A California Road Trip with Turo, Los Angeles

Convertible, music, sunshine…cruising along the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to San Francisco is what everybody dreams of, right? When it comes to road trips everyone has a clear image in mind. I always picture epic sceneries and simply the thought and the feeling of freedom and happiness. I’ve always dreamt of going on a road trip through California which is, as you probably know, one of my favorite places on earth. When I went to Los Angeles we only had three days and that was definitely too short. When I go back (hopefully very soon) I will do it, that’s for sure. Two weeks (at least!) full of adventure. I’ve always wanted to visit cities such as Santa Barbara, Big Sur and Monterey and hopefully I will soon get the chance to visit all of them and more. My dream road trip would also include some photo stops along the way and breakfasts/lunches/dinners in some typical American diners to have some typical American burgers or pancakes 😉 Oh yes I know what you are thinking right now…all the American stereotypes but who doesn’t want to experience them!? I’ve always been a fan of the USA since I was a kid so I have to say that I’m up for it 🙂 Now back on the subject: Where would you go and how would your perfect road trip be? Let me know in the comments! Also, if you are interested in the Californian area read this blog post to get some tips on the best travelguides and how to get the best information for your trip to California.

First thing to think of when planning a road trip is to rent a car. I have talked to a lot of people about road trips through America and most of them said that their choice of car plays an important role e.g. men always prefer an American oldtimer such as a Ford Mustang while most women have a convertible in mind. There is in fact a huge selection of different models and car brands but also when it comes to car rental companies. A couple of days ago I’ve received an e-mail from Turo (formerly RelayRides) and they asked me to collaborate with them and publish their new infographic on my blog. But first of all let me explain who Turo is and what distinguishes them from other car rental companies. Turo has been founded in 2009 and has its HQ in San Francisco. The main difference is that they don’t rent out their own cars but cars from private persons. They connect vehicle owners with people who need a car. I have rented like three cars in my life so far and always from one of those big car rental companies and I’ve never heard of such a concept but all I can say is that some of the cars offered by Turo already start at around 35 $ per day which is a great offer I guess. I have never rented a car from them but I really like their concept and maybe I’m going to rent one of their cars next time I’m in Los Angeles.

The reason why Turo got in touch is because of their new infographic: A Driver’s Guide to the City of Angels. They thought that my readers and fellow L.A. fans would like it so here we go:

People who have been to Los Angeles know the traffic problem. Most of the time it takes you hours to get from A to B in one and the same (!) city. We used to live in Hollywood and it took us about 1 1/2 hours to get to the beach in Santa Monica. I didn’t mind at all because we cruised through the streets of Hollywood and soaked in everything we could because that’s what tourists do, right? I loved driving past the shops and cafés and the huge mansions in Beverly Hills (read my blog post about my celebrity tour here and about my Michael Jackson tour here) but I can imagine that the Angelenos hate it when it takes ages just to run some errands or pick their kids up from school. But that’s how it is in Los Angeles and in most American cities I guess. It’s like a love-hate-relationship with the traffic but in the end no American is able to do without their car in a large citiy like Los Angeles. That’s how it is in my opinion. What do you think? Also, have you rented a car from Turo/RelayRides in the past? Let me know in the comments below.