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Travel alone to the United States? This is What You Need to Know!

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Traveling to the US can be great in a group, but solo travel is even better for a lot of people. And that’s because you are more in control, you can have a lot more fun with the entire process and the experience on its own can still be pretty impressive without having the added pressure on you. With that in mind, here are some tips you have to focus on.

Make sure that the paperwork is in order.

We recommend you to fill ESTAif you are coming from Europe, because the last thing you want is not to have the paperwork in order. The idea here is to fill up the ESTA and ensure that you have all the requirements ready to go. That will make the process better and more convenient, and it will also eliminate some of the hassle too. The best thing you can focus on at this point is to check if you filed for ESTA or not, and then you have to wait. The approval will arrive in a little while, so try to avoid rushing if you can.

It’s a good idea to check that list with the VISA waiver program countriestoo. That’s because you get to know all the information there, you get to see where you can apply for ESTA, if you need a VISA and so on. All the minor details matter here, and you have to try and study everything to ensure that you enter the country legitimately. It will help a lot, so try to keep that in mind.

Get health insurance.

When you want to go to a new country you should always think about potential health issues. Health insurance can help you a lot and it will make it easy to stay away from any possible complications. The faster you handle these potential problems, the better it will be for you in the end. The idea here is that you want to check with your travel agency to ensure that everything is good to go.

While health insurance might not seem mandatory, you never really know you need it until a health problem arrives. And the last thing you want is to deal with a situation like that in the end.

Check out the local food.

Eating where locals do and not at the restaurants will help you save a lot of money. The last thing you want is to spend most of your money on food, as there are lots of cool items to acquire and things for you to enjoy. It makes sense if you just check out the local food at first and if you enjoy it then you can continue eating.

Obviously, this is not mandatory, but it can deliver some amazing results if you do it right and you should totally keep it in mind. The benefit that comes from traveling in the US is that you can focus on a whole lot of amazing features and benefits. It will take a bit of time to achieve the results you want, but the outcome can be among some of the best and that’s what you have to focus on at all costs. The portions will be large, so you definitely have to think about that!

 

Know when to travel.

Thanksgiving seems to be particularly challenging, the same thing with most vacation days in the US. That’s why it makes a lot sense to visit the US during the summer or later on during the winter. Of course, you need to check on the weather first, if there are any major weather issues it’s important to not go at all. You never know what can actually happen and that’s why it makes a lot of sense to figure out any issues and go from there.

It’s a good idea to have a travel plan with you too. This can bring in front some amazing results and the experience on its own can be very exciting as well. In the end it all comes down to you to make the right pick and actively focus on good results. It’s well-worth the effort and the experience can be among some of the best every time if you are prepared for travels.

Tipping is expected.

Some countries might not have the same idea about tips, but tipping is expected in the US. Most people that receive tips tend to have low salaries, so it’s expected for you to give up to 20% of the entire cost as a tip. Yes, it’s that much, depending on where you eat that can be insanely much and you have to keep that in mind.

Pick affordable accommodation.

Some of the accommodation options such as hotels can be extremely expensive. That’s why the best thing you can do is to take your time and study all of these to see which one works for you. Ideally you want to go with AirBNB or VRBO, any service that makes it easy for you to find accommodation locally. It always works really well and it’s super adaptable to your own requirements. That can offer some amazing benefits and the experience will shine in no time. Rest assured that it can work really well, and the value will surely be really good for you.

Get a GPS-enabled device.

Your phone or tablet will work great here. The idea is that you want something which is connected to the internet and which shows your location all the time. This way you can be sure that you won’t get lost. It’s definitely hard to get lost in a large city if you have a map, but even there it can easily happen. If you use a map app and pay attention to where you are going you will find that results will be more than ok in the end.

Rent an RV.

If you want to get around the country with ease, getting an RV is very common. There are a plethora of RV stations out there and you can easily pick whatever RV you want without a problem. The idea is to not rush and pick the model that suits your needs the most. It can be well worth the effort, especially if you have a very specific idea regarding what RV you want to rent. But since you are alone you don’t really need a large unit, a simpler one will pay off a lot better and results can be great. If you don’t want to go with an RV, then you can use buses. These can be amazing to explore and the experience on its own can be nothing short of exciting.

 

Get passes.

Usually if you go with passes you can save a lot of money. Major cities tend to have passes for some of the most important events and tourist locations. This way you can get quite the discount and it will help you a lot if you want to save money as a whole. You do need to keep in mind the fact that sometimes you can get even higher discounts if you go with a group. You can group up with other solo travelers and the results can be really good. The idea here is to just come up with a creative solution and you will be more than fine for the most part. Yes, it can be very time-consuming for the most part, but the ROI can be huge if you do it right.

Try out new adventures.

The US is full of adventures. Sporting events, rafting, enjoying music festivals and fairs can be extremely interesting and a whole lot of fun. The idea is to know what you are getting into and what you can expect, as there are definitely a plethora of unique options for you to consider. It’s always a good idea to push the boundaries and actively figure out what process works for you all the time.

The idea is that you have a whole lot of cool options and activities, so don’t resort only to something very specific. It’s important to be willing to try out new stuff, because you never know what you might be missing on. Just take your time, have fun and enjoy the experience as much as you can. It will totally be worth it.

Even if you travel alone to the US you still need to focus on having the right paperwork. You have to take your time, study the situation and actively figure out how everything works. It will totally be worth the effort, as long as you don’t rush and handle everything well beforehand. Use the tips we mentioned above so you can save money and also enjoy the experience a whole lot more. The idea is to always strive to focus on the things you enjoy and try out new things if you can too. Rest assured that traveling to the US is a lot of fun even if you are alone!

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About Jamie

JamieJamie Larounis is an avid traveler, blogger and miles/points educator. Traveling well over 100,000 miles a year and staying in hotels for over 100 nights, he leverages miles, points and other deals to fly in first class cabins, and stay in 5-star hotels. The Forward Cabin shares his experiences, musings, reviews, tips, tricks, resources and industry news with you, the fellow traveler. [Learn more about Jamie...]

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