Cheapest way/Time to travel in the U.S and Canada?

You might think of buying train tickets at a discount in advance over the Internet. Perhaps you could stay at friends or do couch surfing. I suggest you buy an international student identity card. You might be able to do some work or earn extra money on the Internet. One friend on My Lot paid for half her trip with her on line earnings. She often writes in the earn extra money category. I do My Lot for making friends and enjoyment of the interesting discussion. The money I earn is a bonus. When I was younger I funded a trip to Greece with earnings from a paper round and a trip to the Netherlands with earnings from a Saturday job in a shop. I wanted to explore Europe but I didn't have enough money so I job in Finland as a children's nanny. The wages were really high and funded my inter rail adventures around Europe. Good luck and happy traveling.