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United States of America (USA)

Come visit my home country, the United States of America (USA), the 3rd largest country in the world (source).

Most popular USA travel guides

United States of America Placeholder
United States of America

Jump to the most popular travel guides for the United States of America from the list below:

  1. Bar Harbor, Maine
  2. Boston, Massachusetts
  3. Hawaii
  4. Las Vegas, Nevada
  5. New Orleans, Louisiana
  6. Washington, DC

Language

While there isn’t an official language in the USA, English is by far the most common language spoken. Spanish is the 2nd most common language.

Electricity & plugs

Electrical outlets in the USA operate on a standard voltage of 120V. Check out REI’s guide on voltage and outlets around the world to see if you need a converter or adapter.

Visa requirements

To determine if you need a visa for your visit, use the US Department of State Visa Wizard.

Health & safety

Most areas within the United States of America are safe to visit. That said, good health and safety cannot be 100% guaranteed no matter where you travel, so use common sense and take your usual steps to stay safe. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you should let your guard down!

If you are Black, disabled, LGBTQi, or a woman, you may need to take extra precautions over others to stay safe, so please keep that in mind if you fall within any of these populations.

Healthcare is not free in the US, even for emergency situations. So if you’re coming from outside the US, I highly recommend travel insurance.

In fact, I recommend ALL travelers carry travel insurance as a means of protection, whether it be for medical emergencies or to recoup expenses in the event of a cancellation.

If you live in the US and have health insurance, check with your insurance provider to ensure your health insurance will work outside your residential area.

TIP: In the event of an emergency, dial 911 for assistance. This will connect you with an operator that can dispatch police, firefighters, or ambulance services.

Currency & money

The US Dollar is the official currency in the United States of America and its territories, such as Puerto Rico.

Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) where you can withdraw cash with an ATM bank card are widely available at banks and stores.

TIP: There’s usually a fee to use an ATM, unless your bank reimburses fees for using other banks’ ATMs.

Credit cards are widely accepted in the US. That said, in most areas of the US, businesses have the right to require a minimum purchase threshold in order to use a credit card and the right to not accept credit cards at all.

Taxes

When purchasing goods, you might be charged a sales tax.

Depending which state you are visiting, expect the sales tax to be somewhere between 3-7.5%. Some states limit the items on which a sales tax can be charged or have a limit on which it can be collected.

There are 5 states don’t charge a sales tax:

  1. Alaska
  2. Delaware
  3. Montana
  4. New Hampshire
  5. Oregon

Tipping

Last but not least, the US has a tipping culture, especially within industries tightly connected to travel.

15-20% is typical for most services, such as cabs, ride shares, hair and nail salons, spas, restaurants, and bars.

Transportation

Check out the tips below for the best ways to get around in the US.

Automobiles & car rentals

The US is highly dependent on automobiles to get around and car rentals are available at almost all airports.

Aside from requiring a valid driver’s license, most car rental companies require the driver to be age 25 at minimum. Some companies will allow people age 21-24 to rent a car, but with a surcharge added.

Costco is the best way to rent a car, as they have a price comparison tool and allow you a second driver at no extra cost, regardless of which rental company you select through their site.

Public transportation

Most major cities in the US have public transportation, but suburban or rural areas usually don’t.

In some cities, the public transportation is severely lacking. If that’s your preferred way to get around, I recommend doing research on the area you’ll be visiting to determine if you can easily get by on public transportation BEFORE you go.

Taxi cabs & rideshares

Taxi cabs are common in cities, but not in suburban or rural areas. Most high traffic areas in cities will have taxi cabs waiting in a line.

Mobile apps to hail a cab, such as Curb, are inconsistently available from city to city, as many taxi companies or unions have rejected them.

Rideshares are super common these days and you might have some luck using them in suburban areas.

My favorite rideshare company in the US is Lyft, especially since I can get Delta miles when I use them!

Travel between multiple places

If you’re traveling to multiple places in the US and don’t want to drive, you’ll definitely need to do some research on the best way to travel, as the answer will vary depending on where you are and where you want to go.

Bus and train travel is available in some regions, but is not very popular, so options and routes are limited. Air travel is preferred as it is usually seen as a quicker way to travel.