Obviously, we'll see the Stones once more next year - this time in the USA. This year and last year, I was able to travel back home to Southern Germany after every Show - I guess, this won't work since Concorde doesnt't fly anymore ;-) So, depending on the schedule, I plan to go for some weeks to the US. My question is, what would you suggest for travelling from town to town (I guess between two shows are at least 3 free days): renting a car and meet some other places, flights, railway?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-11-06 14:12 by RollingStonesFan.

Quote
RollingStonesFan
Obviously, we'll see the Stones once more next year - this time in the USA. This year and last year, I was able to travel back home to Southern Germany after every Show - I guess, this won't work after Concorde doesnt't fly anymore ;-) So, depending on the schedule, I plan to go for some weeks to the US. My question is, what would you suggest for travelling from town to town (I guess between two shows are at least 3 free days): renting a car and meet some other places, flights, railway?

Not trains, many places don't have much of a passenger service. (Like where I live, we have many many many freight trains but no passenger trains.) So depending on time and distance, I'd suggest either renting a car, or checking out some of the cheaper airlines like Spirit and Southwest (though they don't operate everywhere.) Personally, I'd rent a car, but not everybody likes long distance driving.

Edit: There's always Greyhound buses, too, though it's quicker to drive yourself.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-11-06 09:45 by Aquamarine.

Greyhound is an option. I did it to Vegas in 2016.

longer distances => fly
mid distances => drive
short distances => on the east coast take a train / anywhere else: drive or greyhound (not the best solution)
very short distances => walk!

never rely on public transportion outside the very big (East coast) cities

and – by the way - never expect European (especially not German (except for Berlin of course)) standards on public transport in the US



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-11-06 11:59 by slewan.

Just remember the size of the goddam place lol
I remember being shocked that NYC to Phoenix Arizona was a 5 hour flight.
And regretting flying Phoenix to Las Vegas when driving might have been more fun!

Never fly on the same day as the concert. The airlines are very unpredictable as many of the planes are outdated and routinely run into maintenance issues.

I think it matters very much what cities you mean exactly. The US is way big.
So some hops might be best done on a plane. Others driving. I'd say forget about trains except for a few jumps on the East Coast.
Personally I love driving in a car. Especially a good rental SUV that has some of the classy trappings, and that you can push to the max. You really get to experience many incredible sights. With the music blasting, and a good partner along.
But there are some trips where IMO it is just a flat out drag to drive. Lots of East Coast is one long snarl of traffic. Or...what are you really going to see in Milwaukee? Some medium sized trips are notoriously boring: Savannah - Atlanta is lethal. Day or night it has got to be the dullest drive ever.

Beware of low cost airlines like Spirit. The fees that get attached by Spirit in using it will more than offset that low cost fare.

If you were going to see shows between cities in the southwest/west such as Phoenix and Vegas, rent a car and drive. There's some beautiful country between the two to be seen. East of Vegas is the Grand Canyon. If you have the time, it's a sight not to be missed. Death Valley is to the west of Vegas. Also an interesting place to see. If you were going to shows in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the drive along the Pacific Coast highway is spectacular. And, in the San Francisco area, there's always the Napa and Sonoma valleys (wine country) to be explored, not to mention the redwood forests north of San Fran.

On the easy coast, if there are shows in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, base yourself in D-C and rent a car to drive to Philly. There's all kinds of things to do and see in Washington. Also lots to see in Philly, but D-C, IMO, is the better to tour if you are visiting. If you're going to a show in New York City and can afford it, stay in Manhattan and take in NYC.

As for the south, if the Stones were to do a show in New Orleans, stay there and enjoy the food, the old homes in the Garden District, etc.

The United States is a big place. I've driven across it a few times along with driving around various areas while visiting family and friends. There's some really great places to see if you look off the beaten path.

Quote
Palace Revolution 2000
I think it matters very much what cities you mean exactly. The US is way big.
So some hops might be best done on a plane. Others driving. I'd say forget about trains except for a few jumps on the East Coast.
Personally I love driving in a car. Especially a good rental SUV that has some of the classy trappings, and that you can push to the max. You really get to experience many incredible sights. With the music blasting, and a good partner along.
But there are some trips where IMO it is just a flat out drag to drive. Lots of East Coast is one long snarl of traffic. Or...what are you really going to see in Milwaukee? Some medium sized trips are notoriously boring: Savannah - Atlanta is lethal. Day or night it has got to be the dullest drive ever.

I agree with this post. Roll the windows down! Avoid rush hour traffic around Metro cities and upon return don't forget to take your CDs out of the rental car. Unfortunately - I know this potential error first hand. Also, beware of toll road costs. I'm not sure if they have multi-state toll passes these days. The technology is here but I simply do not know.

Yes indeed, travel around the US is a whole different ball game from this comparatively piddling little island (UK), where even the longest distances can be done by land the same day or a short flight of an hour or so.
I've been over there just once (Licks Tour) and even the relatively short trip from Boston to Toronto took 15 hours (via Syracuse/Buffalo) on the Greyhound! Was good to see some US countryside though.

If I do make it over there, I'd like to travel by land if I can just to see the place so thanks to all for info so far. Some particular land journeys sound grim though.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2018-11-06 17:19 by grzegorz67.

I recommend using Alamo Rental Car agency. Usually the best deal .... especially with weekend rates ..... although the prices fluctuate depending on the exact date you make the reservation.

