The Ultimate 1 Month USA Road Trip Itinerary

Last Updated on 14th September 2023

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Planning to spend one month in America or just looking for the best US road trip ideas? I’ve got just the post for you! Check out this ultimate 1 month USA road trip itinerary from California to Texas!

This 1 month USA road trip itinerary takes you on an exciting journey from San Francisco, via Los Angeles and Las Vegas, into Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico before concluding in Austin, Texas!

This American road trip route is inspired by the many iconic road trip itineraries that Original Travel has to offer, as well as by the numerous road trips I’ve enjoyed in the USA so far.

Please note that this 1 month USA road trip itinerary isn’t exhaustive as it only includes some of my favourite destinations from California to Texas. For a much more comprehensive American road trip route, check out my 3-month itinerary. I will also be writing a USA road trip guide to the East Coast of America soon as well, so keep an eye out for that!

Top tours and attractions to experience on a 1 month USA road trip

1 month USA road trip map

1 month USA road trip itinerary route map

I’ve calculated that this itinerary includes approximately 58 hours of driving time (without traffic and without any stops), from San Francisco, California all the way to Austin, Texas. No driving route should be longer than 8 hours in one day and you should definitely break up the journey by stopping every couple of hours.

I’ve also included stops at some of my favourite US National Parks, such as Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon. I’ve allocated just one day in most of these national parks, but you could easily spend longer if you want to extend this itinerary.

Based on my 1 month USA road trip itinerary below, I’ve allotted 28 days from San Francisco to Austin, but you can definitely remove some stops if you want to drive for longer stretches at a time and it’s also possible to add in a few extra stops along the way in places such as San Diego, Salt Lake City, Monument Valley and more.

1 month USA road trip itinerary summary

San Francisco – 3 days
Yosemite National Park – 1 day
Los Angeles – 3 days
Joshua Tree National Park – 1 day
Las Vegas – 3 days
Grand Canyon National Park – 2 days
Zion National Park – 1 day
Bryce Canyon National Park – 1 day
Dead Horse Point State Park – 1 day
Arches National Park – 1 day
Glenwood Springs – 1 day
Colorado Springs – 2 day
Santa Fe – 1 day
Albuquerque – 1 day
Roswell – 1 day
Dallas – 2 days
Austin – 3 days

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The Ultimate 1 Month USA Road Trip Itinerary - California To Texas

San Francisco – 3 days

Best things to do/see in San Francisco on a 1 month USA road trip

This 1 month West Coast road trip across the USA starts in one of my favourite US cities; San Francisco.

Known for its iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the infamous Alcatraz Island and its seemingly never-ending steep streets, San Francisco is a great place to begin your 1 month USA itinerary as it’s a city that’s full of life and plenty of awesome things to do.

Best things to do/see in San Francisco on a 1 month USA road trip

Tour Alcatraz Island
See the iconic Golden Gate Bridge
Explore Fisherman’s Wharf and see the sea lions on Pier 39
Ride the iconic cable cars
Admire Lombard Street

Where to stay in San Francisco

I will preface the accommodation recommendation section of each place on this cross-country road trip itinerary by saying that we (usually) stayed in the cheapest place, while still trying to find the best-rated accommodation.

Hotels in America are pretty expensive, so a vast amount of your road trip budget will be allocated to your accommodation.

We spent 3 nights in San Francisco on our American road trip and we stayed at the Alpha Inn & Suites. As with most of the hotels I’ll recommend on this itinerary, Alpha Inn & Suites is a super basic hotel, but it’s in a pretty good location, not too far from popular sights such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Lombard Street.

How to get to San Francisco

If you’re travelling from overseas (or from anywhere else in the US), you can fly into San Francisco International Airport from most major airports in the world.

Once you arrive in San Francisco, you can collect a rental car from the airport itself. For our 3-month road trip across America, we hired a car from Budget Rentals and paid around £1,000 ($1,300) for 28 days which was the cheapest car rental we could find at the time in February 2022.

Yosemite National Park – 1 day

Yosemite is one of the most famous national parks in America and it was one of my absolute favourite destinations during our USA road trip so it definitely deserves a place on this itinerary.

Located in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, Yosemite National Park is less than four hours away from San Francisco and while it is a slight detour away from Los Angeles, it’s 100% worth visiting.

