Trans-American Adventure: New York to Los Angeles (Self-Launched)

Land at JFK or Newark and take the AirTrain + subway/bus into Manhattan or Brooklyn (approx. £8-11). Check into a hostel dorm in Brooklyn or the Upper West Side, buy a 7-day unlimited MetroCard (~£25) and stock up on groceries for breakfasts. Spend the evening walking the High Line and grabbing cheap pizza or a deli sandwich in the Village.

🚌AirTrain + subway from JFK (~£10)

🛏Hostel dorm, Manhattan/Brooklyn (£30-45/night)

• →High Line walk
• →Village food wander

Do a self-guided version of the coach tour's city loop on foot and by subway: Wall Street, Trinity Church, City Hall, Chinatown, then up to Rockefeller Centre and the Broadway/Times Square strip. Skip the expensive Empire State observation deck and instead book the Edge or Top of the Rock only if the weather is clear (book on GetYourGuide, ~£32). A 24-hour hop-on-hop-off bus (~£35) is an alternative if your feet give out.

🚌MetroCard (prepaid)

🛏Hostel dorm (£30-45/night)

• →Wall Street & Trinity Church
• →Chinatown
• →Rockefeller Centre
• →Times Square & Broadway
• →Optional observation deck (~£32)

Take an early Amtrak Northeast Regional from NY Penn Station to Philadelphia 30th Street (~£18, 1h20) and walk 15 minutes to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell (free timed tickets for Independence Hall via recreation.gov). Store bags at the station or use a luggage locker, then continue by Amtrak to Washington Union Station (~£22, 2h). Check into a hostel in Dupont Circle or near the Mall.

🚌Amtrak NY-Philadelphia-Washington (~£40 total)

🛏Hostel dorm, Dupont Circle (£28-40/night)

• →Independence Hall (free timed ticket)
• →Liberty Bell

Free self-guided day: start at Arlington National Cemetery (free, Metro Blue Line), then walk the National Mall past the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial and Capitol Hill. In the afternoon pick two Smithsonian museums (all free) — the Air & Space and Natural History are the crowd-pleasers. Finish with a dusk walk to the White House fence.

🚌Metro day pass (~£7)

🛏Hostel dorm (£28-40/night)

• →Arlington National Cemetery
• →Lincoln Memorial
• →Washington Monument
• →Capitol Hill
• →Smithsonian museums (free)

Long travel day. Best option is a flight from DCA/BWI to Buffalo (~£60-90 if booked ahead) then the NFTA bus #40 to Niagara Falls (~£2), or the slower overnight option: Amtrak Capitol Limited to Cleveland or Buffalo then connecting bus. Aim to arrive by evening so you can see the falls illuminated at night. Check into a budget motel or hostel on the NY side.

🚌Flight DC-Buffalo (~£75) + local bus (~£2)

🛏Budget motel/hostel, Niagara Falls NY (£35-55/night)

• →Evening illuminated falls walk

Do the self-booked Maid of the Mist boat cruise from the NY side (buy at the kiosk or via GetYourGuide, ~£22) plus the Cave of the Winds walkway (~£15) — this replaces the coach tour's included cruise. In the afternoon, travel on: fly Buffalo to Detroit (~£60) or take the Greyhound/Megabus Buffalo-Detroit overnight (~£45, 7-8h via Cleveland). Check into a motel in Dearborn.

🚌Flight Buffalo-Detroit (~£60) or bus (~£45)

🛏Budget motel, Dearborn (£40-55/night)

• →Maid of the Mist cruise
• →Cave of the Winds

Spend the morning at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn (ticket ~£24, book online) — one of the best transport and innovation museums in the US. Mid-afternoon take the Amtrak Wolverine train Dearborn-Chicago Union Station (~£30, 4h30) or the Greyhound (~£22, 5h). Arrive Chicago, check into a hostel in River North or Wicker Park, and do a self-guided evening walk of the Loop and Riverwalk.

🚌Amtrak Wolverine (~£30)

🛏Hostel dorm, Chicago (£30-45/night)

• →Henry Ford Museum
• →Chicago Loop and Riverwalk walk

Full day in Chicago: the Architecture River Cruise is the standout and bookable direct or via GetYourGuide (~£32-38), or take the cheaper lakefront walk and free Millennium Park/Cloud Gate. Explore the Art Institute (~£22) or the free Lincoln Park Conservatory. Try an Italian beef sandwich or deep dish for dinner ($).

