge Hotel : Viceroy Chicago
Start your drive along Route 66 at the sign on the northwest corner of Adams Street and Michigan Avenue. Why not get a photo if you can to commemorate the beginning of this 1 month USA road trip journey.
Route 66 is one of the world’s most iconic drives. It starts in Chicago and ends at Santa Monica Pier in California. Travelling some 2200 miles, if you drive direct it would take a couple of days. On this 1 month USA road trip, I have budgeted 10 days for the drive where you will take in some of the best things in the USA to see along the way. Head over to my post The Best Things to See and Do on Route 66 for this part of the road trip USA itinerary. Starting in Chicago, Illinois you will travel across 8 states. Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona before arriving in California and the end of the road at Santa Monica Pier.
There is plenty to see along Route 66 and you can deviate off the road to visit iconic places like the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.
See Disneyland Castle in Disneyland, Anaheim, Los Angeles
Route 66 ends at Santa Monica Pier in California. You could stay here and use it as your base to discover Los Angeles .
Hostel : Samesun Hollywood Budget Hotel : Metro Plaza Hotel Mid-range Hotel : Tuscon Garden Inn Splurge Hotel : Beverly Whilshire
Bixby Creek Bridge
The drive between Los Angeles and San Francisco along the Pacific Coast Highway is approximately 445 miles (716 km) long. If you were to drive directly without deviating you could complete the drive in about nine hours. However, there is plenty to see along this scenic drive and I have budgeted 3 days to drive it. Places to stop along the Pacific Coast Highway could include:
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Ah, San Francisco, famous for its cable cars, Golden Gate Bridge and great restaurants. A stay of a few days is a must.
Hostel : Hi San Francisco Downtown Hostel Budget Hotel : Hotel Amari Mid-range Hotel : Queen Anne Splurge Hotel : The Ritz Carlton, San Francisco
Where to next? What about 1 month in Hawaiian Island Hopping ?
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✈️ Need a cheap and flexible airfare – head to Skyscanner .
🚙 Car Rental – search and compare vehicles at DiscoverCars .
🚆 Train Travel: I love riding the rails. For a rail pass in Europe head to Raileurope . And Japan has a great one too – JapanRail Pass .
🚌 Travelling by bus is often the cheapest way to travel. Compare and get a ticket or a pass at Busbud .
🏃🏻♀️ Jump-the-queue entrance tickets and day tours: I book these through GetYourGuide .
🌏 How to pick a country to live and work abroad in? Check out my Working Holiday Visa Country Guides and Digital Nomad Visa Country Guides to see where you can live work play travel abroad.
🚑 Should you buy travel insurance? Absolutely Yes! SafetyWing is great digital nomads and long-term travellers and World Normads has policies for general and adventure travel.
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Sharyn McCullum – Travel Writer / Blogger, Remote On-line Worker, sometime Digital Nomad and Travel, Live and Work Abroad Expert. Is a chocoholic, coffee connoisseur and lover of ’80s music. Been travelling all her life thanks to her dad who worked for an airline. Lived in London 4 years on a working holiday. Has holidayed in Hawaii over 15 times and currently calls Melbourne, Australia home. Is inspiring others to live work play travel around the world with this blog. Read more about Sharyn here.
I would love to do this trip one day. You have given great tips to do this one month and I wish I had this years ago when I was over there. Thanks for sharing.
We have done quite a few road trips in the US but usually take the route more north than you followed. We would love to follow Route 66 all the way from Chicago to Santa Monica. I love that you planned long enough stops in key places to get to enjoy them along the way.
Clever idea..you’ve chosen some great spots.. but I wish there was more time for the Midwest!
What an epic trip! I have never driven a fraction of this distance before, but at least you split it up with loooads of time for exploring and adventures. It sounds fab!
Great road trip ideas! We would love to take some time and really explore the US more. There are so many stops and detours that you can see along Route 66. It should be a fun trip.