Best things to do/see in Yosemite NP on a 1 month USA road trip itinerary

Tunnel View
El Capitan (The Dawn Wall)
Yosemite Falls
Bridalveil Fall
Half Dome

If you don’t fancy visiting Yosemite on your own and would prefer to take a tour there from San Francisco, there are plenty of day trips that you can book that will take you around some of the best spots in the national park.

Where to stay in Yosemite National Park

While it is possible to stay in/very near Yosemite National Park, we decided against doing so as it was much more expensive to stay inside the national park.

Instead, we opted to stay in the nearby city of Merced, known as the “Gateway to Yosemite”, which is around a 1-2 hour drive into the heart of the National Park. We stayed at the Days Inn Merced/Yosemite Area and paid £78 a night at the time of our visit in March 2022.

If you’d prefer to stay in the heart of Yosemite, but don’t feel like camping, I’d recommend checking out Yosemite Riverside Inn or Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, both of which are in great locations for exploring the National Park and relatively reasonably priced at less than £100 a night.

Driving time from San Francisco

It takes between three and three and a half hours to drive from San Francisco into the heart of Yosemite NP. If you want to spend the night in Merced and then travel into Yosemite the following day, it will take you just over two hours to drive from San Fran.

Los Angeles – 3 days

Three days should give you enough time to experience the exciting city of Los Angeles, although you could definitely spend longer if you wanted to.

Los Angeles is a huge city, with so many things to see and do, and it can feel a little overwhelming at times, but it is very much worth adding to your 1 month USA road trip itinerary as it’s one of the most famous and iconic cities in America!

Best things to do/see in LA on a 1 month USA road trip itinerary

Griffith Observatory
Hollywood Walk of Fame/Hollywood Sign
Santa Monica Pier
Universal Studios Hollywood
Venice Beach

Where to stay in Los Angeles

We stayed at the Park Cienega Motel for four nights on our United States road trip as it was one of the cheapest options at the time at £72.50 a night.

The motel itself was fine and I would recommend it as a place to stay in LA if you want to keep your road trip budget as low as possible, but it was a little far away from most of the top sights in the city, so you will have to drive everywhere.

Driving time from Yosemite National Park

It takes between four and a half hours and five hours to drive from Yosemite National Park to Los Angeles. If you want to break the journey up, I’d recommend stopping in Sequoia National Forest along the way. You could also divert off the main road slightly and drive along the coast to Santa Barbara and Santa Monica on your way into LA.

Joshua Tree National Park – 1 day

As I mentioned at the start of this 1 month USA road trip itinerary, you can definitely spend more time in each place than I have allocated for, but I’ve created this itinerary based on my own personal experiences of road-tripping across America, so I know that all these places can be enjoyed in the allocated time as well.

Joshua Tree National Park is such a fascinating place to add to your America road trip itinerary as it’s a completely otherworldly place. It’s not too far from LA or Las Vegas, so it’s also a great place to stop in between these iconic cities to break the journey up.

Best things to do/see in Joshua Tree National Park on a 1 month USA road trip

Skull Rock Trail
Keys View
Hidden Valley Nature Trailhead
Arch Rock Nature Trail
Heart Rock

Where to stay in Joshua Tree National Park

We stayed right on the edge of Joshua Tree in Yucca Valley at the Super 8 by Wyndham and we paid £61 for one night in March 2022. As with most hotels that we stayed in, it was a super basic motel-style place, but it was ideal for what we needed for one night.

Driving time from LA

From Los Angeles, it should take less than two hours to drive to Joshua Tree National Park, so you don’t have to worry about a long and strenuous drive.

Las Vegas – 3 days

I think Las Vegas is very much a “love it or hate it” kind of city, so you don’t have to include it on your USA road trip itinerary if it’s not for you.

I personally very much enjoyed the sights and attractions of Las Vegas as it’s unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been. However, I don’t think I could spend longer than 3-4 days there and I actually think that’s just the right amount of time to experience the casinos, The Strip and the many other fascinating allurements of Vegas!

Best things to do/see in Las Vegas on a 1 month USA road trip itinerary

Night Helicopter Flight over Las Vegas Strip
Check out Fremont Street
STRAT Tower Observation Deck
See the iconic hotels such as The Bellagio, The Venetian and Caesars Palace
Visit the Hoover Dam

Where to stay in Las Vegas

The hotel we stayed at in Las Vegas was easily the nicest place we stayed on our entire USA road trip and it was also actually one of the cheapest!

