Travel planning USA
Any individual trip to the USA naturally starts with planning: flights, rental vehicle, accommodations, route and travel time - there is so much to think about! But thanks to the Internet, it is now easier than ever to plan an individual round trip to a faraway country without making any gross mistakes.
How exactly this works and what you need to consider when planning a trip to the USA, we therefore break down here step by step for you. Also follow the articles linked in the respective sections to delve even deeper into the topic!
Destinations
Especially when traveling to the West Coast, you should first get an overview of the possible destinations. Sure, everyone quickly thinks of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, but the Southwest has so much more to offer.
Travel time
When do you want to travel? If you are not already committed to the school vacations, the answer to this question is not so easy, because almost every month of the season, from May to October, comes up with its own advantages and disadvantages.
The most important factor is, of course, the weather, especially with regard to one or the other destination located in the mountains, but also the number of visitors and the prices can enter into the considerations.
Vehicle choice
Some may be committed to a passenger car from the outset, but especially in the western part of the country, a motorhome and camping are often a great alternative. Families with children in particular should at least consider camping, as most campgrounds are not only far nicer than hotel rooms, but also cheaper.
Travel duration & route
The last and probably most important point of the first phase of our travel planning for the USA is the determination of the route - and in connection with it also the travel duration. For the Southwest, three to four weeks are usually the optimum, but of course, among other things, the costs flow into the considerations - if the time available is not clearly limited anyway.
Further preparations
Means of payment
A credit card is indispensable for a trip to the USA, but you will notice this already when booking the rental car and the accommodations - without it you simply cannot do anything, because a credit card is always required either for the reservation or for the deposit. Whether Mastercard or Visa does not matter, what is important is the limit.
Of course, you also have to think about cash, because on the road you do not pay as much with the card as is often claimed. You can get U.S. dollars either at your local bank or at ATMs in the U.S. with a debit card or credit card, both of which have advantages and disadvantages.
Insurances
Besides the obligatory insurance of the rental vehicle, two other insurances are useful for the trip. Without a foreign travel health insurance you should in no case start the flight over the Atlantic, before also a travel resignation insurance can be worth a consideration. The costs for this are relatively low.
Documents
Basically, the USA travel planning is essentially completed with the bookings, only a few final preparations still want to be made. These include the entry requirements, which you should look at carefully, because you may have to take care of new passports and apply for an ESTA.
Summary
If you take a step-by-step approach to planning your trip, it's not that difficult. You start by deciding on the destinations, the time period and the route, then you can take care of booking flights, vehicles and accommodations, and finally you can get everything you need for your vacation. Of course, you do not have to proceed strictly in order, but can also first reserve the hotels and then the rental car.