I’m 23(F) and i’m travelling to US for the first time to visit my sister. she did her masters from columbia and is now working. I recently graduated in july and i’ll be starting my new job in november. im travelling to NY in sept for 6 weeks. it’s also my birthday in sept so i thought i could celebrate my birthday in nyc as well. I have all the necessary documents including return tickets (they’re non refundable as well). My parents and my sister would be sponsoring my trip and i have enough funds to show as well. is there Anything that i should be prepared for before travelling and what all questions can be asked during the immigration process? How much cash should i carry with me? How much money should be there in my forex card? Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

I am travelling from Europe to the US. I have IBS-C and because of that I take daily laxatives in the form of a sachet of powder that is mixed into water. I buy this medicine myself and don’t have it on prescription. Can I bring a 2 week supply in my checked luggage to America without a doctor’s note?

I am also on the contraceptive pill; does this require a doctor’s note to get through border control or can I just bring it in its packaging? Due to the way contraceptives work in my country, I don’t have a prescription slip for them. I just get a physical done by the nurse at a sexual health clinic (not my GP, so they don’t have a record of it) and get given them.

I got a passport so I can travel to Mexico and Japan next year. But I was curious, do I need a California real id to travel within the country. Or is my passport enough?

Hi everyone! I’m from SEA and will be going to the US in late december with my mom, arriving before Christmas and leaving after New Years. I havent been to the US before but my mom has many times, and we will be staying for 11-12 days. We are thinking of travelling to the east coast, so nyc, boston, washington etc, but nyc is the majority of our stay.

I’m currently working on an itinerary, and was wondering what are some must-visit places, apart from the typical attractions like the statue of liberty, times square and the rockerfeller tree? (would also appreciate if u could give ur experience visiting these attractions this time of the year, and actually feel free to recommend some of the ‘typical’ places to go to as well)

Are there any cool shopping malls with stuff not in SEA, any bakeries, thrift shops, and underrated places in general? I’m looking for places that’ll feel new, allow me to come out of it with great pictures to post, and make me regret nothing about visiting the US.

Would also be a great help if you could give us the recommended visiting time, how long it took, pros and cons, and ur experience in general. I’m super excited to go in December, thank you for helping to make my trip unforgettable😌😌

I’m looking for somewhere with amazing mountain views, fresh air, and a genuinely relaxing atmosphere not a place where I’ll spend the whole trip fighting through crowds.

Banff and the Canadian Rockies look incredible, and I’ve also been considering Switzerland or some of the quieter Alpine villages. I’d love to hear from people who have actually been.

Where would you go for a peaceful mountain getaway, and why?

Bonus points for somewhere that has beautiful scenery without feeling overly touristy

Hello everyone,

Me and my wife, both in mid 20s, are planning to visit Florida in late October. This will be our first time in USA. We probably will spend around 8/9 days there. We've got good flight options to Miami, but we're not that big city fans. We are mostly interested in nature, nice views, hikes, trails, swimming etc. However, time in the city is also acceptable, just not for the entire duration of the trip. We will also be able to rent a car.

We are looking forward for your recommendations, tips and advices, also, should we stay in/near Miami for the entire duration, or should we switch places? Please note, that our flight back home is also from Miami.

We want to visit Orlando, see Disney or Universal studios, do some sightseeing, museums. Maybe catch an NBA game? To those who live or been there, we would really appreciate your tips for itinerary or spots that are worth seeing.

My wife and I are trying to decide whether to turn an upcoming work trip into a family vacation.
I have meetings near Denver on August 26 and 27. Afterward, we were thinking of visiting Glenwood Springs and Ouray before returning home around September 3 or 4.
We have a 2-year-old and a 4-month-old.