We spent three nights at the SAHARA Las Vegas at the end of February 2022 for Matt’s birthday and paid just over £65 a night, which I thought was incredibly reasonable for a hotel on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip!

The room was absolutely beautiful with a fantastic view of the STRAT and I would definitely stay there again and happily recommend it to you for your 4 week road trip across America.

Driving time from Joshua Tree

It can take between three and four hours to drive from Joshua Tree to Las Vegas as the traffic can be super busy as you approach Sin City.

Grand Canyon National Park – 2 days

What to do at Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon is another one of the most famous and iconic places in the United States and you could easily spend a whole week in the national park area and still not see everything!

For this particular Western USA road trip itinerary, I’ve allocated two days to explore the Grand Canyon, but you could easily spend more or less, depending on the kind of road trip experience you want to enjoy.

Best things to do/see in Grand Canyon on a 1 month USA road trip itinerary

Mather Point
Desert View Watchtower
Bright Angel Point
Hopi Point
Grandview Point

If you don’t want to explore the Grand Canyon on your own, there are many tours to choose from that will take you to the best spots in the national park.

Where to stay in Grand Canyon National Park

We stayed at the Travelers Inn in Flagstaff, Arizona before heading into the Grand Canyon National Park the following day.

After exploring the Grand Canyon, we spent the night at Rodeway Inn & Suites in Big Water (and paid just £28 for one night which was by far the cheapest place we stayed during our USA road trip!). You can also stay inside the actual national park at places such as the Best Western Squire Resort or the Grand Canyon Inn and Motel – South Rim Entrance.

Driving time from Las Vegas

It takes around four and a half hours to drive from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon, so unless you want to set off super early in the morning, I would recommend allocating two days to exploring the infamous Canyon.

Zion National Park – 1 day

From Big Water, Utah, it’s just an hour and a half drive to one of my favourite places on this 1 month USA road trip itinerary; Zion National Park.

Utah is probably my favourite state in America (so far!) as there’s such an unfathomable amount of beauty to enjoy. I didn’t realise just how many incredible national parks Utah had, but I would love to go back and explore even more of them as it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been!

If you have time on your road trip itinerary, you can also visit various sights such as Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend on your way to Zion National Park from the Grand Canyon.

Best things to do/see in Zion National Park on a 1 month USA road trip itinerary

Observation Point (this is truly breathtaking!)
Angels Landing
The Narrows
Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
Canyon Overlook Trail

Where to stay in Zion National Park

Panguitch is a tiny town located just over an hour from Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, so we spent the night at the Color Country Motel after visiting both national parks.

If you want to spend longer in both parks, I would recommend extending your stay a little longer or booking another motel in between so that you can easily explore this wonderful part of Utah.

Driving time from the Grand Canyon

The drive from the Grand Canyon to Zion National Park takes just over four hours and the drive from Big Water (where you can stay in after visiting the Grand Canyon and before visiting Zion) take around one and a half hours.

Bryce Canyon National Park – 1 day

Best things to do/see in Bryce Canyon National Park

I’d only ever seen bright orange/red rock pictures of Bryce Canyon National Park, so when we visited on our American road trip in February 2022, I couldn’t believe that so much of the rock was covered in snow!

It’s yet another one of my favourite national parks in America and it’s definitely worth adding to your road trip itinerary as you travel through Utah.

Best things to do/see in Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Point
Sunrise Point
Sunset Point
Lower Inspiration Point
Navajo Loop Trail

Driving time from Zion National Park

Despite looking fairly close together, it actually takes almost two hours to drive from Zion National Park to Bryce Canyon as you have to go all through the winding mountains and around the giant canyons.

If you spend the night in Panguitch after visiting Zion National Park, it’s only half an hour’s drive from there into Bryce Canyon.

Dead Horse Point State Park – 1 day

Best things to do/see in Dead Horse Point

Dead Horse Point State Park was originally recommended to me by my good friend Nele, who said that it was one of her favourite places in the US and that it somewhat rivalled the Grand Canyon!

After spending the day at Dead Horse Point State Park on our US road trip, I can safely say that it does have some resemblance to the iconic Grand Canyon, only it was much quieter, but arguably just as impressive!

