With international restrictions easing up finally and the US opening their boarders in a couple of weeks we know lots of you may be planning a trip over to the states.
Make Sure Your Passport Is Valid
Make sure you passport is in date and you have enough time on your passport to visit the county and return! When visiting the US you may need more than 6 months left on your passport.
Know The Visa Situation
You’ll likely need a visa before you can enter the United States. Often, that will come in the form of an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation, or an ESTA. Typically, these will be needed for anybody planning on staying in the U.S. for less than 90 days.
You’ll need to get this as soon as possible. There are multiple ways that you can do so, including through official-esta.co.uk and other companies. In most cases, you’ll need to obtain this no less than 72 hours before your flight. You mightn’t be able to board the plane otherwise.
It’s worth noting that, once you’ve obtained it, your ESTA is valid for up to two years. That should give you plenty of time to plan out and go on your holiday. These will be affordable to get and can usually be done online, so there shouldn’t be any issues obtaining them.
Understand Tipping Etiquette
Tipping in the United States is quite different from many other countries especially the U.K. While you might be used to this already being included in the bill, that likely isn’t the case with an American restaurant. Though this is optional, it’s normally expected that you leave a tip. In many bars and restaurants, workers make quite a low wage. Tips are an important part of their income. Typically, it’s recommended that you leave between 15% and 20%.
For a good service, however, it’s expected that you leave a little more for a tip. You should also aim to tip other service workers that you come across, such as bartenders, door attendants, valets, and hotel porters.
Be Prepared To Spend A Lot
As you might have guessed from the tipping situation, you might end up spending a lot more than you expected while on a holiday to the U.S. It could be more expensive than you might think. If you plan on buying clothes and similar items when you’re there, that’s especially true.
Why Plan A Holiday To The U.S.
There are numerous countries that you could plan a trip to. You might wonder why you should plan a holiday to the U.S. There are more than a few reasons to do so. Visiting the home of Hollywood, alongside internationally-known landmarks like the Grand Canyon, might be the most obvious one.
You’ll also get the chance to experience the food. Though the likes of burgers are traditionally American, the country’s food goes well beyond that. A lot of this will depend on where exactly in the U.S. you go. If you’re holidaying in one of the more diverse areas, then you could get some multicultural foods and meals. That could be much more of a culinary journey for your palette than you had expected. While these wouldn’t necessarily reflect the food of their home countries, finding Italian-American restaurants, among others, will be easy.
Wrapping Up
Planning a holiday to the U.S. can take much more effort than you’d think. As much as you’d wish that you could simply book your flights and accommodation, nothing’s ever that easy. Keeping all of the above in mind will help you make it as easy as possible.
With all of the benefits that a holiday in the United States can offer, there shouldn’t be any reasons not to go. There are numerous cities to choose from, each of which has its attractions. What’s stopping you from enjoying an appealing trip?
