United States of America
The USA is a continent pretending to be a country. You could spend months here and still only scratch the […]
The USA is a continent pretending to be a country. You could spend months here and still only scratch the surface. New York City alone could fill a two-week trip. The national parks could fill a lifetime. The food varies wildly from coast to coast. And the sheer scale of everything is hard to grasp until you’re driving through Texas for eight hours and still in Texas.
The honest truth about travelling the USA is that it’s more expensive than most people budget for. The sticker price on everything looks reasonable until you add sales tax (not included in the listed price), mandatory tipping (15-20% on all sit-down meals, drinks, taxis), and the fact that everything is designed around car travel so you’ll be paying for rental cars, gas, and parking.
But the flip side is that the USA has some of the most spectacular natural scenery on the planet, cities that each feel like a different country, and a diversity of experiences that’s hard to match anywhere else.
[YOUR EXPERIENCE: Add 2-3 sentences here.]
When to go
The USA is so big that the “best time” depends entirely on where you’re going.
The coasts (New York, LA, San Francisco, Miami) are best in spring (April-June) and fall (September-November). Summer works but East Coast cities get brutally hot and humid in July and August.
National parks (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Zion) are best May through October. Summer is peak season and parks get crowded. September and early October offer great weather with fewer people.
Hawaii is good year-round. The dry season (April-October) has the best weather. Winter months bring bigger surf on the north shores and slightly lower prices.
Florida and the South are best November through April. Summer is hot, humid, and hurricane season runs June through November.
Ski season in Colorado, Utah, and the Rockies runs December through March.
Avoid Thanksgiving week (late November), Christmas/New Year, and spring break (March) if you want to save money. Prices spike across the country during these windows.
What it actually costs
The USA is a mid-to-high cost destination. Cheaper than Switzerland or Scandinavia, more expensive than most of Asia, South America, or Eastern Europe. All prices in USD.
Budget ($80-120 USD/day per person) Hostels or budget motels ($30-60/night), fast food and grocery stores ($15-25/day on food), public transit in cities or shared rental car, free national park trails and city walking. Tight but doable in cheaper cities and on road trips. Hard in New York, San Francisco, or Hawaii.
Mid-range ($120-250 USD/day per person) 3-star hotel ($100-180/night for a double), restaurant meals with tip ($30-50/day), rental car ($40-70/day), paid attractions and national park entry ($15-35 per park). This is realistic for most visitors.
Comfortable ($250-400+ USD/day per person) 4-star hotels, nice restaurants, domestic flights, guided tours, show tickets. Easy to spend this much in New York or LA without trying.
The hidden costs that catch people out: sales tax is added at checkout (not in the listed price, varies 0-10% by state), tipping 15-20% on all restaurant meals and services is mandatory (not optional like in most countries), and car rental insurance can add $20-30/day if your home insurance doesn’t cover you.
Domestic flights are often the cheapest way to cover long distances. Southwest, JetBlue, and Spirit offer $50-150 one-way fares if booked 3-6 weeks ahead. Google Flights is the best search tool for US domestic routes.
International flights vary hugely by origin. From Europe expect $300-700 return. From Asia $500-1,000. From Oceania $700-1,400.
[YOUR EXPERIENCE: Add your actual spend if you’ve been.]
Where to go
New York City (4-5 days). Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, the Met, the food, the energy. Stay in Brooklyn (Williamsburg or DUMBO) for better value than Manhattan. Walk everywhere in Manhattan. The subway ($2.90 per ride) goes everywhere. Don’t eat in Times Square.
Los Angeles (3-4 days). Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Griffith Observatory, hiking in Runyon Canyon, food in Koreatown and Silver Lake. You need a car in LA. Public transit exists but it’s slow and limited compared to other major cities.
San Francisco (2-3 days). Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Mission District for burritos and street art, Fisherman’s Wharf (touristy but the clam chowder is good). Very expensive for accommodation. Consider staying in Oakland and taking BART across.
