A trip to the USA is the holiday of a lifetime for many people, but the US can be somewhat of a culture shock for first time visitors. We want you to have the best time possible on your trip so have pulled together this list of 5 travel tips to make the experience a lot more enjoyable. This is a country like no other, especially when it comes to the people, so by heeding these tips you will greatly improve your time there.
Informal
Americans talk to anyone; literally. If you are standing in a queue for an attraction or a bus you are guaranteed that somebody will strike up a conversation with you. You will probably get their life story, everything they have done in their lives (exaggeration guaranteed) and their opinion on everything under the sun. They may come across as being direct to the point of rude but that’s just the way they are so don’t be offended and go with the flow.
Driving Laws
These don’t start and stop with being on the wrong side of the road. There are 50 US states, and 50 sets of driving laws. If you are hiring a car to explore the US and get the most out of your trip do your research so as not to fall foul of the local police. Smiling sweetly and pleading ignorance won’t work in America and you could find your holiday spending money quickly depleted due to breaking one of the numerous driving laws.
Food
It can be easy to think the only food on offer in the US is fast food and steak. If you are thinking along these lines you would be wrong. As a truly cosmopolitan country you are guaranteed that whatever food you like you will find it easily. Vegetarians and vegans in particular are way better catered for than in the UK so don’t stress over it. Between every burger bar or steak house there is some gem of a restaurant offering fab food to titillate those taste buds.
Holidays
If you are planning your trip to the USA to tie in with one of their many holidays then be prepared to see nothing like you have ever experienced in your life. The bigger the better is the mantra of America and their holiday parades are more spectacular than anyone else’s. Whatever town in whatever state you are visiting there will be something going on guaranteed, and these aren’t reserved to a few paltry lights hung around the town which is the standard effort of a town in the UK. Embrace, get involved and absorb the electric atmosphere, this is one of the things America does best and they are rightly proud of it.
Timing
timing your visit to the US is essential ,especially if you are going down the typical tourist route of theme parks, major attractions etc. Make no mistake, there are no quiet times for American theme parks, but by doing your research you can plan your trip for a time of the year when there are less crowds. Nobody want to queue for a ride for 5 hours however good it is. The Americans will as they know no other but us Brits who complain if having to stand for 10 minutes can let this spoil their holiday. There is plenty of advice online as to which are the best times to visit different parts of the US so spending a little time during the planning stage will save a lot of hassle further down the line; literally.
Going to the USA is always fun and very exciting and once you plan in time, sort out your US visa before going and pre-organise what you want to do you should have no problems.
