What can be said about the United States of America? Let’s see some of the most common clichés: the freest nation in the world, the richest country, the country with the most diverse geography and culture, the land of the skyscrapers, the “automobile nation”… you are going to encounter all of these if you decide to pay a visit of any form to America. May it be a business trip, a holiday vacation or pursuing your studies, you are about to have a lifetime experience that your grandchildren will love to listen to.
This page is intended to provide you, dear visitor, with useful information related to your travel to the USA. Tips and tricks will follow in a sort of chronological order from planning at home, to arriving in the US, as well as departing. Hopefully, you are to profit from the knowledge provided. Nevertheless, it is advisable that you click and check out the materials under the links included throughout.
GETTING THERE AND COMING BACK
Acquiring a VISA will probably be the most complicated part of your preparations, unless someone does it for you. Joining the European Union did not result in any changes in the procedure. For Hungarians, at least a Visitor Visa is requested upon entrance of the US borders. There are a number of additional non-immigrant as well as immigrant VISA types. Be prepared to have USD $100 worth of Forints available for your application! For detailed information on different types of VISAs offered, make sure to check out the latest relevant information on the U.S. Embassy’s website.
Once you make it to America, you will be most likely to travel by car. However, to get there from Hungary, you will need an airplane, a ship (preferably an ocean liner) or a space shuttle. The cheapest type of fast travel is by air. Direct flights from Budapest to the United States are offered only by Malév, the Hungarian airlines. However, transfers are available by all major European airlines and you can also get direct flights from cities lying close to the border (e.g.: Vienna, Graz, Bratislava, Zagreb), which is especially convenient if you happen to live close to one of them.
TRAVEL WITHIN - GETTING AROUND
Within the United States it is most practical to cover the vast distances with airplanes. Hop on! Air travel is fairly cheap due to the tight competition among different companies. For a few hundred Dollars You should be able to buy a transcontinental flight. Look out for bargains and avoid the holiday rush!
Trains are a convenient means of transportation for working commuters of suburbia, and some high-speed inter-city routes, but in other parts of the country they are practically non-existent. The same can be said about buses. They are a great option for urban and suburban travelers, but they can be very discomforting for long distances. Greyhound’s inter-city services provide an economic alternative.
America is a real car nation. Some families have more cars than household members! Now, this may sound funny to some Europeans who are used to regular public transportation service. But ask the citizens of South Dakota for example! They will tell you about severely limited services. If you plan to travel to the natural wonders of rural America, it is advisable to rent a car for this purpose. Luckily, you will not need an international driving license within the U.S., so check out the companies and compare the prices! Ok, so no license is required, but make sure to familiarize yourself with road signs and rules. Most non-Americans will not be used to the scales on the United States maps. The use of miles instead of kilometers is not the only reason. As America is one of the largest countries, the distances within its borders can be unimaginable to some foreigners. To avoid getting stuck in 4 day trips instead of the planned 12 hour drive, use this helpful distance finder. And by the way, forget about hitchhiking! Unfortunately, it is illegal in all the 50 states.
Feel free to use cab services in all major U.S. metropolitan areas. They are very common, easy to find and relatively cheap. An exclusive version of taxi service is the “limo rental.” Interestingly, limousines are fairly inexpensive; sometimes they cost less than regular cabs.
GET SOME REST(au’RANT) – accommodation and dining
You will find all the extremes of possible accommodation types in America, from the cheapest roadside motels to the fanciest executive-style downtown penthouse hotels. Compare! American hotels calculate on a room per night basis instead of per person.
Finding tasty bits will be easy in large, multicultural cities, where numerous nationalities already established their “food embassies.” Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, French, Italian, Vietnamese, Russian… Whichever your preference may be. However, wandering around rural America with a hungry tummy means you could easily find yourself sitting in a traditional diner, with a plate of pancakes, a double quarter-pounder or a tasty pie to mention just a few typical American dishes. You can find more information about what to expect from U.S. kitchens on the World Wide Web. Do not miss out on the world famous 1 Dollar street hot dogs!
GET THE STUFF YOU NEED - shopping
Food in general is pretty cheap in America. That applies to supermarkets as well as budget eat-outs and average restaurants.
Actually, if you do not plan to buy a house or be educated in the United States, you will find almost everything fairly cheap compaired to European standards. Clothing, cars, electronics, utilities, gasoline, and accommodation providers are all in tight competition in this huge market. Use this shopping guide and its clothes size conversion chart to ease the pains of bargain-hunting.
GET THE GROOVE – useful general information
Safety
There are times when as a European you wonder if it is the police that employs most of the population in the United States. Generally, tourist safety is very good. Tolerance is the key word. In America, all sorts of different nations live together in a so-called “salad bowl,” in which every individual’s task is to respect their fellow Americans.
Travel Insurance
Unless you want to risk going bankrupt just because of a minor injury, you had better purchase travel insurance for the duration of your trip. Hospital expenses tend to get enormously expensive in America
