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The USA is a popular travel destination. I’ve been four times so far myself and loved each trip. Places like Walt Disney World, Bush Gardens, and their amazing beaches attract tourists in huge numbers yearly. In this post, I cover topics including where to buy currency, how to get an Esta easily (Electronic system for Authorisation), driving in the USA, etc. I’ve also included great places for those with kids, foodies and sun lovers to demonstrate how easy it is to find something to interest everyone.
Changing Currency
Buying currency before you travel can often work in your favour. It’s best to avoid buying US dollars from a bank or at the airport as they are guaranteed to be less competitive than some of the currency exchange stores on the high street or online. Hotels are notorious for giving fewer dollars to the pound than we might find at home.
Do you Need an Esta to Travel from the UK to the USA?
Yes! In order for a British citizen to travel to the USA whether it’s for business, holiday or a transfer, we are required to apply for an ESTA. The ESTA travel authorisation process is pretty painless thankfully and it’s valid for two years. It also allows for visits to Canada during this period. The whole application can be done online.
It’s as simple as 1,2,3:
1. Submitting an ESTA application.
The form takes a mere matter of minutes to complete.
2. Online Payment
You’ll have the option of payment using the following methods: Visa, Mastercard, Paypal and of course let’s not forget American express. It costs £29.95 per person.
3. Confirmation
The easiest part. Sit back and wait for the official email and SMS confirming that your ESTA request has been granted. This takes up to 72 hours unless you use the urgent option which on average takes a hour.
Valid Passport
Naturally, anyone traveling to the USA will require a valid passport as well as an Esta. You can travel to the USA with a passport up until the expiry date. Unlike with some countries, you do not require a minimum of 6 months on your passport prior to travel. The UK and USA have an agreement allowing travellers, an instant extension of six months to their passport end date where required.
Tipping
In the UK we tip for good service, normally around 10 to 15% of the bill total. All staff are paid a minimum wage. Although it is not considered necessary by some it is greatly appreciated and something I do as a rule. In the USA servers and bartenders are paid far less than other staff such as chefs who will be paid at the least minimum wage. In order to make up the difference, these members of staff rely heavily on tips. Tips are commonly between 15 and 20% of the meal cost although at carryout restaurants – fast food places, many American’s wouldn’t leave a tip so tourists tend not to.
Driving
If you plan to drive when visiting the states you will need to ensure you keep a valid driving license and insurance papers with you. Although you can drive from the age of 21 in there some car hire companies will insist that clients are 25 and over. It’s also important to remember they drive on the right.
Places for Foodies
Foodies will have a field day in America. The portions are gigantic and there are many areas known for having a diverse range of options such as:
Los Angeles
These guys know healthy eating. There are plenty of raw and juice bars, vegan restaurants and for everyone else steakhouses, Mexican food and more.
Houston
Has an extremely diverse range of cuisines available. It’s the Tex-Mex capital and they also know how to make a mean pecan pie. Texas really is a host of surprises and if you are touring around the state to enjoy the foodie delights on offer, why not check out things for couples to do in San Antonio for other fun activities that will help create long lasting memories of travelling to the USA
New Orleans
Creole and Cajun cuisine takes center stage here. You’ll also find a great range of tasty seafood.
Chicago
Known for its pizza, numerous fusion menus and award winning chefs. It’s a yes please, when can we go, from all my kids.
New York
There are restaurants everywhere, do your homework, as they’re not all good! I visited a few places here that were lovely. The food at Ellen’s Stardust Diner was really tasty, the portions were extremely generous and you get live entertainment too!!! In fact, they’re world-famous for this singing staff. It’s really good fun. Remember to leave room for dessert.
Serendipity, another famous New York restaurant. It’s frequented by a number of celebrities. The food is good, the portions as one might expect, large, the atmosphere lively. Make sure you try the super popular frozen hot chocolate!!! You’re welcome x
Las Vegas
You’ll find some exceptional restaurants if you look.
Twist by Pierre Gagnaire is visually impressive and the French-American fine-dining experience is one that shouldn’t be missed.
Other Mama: seafood and sushi. You’ll see many of the local chefs enjoying the food here on their nights off. A great sign!
