Millions of Customers Served. Low Fees and Transparent Prices. 100% Guaranteed. See America on Tour. Find Tickets at Our Lowest Possible Price on SeatGeek.
Search results
- Pick a region – don't do it all. With 50 states, 63 national parks and 4 million miles of highways, the USA can feel like a beast to be tamed when it comes to trip planning and getting around.
- How long do you need to visit the US? Exploring a major metropolitan area like New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles or Washington, DC could easily fill a week, especially if you include day trips to outlying parks and beaches.
- Don’t overplan your days. It is tempting to look at a map, calculate your mileage and assume you can make four or five different stops in a day. But be careful with this thought and always expect delays.
- Sometimes getting outdoors requires a reservation. You have to prebook your hike? Unfortunately, the answer is sometimes yes. With enormous jumps in visitation, several national parks now require reservations to hike their most popular trails.
- Know Before You Go: Planning Your Trip to America
- Know Before You Go: Packing & Border Control
- Know Before You Go: USA Laws
- Know Before You Go: Money & Shopping
- Know Before You Go: Culture & Etiquette
- Know Before You Go: Top USA Destinations
1. Check when hurricane season and tornado season are before booking your trip
Destinations on the south east coast such as Florida are at risk of hurricanes at certain times of the year. This is known as the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June through November. Likewise, April through June is a peak time for tornadoes to strikeplaces like Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota. So keep both of these freak weather seasons in mind when planning your own USA trip.
2. Check the ‘six month club’ passport validity rules
Travellers from some countries are required to have a passport that is valid for six months beyond their intended stay in the US. You can check whether this applies to you here [last updated in 2017].
3. You’ll need to apply for an ESTA before travelling to the USA
ESTA stands for ‘Electronic System for Travel Authorisation’ and is a Visa Waiver Program. This enables travellers from certain countriesto travel freely throughout the US (up to 90 consecutive days per trip) without having to apply for a traditional visa. For instance, if you’re travelling to the USA from the UK, then an ESTA is for you. Although authorisation is usually granted within a few hours, it’s recommended to apply for a US ESTAwell before your trip in case of any delays. This is th...
5. You’ll need to pack a Type A adapter
American plug sockets are Type A and Type B (with the latter also fitting Type A sockets). We always prefer packing a universal adapter like this oneso that we know it’ll work wherever we end up going.
6. Use a TSA-approved lock
Did you know that TSA agents in America are permitted to break locks on your luggage if they suspect something is amiss? A note will be placed inside your bag to tell you if this has happened to you. To avoid having to replace your lock, you can use TSA-approved locks, which can be opened by any TSA agent with a master key.
7. Always check in online beforehand if you can
Okay so this isn’t a tip specifically for the US but it’s useful to know if you’re new to travelling by air. Airlines across the world frequently overbook flights, so that if a passenger doesn’t show up or cancels at the last minute, then the plane will always fly full. If you’ve checked in online in advance then you won’t be bumped from the flight unless the airline calls for volunteers (and you put your hand up). There’s a useful TripAdvisor post that goes into this in more detail here.
9. State laws differ across the fifty states
Something you’ll notice a lot when reading the rest of these top things to know before travelling to America for the first time is that each state operates differently – just like individual countries do! Each US state is a sovereign entity in its own right, so are granted the power to create state laws and regulate them according to their own needs, to be used alongside federal laws. Examples of when state laws differare in the cases of gun control, same-sex marriage and abortion.
10. The legal drinking age is 21
You can vote, smoke and enlist in the military at the age of 18 but you have to be over 21 in order to drink. As strange as it sounds, this is a universal law across all US states – and they’re very strict about it, so take your ID everywhere you go!
11. The legal gambling age is sometimes 18 and sometimes 21… and sometimes another number entirely
To gamble in Las Vegas, you have to be 21. Head to Idaho or Rhode Island and you can go to a casino at the age of 18. And then there’s Alabama who calls for you to be 19 before you can legally gamble. Confused yet? Us too.
13. Tipping is expected… for almost everything
Hailing a taxi or Uber? You should tip. Grabbing a coffee to go from a cafe? You should probably tip. Ordering food in a restaurant? You should definitely tip. In the UK, we’re accustomed to only tipping when we’ve had particularly great service. But in the US, they’re accustomed to tipping. Fullstop. I remember during my first trip to America that I was surprised there was a tip jar in the takeout section of The Cheesecake Factory. All my server was doing was taking a slice of cake from the...
14. Always be prepared to pay more than you think
Prices shown in shops and restaurants are excluding tax so you should always expect to pay more than you initially think. US sales tax is a BEAST to get your head around too as each state has its own individual sales tax rate– and some states like Oregon don’t have a state tax at all! As a general rule of thumb, you should expect to pay at least 10% more at the till.