OPTION 1: FLY ROUND-TRIP
• Approximately $1,500 for the additional family airfare
• We would rent and return a car in Denver
• Much less travel time
• We would need to manage the airport with an infant, toddler, stroller, luggage and car seats
• We would probably need to buy a lighter FAA-approved car seat for the toddler

OPTION 2: RENT A VEHICLE IN PHILADELPHIA AND DRIVE ROUND-TRIP
• Approximately $2,000 for a two-week SUV or minivan rental before gas
• Additional hotels and meals along the way
• Around 26 hours of driving each direction, divided over several days
• More room for baby equipment and the ability to travel at our own pace
• The drive could become part of the vacation—or become an exhausting amount of time in the car

OPTION 3: SKIP THE FAMILY PORTION
• I fly to Denver alone for the meetings
• My wife and children stay home
• We save the money and take a dedicated family vacation another time

Initially, Colorado sounded like a fun way to combine a work trip with a family vacation. Now that we’re looking at the costs and logistics, we’re questioning whether bringing everyone is worth it.

Parents who have traveled this far with a toddler and infant: which option would you choose?

Did a multi-day road trip feel easier than flying, or was flying much more manageable than expected?

Does this Colorado trip sound worthwhile with approximately a week available after the meetings?

Hey everyone, im 23 years old and im driving from Long Island to San Francisco. I leave mid September, and I want to see the best sights of America.I want to do as many national parks as possible. Also I will be sleeping in the car, camping, staying at motels only when absolutely necessary to save money. Any tips, advice, or suggestions welcome. Thank you!!

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I’m thinking about doing a 5 to 7-day Florida trip sometime this winter. Split the time between a couple of places rather than stay at one resort the whole time. I’ve been looking at different Florida vacation packages, but I’m not sure if they’re a good deal once you factor in what’s included.

Has anyone booked a package that worked out well? Just want to know what was included, what you paid roughly, and whether you’d book the same way again.

Hi guys,

Couple from Italy 🇮🇹, we are arriving in the US on September, based in Detroit and then starting from there our trip.
7 nights at all.

We have the car, and the would like to visit the best natural places, and spend 1 day in any city.

We would do 2 night there/ 2 nights there and 2 nights there/ 1 night to come back.

- places already visited : Michigan / Wisconsin / West Virginia/ Ohio.

What do you suggest do visit?

Thank you!

Hey I am travelling to the US for a month and need to carry my antidepressants. Since it's a month's meds, it will be around 10 strips of each med (4 of them so around 40 strips) . Any suggestions besides carrying the prescription? Do they really check all these things? Also should I carry them in my main luggage or hand bag? Please suggest.

PS I have a layover in London, hope that won't cause any issue

I'm planning a trip to the East Coast of the US from October 1st to 6th. Could someone please help me book a visit to the White House? I'm willing to pay, and I would be extremely grateful?

hello guys I'm a solo female traveler who is thinking about taking a trip to LA and SF this November, 3 days in each city is enough right? do you guys have any tips or recommendations for where I should stay or what I should do? I'm still stuck on where I wanna go first and where I want to end off at. ive been hearing a lot of mixed reviews about traveling there in November 🤔

Hi everyone! I’m planning a family road, I (21) with my parents, trip to the US West Coast from December 24 to January 2, and I’d love some advice on our itinerary.

This will be our first time doing this route. We’re not very outdoorsy and don’t plan on doing long/strenuous hikes (I can do some by myself). We’re more interested in scenic drives, viewpoints, cities, and seeing the major sights. We’re also a vegetarian family.

Here’s our rough itinerary:

Dec 24 – Los Angeles
• Land in LA and rest

Dec 25 – Universal Studios Hollywood
• Full day at Universal

Dec 26 – Los Angeles
• Explore LA / sightseeing

Dec 27 – LA → Santa Barbara → Death Valley
• Drive toward Santa Barbara
• Continue toward Death Valley
• Overnight around Death Valley

Dec 28 – Death Valley → Grand Canyon
• Some sightseeing / easier trails in the morning at death valley
• Long drive to the Grand Canyon

Dec 29 – Grand Canyon
• Full day at the park
• Viewpoints / easier trails

Dec 30 – Grand Canyon → Las Vegas
• Drive to Vegas
• Explore Vegas in the evening

Dec 31 – Las Vegas → Joshua Tree
• Drive to Joshua Tree
• Explore the park

Jan 1 – Joshua Tree → Los Angeles
• Some sightseeing / easier trail
• Drive back to LA

