United States: main airports
The United States is served by major international hubs such as Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, as well as numerous regional runways connecting the country's smaller cities.
A vast territory with multiple time zones, very different regional cultures, and distances that often require a domestic flight even for travel within the same country.
United States: recommended activities
United States: visa and entry requirements
Citizens of 42 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (including the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan and South Korea) can enter without a visa for tourist or business stays of up to 90 days, requesting electronic ESTA authorization before departure.
The ESTA fee is 40.27 USD per person (unchanged for adults, children and infants), with approval generally valid for 2 years and multiple entries; apply for authorization at least 72 hours in advance, although it often arrives faster. An electronic passport (e-Passport) is required to travel under the visa exemption regime.
Citizens of countries not part of the program must apply for a tourist visa (B-2) at the relevant US embassy or consulate before departing.
United States: safety
The United States is overall a safe country for tourists, but crime varies greatly from area to area within the same city: find out about neighborhoods to avoid in your specific destination before arriving, especially for walking around at night.
Natural disasters are a real risk depending on the region and season: hurricanes on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts (June-November), tornadoes in the Midwest and South (spring-summer), wildfires and earthquakes on the West Coast. Check local weather alerts during your stay.
Firearm ownership is widespread: always follow the instructions of local authorities in case of an emergency.
United States: health situation
No mandatory vaccinations are required for entry from most countries.
The US healthcare system is of high quality but very expensive: travel insurance with adequate medical coverage (a minimum coverage of hundreds of thousands of dollars is often required) is strongly recommended, since even an emergency room treatment can cost thousands of dollars without insurance.
Tap water is generally safe to drink throughout the country.
United States: currency, payments and connectivity
Currency: US dollar (USD). International credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) are accepted almost everywhere; contactless and Apple/Google Pay are very widespread, including in taxis and on public transport.
Tipping: tipping is socially mandatory, not just a courtesy: 15-20% at restaurants, 15-20% for Uber/Lyft rides (with a minimum of 2-3 USD on short rides, 5-10 USD for airport transfers), a few dollars for hotel staff and taxis.
Ride-hailing apps: Uber and Lyft are available and widely used in almost all cities and most airports.
SIM/eSIM: an eSIM purchased online before departure is the most convenient option; alternatively, most major airports have kiosks or stores selling prepaid SIM cards to tourists (passport and credit card required).
Electricity: 120V voltage, type A/B outlets (flat pins): an adapter is needed for European devices.
United States: travel guides
One day in New York: itinerary and highlights
Corpus Christi: Texas's longest beach
Cleveland: rock and roll on Lake Erie
Palm Springs: a modernist oasis in the desert
Little Rock: the school that defied segregation
Springfield: the birthplace of Route 66
Indianapolis: speed and monuments
Monroe: Delta music on the Ouachita River
Tallahassee: the capital among Florida's hills
Atlanta: what to see in 1 day
Madison: Wisconsin's capital between two lakes
Minneapolis: urban lakes and public art
Charleston: the colourful houses of Rainbow Row
New Haven: the pizza born at Yale
Fargo: between the Red River and the Coen brothers' cinema
Norfolk: the world's largest naval base
Savannah: Spanish moss and colonial squares
Spokane: the waterfalls in the middle of the city
El Paso: the twin city on the Mexican border
Gulfport: Mississippi's sandy beaches
One day in Miami: itinerary and highlights
Cincinnati: where freedom ended for escaped slaves
Wichita: where American fast food was born
Dayton: where humans learned to fly
Boston: what to see in 1 day
Joplin: reborn after the tornado of the century
Oakland: from the Black Panthers to the bay port
Bangor: the city that inspired Stephen King
Boise: sand dunes in the heart of Idaho
Rochester: the city that captured the world's image
Atlantic City: what to see in 1 day
Columbus: the world's longest urban rafting course
Lexington: horses and bourbon in Kentucky
24 hours in San Diego: what to see