Best things to do/see in Dead Horse Point State Park on a 1 month USA road trip

West Rim Trail
Rim Overlook
Shafer Canyon Overlook
Big Horn Overlook
Dead Horse Point Overlook

Where to stay in Dead Horse Point State Park

After spending the afternoon at Dead Horse Point State Park, I’d recommend driving to the Inca Inn and Motel in Moab, which is located just half an hour away from the state park. You can spend the night here before heading to Arches National Park bright and early the following morning.

Driving time from the Bryce Canyon/ Panguitch

If you stay in Panguitch after spending the day/s at Zion and Bryce Canyon, it’s a four-and-a-half-hour drive to Dead Horse Point State Park. You don’t necessarily need an entire day here (although you absolutely can spend the whole day there if you want to see as much as possible!), so I’d recommend leaving Panguitch fairly early and aiming to get to Dead Horse Point State Park around lunchtime.

Arches National Park – 1 day

Arches NP 1 month USA road trip itinerary

Arches National Park is another one of my favourite national parks in America and you could easily spend more than one day exploring its incredible beauty.

I’d seen plenty of pictures of the renowned arches inside the national park over the years, but nothing could prepare me for just how overwhelmingly beautiful and astonishing it was in real life!

Arches National Park definitely needs to be added to your West Coast USA road trip itinerary!

Best things to do/see in Arches National Park on a 1 month USA road trip

Double Arch
Balanced Rock
La Sal Mountains Viewpoint
Delicate Arch viewpoints
Skyline Arch

Where to stay in Arches National Park

I would recommend spending an extra night in Moab at the Inca Inn and Motel as it’s another three-hour drive to get to the next stop on this 1 month USA road trip itinerary (Glenwood Springs) and I think it’s worth dedicating an entire day to Arches NP as there’s so much to see and do.

Driving time from Dead Horse State Park/Moab

The start of Arches National Park is just a 7-minute drive from Moab (where I would recommend spending two nights), so you really don’t have very far to travel at all!

Glenwood Springs – 1 day

Glenwood Springs is a great place to add to your West US road trip itinerary as it breaks up the long journey between Moab and Colorado Springs and it also allows you to explore another place in the state of Colorado.

We visited Glenwood Springs in the height of winter when the road conditions were super icy and snowy. We originally planned to stay in Aspen which is less than an hour’s drive from Glenwood Springs, but as we were there during peak ski season, hotels were a minimum of $600 a night, so it was much cheaper (and still super lovely!) to stay in Glenwood Springs.

We did venture to Aspen for a few hours during the day which I would recommend doing as it’s a gorgeous little ski resort town in the winter and a wonderful hiking town in the summer months.

Best things to do/see in Glenwood Springs on a 1 month USA road trip

Iron Mountains Hot Springs
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Glenwood Hot Springs Pool
Yampah Spa & Vapor Caves
Doc Holliday’s Grave Trailhead

Where to stay in Glenwood Springs

We stayed at the Silver Spruce Inn in Glenwood Springs and as it was still winter and completely covered in snow when we were there in February 2022, it was one of my favourite accommodations of our entire American road trip itinerary.

Driving time from Arches National Park

It should take less than three hours to drive from Arches National Park/Moab to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, but you can stop in a place called Grand Junction along the way if you want to rest or stretch your legs for a little while.

Colorado Springs – 2 days

Garden of the Gods 1 month USA road trip itinerary

Colorado Springs sits at the eastern foot of the Rocky Mountains and is renowned for its relatively close proximity to the iconic Pikes Peak.

I’ve allocated two days in Colorado Springs for this USA road trip itinerary as I thought it was about time that you spend a little longer in one place to enjoy some relaxing, but you can just spend one day there if you don’t want any downtime.

Best things to do/see in Colorado Springs on a 1 month USA road trip

Garden of the Gods
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Sunrise hot air balloon ride
Cave of the Winds Mountain Park
Red Rock Canyon Open Space

Where to stay in Colorado Springs

If you’re looking for a fun and laid-back hostel vibe, I’d recommend spending a night or two at the ColoRADo Adventure Hostel.

Driving time from Glenwood Springs

The drive from Glenwood Springs to Colorado Springs takes approximately three and a half hours, but you can break the journey up a bit by stopping in Denver for a few hours to add another city to your itinerary.

