Coast to coast is a dream pursued by U.S. fans and travelers who love the «on the road» style of travel. American cinema has also made this kind of travel synonymous with freedom and rebellion. But what is coast to coast?
Literally meaning coast to coast, in the specific case of the United States it means traveling a route from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast or vice versa.

The road many people choose to take to cross the U.S. is the legendary Route 66, one of the first federal highways opened in 1926. It originally connected Chicago to Santa Monica Beach through the states of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The total length of the road was about 3,700 miles. Nowadays the road has been replaced by new highways but can be found on road maps as «Historic Route 66.»

Given the length of this legendary road, if you plan to travel it all, it is a good idea to already have in mind the stops where you will want to stop, where to sleep, and how to get around.

The first thing to consider is the time you have available: to give you an idea, if you have 10 days, on average the daily mileage is about 370km, 15 days 247 km or with 20 days 185 km but remember that between one town and another you have to grind a lot of km. As you can see, the weather can determine the type of travel that can be «hard core» or definitely more relaxing, it all depends on what you want.

The medium to be used is another key part of planning that deeply affects the budget but fortunately as varied are the possibilities as wide is the «range» of costs associated with your choices.

If you plan to transport your vehicle (motorcycle or car) from Italy, the price of transportation is very high, also, many are the documents to be prepared, the vehicle has to be packed, emptied of gasoline and oil, and then picked up at storage warehouses in New York or Los Angeles. A word of advice: this option is worth it only if you are a large group, then the price of such a service becomes acceptable.

The more «painless» option is to rent the vehicle, the availability is wide and can meet every need given the wide availability of U.S.-made vehicles.

Another option for the more courageous is to buy the vehicle and then resell it at the end of the trip: you will never be mathematically certain of finding a «buyer,» but this risk could offer you the chance to travel for free and if you resell it at the price you bought it, you will have spent nothing!

Where to stay is perhaps the easiest thing to plan, many in fact are the hotels, motels (some with historical backgrounds) and hostels along the way. The cost of lodging can cut deeply into the total expense of this trip, but with proper preparation you can sleep comfortably while spending the right amount.

In future articles we will dwell on each of the above-mentioned points, for now I sincerely wish you all the best in turning your every dream into reality.