Hello
I am planning to visit usa next year for a month, coming from Scotland, I want to start from newyork and finish in seatle, I ve never been to usa, not sure how to organise this, whats the best way to approach this and organise everything
One month itinerary travel through usa
It depends what you want to do and to see. (Cities, Nature, NationalParks?)Maybe the best would be, if you first read a good guide book and have a look at any map.
As public transport is not so good, you'd decide, if you rent a car. But as this is one-way-trip a car would be absolutely expensive. And if you are under 25 years of age you have to pay an extra joung-driver-fee. And the time of 4 weeks is too short to see all the interesting destinations on the route.
So you'd think if you fligh from one city to the next and visiting the sourroundings from there.
Or you look for a guided bus-tour.
As Beate says, one-way car hire is very expensive.
You need to look at a map and decide what places you really want to see. Once you've decided what your absolute 'must-sees' are you can work out how to link them up.
Research Amtrak (train) routes:
https://www.amtrak.com/train-routes
There are excellent cross-country routes. Amtrak trains are very comfortable (not at all like the UK!) and will allow you to see lots of the countryside. Booking long in advance (essential if you want a sleeper) gets the best fares.
Also investigate long-distance bus services. Greyhound has the most routes:
https://www.greyhound.com/bus-routes
Megabus also runs in the US:
https://us.megabus.com/route-guides
NB: US train and bus stations are often edgy/sketchy (much more so than the UK) so be prepared. Best not to arrive after dark.
There are budget US airlines. Use https://www.skyscanner.com to research flights but always book on the airline's own website. Larger US airports have decent public transport access.
Book your NYC accomm well in advance (best to choose free cancellation). Use the long-established and reliable https://www.booking.com. It lists hostels & self-catering accomm as well as hotels. Once you've got your itinerary sorted it would be a good idea to book the rest of your accomm (free cancellation again). It's no fun arriving in a city and finding there's no accomm (can easily happen if there's a conference or big concert/baseball game) or that the only accomm is miles out.
Make your Esta application on the official site below (there are several scam sites) a couple of weeks before you start your trip:
BUT
if you've ever been convicted, arrested or cautioned...including NFA, even if you were a minor and especially for a drug offence... you should not travel on the Esta (visa waiver) and should apply for a US visa. Some arrests/cautions/convictions need a 'waiver of ineligibility' and at the moment it's taking up to 9 months for waivers to be processed. The advice from the US Embassy in London is very clear:
>We do not recommend that travelers who have been arrested, even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction, have a criminal record.......attempt to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program
https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-waiver-program/additional-requirements/
So if you aren't eligible for an Esta, make that visa application now!
[ Edit: Edited on 7 Apr 2024, 07:49 GMT by leics2 ]
Hi.
What time of the year will you be in the US?
New York City and Seattle can be a little expensive.
Simple Google type search will give you weather conditions for the month you visit and cost of living.
Sample random search for expenses:
https://www.creditkarma.com/insights/i/cheapest-places-to-travel-us
Distance. Google up distances between various points of interest. Then figure out how best to get there.
Maybe do parts of the US closest to your arrival city one time. Then return again to a different arrival location and explore that part of the US. Etc.
Do not show up with a single debit or credit card. Have back up sources of spending money. You loose or damage a single card you might have a few problems.
- You won't find too many places with haggis on the menu.
Up to you.
If I were advising someone with 4 weeks to spend in the US, I'd have them spend maybe 4 days in NYC, take a train down to Washington D.C. and spend several days there. Then depending on the time of year, take a flight to either New Orleans (if in the spring or fall) or Denver (summer), and from there take a trip to the Grand Canyon or to Salt Lake City and from SLC to Yellowstone. And spend the last 10 days in northern California (San Francisco and up to Oregon and Seattle.
That's heavy on the National Parks so if you don't want that much nature, substitutde Las Vegas for the Grand Canyon and take a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon from there.
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