On our 3 month USA road trip, we actually spent the night in Denver (at La Quinta by Wyndham Denver Gateway Park) but we didn’t think there was an awful lot worth doing in the city apart from driving around the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge on the way out of the city, so I haven’t recommended it as a place to stay on this 1 month USA road trip itinerary.

Santa Fe – 1 day

Days 66-67 - Santa Fe, New Mexico - 3 Month USA Road Trip

Santa Fe wasn’t necessarily my favourite place on our USA road trip itinerary, but it’s a cute enough little town that’s worth visiting as you’re driving from Colorado into New Mexico.

On your way to Santa Fe from Colorado Springs, I would also recommend stopping at Great Sand Dunes National Park as you can spend a couple of hours here to break up the journey and see the remarkable sand dunes!

Best things to do/see in Santa Fe on a 1 month USA road trip itinerary

Check out the Santa Fe Original Route 66 signs
Santa Fe Plaza
Visit the New Mexico Museum of Art
Go to the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA)
See the Palace of the Governors

Where to stay in Santa Fe

We stayed at Motel 6 in Santa Fe but it was by far the worst place we stayed on our entire American road trip, so the only reason I’m mentioning it is to encourage you to avoid it at all costs! The room itself was fine enough, but there was a lot of dodgy activity going on outside all night and it didn’t feel like a very safe place to be.

Instead, I’d recommend checking out the Best Western Plus Inn of Santa Fe or El Sendero Inn for a much better-rated, but still relatively reasonably priced place to stay!

Driving time from Colorado Springs

The drive from Colorado Springs to Santa Fe takes around five hours, so it can be done in one go, or you can break the journey up by stopping in places such as the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Pueblo or Taos if you need to.

Albuquerque – 1 day

Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico and offers a contrasting combination of modern city life with an old-worldly Old Town.

If I were to complete this particular road trip again, I’d probably skip Albuquerque and continue straight to Roswell from Santa Fe, but I wanted to include it in this USA guide to give you the option to add it to your own road trip itinerary.

Best things to do/see in Albuquerque on a 1 month USA road trip

See the Petroglyph National Monument
Ride the Sandia Peak Tramway
Check out the Old Town and Plaza
Visit the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Admire the San Felipe de Neri Church

Where to stay in Albuquerque

We spent one night at the GreenTree Inn Albuquerque North I-25 which was right next to the motorway, but we arrived in the city quite late at night and it was the most convenient option for us. Despite the drab location, it was actually a fairly decent place to stay and we even got free breakfast.

Driving time from Santa Fe

The drive from Santa Fe to Albuquerque usually only takes around one hour, provided that there’s no traffic.

Roswell – 1 day

Roswell is one of the most fascinating cities I’ve been to in America so far as it’s steeped in the infamous history of various UFO sightings and it feels like the whole place caters to people wanting to experience the phenomena for themselves!

We thoroughly enjoyed our day in Roswell as it felt quite gimmicky and a little bit surreal; if you want to experience a truly weird and unique place on your American road trip, definitely add Roswell to your itinerary!

Best things to do/see in Roswell on a 1 month USA road trip itinerary

The International UFO Museum
Check out the alien-themed McDonald’s
The Roswell Museum
Explore the Roswell Historic District
Roswell UFO Spacewalk

Where to stay in Roswell

We spent one night at the Days Inn by Wyndham in Roswell; it was a super basic motel in a great location in the city to explore the famous alien sights and there were plenty of places to eat nearby.

Driving time from Albuquerque

It takes around three hours to drive to Roswell from Albuquerque and from what I can remember of this particular journey on our American road trip route, it was a fairly pleasant drive!

Dallas – 2 days

I personally wasn’t the biggest fan of Dallas as I had super high expectations of this iconic US city and then it just didn’t seem to live up to them, but I know that it’s on many people’s American road trip bucket list, so I wanted to include it in my 1 month itinerary.

I’ve allocated two days in Dallas for this itinerary as it’s such a huge city and while I don’t personally think that there’s a tonne of things to do there, you will likely need enough time just to get around!

Best things to do/see in Dallas on a 1 month USA road trip

Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium Tour
The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Visit the Fort Worth Stockyards from Dallas
Enjoy the views from the top of the Reunion Tower
JFK Assassination and Sixth Floor Museum Tour

Where to stay in Dallas

For our 3 month USA road trip, we actually spent a few nights in Dallas as we had to catch up on some work and we also collected our hire car in Dallas to begin the driving leg of our trip.