Ferraro’s is a family run Italian restaurant. Their authentic home cooking has made them a popular choice for visitors and locals.
Miami
It’s not just the fabulous beach that draws, holidaymakers, celebrities, Spring Breakers to Miami. The food is pretty good too.
Mandolin Aegean Bistro: A family owned restaurant that serves Greek and Turkish cuisine. The rustic, authentic dishes bring the taste of the Mediterranean to the huge numbers that can’t seem to get enough of their fabulous food.
The Surf Club Restaurant by Thomas Keller. American cuisine with a twist, cocktails to knock your socks off, what’s not to love.
Marion: American food with Asian influences. The atmosphere varies from relaxed to party. It’s one of the top restaurants in the area and is the ideal place to go on a night out.
Family Friendly Attractions
There are all sorts of great attractions for families to see when visiting the USA. Some of these include;
International Spy Museum
My kids have loved to pretend to be spies over the years. This is ideal for a visit where you’ll find the largest collection of espionage artifacts anywhere on display.
Kennedy Space Centre
Here visitors can get to see all sorts of space shuttles and maybe even meet an astronaut. Ideal for any little or large space fans.
Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Free to enter, fun to visit. Who doesn’t love lions and tigers and bears oh my. (5 points for guessing the movie!)
Walt Disney World
One of the most popular attractions for tourists and residents. It’s not just for kids either. With an enormous range of rides, shows, etc. and our favourite characters old and new popping out to say hello. With so much to see and do you’ll find you need a few days at least to get around the whole park. It’s the ideal family attraction to create lasting family memories to treasure for always. You might find this post, When is best to visit Disney World in Florida a month-by-month guide useful to read before booking.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Another must-visit for families, this theme park boasts a range of rides from the tame yet fun, to the truly terrifying. There is a good chance you won’t manage to see/do everything in a day. Arrive early with plenty of sun cream and make sure you hit the most popular rides first so you get to have a go before they get too busy. A queue pass can be handy but this will cost more. They have some amazing animals you can get really close too.
For Big Kids
Las Vegas
It’s probably best to visit here without kids so you aren’t limited as to where you can go. It’s an eye-catching, fast-paced, fun place to visit. The shows are fantastic, the size of the hotels alone as you walk past is jaw-dropping. Wait until you go inside.
Honestly, there is nothing quite like Las Vegas. There is so much you can do here than the obvious. Enjoy a gondola ride at the Venetian Hotel whilst indulging in one of the best ice creams you’ve ever had, go see the murals in downtown Las Vegas, dance the night away at Omnia Nightclub, see the dancing fountains at the Bellagio, visit the Stratosphere Hotel and take in the views at the USA tallest freestanding observation tower or if you’re feeling brave try out one of the 4 rides. The list goes on and can be tailored easily to requirements and interests.
Top Tip:
Keep your ID with you at all times.
Stunning Beaches
The list of beaches is pretty large. It’s easier for you to decide where you are going and check local beaches. Some of the best include; Myrtle Beach, South Beach, Cape May, Pfeiffer Beach, Coney Island, Manele Bay and Kauna’oa Beach.
Clearwater
Known for some of the most beautiful beaches in America and for good reason. The beaches in Clearwater are breathtaking, with gorgeous soft white sand and crystal clear shallow water. There are numerous beach activities, you can have an encounter with dolphins, visit the aquarium, go kayaking or paddleboarding or my personal favourite, walk along the beach and let the sand gently caress your feet as the sea gently washes back and forth over them whilst you look for shells and sand dollars.
Marco Island
I’ll never forget our trip to Marco Island. The white beaches that stretch for miles with crystal clear waters. It’s somewhere I would not hesitate to return to, hopefully, this time with the children. It’s not as busy as some of the other beach destinations in the USA (less of a party vibe). The food is good, the people are friendly and the beaches are some of the best in the world.
So there you have it. The basic must-know information for travelling to America from money exchange, Estas, and a fab range of places to visit.
Where would you love to visit in the USA?
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Written by Melanie Edjourian. Please do not use these pictures without permission x
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A great tip full of everything you need to know if you are planning a trip to the USA. This will be very helpful to anyone looking at booking a trip there.
