How to Prepare for an Amazing US Vacation
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So you are planning the perfect US vacation? Star gazing at night from the Grand Canyon, sipping cocktails in California, visiting the White House, feeding the dolphins at Sea World… There are so many things to do and so little time! If this is your first time to the USA, there are a few things you have to keep in mind while planning your trip in order to make it the best vacation ever.
1. Take care of your Visa requirements and find out which papers are needed. Make sure your passport, Visa, and other documents are valid. If you are from one of the 37 Visa Waiver (VW) countries and your stay is not going to exceed more than 90 days, you will need to obtain an ESTA visa. If you belong to a country that does not belong to the VW program, you will need to apply for a valid US visa before entering the country.
2. Booking your tickets well ahead is one of the clever ways to get the best deals. Luckily, there are many airlines flying to US, so you have an opportunity to choose the one that suits your travel dates, budget and comfort. Even domestic flights can now be booked online, so you can plan and organize your holiday in a few clicks with your credit card. In case you want to rent a car, make sure your driver’s license is accepted in US. Commonly, international licenses are valid, but it’s always better to check this first.
3. Medical service is by no means cheap in the United States of America. Therefore, you should take the prescription drugs with you. If you need a medication, national chains such as the Rite-Aid are usually open 24 hours.
4. In case of any trouble, do not hesitate to call 911. 911 is the (well known) emergency number you should call in case you need any kind of help- police, ambulance or fire department.
5. When it comes to travel costs, US can be quite cheap and extremely expensive. If you are very thrifty, you could spend less than $100 on a daily basis. A midrange budget ranges from $150 to $250 a day. Car, gas, accommodation, two meals and one or two museum admissions are included. Nevertheless, when you’re in US, spending over $2000 a week isn’t hard at all: you just need to drive a lot, splash out a few times and be in San Francisco, New York or Chicago. Luckily, ATMs are located almost everywhere, so you don’t have to carry a lot of cash around with you. All major cards such as MasterCard, Visa and American Express are, of course, accepted.
6. Choosing the destination and making ideal itineraries is the trickiest part of planning any trip, but with US it is even harder to make the right choice. US is a huge country (well, just take a look at the map!) and my piece of advice is to stick to maximum 4 states for a 2-weeks holiday. Which part of the country to choose? It depends only on you and your preferences, but whatever you decide, you won’t be wrong!
Finally, don’t forget to have fun while planning your US trip and enjoy your holidaying! And, once again, don’t forget you need ESTA visa!