Itineraries in the United States
2-week roadtrip in the Eastern parks of the USA
Explore the great natural landscapes of Eastern USA.
2-week roadtrip in Southern USA
From Texas to Florida, the American authenticity.
3-week road trip in Eastern USA
Discover the iconic cities of the Eastern USA.
2-week roadtrip in the USA along the Pacific Ocean
Discover the Californian coast and its main cities.
2-week roadtrip in the authentic Louisiana
Explore Louisiana and enjoy its authenticity.
2-week roadtrip in Florida
Go through Florida and discover its most iconic parts.
Plan your travel itinerary to the US
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From movies to skyscrapers, you probably think you know everything there is to know about the United States. But what if the Hollywood sign lost some of its letters? What if New-York City’s avenues were not that straight? If you want to check this out, there’s only one solution : come to the US and check it out yourself!
You probably won’t be able to shake the American clichés away in one short trip – Americans tend to perpetuate the myths.
That’s why you’ll have to dig a little deeper and get to know some of the most interesting cities in the world, discover outstanding landscapes and meet a more than welcoming population.
Ready to go? Come on!
Contents: Everything to plan your trip to the US
1- Useful links
2- What to see in the US?
3- What to do in the US?
4- Language
5- Local currency
6- How to travel around during your trip to the US?
7- What is the budget for such a trip?
8- Useful contact information
9- First bookings to make when planning a trip to the US
10- Some useful information
11- Useful shopping list before traveling to the US
Useful links to help you plan your trip to the US
- To travel safely and without any worry on your mind, we recommend Chapka Insurance!
- You want to buy a paper travel guide? We recommend buying one focused on the region or city of the country you will visit. We can recommend this one if you are visiting Western USA, and this one if your are visiting Eastern USA. Regarding the “big cities”, we recommend those ones for New-York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and the New Orleans.
- Need a road map to prepare your itinerary in the US? We recommend this one, the most detailed and the most pleasant to read!
- To book your accommodation, we recommend this website. In our opinion, it is the most efficient, reliable, and the one with the best cancellation policies.
What to see in the US?
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- Florida
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- New Orleans
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- New York City
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- Grand Canyon
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- National Parks
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- California
What to do in the US?
Get a taste of the American way of life.
- Feel like Lisa Minnelli and sing New York, New York.
- Discover foggy mountains at the Great Smoky Mountains.
- Be amazed by the astonishing Grand Canyon.
- Summertime will be a love-in there, in the streets of … San Fransisco.
- Come back all tanned up from Miami.
- Let yourself go and enjoy the jazzy New Orleans music.
But wait for it … America also knows how to celebrate!
- Every year, on May’s last Monday is Memorial Day: a day to commemorate every American who sacrificed for their country.
- On the 4th of July, enjoy the celebration of America’s Independence Day, one of the most important holidays!
- Take part in the national holiday of the 1st of September: Labor Day.
- Do not miss the Halloween celebrations on the 31st of October, one of the most celebrated holidays in America. Don’t forget to get a costume and be prepared to eat a lot of candy!
- If you are lucky enough to have family or friends in the USA and you happen to be there on the 4th Thursday of November, take part in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
- Spend Christmas in New-York, you’ll never forget the citiy’s magical atmosphere during the holidays. Just like in the movies: go ice-skating in Central Park, take a walk in the snow and enjoy the beautiful Christmas decorations all over the city.
Language in the US
We speak English!
Of course the United-States official language is English, but be prepared to hear many different accents (especially if you are used to hearing British, Australian or Indian english!).
Don’t worry, if you don’t speak perfect English, Americans are very tolerant and will probably even find your accent cute.
Local currency in the US
Money, money, money
The official currency is the American Dollar (USD). It’s probably a good idea to have a currency converter on you phone to manage your expenses more easily. Almost all banks will be able to exchange your local currency for dollars and you’ll find banks everywhere… they even have drive-thrus !
If you need cash, it’s even easier, on top of banks you’ll find ATMs (cash dispensers) in nearly every shop! At the cash register in supermarkets you could even be asked if you want to withdraw money. So don’t worry about money managing in the USA, it’s easy.