The second choice would be Budget Rental Car.

Direct through their respective official web-sites or over the phone.

Amtrak Train service is great, and while it doesn't have stops everywhere, many of the BIG cities are covered.
Here is a full list of all their major destinations, and their are thousands of stops in between each of them.
AMTRAK

And here is a link to a pdf. map where you can zoom in to see all stops.
AMTRAK Map
(The red lines are actual train routes, and the green lines are connecting services which could be buses, etc.)

And here is a map of Long Distance Train routes, and as you can see the country is pretty well covered:



I took a one-way train from L.A. to Houston during the Licks tour just for the experience, and paid extra for a sleeper of my own. It left L.A. at around 10:00PM and arrived in Houston apprx. 35 hours later - an all around fantastic experience! From Houston, took a 1.5 hour flight up to Oklahoma City to see the Stones, then another 3 hour flight to Phoenix for another show, and finally back to L.A. Several road trips in my car between home, Vegas, and Northern California, and it was an ultimate Stones tour experience. And then I went to Europe in the summer of '03....

All that being said, renting a car and making your way around the US would be fun - all depending on how far apart the destinations are, and time constraints.
Maybe you can do a combo of planes, trains, and automobiles...and buses!

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

car, train, plain, rocket, whatever what fits that day

Life's just a cocktail party on the street

Quote
Winning Ugly VXII
I recommend using Alamo Rental Car agency. Usually the best deal .... especially with weekend rates ..... although the prices fluctuate depending on the exact date you make the reservation.

The second choice would be Budget Rental Car.

Direct through their respective official web-sites or over the phone.

I agree with that.

Had a fantastic customer experience with both of them recently. We rented a vehicle from Alamo, and a few hours into it we noticed a very tiny crack in the windshield. An hour or so later, it had gotten bigger. We called Alamo, and since they didn't have an office near where we were staying, they said we could swap the car at the nearest Budget office (the two companies have an agreement)

The transition couldn't have been easier (or faster).

Both outfits are great.

There are some newer bus services such as Megabus. If you are considering buses, you might want to check them out as an alternative to Greyhound (though they cover fewer cities).

I am thrilled to hear news of an American Tour next Spring HOWEVER, WHY does it have to be mainly STADIUMS? The sound is not great, chance of bad weather, harder to see the entire stage...just mainly for the youngsters! How about adding a few arenas like TD-Bank in Boston instead of FOXBORO which is a logistical nightmare! MSG should be a definite! How about 3 shows carefully spaced out there!? I sure hope they're not thinking of Giants Stadium! When do you all think we'll see the REAL itinerary? Living in Massachusetts, it sure is great to hear they may be concentrating on our East Coast....please tell the BOYS to do a few ARENAS!

Greyhound can be useful, and maybe less expensive than a train (?) though it's been decades since I've been on one.
But whenever I think of Greyhound these days, I'm reminded of the movie Midnight Cowboy and the bus scene where Ratso pisses in his pants on the way to Florida.
Sad ending to that movie....

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Quote
marianna
There are some newer bus services such as Megabus. If you are considering buses, you might want to check them out as an alternative to Greyhound (though they cover fewer cities).

Megabus! I know them well. They’re a Scottish Company and I used them for various journeys in the tour just ended. Dirt cheap if you book far in advance.

Quote
Hairball
Amtrak Train service is great, and while it doesn't have stops everywhere, many of the BIG cities are covered.
Here is a full list of all their major destinations, and their are thousands of stops in between each of them.
AMTRAK

And here is a link to a pdf. map where you can zoom in to see all stops.
AMTRAK Map
(The red lines are actual train routes, and the green lines are connecting services which could be buses, etc.)

And here is a map of Long Distance Train routes, and as you can see the country is pretty well covered:



I took a one-way train from L.A. to Houston during the Licks tour just for the experience, and paid extra for a sleeper of my own. It left L.A. at around 10:00PM and arrived in Houston apprx. 35 hours later - an all around fantastic experience! From Houston, took a 1.5 hour flight up to Oklahoma City to see the Stones, then another 3 hour flight to Phoenix for another show, and finally back to L.A. Several road trips in my car between home, Vegas, and Northern California, and it was an ultimate Stones tour experience. And then I went to Europe in the summer of '03....

All that being said, renting a car and making your way around the US would be fun - all depending on how far apart the destinations are, and time constraints.
Maybe you can do a combo of planes, trains, and automobiles...and buses!

Hairball, you nailed it with this map. Thank you.

Seeing that Amtrak is noted here, there's a stop along the Amtrak system in, of all places, Winslow, Arizona. Amtrak does passenger service to the La Posada Hotel in Winslow. La Posada is a beautifully restored hotel from the glory days of rail travel. I've stayed there and recommend it. The link for it is below.

If you wanted to take in the American southwest of northern Arizona, southern Utah , eastern Nevada, its a great place to base yourself. Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon are to the west of Winslow, with the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert to the east. Monument Valley is a few hours drive drive to the north, along with Canyon de Chelly. If the Stones are in Vegas and Phoenix, both are a few hours drive from Winslow. If you're into trains, La Posada is right by the tracks so you get trains coming and going 24/7.

As for Winslow, you do the tourist thing in the town proper: You pull up to the Standing On A Corner (Eagles song) statue, have your picture taken by someone or yourself, hop back in the car and keep heading west or east to your destination. There is nothing much else to see or do in Winslow.

[laposada.org]