Getting Around

The size of the US and the distance separating major cities make air the dominant mode of travel for short term travelers. But if you have time, travel by car can be interesting.

By plane

By far the most convenient form of intercity travel in the USA is air travel. Coast-to-coast travel takes about 6 hours, compared to the days or weeks necessary for land transportation. Most cities in the US are served by one or even two airports, with many small towns also having some passenger air   More...

United States

The United States of America ("USA", "US", "United States", "America", or "The States") is a large country in central and north-western North America. The USA also includes several Pacific islands (primarily represented by the state of Hawaii) and an unincorporated Caribbean territory (the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico). One of the largest and richest countries in the world, it has a mixture of densely-populated urban areas with wide areas of low   More...

Geography

The Grand Canyon

The USA is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of area (at roughly 9.6 million sq km, it's about half the size of Russia) and around the same size as China (though, even with nearly 300 million residents, it's far behind China and India in terms of population).

The continental United States (the 48 states other than Alaska and Hawaii) is bound by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, with much of the country's population living   More...

Talk

The USA has no official language at the federal level (most Americans are completely unaware of this), but English is by far the standard for everyday use. Several states have declared their official state language as English. Some states have declared Spanish an official language as well, providing services in both languages. Visitors from Commonwealth countries may get some funny looks when using certain expressions peculiar to their dialect, and may themselves be shocked by certain American   More...

Geting In

Citizens of the 27 countries within the Visa Waiver Program (see below), as well as Canadians, Mexicans living in the border and Bermudans, do not require an advance visa for entry into the United States, although other conditions may apply: most notably, a machine-readable passport will be required, and Mexicans living in the border must also apply for a reusable Border Crossing Card. New rules regarding biometric information in passports will take effect October 26, 2005, unless extended   More...

Lodging

By far the most common form of lodging in rural United States is the motel. Providing inexpensive rooms ($25-$80 per night as of 2004) to automotive travelers, most motels are clean and reasonable with a limited array of amenities: telephone, TV, bed, bathroom. As with most low-cost accommodations around the world, the cheaper motels tend to attract a varied clientele. Motel 6 (+1 800 466-8356) is a national chain with reasonable rates ($30-$60, depending on the city).

Hotels are   More...