Is the first big trip to the USA on the agenda for you soon or have you been thinking about whether you should not even travel to the USA for a long time and are newcomers to America looking for really helpful and essential USA travel tips?
No matter what your motivation is, in the following article we have put together our best tips and tricks for traveling in the USA, which we have collected over the years during our long-term trips through America.
As "full-time travelers" and globetrotters , we spend several months in North America each year , primarily to explore the extensive nature there, to enjoy the great national parks and to discover very individual insider tips off the tourist trails on long hikes and road trips.
That is why we have become something of a real USA travel professional and are always happy when we can give interested newcomers to the USA some helpful travel tips on our travel & outdoor blog
You have probably heard a few “horror stories” about entering the United States among your extended acquaintances - that it is very complex and often involves long waiting times at the airport. But in truth it is all half as wild if you know what to watch out for ...
In any case, it is correct that the Americans take “national security” very seriously and that patriotism in the United States is also very pronounced.
As a European, you should just tolerate that and not get upset about long queues or even make fun of the "procedure", even if everything in Europe is usually a bit more "relaxed".
You need an electronic travel permit (ESTA) or a visa to enter the USA .
For a tourist trip that lasts no longer than 90 days, an ESTA travel permit is sufficient - if you want to stay longer in the USA or work there or do business, you need a corresponding visa.
The most common tourist visa is the combined B1 / B2 visa, which allows you to stay in the US for up to 6 months.
We applied for such a visa a few years ago to take a long-distance hike on the Appalachian Trail , a detailed article about it - you can find it here:
You can find a comprehensive overview of all available Visa types for the USA, as well as for the electronic travel permit (ESTA) and the exact procedure for applying here
Checklist: Travel information for the United States
When you arrive in the USA, you only have to go through immigration - there your data will be checked, if necessary your fingerprints will be taken digitally and a current photo of you will be taken.
Especially if you land in a big city with a big airport, it can take some time, but it's all half as wild and above all no reason to miss the beauty of the USA ...
After we have clarified the most important information about entry and preparation for your USA trip, we will now go straight to our best USA travel tips so that your next trip to the United States will be a complete success.
We mainly focused on the things that we ourselves are often asked by friends and acquaintances about USA travel and there are also a few extra tips for the cheapest possible travel in the USA - because that is also possible if you know how to do it ...
The USA currently has 59 national parks, one more beautiful than the other. Mountains, forests, sea, swamps, deserts and wildlife - everything is there that a nature lover's heart desires.
Therefore, you should definitely visit some national parks along your route and explore the fantastic nature on your USA trip .
Some time ago we already put together our TOP10 National Park favorites in the southwest of the USA in an article - you can find it here:
The 10 Most Beautiful National Parks in the US Southwest
You should note that especially in the most popular national parks such as Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon NP it can get very crowded during the high season - which can quickly cloud the mood if you are not properly prepared for it.
Therefore, you should visit these well-known national parks rather in the off-season or look for accommodation or campsites directly in the national park or in the vicinity.
Another little "extra USA travel tip" - no matter how busy the respective national park is, as soon as you set off on foot for hikes on the way to the hinterland, you will hardly find any other people even in the heavily frequented national parks.
Unfortunately, most visitors to the parks only look at the viewpoints along the thoroughfares .
We have often seen friends and acquaintances try to plan their road trip through the USA in minute detail - but you should definitely refrain from that. It is not particularly fun to keep chasing your own schedule.
Do you prefer instead a rough list of what you want like to see and do you then just set off. Everything that you cannot manage on your current trip, you then simply make for the next trip.
A few helpful extra tips for your road trip through the USA - you can find them here:
10 road trip tips for the USA & Co.
No matter how much time you have in the end for your USA trip, in the end it is unfortunately never enough - even with us, if we are in America for three or more months.
So take it easy in any case, drive off the Interstates (highways) and discover the "real" USA far from the tourist trails.
With the National Park Pass, you pay a one-time payment of USD 80, which means you can visit all of the United States' National Parks as often as you want within one year without having to pay another entry.
All important information about the “America the Beautiful” Annual Pass can be found here:
Official website "America the Beautiful" Passes
Since most national parks now charge an average of around USD 20.00 or even more, entry to a national park pass is worthwhile for 3 to 4 parks visited, especially if you are visiting the USA again within a year.
You can buy the “America the Beautiful” Annual Pass in every national park - just ask for the Annual Pass when entering the first park.