Also, you will without a doubt need a credit / debit card to rent a car or book a hotel room. Be sure to know if you have a credit or debit card, they will ask you when paying.
Traveling around in the US
Is the steering wheel on the left or right?
To go from a place to another, the best solution is having a car. Yep, it is not just in movies, Americans go everywhere by car. For instance, they have Drive-Thrus for EVERYTHING: banks, drugstores, groceries, liquor stores … and of course fast food. Gas is pretty affordable and there are no tolls, on large avenues you’ll see that driving is really easy (in cities on the other hand….. it can be a little bit more complicated). If you’re staying less than 90 days, you’re home country driver’s licence will be enough, but if you stay longer be sure to get your International Driver’s Permit. When renting a car, better get insured (not included in the car rental).
Funfact: on highways and bypasses you’ll see “fastlines”. Most of them are one or two lanes on the left of the road for cars carrying at least 2 people. They were added to stimulate carpooling and are quite efficient if you want to get where you are heading faster! Because, yes, you guessed it, most Americans are alone in their car!
If you were wondering what side the steering wheel is on, it’s on the left side and Americans drive on the right side of the road. And don’t forget distances are given in miles not kilometres (1km = 0,62 miles).
Overall budget for a trip to the US
Ok thank you for all these infos, but what about the budget?
Don’t forget that in the USA, taxes are never included in the displayed price… You will pay an extra 9 to 15,5% of the displayed price in the hotel industry and an extra 2,9 to 7,5% for other industries. Taxes may vary from one state to another. And don’t forget about tips, they are almost always expected in the service industry.
About accommodation:
- If you are the type to travel with a simple backpack on your back and like youth hostels, expect around 25$ / night.
- For a cheap motel, it will be around 50$ / night
- The better you want your hotel to be the more expensive it will get. Every budget will find the fitting accommodation.
- Good news : Couchsurfing (sleeping for free at a local’s house) is very common and safe. If this seems like something you’d like, go for it! You’ll save a lot of money!
Getting something to eat:
- If you want to eat the same way you eat at home, you’ll probably end up spending a lot. So better eat local food and get to discover American food !
Traveling around:
- Car rentals are not that expensive, expect around 280$ / week during low season for a mid-range car at Hertz for instance. But if you are younger than 25 years old, you might have to pay an extra fee (280$) because big car rental companies consider you “a beginner driver”. Unfortunately, this legislation applies in all countries.
- Good news for you city dwellers, Ubers are very affordable and super convenient! In San Francisco for example, expect to pay about 6$ for a 30 minute-ride.
Useful contact information in the USA
If you need to join / go to your embassy while in the United-States, go to this website for the address, phone number, email adresse and website : https://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-in/united-states
For any on the spot emergency, call : – 911.
Book your trip to the US
Here are different websites you can use to make your first bookings for your itinerary in the US:
USA’s tourist office:
National Parks:
Practical information in the US:
Travel tips for our fellow travellers :
- Give tips ! (in touristy restaurants, they even estimate the tip for you !)
- Get a universal adapter to charge your devices !
Useful shopping list before traveling to the US:
- As for us, we always leave for a trip with a first aid kit, which can be more than useful. Add to this “ready-made” kit paracetamol and stomach-pain medicine… You never know!
- Travelling inevitably damages passports… To avoid changing your passport every 3 trips, we advise you to opt for a passport holder!
- Do you want to make your suitcase as secure as possible? Opt for a suitcase padlock. Don’t forget that between a protected suitcase and an unprotected one, people with bad intentions will prefer to attack the unprotected one.
- Depending on the country, you may need a universal adapter for your electrical devices. In the US, the plugs and voltage might not be the same as in your country, so a universal adapter is definitely useful.
- You take pictures with your smartphone, you use it for GPS, to look at the time, etc. You will probably need an external battery to recharge your phone during the day!
- For the choice of your cabin luggage, special mention for this solid and practical suitcase, especially for “digital nomads” (like us!) who need to carry their computer around the world!
- Staying hydrated is essential when travelling! We recommend this isothermal stainless steel water bottle to quench your thirst!
Marie organises your trip to the US for you!
Passionate Travel Planners create your tailor-made dream trip at a lower cost!
Save time and money… We take care of everything!