Hawaii (5-7 days). Oahu for Waikiki and Pearl Harbour. Maui for the Road to Hana and Haleakala sunrise. Big Island for volcanoes and black sand beaches. Kauai for the Na Pali Coast and hiking. Pick one or two islands, don’t try to do them all.
Grand Canyon and the Southwest (5-7 days road trip). Las Vegas as a base, then drive to the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, and Sedona. One of the best road trips in the world. Rent a car from Vegas.
Miami and the Florida Keys (4-5 days). South Beach, the Art Deco district, Cuban food in Little Havana, then drive down the Overseas Highway to Key West. Best in winter months when the weather is perfect and the rest of the country is freezing.
National parks. The America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entry to all 400+ national parks for a year. Buy it at your first park. A single park entry is $15-35 so the pass pays for itself after 2-3 parks.
What to skip
Times Square, New York. There’s nothing there except chain restaurants, crowds, and neon. Walk through it once if you want the photo, then leave.
Hollywood Walk of Fame, LA. It’s a dirty sidewalk with stars on it. The area around it is not great. Griffith Observatory is the real LA highlight.
Organised bus tours in most cities. In New York, San Francisco, and LA, walking or using public transit is better than sitting on a tour bus in traffic. Save the guided tour for national parks where a guide actually adds value.
Eating at your hotel. Hotel restaurants and room service in the US are overpriced everywhere. Use Google Maps or Yelp to find local spots within walking distance.
[YOUR EXPERIENCE: Add your honest take.]
Must-do experiences
Hike in a national park. The Grand Canyon rim trail, Angels Landing in Zion, or the Mist Trail in Yosemite. Free with park entry and genuinely awe-inspiring. These landscapes are the best thing about the USA.
Eat in New York. Not at a tourist restaurant. A $1 pizza slice from a no-name corner shop. Dim sum in Flushing, Queens. A bagel from Russ and Daughters. A smash burger from any of a hundred spots. New York is the best food city in the country.
Drive the Pacific Coast Highway. Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles (or vice versa). Big Sur, Monterey, Santa Barbara. One of the most scenic drives in the world. Allow 2-3 days to do it properly.
Watch a sunset at the Grand Canyon. Show up 30 minutes before sunset at Mather Point or Hopi Point. Free. Genuinely one of the most humbling natural sights on the planet.
[YOUR EXPERIENCE: Add your top pick.]
Practical tips
Tipping is mandatory for table service restaurants (15-20%), bartenders ($1-2 per drink), hotel housekeeping ($2-5/day), and taxi/rideshare (15-20%). Not tipping is considered extremely rude.
Sales tax is not included in listed prices. The amount varies by state (0% in Oregon and Montana, up to 10% in some cities). What you see on the menu is not what you pay at the register.
Uber and Lyft work in every major city and are often cheaper than taxis.
Get a US SIM or eSIM at the airport. T-Mobile, AT&T, and Mint Mobile all offer prepaid tourist SIMs with data. $25-40 for a month of unlimited data.
Healthcare is extremely expensive. Travel insurance is absolutely essential. A simple ER visit can cost $3,000+ without insurance.
The USA uses 120V power outlets (Type A/B). Bring an adapter if you’re coming from a country that uses 220-240V.
The drinking age is 21, strictly enforced. Carry your passport as ID if you look under 30.
Planning your trip
1 week East Coast cities: New York (4 nights), Washington DC (2 nights, train from NYC)
1 week West Coast: Los Angeles (2 nights), Pacific Coast Highway drive (2 nights), San Francisco (2 nights)
2 weeks cross-country highlights: New York (3), fly to Las Vegas (1), Grand Canyon/Southwest road trip (4), Los Angeles (2), San Francisco (2)
1 week Hawaii: Oahu/Waikiki (3 nights), Maui (4 nights). Fly between islands.
Book your trip
Use the search tools above to compare prices on flights, hotels, tours, and rental cars across the USA.
More destinations from travlperks: For North America with a different feel, check out Canada (guide below). For cheaper alternatives with similar natural beauty, see our New Zealand guide. For city breaks at better value, see Portugal or Japan.