As above, VIA and Amtrak are good ideas. When planning the bus portion of your trip especially keep in mind that unlike on a train, you can t move around much on a bus, there s no food/beverage service, rest stops tend to be fast food joints, the on-board facilities can be adventurous (especially on a curvy or rough road) and after five or six hours that seat starts to get old. I m not saying avoid it, I m saying plan it out carefully for your comfort and maximum enjoyment.
You must go to New Orleans. A bus ride there would be very interesting in the daylight hours, as you come in via a long highway through a swamp. Then New Orleans itself is an amazing place. Don t go there in the summer! You didn t say when you are traveling. You can get fairly low cost hotel rooms as long as you don t go during Mardi Gras or the Jazz Festival.Research all hotels on tripadvisor.com
the best choice comes down to price and generally, air tran has nice prices.
I m somewhat confused as to why you re flying from Boston to New York to Washington. Boston to NYC and NYC to Washington are 4 hour drives. It s more pleasant, slightly cheaper, and faster (when you factor in the time going though security) to take the train. Bus rides are really cheap for those short distances.Where are you going in Canada? Montreal is a 5 hour ride from Boston, busing it might be cheaper and easier. If you re going to Toronto, you ll probably find it cheaper to fly to Buffalo, NY and drive/bus to Niagara Falls, then to Toronto. For whatever reason, as soon as a flight is international it seems to double in price.Then why bus from Chicago to Texas? That s a log, boring bus ride and a short, cheap flight.My honest opinion: it sounds like you re budgeting a little too much time for Texas. Dallas is boring, Houston really sucks, and it doesn t offer much in natural beauty or interesting sights. San Antonio is really cool - but it can be seen in a weekend. Ditto with Austin. New Orleans, Louisiana is definitely the best place near Texas to visit - there s no place like it.Tennessee and Mississippi don t really have much to offer to a tourist. If you want to see rural America and observe the culture, by all means go, but they re not exactly near the tops of most people s lists.New Mexico, and especially Arizona has some of the craziest scenery you ll ever see. Nothing like the UK. Don t miss Carlsbad Caverns in NM or the Grand Canyon in AZ. Phoenix, AZ kind of sucks - it s a sprawling retirement home for elderly Californians. Go to Tuscon, AZ instead. Much more fun.The South/southwest - Texas/Arizona,New Mexico/Southern California are difficult places to play it by ear without a car because they re so spread out. You should rent one for that portion of the trip.I d say spend a little less time in Texas - you d have more fun in Denver, CO, Las Vegas, or the Pacific Northwest (Portland/Seattle/Vancouver).California rocks. No two ways about it. San Diego and San Francisco are a blast.If it helps at all, my favorite places in the US/Canada in order (starting with the best):San Francisco, Montreal, San Diego, Chicago, Boston, Vegas, DC, LA, Denver, NYC, Toronto, Portland, Miami, AustinHope that wasn t too much of an essay. Happy traveling.
Well, what is the purpose of this trip? Are you doing a Jack Kerouac, or a John Steinbeck s Travels With Charley ?Whatever, if you are going to Canada you now must have a passport, not to go to Canada, but to return to the USA. Be prepared to learn that Canada is now more prosperous than is the USA, and the average Canadian family has almost one third more wealth than the average American family, something you will never learn from US politicians, lest of all admitted by the Rush Limbaughs and Sean Hannitys.Also, I suggest that you do part of your wanderlust on Amtrak or Canada s Via Rail..Have a great experience.