Just like the “America the Beautiful” Annual Pass, there are special passports for most metropolises with discounts for transport, sights, museums etc. that can save you a lot of money.
All of these passports here in this United States travel guide article would go beyond the scope, but you can assume that there are such passports for every major American city.
As soon as you know which cities you would like to visit on your USA trip, just have a look under "Citypass" for the cities in question.
It is also worthwhile to compare different passports and to think carefully about which services of the respective pass you actually want to use before buying.
The traffic in many American cities is sometimes really grueling, but the parking lot situation is even worse than the actual traffic in many places - so you should ideally use public transport in big cities.
A great alternative, which we used last year in San Francisco to get to the best sights of the city for a tour operator's photo assignment, are the so-called "hop-on / hop-off buses".
These buses stop at all sights and you can hop on and hop off at any time . The providers usually offer passes for one or more days, so that you can decide how much time you want to spend in the city for sightseeing.
You can find all information about the provider we used in San Francisco here:
BigBus San Francisco
Just like the city passes, there are such tour providers in almost every American metropolis - again, you only have to take a look at the Internet once you know which American cities you want to explore.
In the past, hotel vouchers available at petrol stations and supermarkets were still the best tip for getting a cheap hotel night - but now it is sometimes even cheaper at short notice to find a hotel or other accommodation via a booking portal such as Booking.com or AirBnB .com to book.
The booking through the portals also works smoothly on very short notice, can where you want to stay in the evening so that you can decide at very short notice.
If you have no way to book your overnight stays online on the go via a portal, this is not a broken leg - but in this case it is worthwhile to look out for the good old hotel vouchers.
Especially if you want to explore the national parks, the seemingly endless expanses and the nature of the USA , you can hardly avoid a mobile pedestal - because the public transport network in the USA is quite "patchy".
To find out which type of travel in the USA is the right way for you , we published a detailed article here on the blog some time ago, in which we once compared traveling with a rental car and motorhome - you can find it here :
With the camper or the rental car through the USA?
In any case, you should book your mobile pedestal for the USA - whether rental car or motorhome, in Germany through a tour operator or a booking portal - because here you get significantly more services for less money.
Important here are mainly far better insurance terms, since the American vehicle insurance to cover only the most necessary usually.
Again and again we are asked how it works in the USA with refueling, the whole thing is really simple - the only difference is actually that in the USA you have to pay before refueling.
You can do this either with the credit card directly at the petrol pump or with the "cashier" in the petrol station with a card or cash payment.
The problem with most USA travelers is that you have to enter a zip code (zip code) at the petrol pump in many regions when paying with a credit card , but unfortunately most machines do not recognize European zip codes.
But that's no problem, you should not be able to pay at the pump - just go to the gas station and call the amount for which you want to refuel or tell the cashier that you are a "Fill-Up" (filling up) want to have.
Another important tip for refueling during your USA trip - always refuel early and preferably in areas with larger cities, because the petrol stations are sometimes rare in the hinterland, sometimes run out of fuel in the country and are mostly around in lonely areas many times more expensive.
Therefore, always refuel early so that you don't stay somewhere in the "pampa" with an empty tank.
There are some toll roads and bridges around major cities and important thoroughfares in the USA - the best known ones as a tourist are hard to avoid are the Florida Turnpinke in the direction of Key West or the Golden Gate Bridge (toll only in the direction of travel south) in San Francisco, California.
In order to save you unnecessary effort and costs, you should if possible book a toll package directly when booking your vehicle or find out exactly how toll roads are billed by the landlord.
Driving in the USA is a very relaxed affair, only in the big cities it gets a bit confusing due to multi-lane streets and heavy traffic - but if you drive passively and stick to the speed limits, that's no problem either .
In any case, you should not underestimate the sometimes huge distances. If you are not traveling on the Interstates, the side streets worth seeing are very long - especially the southwest of the USA is known for its endlessly long and straight streets through lonely desert areas and canyons.
Such areas are definitely worth seeing, you should only make sure that you take enough breaks when driving in the USA on such routes. Driving, sometimes very monotonous, can quickly make you tired and falling asleep at the wheel is one of the main causes of accidents in such areas.
No matter what your motivation is, in the following article we have put together our best tips and tricks for traveling in the USA, which we have collected over the years during our long-term trips through America.
As "full-time travelers" and globetrotters , we spend several months in North America each year , primarily to explore the extensive nature there, to enjoy the great national parks and to discover very individual insider tips off the tourist trails on long hikes and road trips.