Jan 2 – Fly out of LA

A few questions I’d really appreciate advice on:

1. Is this itinerary too ambitious for late December?
2. Are there any roads/areas on this route that are particularly risky or likely to be affected by winter weather?
3. Is Death Valley → Grand Canyon in one day realistic, or should we change the itinerary?
4. Would you recommend spending more/less time at any of these places?
5. Are there any easy trails or viewpoints you’d recommend at Death Valley, Grand Canyon, or Joshua Tree?
6. Should we be concerned about park/road closures around Christmas and New Year’s, and how far in advance should we be checking?
7. Would you recommend booking hotels in advance for this period, especially around the Grand Canyon and Death Valley?
8. Is there anything obvious that we’re missing or that you would change completely?

We’re happy to cut things out if the itinerary is too rushed.

Thanks in advance!

So my friend and I, both 24, have been living in New York for nearly a year (We’re on a work Visa from Ireland). We’ve travelled to Massachusetts (Cape Cod & then stayed with Family in Worcester over Christmas), and also briefly visited Hartford, Connecticut. We do plan on making trips to definitely DC & Philly (so handy for us in NY), and maybeee Providence, RI. This would all be while we’re working.

We’re leaving our jobs end of October to travel for the month of November essentially before heading back to Ireland, we’d love to see more of the US, excluding the North East. The only issue is we can’t drive over here and we’re on a limited enough budget.

We were thinking of cities/areas within Louisiana (New Orleans?), New Mexico (Santa Fe/ Albuquerque?), Florida (Key west?). These have all been recommended to us, but we’re curious as to what’s worth the trip, and what is (relatively) well-connected with rail/bus services (we’re aware that many cities aren’t). We are thinking of whittling it down to 2 short trips to 2 areas.

For reference, we’ve seen a lot of city life in NYC, and we would love to see different cultures and terrain. We both love nature/food/art/swimming, so we’d love somewhere that could offer that. The red rock landscape is very intriguing to us, but once again without a car we’re assuming isn’t possible. We are also interested in seeing the South & experience some Southern culture….

We would love some affordable bus tour recs too if anybody has some. Basically, we just want to cover some bases of the US within a limited time & budget. We more than likely will be staying in hostels or cheap as chips motels lol.

Thanks so much !! 🇮🇪

Edit: we do like drinking too haha but wouldn’t exactly be up for the big nightlife of Miami/Vegas if you get me!!

Hot take, but the classic souvenirs are such a waste to me. The "I ♥ wherever" shirt, the keychains that are never inclusive enough with the name options, and the hat with some badly generated graphic and the city name in an italicized font you can barely read. It's also triple the cost, just for it to end up in a junk drawer or stuffed in the back of your closet. (The only time I'll allow it is if the design is so silly it's actually funny.)

What I'd rather do is take a ton of film photos, since they always look sweet and I love looking back on them. Or I'll dig through a local thrift or antique store for a real piece of clothing or some weird little knick knack. That way I'm actually using it, it's unique, and no one else has it!

And this might sound bananas, but my favorite thing to bring home is a cool rock or two for our shelves. Free, weirdly sentimental, and every time I see them I remember exactly where we were (think the top of a giant hill we just hiked, or something that caught my eye on a walk through the park).

So what do you actually bring home from a trip that isn't the "typical" souvenir?

I see stories on Reddit of American border agents requiring visitors to unlock their smartphones when crossing the U.S. border in ports of entry, I.e. international airports. I am curious about my rights if a border agent asks me to unlock my phone. Do I have the right to refuse? Or what is my best recourse in that situation?

I am an American citizen. I will be flying in with my wife, who is a legal permanent resident. I would assume that she has fewer options to refuse that request.

Can someone please shed some light on it?

Hey guys, my husband and I are looking to travel to Charleston from California in September. Anyone have any recommendations for what we need to hit up. It’ll be both of our first times in the south, and the only thing on our itinerary so far is cypress gardens 😅

Also if you guys have any bed and breakfast/ hotel/ Airbnb recommendations for around $180 or less nightly in a convenient location? Or just a general charming area you recommend to stay in. Thanks in advance!