Manchester: the small city of New Hampshire
West Palm Beach: Henry Flagler's American Florence
Anchorage: moose in town and Denali on the horizon
Kansas City: jazz, barbecue and fountains
Omaha: steaks and Buffett's headquarters
Newport News: where American aircraft carriers are born
Ithaca: the gorges worth the trip
Burlington: the gateway to Lake Champlain
Birmingham: the city of civil rights
Tulsa: Art Deco born from oil
Asheville: America's largest house
Reno: the gateway to Lake Tahoe
Amarillo: Cadillacs planted in the Texas desert
Philadelphia: birthplace of American independence
Portland: lobsters and lighthouses on the Maine coast
Milwaukee: beer and motorcycles on Lake Michigan
Memphis: from Sun Studio to Graceland
Los Angeles in a day: what to see
A Day in Bloomington, Indiana
24 hours in San Francisco: what to see
Hartford: Mark Twain's house and American insurance
Des Moines: golden domes on the great plains
Greensboro: where the sit-in movement began
Flagstaff: where Pluto was discovered
Fort Myers: the winter of Edison and Ford
Pittsburgh: three rivers and the historic incline
Billings: the gateway to wild Montana
Sioux City: America's first national monument
Portland: books, roses and Japanese gardens
San Jose, California in a day: what to see
Houston: space, museums and urban park
Santa Ana: the artistic heart of Orange County
Mobile: where America's Mardi Gras was born
Toledo: America's capital of glass art
Salt Lake City: temple, mountains and salt lake
Nashville between honky-tonks and the Parthenon
Oklahoma City: from the land run to the national memorial
Erie: the peninsula that shields the lake
Greenville: rebirth on the Reedy River
Fort Smith: hell on the edge of the West
Colorado Springs: red rocks against a blue sky
Huntington: the city reborn from disaster
Destin: the luckiest fishing village in the world
South Bend: the football cathedral of Notre Dame
Springfield: the city of Abraham Lincoln
Rockford: sock monkeys and Japanese gardens
Dubuque: Iowa's oldest city
Santa Barbara: the American Riviera
Huntsville: where the moon rocket was born
San Antonio: the Alamo and the river below the city
What to see in Chicago in 1 day
Austin: what to see in 1 day
Augusta: where flowers cover the golf course
Seattle in a day: what to see
Las Vegas: what to see in 1 day
Wichita Falls: the world's smallest skyscraper
Knoxville: the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains
Jackson: Mississippi's capital of blues and civil rights
Orlando beyond the parks: lakes and art
Shreveport: the Hollywood of the South on the Red River
Long Beach: where the Queen Mary rests
Green Bay: the temple of football on the lake
A Day in Saginaw, Michigan
Providence: where fire dances on the river
Richmond: capital of two nations at war
Buffalo: the gateway to Niagara Falls
Phoenix: desert, art and Camelback Mountain
Duluth: the world's largest freshwater port
Cedar Rapids: Iowa's Czech village
Fort Wayne: Indiana's city of three rivers
Columbus: Ohio's experimental capital
Fairbanks: midnight sun and northern lights
Sarasota: quartz sand and the American circus
Albany: New York State's historic capital
Casper: on the pioneers' trail through Wyoming
Detroit: motors, music and urban rebirth
Fort Lauderdale: the Venice of America in Florida
Saint Louis: the arch on the Mississippi
Jacksonville: the largest city in the continental United States
Harrisburg: the Capitol on the Susquehanna River
Baltimore: what to see in 1 day
Rochester: Minnesota's Mayo Clinic
Raleigh: the capital of the Research Triangle
Moline: the green tractor of the Quad Cities
Charleston: the coal capital of West Virginia
Grand Rapids: the furniture city turned art capital
Tucson: among the giant cacti of the Sonoran Desert
New Orleans: jazz and above-ground cemeteries
Syracuse: the Erie Canal and Salt City
A day in Dallas between art and history
Denver: what to see in 1 day
Roanoke: the mystery of the lost colony
Albany: the civil rights movement in Georgia
Louisville: bourbon and the Kentucky Derby
Washington: monuments and free museums
Peoria: America's test city
Columbia: South Carolina's capital
Montgomery: where Rosa Parks said no
Lafayette: the Cajun heart of Louisiana
Lubbock: the hometown of Buddy Holly
Kailua-Kona: black lava and coffee beans
Charlotte: motorsports, art and modern uptown
Tampa: Cuban cigars and the riverwalk
Albuquerque: hot air balloons over the desert
Chattanooga: the train that became a song
Hibbing: Bob Dylan and the world's largest mine
Baton Rouge: the capital on the great river
Sacramento: the gold rush of California's capital
Bristol: the city split between two states
Honolulu: Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head
United States: airlines