That is why we have become something of a real USA travel professional and are always happy when we can give interested newcomers to the USA some helpful travel tips on our travel & outdoor blog
GENERAL TIPS FOR THE CORRECT PREPARATION OF YOUR USA TRIP
You have probably heard a few “horror stories” about entering the United States among your extended acquaintances - that it is very complex and often involves long waiting times at the airport. But in truth it is all half as wild if you know what to watch out for ...
In any case, it is correct that the Americans take “national security” very seriously and that patriotism in the United States is also very pronounced.
As a European, you should just tolerate that and not get upset about long queues or even make fun of the "procedure", even if everything in Europe is usually a bit more "relaxed".
You need an electronic travel permit (ESTA) or a visa to enter the USA .
For a tourist trip that lasts no longer than 90 days, an ESTA travel permit is sufficient - if you want to stay longer in the USA or work there or do business, you need a corresponding visa.
The most common tourist visa is the combined B1 / B2 visa, which allows you to stay in the US for up to 6 months.
We applied for such a visa a few years ago to take a long-distance hike on the Appalachian Trail , a detailed article about it - you can find it here:
Apply for B1 / B2 visa for the USA
The application process for the B1 / B2 visa has changed somewhat over the years, but the process at the American embassies in Germany has remained essentially the same.You can find a comprehensive overview of all available Visa types for the USA, as well as for the electronic travel permit (ESTA) and the exact procedure for applying here
Checklist: Travel information for the United States
When you arrive in the USA, you only have to go through immigration - there your data will be checked, if necessary your fingerprints will be taken digitally and a current photo of you will be taken.
Especially if you land in a big city with a big airport, it can take some time, but it's all half as wild and above all no reason to miss the beauty of the USA ...
OUR 10 BEST USA TRAVEL TIPS FOR AMERICA BEGINNERS
After we have clarified the most important information about entry and preparation for your USA trip, we will now go straight to our best USA travel tips so that your next trip to the United States will be a complete success.
We mainly focused on the things that we ourselves are often asked by friends and acquaintances about USA travel and there are also a few extra tips for the cheapest possible travel in the USA - because that is also possible if you know how to do it ...
USA travel tip # 01
Experience the national parks of the USAThe USA currently has 59 national parks, one more beautiful than the other. Mountains, forests, sea, swamps, deserts and wildlife - everything is there that a nature lover's heart desires.
Therefore, you should definitely visit some national parks along your route and explore the fantastic nature on your USA trip .
Some time ago we already put together our TOP10 National Park favorites in the southwest of the USA in an article - you can find it here:
The 10 Most Beautiful National Parks in the US Southwest
You should note that especially in the most popular national parks such as Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon NP it can get very crowded during the high season - which can quickly cloud the mood if you are not properly prepared for it.
Therefore, you should visit these well-known national parks rather in the off-season or look for accommodation or campsites directly in the national park or in the vicinity.
Another little "extra USA travel tip" - no matter how busy the respective national park is, as soon as you set off on foot for hikes on the way to the hinterland, you will hardly find any other people even in the heavily frequented national parks.
Unfortunately, most visitors to the parks only look at the viewpoints along the thoroughfares .
USA travel tip # 02
Road trip routes through the USAWe have often seen friends and acquaintances try to plan their road trip through the USA in minute detail - but you should definitely refrain from that. It is not particularly fun to keep chasing your own schedule.
Do you prefer instead a rough list of what you want like to see and do you then just set off. Everything that you cannot manage on your current trip, you then simply make for the next trip.
A few helpful extra tips for your road trip through the USA - you can find them here:
10 road trip tips for the USA & Co.
No matter how much time you have in the end for your USA trip, in the end it is unfortunately never enough - even with us, if we are in America for three or more months.
So take it easy in any case, drive off the Interstates (highways) and discover the "real" USA far from the tourist trails.
USA travel tip # 03
Save with the National Park PassWith the National Park Pass, you pay a one-time payment of USD 80, which means you can visit all of the United States' National Parks as often as you want within one year without having to pay another entry.
All important information about the “America the Beautiful” Annual Pass can be found here:
Official website "America the Beautiful" Passes
Since most national parks now charge an average of around USD 20.00 or even more, entry to a national park pass is worthwhile for 3 to 4 parks visited, especially if you are visiting the USA again within a year.
You can buy the “America the Beautiful” Annual Pass in every national park - just ask for the Annual Pass when entering the first park.
