Budget bands
£12.5k-£13.5k
Lean£10k-£11.5k
Tighter hotel choices, careful rooms, fewer taxis.
Target£12.5k-£13.5k
Realistic planning budget before food and attractions.
Comfort£15k+
Nicer city hotels and more flexible sleeper rooms.
Roadtrip.robbohome.com
40th birthday USA trip planner
New York to San Francisco with the driving kept to the middle: Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Hays, Denver, then the California Zephyr west.
20 daysincluding flights home
1,160 road milesacross 4 driving days
2,300 rail milesover 3 sleeper-train nights
16 hotel nightsbefore the overnight flight back
Route
Tap a stop for stay planning
traindrive
Sleeper trains
Keep the rails as the experience
New York to Chicago. First sleeper leg, mainly for the novelty and to avoid a long eastern drive.
Denver to San Francisco / Emeryville. The scenic payoff: Rockies, Utah, Nevada, Sierra Nevada.
Stay pages
Cost each overnight stop separately
Day 1 · 3 nights
New York
Upper West Side, Chelsea/Flatiron, or quieter Midtown blocks
£300-£450 per night target for a family room in August
Day 5 · 2 nights
Chicago
River North, Streeterville, or The Loop
£175-£275 per night target
Day 7 · 2 nights
St. Louis
Downtown near the Arch / Union Station, or Central West End
£125-£220 per night target
Day 9 · 3 nights
Kansas City
Crown Center / Crossroads for family logistics, Plaza for comfort
£140-£260 per night target
Day 12 · 1 night
Hays, Kansas
North of I-70 for the simplest road-morning start
£85-£140 per night target
Day 13 · 2 nights
Denver
Union Station / LoDo, or Convention Center if suites price better
£175-£300 per night target
Day 17 · 3 nights
San Francisco
Fisherman's Wharf / North Beach, Nob Hill, or Marina
£225-£375 per night target