I think 1 month should be the minimum amount of time to explore the USA. But not everyone gets that much holiday time! So you can only visit what you can in the timeframe you have.
Thanks a ton for sharing these awesome safety tips! Your post is like a travel buddy, guiding us through the must-knows for a safe adventure. I love how you make things simple, highlighting the prep and being aware of our surroundings – things we might forget in the excitement!
I’m so happy to sharing this with my limousine transportation team! Your post made safety sound less like a lecture and more like chatting with a friend who’s got your back. Can’t wait for more tips from you – keep it up!”
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Exclusive pelorus private island opens on the great barrier reef.
The setting of Pelorus Private Island in Australia's North Queensland
In order to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, you only have to step off the sandy, coral beach. Arrival is only by helicopter or private yacht. And once there, you’re the only residents on this 988 acre island. Pelorus Private Island is the most secluded and exclusive island in Australia’s North Queensland; it opened for bookings last month.
The project began when Australian billionaire Chris Morris , founder of the financial technology company Computershare and founder/Executive Chairman of the $272 million hospitality company Morris Group, saw that there was a growing market of guests booking out the group’s Orpheus Island Lodge for private use with their friends and family. That was in line with a trend he’d seen for high net worth travelers seeking ultra luxury experiences. He acquired Pelorus in 2017 and started the development process two years ago.
The deck of the infinity pool
“Pelorus Private Island caters to guests very similar to those that enjoy the group’s superyachts on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and the Mediterranean,” explains Morris. “They are seeking the ultimate in privacy and seclusion, as well as an experience uniquely designed to their bespoke needs, very similar to the guests of the group’s superyacht business. Up until now, this was the missing gap in Morris Group’s portfolio, which also includes Morris Aviation, offering helicopter transfer and tours to the group’s guests and a recently added private jet.”
One of the five suites within the residence.
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The four main suites (a fifth suite is designed for accompanying staff) are designed in contemporary lines with natural materials-whitewashed hardwood timber, limestone, quartzite-and decorated with handmade furniture and linen fabrics. They measure 560 square feet with 258 square foot terraces all facing the Coral Sea. Elsewhere in the residence are open, light filled lounges, a dining area and an open kitchen to observe what chef Grant Logan, a veteran of high level Cape Town restaurants and superyachts, is creating from seafood brought in by local fisherman and other native ingredients. Key presentations include an Australian barbeque of local reef-caught fish such as Coral Trout, Red Emperor or Giant Trevally or freshly caught Northern Bluefin Tuna prepared sashimi-style. But given his superyacht experience, Logan is used to providing whatever guests request.
Cruising the Palm Island archipelago and the coral underneath.
Central to the appeal of Pelorus, though, according to Morris, is the range of experiences available to guests, which can be coordinated by an activities manager. They can start the day with sunrise beach yoga and a swim in the solar heated pool. Invariably, they then snorkel or dive the diverse Palm Island archipelago including a visit to the Museum of Underwater Art in which art installations have been placed on the sea floor alongside the coral,. Other activities include fishing the reef, cruising the archipelago on guided tours of the sandy cays and pristine wilderness or exploring the sea with jet skis, kayaks or paddleboards. Guests can also cruise over to Hinchinbrook Island, Australia’s largest island National Park, for hiking through dense rainforest, home to an array of flora and wildlife, to cascading waterfalls.
Mulligan Falls on Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland, Australia.
Protecting the surroundings and minimizing environmental impact is a major element of this project, from the all-solar operation of the residence providing a self-sustainable energy supply to a fund to help preserve the reef. The Reef Keepers Fund, created by Morris Group, supports organizations working to safeguard the reef including the Forever Reef Project , an initiative to collect living specimens of the world's coral species and preserve them in a living ‘coral ark’. The area near Pelorus Private Island was selected due to the diversity in species of coral. The same coral which guests of the island can freely observe.
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