I'd like to take a road trip from Rochester, NY to Seattle, WA. The
prospective dates are May 17-May 29. The trip can be shorter, on
either side, but not longer, and the total trip duration cannot be
shrunk more than 3 days. I do not have a car to drive, and I
suspect that somewhere out there, there is a person who wants to move
their car from Upstate New York to the Seattle area. I figure: I'll
drive your car so you don't have to, and in exchange I get my road
trip. So my question is, where can I find such a person? I'd also like
some analysis of what my odds are of getting an arrangement.

I'll pay double if the respondent actually gets me a name and an
arrangement is made.

Some stats about me: 21 years old. No criminal record. 1 traffic
ticket (carpool lane violation, 2 years ago). Valid drivers license,
registered in Washington State.

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Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 28 Apr 2004 02:03 PDT

pordal...

I can provide you with the website addresses of companies
which provide this service to those wishing to have their
cars driven to various locations in the country. They act
as a kind of clearinghouse between customers and drivers.
You can sign up with them to provide this service within
the limits you have outlined. Would this satisfy you as
an answer?

sublime1-ga

Hi ,

There are companies that provide a service by delivering other
people's cars. These companies are known as "driveaway companies".

The people who drive the cars are mostly leisure travelers, who pay
for their own gas but effectively get a "free" car to transport
themselves to their destination.

The driveaway company will attempt to match drivers to cars. They will
set limits on the routes to be taken, and an overall mileage limit, so
there won't be any opportunity to do significant side-trips - but
you'll be able to sightsee attractions that are close to your line of
travel.

There will also be an allotted time, for example it might be eight to
ten days from New York to Los Angeles. Most driveaway companies work
on a maximum daily distance of around 400 miles, which seems
compatible with your desired trip duration, and most quote a minimum
age of 21 so you should be OK there.

You will be driving a car belonging to someone who is willing to pay
to have it moved - so it's quite possible you will be driving a
prestige car such as a BMW or Lexus.

The driveaway concept is well-described at this page from Independent Traveler:

Driveaways
http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=26&category=2

Several companies offering driveaways are listed on the above page.

More companies can be found in the Yellow Pages, under headings such
as "Autos, Driveaway" and "Automobile Transporters" (although only
some of the latter do driveaways, so do ask about this first when you
phone).

A good site to start with is The Auto Driveaway Co:

Auto Driveaway Co
http://www.autodriveaway.com/

They have an online list of available vehicles
http://www.autodriveawaydc.com/carlist.html
although it's only updated weekly so you really need to make specific
enquiries to see if they can meet your needs. Their site also includes
an online driver application form.

Even if there is no direct car available, you may find that you can
complete your journey by doing two separate driveaways, with one
starting where the other finishes.

For further information, there is a detailed article in the St Petersburg Times:

Travel for free in a driveaway car
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/06/16/Travel/Travel_for_free_in_a_.shtml


Additional links:

Auto Driveaways (USA & Canada) FAQ
http://blogs.bootsnall.com/nystrom/archives/001348.shtml

Driveaway in Someone Else's Car
http://aaaworld.com/pages/archive/JF02driveaways.html

Auto Driveaway ? Truckaway
http://www.driveaway.com/
(click the "Drivers" link near the bottom right)


Google Search Strategy:

driveaways
://www.google.com/search?q=driveaways

"driveaway companies"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22driveaway+companies%22

"distance from new york to seattle"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22distance+from+new+york+to+seattle%22

The above query did not yield the answer I was looking for, so I also
tried it (successfully) at Ask Jeeves:

distance from new york to seattle
http://web.ask.com/web?q=distance+from+new+york+to+seattle&o=0&qsrc=0&askbutton.x=0&askbutton.y=0


Regards,
eiffel-ga

I would have liked a couple more listings of specific companies to
contact. Otherwise very thorough.

Did you find someone's car to drive?  I believe we already have a
driver, but in case we don't, we're looking to get a car from VA (near
D.C.) to Bellevue (near Seattle).

I am also interested in driving from the D.C. area to Seattle.  My
dates of travel are flexible with tentative plans to leave no sooner
than July 1st and no later than July 10 or so.  I am starting grad
school in Sept, hence the reason I am leaving.  I understand you may
already have a driver but if you or ANYONE else is in need of one I
would be interested in talking about it further.

Original poster here... feel free to take up newdem2-ga on his offer,
my plans have changed. Have a safe trip.

Is anyone else looking to head to Seattle?  Ideally, in the weeks of 7/19-7/31?

Best possible origination location: Ohio.  Why?  Buying a used car
from there, and need it brought to Seattle.