The United States of America spans a continent and numerous islands: its diverse geography comprises vast uninhabited areas of natural beauty punctuated by cities ringed by sprawling suburbs. Its wide array of tourist destinations includes the skyscrapers of Manhattan and Chicago, the natural wonders of Yellowstone and Alaska, the canyonlands of the Southwest, the towering volcanoes and rugged coastlines of the Pacific Northwest, and the warm, sunny beaches of Florida, Hawaii, and Southern California.
Answers to what travellers most often look up about United States.
Cards and cash
Foreign credit or debit cards should be accepted in most places, and you should carry some cash (including several $1 bills) in case your card is not accepted or if you need to leave a cash tip.
Tipping
Tipping in many countries is very rare or often not done at all, and unthinkable to some visitors.
English
For more words that differ across the two varieties, see English language varieties Speakers of British English will find many terms which differ in American English. Here are a few:
All U.S. operators use the same 4G LTE standard that is used internationally, although the North American frequency band plan is different than that in the rest of the world, so make sure your phone supports the right frequencies.
Mobile networks
Tap water is generally potable, though quality varies throughout the country, as water is distributed locally and regulated mostly at the state level.
S.5% infection rate in the overall population.
Covered in the guide
Cultural norms vary significantly from region to region.
Covered in the guide
Attractions, food, stays and travel essentials, with ratings, reviews, opening hours and directions.
Boston, MA - DSC01502.JPG|thumb|Boston is widely considered one of the most historic cities in America.]] – the nation's capital, filled with major museums and monuments
best known for its colonial history, its passion for sports, and its universities
"the heart of the Midwest", and transportation hub of the nation, with massive skyscrapers and other architectural gems
home of the film industry, musical artists and surfers, with beautiful mild weather, and great natural beauty from mountains to beaches
this city with a vibrant Latin-influenced Caribbean culture attracts sun-seeking Northerners
"the Big Easy", the birthplace of jazz, is known for its quaint French Quarter, distinctive cuisine and annual Mardi Gras celebration
"The Big Apple" is the country's most populous city, home to world-class cuisine, arts, architecture, and shopping
"the City by the Bay", featuring the Golden Gate Bridge, vibrant urban neighborhoods, and dramatic fog
a remote national park featuring North America's highest peak, Denali aka Mount McKinley
one of the world's longest and most visited canyons
national park in the southern Appalachians
well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings
the iconic memorial of four former presidents carved into a cliff face
the massive waterfalls straddling the border with Canada
the most popular vacation resort destination in the world
the first national park in the U.S., and home of the Old Faithful geyser
Places in United States on the World Heritage List.
Statue of Liberty
Listed 1984
Yellowstone National Park
Listed 1978
Yosemite National Park
Listed 1984
Everglades National Park
Listed 1979
List from Wikidata (CC0). Photos from Wikimedia Commons.
Home to gabled churches, rustic antiques, and steeped in American history, New England offers beaches, spectacular seafood, rugged mountains, frequent winter snows, and some of the nation's oldest cities, in a territory small enough to tour (hastily) in a week.
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
The Mid-Atlantic is home to some of the nation's most densely populated cities (notably New York City), its most historically significant sites, rolling mountains, and seaside resorts.
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C.
The South is celebrated for its hospitality, down-home cooking, and its blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll, bluegrass, and country music traditions. This lush, largely subtropical region includes cool, verdant mountains, plantations, and vast cypress swamps.
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
Northern Florida is similar to the rest of the South, but this is not so in the resorts of Orlando, tropical Caribbean-influenced Miami, the Everglades, and 1,200 mi (1,900 km) of sandy beaches.
A region of hospitable people, farmland, forests, picturesque towns, industrial cities, and the Great Lakes – the largest system of freshwater lakes in the world, which forms the North Coast of the U.S.
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin
The second biggest state is like a separate country, with strong cultural influences from its Spanish and Mexican past. The terrain is quite varied, with swamplands in the southeast, flat land and cotton farms in the South Plains, sandy beaches in South Texas and mountains and deserts in far West Texas.
A former Wild West frontier land, the Great Plains region is full of large grasslands, badlands, valleys, dune fields, bluffs, and small mountains. Farmland is a common sight with towns, cities, and a few notable destinations like Deadwood, the Wichita Hills, the Little Jerusalem Badlands of Kansas, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The region is known for steppe wildlife (pronghorn, prairie dogs, and bison), as well as epic weather and spring-time storm chasing tours.