We stayed at the Comfort Inn & Suites Love Field – Dallas Market Center which isn’t in the most amazing central location, but it worked for us as we only needed a base there to work and meet my friend who lives just outside of the city.

Driving time from Roswell

The drive from Roswell to Dallas is by far the longest drive you’ll experience during your 1 month USA road trip from California to Texas as it can take anywhere between seven and eight hours.

We actually did this journey all in one go (with a few bathroom breaks and food stops along the way!), but you might want to stop for longer or even spend the night somewhere halfway in between Roswell and Dallas if you don’t want to drive for that long.

Austin – 3 days

Austin is one of my favourite US cities as it’s got such a great vibe, a super fun nightlife scene and so much incredible food, so it only felt right to conclude this 1 month West USA road trip itinerary in Austin!

Three days will give you more than enough time to explore the top sights and attractions in the city and hopefully give you a little time to rest after a super busy month of driving from California to Texas!

Best things to do/see in Austin on a 1 month USA road trip

See the Texas Capitol
Sunset Bat Watching Kayak Tour
Eat your way around the food trucks on Rainey Street
Wander through Waller Beach at Town Lake Metropolitan Park
Visit the Museum of Ice Cream

Where to stay in Austin

During our time in the city, we stayed at the Days Inn by Wyndham Austin/University/Downtown which was the cheapest option for us at the time.

While the accommodation itself was fine (it was a typical, standard American motel), it was a little far out of the city, so I would probably recommend staying somewhere more central such as the Canopy By Hilton Austin Downtown or the Hampton Inn & Suites Austin-Downtown.

Driving time from Dallas

After the long drive to Dallas from Roswell, the final leg of your road trip journey in America to Austin, Texas should only take you around three hours, although it can often be longer due to traffic.

FAQs on road trips in the USA

In the FAQ section below, I’ve included some of the most common questions about planning a road trip in America, including the cost of a 1 month road trip in the USA, the best hire car companies, how long you should plan for your USA road trip and how to drive safely in America.

How much does a 1 month USA road trip cost?

If you’re wondering “how much money do you need for a road trip across America?”, you can expect to spend anywhere between £2,000 and £5,000 ($2,600 to $6,500) each, depending on the type of transport you use, where you stay, where you eat and the activities you take part in.

Because we spent £7,974.52 each for 3 months in America, it’s safe to say that road-tripping across America is not cheap!

However, £3,111.67 of that USA budget was spent on staying in New York City for one month alone, so really, we spent £4,862.85 each for two months, which works out at approximately £2,431.43 each for a one month road trip across America!

I would recommend allocating a budget of around $70 to $120 a day for your 1 month USA road trip from California to Texas as this should cover you for everything from food, drinks, accommodation, transport, activities and more.

Of course, you could easily spend more than this if you’re hiring a huge RV and eating out for every single meal, but I think a rough budget of $70 to $120 per day should cover you.

Hiring a car for your 1 month USA road trip

Hiring a car in America certainly isn’t cheap, but there are a few budget car rental places in the US that can offer you a fairly good deal for your 1-month road trip!

We hired our car with Budget rentals and we paid just over £1,000 for car hire and insurance for 1 month, plus another £530 on petrol. At the time of our USA road trip in February/March 2022, this was the cheapest and best car rental for us.

Check hire car prices in America here!

How long do you need for a USA road trip?

I would personally recommend allowing as much time as possible for your USA road trip. One month in America is enough time to see and experience many incredible things, but I think 2-3 months is much better if you can travel for that long as it will give you enough time to experience so many more states, cities and national parks throughout the vast country.

Are roads safe in the USA?

Before beginning our road trip in the US, I was super anxious about how scary it would be to drive on the huge, open roads.

While it was certainly a little daunting at first as everything is so much bigger than in the UK, once we got used to driving on the other side of the road in a huge American muscle car, it was actually super easy and a lot of fun!

You do have to be extra careful when driving in America, especially if you’ve never driven on the “other side” of the road before, but the roads are so huge and seemingly never-ending, so it’s surprisingly easy to drive safely.

I hope this 1 month USA road trip itinerary helps you to plan your own epic cross-country road trip in America!

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Would you like to embark on a cross-country American road trip for one month? What other stops would you add to this itinerary? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram at @imjustagirl_16.