Brit whose got 14 days and a car......

My partner and I want visit Yellowstone in early Sept

but have bought a rubbish guide book and can%26#39;t make head nor tail of it. Can%26#39;t even decide where to fly to. Though woudl prefer to flyin and out of the same airport for simplicity. We don%26#39;t mind a fair bit of driving, love history, like to walk/light hike, love animals and scenary. so I guess its loads of questions

Where to fly to?

How long to stay in YS?

What else to do?

how cold will it be?

Will it be busy?

Any hints much appreciated.....:)

Brit whose got 14 days and a car......

Jackson Hole is the closest. WE fly into there. Its right in the Grand Tetons and right beside the park.

We stayed in Yellowstone for a week last June and will again next June. The Grand Tetons are worth a couple of days as well.

Not sure about the weather. I%26#39;d assume you%26#39;d want layers to be ready for most kinds of weather.

Even its busy, the park is so huge that people get spread out. It will be better than July or August in any event.

We put trip reports, many pictures with comments and trip planning information for Yellowstone on our website. Maybe it would help you get oriented better than the guidebook. There%26#39;s also a map that shows mileages and has links to pictures of the various areas.

www.AlandSueJohnson.com

Yellowstone link is on the left.

You might also look at the Glacier National Park links. Its a days drive away and is spectacular. Most and maybe all of its accomodations may be closed then though.

Brit whose got 14 days and a car......

if you got that much time (12 days of sightseeing) i%26#39;d probably take in both glacier np %26amp; yellowstone/grand teton np. since you can rent %26amp; drop for no upcharge, i%26#39;d probably fly into one place %26amp; out of another area just to cut down on the driving a little. if you want to see both parks the two airports that are most convenient are jackson hole (JAC) %26amp; kalispell, mt (FCA). we usually fly into FCA, visit glacier np for a few days %26amp; then make our way down into yellowstone, cody, grand teton, %26amp; then finish with a few days staying in jackson (but you could do this in reverse). if you just want to do yellowstone, fly in %26amp; out of jackson. the scenery %26amp; hiking is awesome in both areas but i probably prefer the hikes in glacier just because some of the views are so jaw-dropping.

you could get any weather in september (snow to 80 degrees). i would count on cool nights (high 30%26#39;s) %26amp; moderate days (60-70) but that%26#39;s just a guess.

i would divide my time up with about 4 days in glacier, 4 days in yellowstone, 1 day in cody, 3 days in jackson. here is a good link for you.

www.jacksonholenet.com (info on ynp %26amp; jackson)

http://glacierparkchat.com/phpBB3/index.php (info on everything about glacier. you may have to join but you won%26#39;t get on spam lists)

your timing is good in that it shouldn%26#39;t be very busy.

Thanks thats really helpful whose the best carrier frOm the into the two airports you mentioned and any suggestions where to stay

Just to be cheeky......:)

From UK you may find it cheaper to fly into Salt Lake City and drive up through Grand Teton NP into Yellowstone (about 5 hours from SLC to Jackson) - it depends what your budget is with regard to air fare. I think car rental charge for picking up and dropping off in different states.

It also depends how much you want to see whether you just stick to Grand Teton and Yellowstone or to include Glacier as well. I personally would prefer to leave Glacier for a seperate trip.

We are visiting Yellowstone for a second time this year and intend spending 10 days there (3 days last visit wasn%26#39;t long enough). Our last visit was early September and it was quite warm (shorts and t shirt weather), but it snowed one of the days. We arrived in Jackson and temp was in the 80%26#39;s, next morning it was snowing and temp was 40%26#39;s - it is very changeable and does so quickly.

There is a charge for renting a car in one location and dropping it off at another one - sometimes a substantial charge since they have to get the car back to the original site. I agree that Salt Lake City is probably going to be less expensive all around and the drive is fairly easy. We went to Yellowstone in late Sept. and it snowed like crazy but you should be fine in early Sept. The crowds will have thinned out and the driving easier. I also agree 3 days may not be enough if you like to get out of the car and walk the trails and see some wildlife. Layering is the key since the temperatures will be warmer during the day but there are some areas that don%26#39;t get much sun and a jacket will come in handy. I really enjoyed all of Yellowstone, each part is different. The geysers, the waterfalls, the mudpots, etc. - it is a really unique place so plan on taking your time and enjoy.