🚌CTA day pass (~£6)

🛏Hostel dorm (£30-45/night)

• →Architecture River Cruise (~£35)
• →Millennium Park
• →Art Institute (optional)
• →Deep dish pizza

Take the early Amtrak Empire Builder from Chicago to Minneapolis/St Paul (~£60-75, 8h — scenic along the Mississippi). Or travel via Madison on a Greyhound to break up the journey and photograph the Wisconsin State Capitol (~£30 + ~£18). Arrive Minneapolis, check into a hostel/hostel-style guesthouse near Downtown or Uptown.

🚌Amtrak Empire Builder Chicago-Minneapolis (~£70)

🛏Hostel/guesthouse, Minneapolis (£32-45/night)

• →Empire Builder scenic rail
• →Optional Madison Capitol photo stop

Self-guided downtown orientation walk: Nicollet Mall, the Stone Arch Bridge and the Mississippi riverfront. Optional trip to the Mall of America via the Blue Line light rail (~£2, 30 min) — it's free to enter, good for a rainy-hour wander. Otherwise hire a bike from a Nice Ride dock and cruise the Chain of Lakes.

🚌Metro light rail (~£5)

🛏Hostel/guesthouse (£32-45/night)

• →Stone Arch Bridge
• →Nicollet Mall walk
• →Mall of America (light rail)
• →Chain of Lakes bike ride

The coach itinerary's hardest day to replicate independently — budget travellers usually do this leg on Greyhound Minneapolis-Sioux Falls (~£25, 4h) then a connecting Jefferson Lines bus to Mitchell (~£18) to see the Corn Palace (free entry). From Mitchell, Jefferson Lines continues toward Chamberlain/Oacoma on the Missouri River (~£20) — book in advance and check schedules carefully. Oacoma is tiny, so book a riverside budget motel ahead.

🚌Greyhound + Jefferson Lines (~£60)

🛏Budget motel, Oacoma/Chamberlain (£45-60/night)

• →Corn Palace, Mitchell
• →Missouri River

This is the day to rent a car — pick one up in Chamberlain or Rapid City (~£35-50/day, share the cost). Drive through Fort Pierre National Grassland, then Badlands National Park (park entry ~£25 per vehicle), then on to Mount Rushmore (~£8 parking). Overnight in a budget motel in Rapid City or Keystone. (Without a car, your only realistic option is a small-group Badlands/Mount Rushmore day tour from Rapid City, ~£75-95.)

🚌Shared hire car (~£45 split) + fuel

🛏Budget motel, Rapid City (£40-55/night)

• →Fort Pierre National Grassland drive
• →Badlands National Park
• →Mount Rushmore

Another driving day through the Bighorn Mountains — take US-16 over Powder River Pass and stop in Ten Sleep and Greybull. Keep the hire car or return it and pick up another in Cody if you prefer. Arrive Cody in the evening for the famous nightly rodeo in summer (~£20) or just a walk down Sheridan Avenue. Overnight in a budget motel or campground cabin.

🚌Hire car + fuel (~£50)

🛏Budget motel/cabin, Cody (£45-60/night)

• →Bighorn Mountains drive
• →Cody town walk
• →Optional rodeo (~£20)

Drive the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway into Shoshone National Forest and through Yellowstone's East Entrance (7-day park pass ~£25 per vehicle). Follow Grand Loop Road to Artist Point for the classic view of Yellowstone Canyon and Lower Falls. Continue west and overnight in West Yellowstone (book well ahead — it's expensive and sells out). Gas up before entering the park.

🚌Hire car + fuel (~£50)

🛏Budget motel/hostel, West Yellowstone (£55-80/night)

• →Shoshone National Forest
• →Yellowstone East Entrance
• →Artist Point
• →Lower Falls

Full day in the park: the Midway Geyser Basin/Grand Prismatic Spring, Fountain Paint Pot's mud pots, Old Faithful (eruption timings posted at the visitor centre) and West Thumb Geyser Basin on Yellowstone Lake. Bring a packed lunch and refillable bottle. A ranger-led walk is free and self-bookable at the visitor centre.

🚌Hire car + fuel (~£25)

🛏Budget motel/hostel, West Yellowstone (£55-80/night)

• →Grand Prismatic Spring
• →Fountain Paint Pot
• →Old Faithful
• →West Thumb Geyser Basin

Drive south through Grand Teton National Park (same £25 pass covers it if purchased on day 14) with stops at Jenny Lake and Signal Mountain. Arrive Jackson and wander the historic downtown square and its antler arches, browse galleries and the National Museum of Wildlife Art if time allows (~£18). Overnight in a hostel or motel — Jackson is pricey, so consider a hostel in Teton Village or Victor, ID.

