USA
The United States of America is vast and incredibly diverse. The western United States, in particular, is famous for its stunning national parks, wide-open desert landscapes, and world-renowned cities. Think of iconic spots like the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, or cities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The eastern United States, on the other hand, is known for bustling hubs like New York City and Washington, D.C., as well as Florida’s beautiful coastline. Find all our travel tips about the USA here!
Travel Information USA
The Best Travel Route for the USA (West)
Our first travel route through the USA was in the south-west of the country, where we visited California, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. We also took a trip to the nice islands of Hawaii. Of course, there are so many other nice travel routes through this huge country, but our visit is limited to only one time so far!
Ultimate Winter Road trip Itinerary United States West
Travel Route USA (East)
We explored the eastern part of the USA in July 2025. Our stops we diverse city’s like New York and Chicago and we did some typical American activities like shooting at a shooting range. Check out our travel route for this part of the USA.
The USA is best visited with a rental car, especially the side we explored! For our both our roadtrips we rented a car through Sunnycars. They provide an all-in price with full insurance and the option to cancel up up to one hour before departure for free! If you have the opportunity to rent a larger truck, do it! It was realy cool to go to a drive-in cinema with a larger car.
Visa and Entry Requirements
As visitors from the Netherlands, we needed a valid ESTA (and of course our passports). Since an ESTA is limited to only a list of countries and entry requirements may change over time, always check which requirements hold for you for entering the country. We did apply for an ESTA directly through the official website of the US government.
Travel Budget and Currency
Traveling through the USA can be quite expensive. Especially accommodations in the major cities such as New York, Los Angeles or Chicago aren’t cheap at all. On the other hand, we found that sleeping in smaller cities or in the countryside was quite affordable. Furthermore, other expenses like a rental car, gas, food and activities are comparable in price to countries in Europe or Canada for instance.
Costs of Traveling through USA West: Our Budget versus The Cost of Traveling Through East USA.
What are the Costs for Traveling to Hawaii?
Climate and Weather in the USA
The USA is such a diverse country, that there are also so many different climate systems. There is the warm and tropical area in the south-eastern side of the country, whereas the south-western part is much drier. More to the north, climate gest colder as well. Simply check the climate for the region you are planning to visit.
Peak and Low Season
Peak season is mainly in the summer months from June to August, however the country is just so big that there are different peak and low seasons for different parts of the country. Some areas, such as New York City, are simply always busy with so many tourists from all over the world. During our road trip through the south-west of the US in January, we only saw just a few other tourists in the national parks and some hotels we even had by ourselves. In contrast of our trip in July!
Popular Attractions
We visited a lot of the hotspots in California, Utah, Nevada and Arizona and were impressed by all of them. From the breathtaking landscapes in the different national parks to the ‘over-the-top’ experience we got when visiting Las Vegas, all attractions were just very nice to visit. The eastern part of the country was also very great: from the big city’s to shooting with a real wapon at the shooting range close to Chicago.
Travel Tips for visiting National Parks USA West in Winter
Hawaii Travel Tips: 11 Amazing Places to Explore
Health and Safety
We did not experience any problems with both health and safety when visiting the US. However, keep in mind that you should keep yourself safe by simply thinking straightforward, especially in major cities. As we did not have any health problems, we did not visit local health care ourselves. Obviously, it is advisable to always consider good insurance and check with medical specialists if anything holds for you in particular.
Culture and Traditions in the USA
We did experience almost all typical US cliches as non US citizens: big cars, the American diet and sleeping in motels. It was quite a difference with our home country as Europeans. Further, we really loved the laid back atmosphere at the Hawaiian islands!
Internet and connectivity
We used an Esim during our travel period and were quite happy with it. Although you could also use a local sim-card at the airport of arrival, Esim is just easier as you are connected the moment you land.
Looking for a data package? We mostly use the Esim plan from Airalo for connectivity in foreign countries. Use the code MEIKE4854 for a €3,- discount on your first purchase!