The spectacular snow-covered Rockies offer hiking, rafting, excellent skiing, deserts, and a few cities and world-famous resorts.
Heavily influenced by Spanish, Mexican, and Native American cultures, this area is home to some of the nation's most spectacular natural attractions, spa retreats, resorts, and flourishing artistic communities.
Like the Southwest, California is heavily influenced by its former Spanish and Mexican rulers, and also by Asian culture and cuisine. California offers world-famous cities, deserts, rainforests, snowy mountains, and beautiful beaches.
The pleasantly mild Pacific Northwest offers outdoor pursuits and cosmopolitan cities. The terrain features spectacular rainforests, scenic mountains and volcanoes, beautiful coastlines, and sage-covered steppes and deserts.
One fifth as large as the rest of the United States, Alaska reaches well into the Arctic, and features mountainous wilderness, including North America's tallest mountain, Denali, and Alaska Native culture unseen elsewhere in the U.S.
A volcanic archipelago in the tropical Pacific, with influences from its indigenous Polynesian people and large Asian-American communities, laid-back Hawaii is a great place for a vacation.
Public transport and paid services in United States.
By train
The United States does not have a well-developed passenger rail network. Except for certain corridors, passenger trains are scarce, slow, unreliable and expensive.
By boat
America has the largest system of inland waterways of any country in the world. It is entirely possible to navigate within the United States by boat.
By bus
Intercity bus travel is widespread, but not available everywhere. Service between nearby major cities is frequent, and often connects many smaller towns with regional cities.
By plane
S. is by plane. Coast-to-coast travel takes about 6 hours from east to west, and 5 hours from west to east (varying due to winds), compared to several days for land transportation.S.
By car
America's love affair with the automobile is legendary, so travelling the United States without a car can be difficult.
By motorcycle
The thrill and exhilaration of cross country travel are magnified when you go by motorcycle.
Apps for booking a taxi or a ride in United States.
Finding apps for United States…
Other ways to travel:By recreational vehicle (RV)By bicycleBy thumb
Operators checked against their official websites in October 2026; services that have stopped running are not listed. Logos and Wikipedia links: Wikidata (CC0)
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
New York · International · JFK
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Calculated from climate averages: mild daytime highs and lower rainfall. It does not account for festivals, crowds or prices.
Average conditions in Washington D.C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. high | 4° | 6° | 11° | 18° | 23° | 28° | 31° | 30° | 27° | 20° | 13° | 7° |
| Avg. low | -4° | -3° | 1° | 7° | 13° | 18° | 21° | 20° | 16° | 9° | 3° | -1° |
| Rainfall (mm) | 67 | 70 | 84 | 92 | 109 | 118 | 116 | 109 | 107 | 105 | 80 | 95 |
| Humidity | 82% | 80% | 79% | 76% | 78% | 74% | 69% | 70% | 72% | 76% | 79% | 83% |
Choose your passport and destination to see whether you need a visa.
Budget
$90
Per person, per day
Mid-range
$255
Per person, per day
Luxury
$660
Per person, per day
| Budget | Mid-range | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | $45 | $140 | $380 |
| Food and drink | $25 | $60 | $140 |
| Local transport | $10 | $25 | $60 |
| Activities | $10 | $30 | $80 |
Estimate from World Bank price levels (2025). Actual costs vary by city and season. World Bank
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We do not label countries as safe or unsafe. Below is the official advice from two governments, with the date it was last updated. Always read the full advice before you travel.
US Department of State
No advisory found from this source.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
No advice against travel. Read the full advice before you go.
This travel advice also covers American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and United States Virgin Islands. Before you travel No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to: see general advice for women travellers read our guide on disability and travel abroad see general advice for LGBT+ travellers read about safety for solo and independent travel see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad Travel insurance If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency. About FCDO travel advice The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice. Get travel advice updates Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated. Follow FCDO: travel advice on X travel advice on Facebook Travel Aware on Instagram
Stories, itineraries and practical advice for travelling in United States.
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Food & drinkWhile part of the joy of travel is experiencing new cuisines and expanding one's epicurean horizons, sometimes a hungry traveller just wants something familiar, with consistent quality, quick service, and a low price.
Wikivoyage
Nature & adventureThere are 63 national parks throughout the United States. The national parks are considered the gems of the larger United States National Park System, which also includes national monuments, memorials, and historic…
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