15. Credit cards are king pretty much everywhere
America is big on using credit cards pretty much everywhere; there are even some places that flat out refuse to take cash! So make like Trump and get the flashiest travel credit card you can find!
21. Avoid talking about politics during your visit
Just like Brexit is a touchy subject within the UK at the moment (and for the foreseeable future), politics is very much the same within America. Despite Trump winning against Hilary Clinton in 2016, ‘swing states’like Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania essentially decided the vote – but it was still close-run! We’d stay clear of discussing politics during your visit as you will find it hard to work out who is a Trump supporter, who isn’t and who has changed their minds since he came into power.
22. Watch out for tourist scams in large cities
From having your photo taken with superheroes to unofficial taxis and “free” gifts, there are various tourist scams to watch out for (particularly in large cities). Just do a quick search online before your trip for “CITY + SCAMS”(e.g. New York Scams) so that you’re prepared for what you might see during your trip.
23. Expect to see a lot of poverty and homeless people
While hoards of homeless people frequent large cities, you should expect to also see a big difference in poverty levels between big cities on the coasts and small non-coastal towns (for example). If you’re not used to seeing homeless people or rundown houses, then it may be a bit of a culture shock for you. So just be prepared for that!
26. America spans six different time zones from east to west
At 3.8 million square miles in size and with a population of over 327 million people, the USA is one of the world’s largest countries. It’s impossible to see all the top sights on one trip unless you’re travelling full-time or on a gap year – or several gap years! There are also six different time zones in effect from east to west, which include: 1. Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST) 2. Alaska Standard Time (AKST) 3. Pacific Standard Time (PST) 4. Mountain Standard Time (MST) 5. Central Stan...
27. Hawaii and Alaska are US states… despite being far away
Over 500 miles of Canadian soil separates Alaska from Washington. While Hawaii is over 2,400 miles away from its closest state, California. BUT! Both destinations are still US states in their own right, so are subject to ESTA visa requirements and state laws just like any other state.
28. There’s more to the US than LA, New York and San Francisco
When travelling to America for the first time, you shouldn’t feel like you’ve “seen” America until you’ve travelled through small and medium-sized towns as well. Top places outside of the well-known city hubs include Nashville, Tennessee, Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania. This is where you’ll find true American hometowns and a more local feel.
3 days ago · Hassle-Free Planning: Planning a trip for yourself can be very difficult, but Maxim Tours takes the stress out of the process. They handle all the details, from accommodation and transportation to guided Usa tours and activities. This allows you to enjoy your trip without any other worries. Safety First: Your safety is our priority. Maxim Tours ...
- Days 1-2 Chicago. For the first few days of our 2 week USA itinerary we decided to visit Chicago. One of the reasons we flew into Chicago because we wanted to break up the long flight from the UK before heading over to the West Coast.
- Days 3-5 San Francisco. We left Chicago early morning and it took just over 4 hours flying time to get to San Francisco. It is important to remember that there is a time difference between Chicago and San Francisco.
- Days 6-7 Los Angeles. Thankfully, LA and San Francisco aren’t all that far apart when it comes to flying time. So the good news is that your travel time won’t massively eat into to your 2 week USA itinerary.
- Day 8 Big Bear Lake. If you want to you could spend an extra day in LA, but we decided to take a break from the city for one night and head out to Big Bear Lake, a popular holiday destination located in the San Bernardino Valley.
- Don’t try to see all of it in one trip. The USA is a mighty big place so it’s impossible to see it all in one trip. I’ve been 15 times and still haven’t begun to scratch the surface.
- You’ll need an ESTA or visa to enter. Most nationals will only need an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) to enter the USA. ESTA processing fee $14.
- Try not to get sick during your travels. The health care system in the United States is pretty dismal so getting sick is something I always try to avoid.
- Get travel insurance. So the good part of our doctors visit story is that we were able to claim most of the medical expenses back due to having travel insurance.
Jun 7, 2017 · If you’ve never been to the United States and you’re curious about what it’s like, here’s a glimpse into the American way of life. While the experience of visiting the USA won’t be the same as living in it, these reasons will convince you that it’s worth exploring.
People also ask
Why should you visit USA for the first time?
How to plan a better trip for the first time?
Why should you visit the United States?
What should you know before travelling to America?
When is the best time to visit USA?
Is it worth visiting the United States?
From the bright lights of Las Vegas and New York to the National Parks of Utah and Arizona and the beautiful landscapes of Alaska, discover the best of the USA on a guided group tour with On The Go Tours.