🚌Hire car + fuel (~£30)

🛏Hostel/budget motel, Jackson (£50-75/night)

• →Grand Teton drive
• →Jenny Lake
• →Jackson downtown

Long drive south on US-89/US-189 (~5h, shared hire car splitting costs), or return the car in Jackson and take the seasonal Salt Lake Express shuttle (~£65, ~6h). In Salt Lake City, self-tour Temple Square, the Tabernacle and the Beehive House (free LDS tours available), then check into a hostel downtown.

🚌Hire car + fuel (~£50) or shuttle (~£65)

🛏Hostel downtown, Salt Lake City (£30-42/night)

• →Temple Square
• →Tabernacle
• →Beehive House

Take a Greyhound or Salt Lake Express to Cedar City (~£28, 4h), where you pick up a hire car. Drive I-15 and UT-20 through Dixie National Forest to Bryce Canyon National Park (~£25 park pass or free with the America the Beautiful annual pass, ~£65 if doing several parks). Walk the Sunrise-to-Sunset rim trail and descend the Queens Garden/Navajo Loop (~£0). Return to Cedar City for a cheap motel.

🚌Salt Lake Express (~£28) + hire car (~£40)

🛏Budget motel, Cedar City (£35-50/night)

• →Bryce Canyon rim trail
• →Queens Garden/Navajo Loop
• →Dixie National Forest

Big and demanding day: drive early to Zion National Park (~1h) and take the free shuttle to Angel's Landing trailhead area or the easier Riverside Walk (~2h). Then drive UT-9 and US-89A south to the Grand Canyon North Rim (~3.5h — check that the North Rim is open, roughly mid-May to mid-Oct). Catch sunset at Point Imperial or Bright Angel Point. Overnight in the North Rim campground or a Kaibab lodge.

🚌Hire car + fuel (~£45)

🛏Campground cabin/lodge, North Rim (£45-70/night)

• →Zion shuttle and Riverside Walk
• →Grand Canyon North Rim sunset

Sunrise on the rim, then drive out via Jacob Lake and Page or, more directly, south to the North Rim checkpoint and on through Kanab and St George. Add a Route 66 detour through Seligman if you want the classic kitsch. Arrive Las Vegas and drop the car. Self-guided Strip walk past the themed casino resorts in the evening — free fountains at the Bellagio, the conservatory, and the Venetian's canals.

🚌Hire car + fuel (~£40)

🛏Budget hotel/hostel on or off-Strip (£40-65/night)

• →Rim sunrise
• →Route 66 detour (optional)
• →Strip self-guided walk

Optional day trip to the Hoover Dam (~£50-60 on a small-group tour via GetYourGuide or Viator, or take the RTC bus to Boulder City and walk the bridge for free). In the evening catch a show — the budget route is a comedy or magic act at a smaller venue (~£30-45), or you can just roam Fremont Street for free. Eat off-Strip for cheaper meals.

🚌Local bus/rideshare (~£12)

🛏Budget hotel/hostel (£40-65/night)

• →Hoover Dam (optional ~£55)
• →Fremont Street
• →Evening show (optional)

Take the FlixBus or Greyhound from Las Vegas to LA Union Station (~£30-40, 5-6h) through the Mojave Desert — sit on the left for the view. Alternatively fly LAS-LAX (~£55). In LA, use the Metro (TAP card) to reach a hostel in Hollywood or Downtown. Watch the sunset from Griffith Observatory (free).

🚌FlixBus/Greyhound (~£35)

🛏Hostel dorm, Hollywood/DTLA (£30-45/night)

• →Mojave Desert crossing
• →Griffith Observatory sunset

Self-launched Hollywood day: Walk of Fame and the TCL Chinese Theatre forecourt handprints (free), the Hollywood sign viewpoint from Lake Hollywood Park, then Metro/Rideshare down to Beverly Hills and a stroll along Sunset Strip. A self-guided studio tour (Warner Bros ~£55) or a half-day city tour (~£40) are optional extras.

🚌Metro day pass (~£6)

🛏Hostel dorm (£30-45/night)

• →Walk of Fame
• →TCL Chinese Theatre
• →Hollywood sign viewpoint
• →Beverly Hills & Sunset Strip

Final morning for a Venice Beach or Santa Monica boardwalk walk before taking the FlyAway bus or Metro to LAX (~£7-10). If you have the budget and time, add extra nights to explore more of the city — the coach tour only gave one full day here.

🚌FlyAway bus/metro to LAX (~£9)

🛏—

• →Venice Beach walk
• →FlyAway to LAX