By following our top tips for travelling to the USA, you will be sure to make your visit one to remember for all the right reasons.
The United States of America is undoubtedly one of the most popular travel destinations in the world.
As it is a country home to countless natural wonders and beautiful cosmopolitan cities, it’s not hard to see why exactly it tends to be so popular with millions of people across the globe.
However, before you book your dream trip to the US, it’s no harm to acquaint yourself with some helpful tips, so you don’t get stumped when you arrive there.
This article will list what we believe to be the top five tips for travelling to the USA that you should follow to ensure that your visit is great.
5. Strongly consider getting a transfer organised from the airport in advance – ensuring a smooth ride
With up to 95% of American households possessing a car, it’s fair to say that the United States of America can be considered a car-reliant country.
With the public transport infrastructure in the country often leaving more to be desired and roads being quite daunting and challenging to navigate, our advice would be to ensure you already have an airport transfer organised upon arrival to bring you to your destination.
This will take all the worry of navigating away and leave you with plenty of time to soak in the views and atmosphere as you arrive at your destination of choice.
4. Check your passport’s validity – stay up to date
Before you enter the United States of America, you must ensure that your passport is valid; otherwise, you will be denied entry.
Passport validity means it must have at least six months of validity left at the time of your travel to the US. If it is less than six months before it expires, you will sadly be denied entry to the country.
You should also ensure that your passport maintains this validity for your trip to avoid complications.
3. Know your visa situation – ensure that you know exactly how long your ESTA is valid for
In first place on our list of what we believe to be the top five tips for travelling to the USA that you should follow is to be aware of your visa situation.
People from certain countries can enter the US without a visa for tourism or visiting purposes if they fall under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
If you are a country under the VWP, you must apply for authorisation before travelling through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
If you have previously visited the US or already applied for an ESTA and are wondering how long your ESTA is valid, then make sure to check out the link to see if yours can still be used.
2. Be wary of prices – more than it seems
One thing that catches many people out at first upon visiting the United States of America is that when it comes to prices, it’s not always a case of what you see is what you get.
This is because, in the US, the price tags you see on products don’t include the sales tax, which is only added when you get to the till. As this is quite different to the practices of many other countries worldwide, it can catch quite a few people out at first.
It’s always best practice then to keep at the forefront of your mind that you will have to pay more than what the tag says when you get to the till.
1. Turn off your mobile data – avoid a jaw-dropping bill
To their disbelief and despair, many people make the all-too-common mistake of forgetting to turn off their mobile data upon entering the United States of America.
Unless you have a mobile plan that allows for it, you should ensure that your mobile data is turned off when in the US; otherwise, you will feel the sting of their mobile phone roaming rates, which are staggeringly high.
There is plenty of free WiFi to get you by across the country, so don’t worry; you won’t be left unconnected from the grid.
Before you travel, check with your mobile phone provider to see if the US is covered in your plan or if you can purchase a bundle of data covering you for international travel.
By following these tips, you will be sure to avoid a jaw-dropping bill that would spoil your holiday.
That concludes our list of the top five tips for travelling to the USA that you should follow to ensure a great trip. Have you been to the USA before, and if so, do you think these tips would have been helpful to know?