The basics are covered. There is so much more there. It’s a lovely place to go and see.
Some really helpful tips, Mel! I love visiting the USA, it is almost like my second home as I travel there so often!
Wow, you lucky lady. I’d love to see more of it myself.
We are planning on taking the kids to Florida next year so this was really useful information to read. Thanks for sharing
I’m sure they’ll have a great time. There is so much there to see and do.
Some excellent tips and advice, America is one of our top destinations to visit with many of the places you listed, however some stuff i haven’t considered, great article.
I’m glad there are some new places for you n my post. Worth another trip I’m sure.
Tipping is still one of those things I have to always remember as it’s just not a massively common thing to do in the UK but it’s so rude not to in the US x
It sure is. Their pay is really low so many rely on their tips.
Some familiar names and some new ones. Thank you. Marco Island sounds gorgeous. Might have to add it to my travel wish list.
It’s stunning there. I really want to go back sometime. I hope you get to go too.
This is really good checklist, as a holiday to the states takes so much pre-planning for sure x
It sure does. It’s best to organise well to make the most of your time there.
There is so much I want to see in America, but I was shocked by how long it took getting through customs
It can take a while although it is worth it once through.
Love reading this post I’ve done lots of travels in the states many years ago. A lot of people don’t realise about ESTA and it is very important you have that in place before you go
It is very important. I had no idea myself initially. It isn’t too hard to arrange thankfully.
I so wish I has infinite money and time as there are so many places in the States that I really want to explore. It is a country that fascinates me. Mich x
I know what you mean. It has so many places that are worth seeing. It helps to plan out your trip before you go to see as much as possible.
This is such a super post packed with all the relevant and useful info you need to travel to USA.
Great post and definitely book marking it for future ref.
Thanks Nayna. It’s good to be prepared before you go.
I would love to go to New York! I also really want to take my kids to Florida so we can go to the Universal studios, Disney world and the space station! I just wish everything wasn’t so expensive.
It can be pretty pricy. It’s such a lovely place to visit with so many places to see.
Quite the informative post and definitely a great guide as well. Those are some wonderful places to visit and thanks for the tips.
No problem Lyanna. Thanks for visiting. I hope you get to see some of these places yourself.
We are hoping to visit the US next year so these tips will come in really handy. Thank you 🙂
Louise x
Glad you liked the post Louise. I hope you have a lovely trip and maybe visit some of the great places mentioned here.
Thank you so much for this – really useful as one of the places we really want to go to when this is all over is the USA!
Have a lovely time Tayla. I hope this will have given you all the basic details you need for your visit.
Important tips for those traveling abroad. I’m sure a lot of people will find this information useful. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Catherine. It’s good to be prepare so you can make the most from your trip.
I had to go through this same process, the first time I went to the States and let me tell you it was a shock to my system seeing them drive on the opposite side of the road lol. Awesome and thorough list you have here!
Thanka Ashlee. I know what you mean it is a bit confusing at first with them driving on the other side of the road.
It can be very expensive, each region has it’s own dialect, culture, and flavor. And people are friendly at heart.
It can be pricey there. Most are really friendly and they love the British accent.
We have been very lucky to have travelled a lot of the usa, but the advice here is really good and very useful to anyone considering travel xx
Thanks Melanie. I bet you’ve been to some great places. There is so much to see and do there.
This is a good quick run down of the U.S., although there is so much to cover over the whole country!
Tell me about it. I’d love to see more of the country.
The portion sizes of food are too big. That’s part of the reason why there is so much obesity, I think!
The portion sizes are huge!!! It helps if you have people to share with.
This is a great post and I especially love reading about the food section. I want to try everything from Chicago to Houston to Miami!
Ha, me too. You’ll find some amazing dishes when you travel around the USA.
I’ve been many times to the US, but it’s good to know the foodie places! They’re my favourite places to visit.
Ha, mine too. It’s good t know which places are best to visit.
Thank you for all the detailed information – v helpful. Id love to visit new york and boston again.
This is a great check list, travelling to the USA is always so stressful. Finding good restaurants is always top of my list!
Katie xoxo