Here are some tips for driving the West Coast without spending two months' salary:
The biggest reason you can drive the coast on the cheap is because the views don't cost a cent. Beaches, trails, picnic areas and vista points are often free of charge.
 ADDIE BROYLES/Cox Newspapers Hostels are a great way to save money on a road trip down the coast. This one, Pigeon Point, is located inside a lighthouse. For a larger, high resolution image, click HERE |
Buy a cooler and pack it with lunch meat, yogurt, cottage cheese, carrots, apples and any other snacks you like. We were able to eat out only one meal most days by making sandwiches and snacking along the way.
When you do eat out, share an appetizer and an entree. If there are destination restaurants like Chez Panisse at which you'd like to eat, go for lunch instead of dinner.
Hostels, such as the Bridge Street Inn we stayed at, are a great way to save money on a hotel, and some of them are located in unusual buildings such as lighthouses or on piers. Usually less than $100, the rooms are usually simple but adequate. If you're traveling by yourself, you can stay in dorm-style beds for much less.
Couchsurfing.com, a Web site that connects travelers with people who allow them to stay on couches or in guest rooms for free, is another option for the trusting adventurer.
Long road trips are often like "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. You're free to take forks in the road, linger a little too long or stay and extra night. To help you visualize and remember all of the options you and your traveling partner want to consider, make a Google map with possible destinations or activities.
— Bridge Street Inn, 4314 Bridge St., Cambria, Calif. bridgestreetinncambria.com
— Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society, 4300 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, againstthestream.org
— Chez Panisse, 1517 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, Calif., chezpanisse.com
— Pomar Junction Vineyard and Winery, 5036 S. El Pomar Road, Templeton, Calif. pomarjunction.com
— Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, Calif. montereybayaquarium.org
— Saraveza, 1004 N. Killingsworth St., Portland, Ore. saraveza.com
— Drop-off fees can be higher than the cost of the rental car for some one-way trips. We rented our car through Hertz, which didn't have a drop-off surcharge.
— Shop around on Priceline.com, Travelocity.com, Expedia.com and other online travel sites. You can reserve a car on one site without giving a credit card number and continue looking all the way up to your travel dates.
— Many car rental companies require you to pick up and drop off one-way rentals at the airport.
— Don't be late in dropping the car off. We were a few hours late in dropping ours off, so we were charged for an extra day.
Addie Broyles writes for the Austin American-Statesman. E-mail: abroyles(at)statesman.com.
