America: land of the free car

Andrew Vincent circled the US in other people's automobiles

Air travel within America is just like catching a bus. But, I would add, a lot less interesting. The only real way to come to terms with the scale and diversity of the United States is by road. If you lack the inclination or cash to rent a car, this is how to do it.

A Greyhound bus would be a good choice, except that the company has been going steadily downhill since the drivers' strike between 1990 and 1993. Talking to staff this summer, I discovered that morale is low and this is affecting the quality of service. Prices are still reasonable for the budget traveller but the practice of laying on extra buses for additional passengers has been ended. So you no longer have any guarantee of a seat when you buy a ticket. It's at the driver's discretion whether you're allowed to stand, or whether you have to wait for a later bus. If, for any reason, you're unable to take a later bus you can't get a refund. So, for busy services, it's a bit of a gamble when you buy your ticket. I spent five hours standing/sitting in the aisle between Roanoke, Virginia, and Washington DC.

To sign up for the full-service American dream, though, you need your own wheels - and the Driveaway, where you deliver someone else's car, is still an excellent way to see a country built for the automobile. Plenty of Americans need their car moved from one part of the US to another, yet would rather not do the driving. So they pay an agent to get it moved. Some owners insist that it travels on a transporter truck, but others take the cheap option and get a traveller to deliver it for them.

Companies get in on the act, too. A lot of repossessed cars need taking back to credit companies and banks. The advantage of these is that they're often fairly new and good to drive. You hear stories of some people getting Ferraris to drive, but normally the owners and the driveaway companies prefer to use professional drivers for the top of the range cars.

Each city has a number of agents who connect the owner with a prospective driver. And, fortunately, the British traveller is a well-regarded candidate. In the US, look in the Yellow Pages under "Auto Transporters and Driveaway Companies". Call up and find out if there's anything going your way.

If there is - and outside the peak summer season there is a good chance that there will be - you go to an office to register. There's always a lot of form-filling and some places will fingerprint you and even take your mug shot before handing over the keys. Deposits are about $300 to $350, and you get a gas allowance if you're lucky. This can be worth $50 to $100. You get that back with your deposit at the end of the trip. You're covered by the Driveaway company's insurance but you're responsible for any speeding fines and jail sentences you may incur. You have to do a condition check on the vehicle before you leave. It's important to note every minor dent and scratch, to deny a Driveaway firm an excuse to withhold your deposit on delivery.

If you plan ahead, you can have cars waiting for you after each delivery. We had three vehicles lined up, enabling us to complete a full circle from Washington DC to the Midwest, down through Texas, across the South to Florida and back to Virginia. One deposit covered all the cars. So get your originating Driveaway office to call ahead and see what's available.

You're expected to cover 300 to 400 miles a day, so Washington DC to San Francisco is about 10 days. You have to deliver the car by 3pm on the scheduled day of delivery. The Driveaway company will tell you the number of miles you're expected to cover by the shortest route - and add extra to allow for minor detours, getting lost, etc. So for Washington DC to San Francisco you'll get 600 extra miles. The conditions state you'll be charged 25 cents for every extra mile over your limit but no one's yet checked the mileage of any car I've delivered - a couple of which were taken on serious sight-seeing trips! Their main concern is that it's delivered on time.

Breakdowns (the vehicle's, not yours) can play havoc with your schedule. You're authorised to spend up to $100 on repairs, which you can claim back from the owner on delivery. Anything more expensive and you have to call for authorisation.

When you arrive at your destination get the recipient to sign the receipt and call the office to confirm safe delivery - Driveaway companies won't accept the signed receipt as sufficient proof. The problem with delivering to banks and credit companies is that their car pounds are often in the middle of nowhere, so be prepared for an expensive bus or cab ride back to civilisation.

Privately owned cars tend to be older and less sound, but you get a much warmer reception from the owner who's glad to have his or her wheels back after months of using public transport. They'll often just sign for it without checking it over. Always call the day before delivery to check the owner will be in and to get directions. And it's worth trying to sweet- talk the owner into giving you a lift to somewhere you can catch a bus or a train.

It can be scary being in charge of someone else's pride and joy on unfamiliar roads: getting a Geo Metro through the Houston rush-hour without a scratch wasn't the kind of white-knuckle ride I enjoy. But once you get the hang of the system it's surprisingly easy. Rules can be bent as long as the owner doesn't receive their car as a mangled wreck on the back of a truck.

Andrew Vincent paid pounds 309 return for a BA flight from Heathrow to Washington. He booked his cars through the Arlington office (near Washington) of Auto American Driveaway: 001 703 524 7300.