USA travel tip # 04
Use city passes in the metropolisesJust like the “America the Beautiful” Annual Pass, there are special passports for most metropolises with discounts for transport, sights, museums etc. that can save you a lot of money.
All of these passports here in this United States travel guide article would go beyond the scope, but you can assume that there are such passports for every major American city.
As soon as you know which cities you would like to visit on your USA trip, just have a look under "Citypass" for the cities in question.
It is also worthwhile to compare different passports and to think carefully about which services of the respective pass you actually want to use before buying.
USA travel tip # 05
Sightseeing with hop-on / hop-off toursThe traffic in many American cities is sometimes really grueling, but the parking lot situation is even worse than the actual traffic in many places - so you should ideally use public transport in big cities.
A great alternative, which we used last year in San Francisco to get to the best sights of the city for a tour operator's photo assignment, are the so-called "hop-on / hop-off buses".
These buses stop at all sights and you can hop on and hop off at any time . The providers usually offer passes for one or more days, so that you can decide how much time you want to spend in the city for sightseeing.
You can find all information about the provider we used in San Francisco here:
BigBus San Francisco
Just like the city passes, there are such tour providers in almost every American metropolis - again, you only have to take a look at the Internet once you know which American cities you want to explore.
USA travel tip # 06
Hotel vouchers & booking portalsIn the past, hotel vouchers available at petrol stations and supermarkets were still the best tip for getting a cheap hotel night - but now it is sometimes even cheaper at short notice to find a hotel or other accommodation via a booking portal such as Booking.com or AirBnB .com to book.
The booking through the portals also works smoothly on very short notice, can where you want to stay in the evening so that you can decide at very short notice.
If you have no way to book your overnight stays online on the go via a portal, this is not a broken leg - but in this case it is worthwhile to look out for the good old hotel vouchers.
USA travel tip # 07
Rental car or camperEspecially if you want to explore the national parks, the seemingly endless expanses and the nature of the USA , you can hardly avoid a mobile pedestal - because the public transport network in the USA is quite "patchy".
To find out which type of travel in the USA is the right way for you , we published a detailed article here on the blog some time ago, in which we once compared traveling with a rental car and motorhome - you can find it here :
With the camper or the rental car through the USA?
In any case, you should book your mobile pedestal for the USA - whether rental car or motorhome, in Germany through a tour operator or a booking portal - because here you get significantly more services for less money.
Important here are mainly far better insurance terms, since the American vehicle insurance to cover only the most necessary usually.
USA travel tip # 08
That's how you tank in the USAAgain and again we are asked how it works in the USA with refueling, the whole thing is really simple - the only difference is actually that in the USA you have to pay before refueling.
You can do this either with the credit card directly at the petrol pump or with the "cashier" in the petrol station with a card or cash payment.
The problem with most USA travelers is that you have to enter a zip code (zip code) at the petrol pump in many regions when paying with a credit card , but unfortunately most machines do not recognize European zip codes.
But that's no problem, you should not be able to pay at the pump - just go to the gas station and call the amount for which you want to refuel or tell the cashier that you are a "Fill-Up" (filling up) want to have.
Another important tip for refueling during your USA trip - always refuel early and preferably in areas with larger cities, because the petrol stations are sometimes rare in the hinterland, sometimes run out of fuel in the country and are mostly around in lonely areas many times more expensive.
Therefore, always refuel early so that you don't stay somewhere in the "pampa" with an empty tank.
USA travel tip # 09
Toll roads and bridgesThere are some toll roads and bridges around major cities and important thoroughfares in the USA - the best known ones as a tourist are hard to avoid are the Florida Turnpinke in the direction of Key West or the Golden Gate Bridge (toll only in the direction of travel south) in San Francisco, California.
In order to save you unnecessary effort and costs, you should if possible book a toll package directly when booking your vehicle or find out exactly how toll roads are billed by the landlord.
USA travel tip # 10
Driving a car in the USADriving in the USA is a very relaxed affair, only in the big cities it gets a bit confusing due to multi-lane streets and heavy traffic - but if you drive passively and stick to the speed limits, that's no problem either .
In any case, you should not underestimate the sometimes huge distances. If you are not traveling on the Interstates, the side streets worth seeing are very long - especially the southwest of the USA is known for its endlessly long and straight streets through lonely desert areas and canyons.
Such areas are definitely worth seeing, you should only make sure that you take enough breaks when driving in the USA on such routes. Driving, sometimes very monotonous, can quickly make you tired and falling asleep at the wheel is one of the main causes of accidents in such areas.
