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Everything You Need For An Adventure In America
The United States is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, more than 863,000 trips were made in just 2012 alone. The U.S ranks as the third most popular destination, so ensure that you have a passport which has a validity of six months or more as well as a travelling VISA which can be as easy as filling out an ESTA waiver form. American culture already seems fairly familiar to the rest of the world after being able to have access to their TV, music, movies and games, but there are some quirks that won’t be shown. Here is a list of things to know before you go.
The U.S is Huge
America is huge, it is over 3.8 million square miles big; to put it into some perspective it takes roughly the same time to fly from New York to Los Angeles or to London. As well as that two hour daily commutes are considered completely normal. There are 52 different states that make up America, and depending on which state you’re from depends on your accents and what you call things from soda, pop and even soft drink. Each state has their own identify with accents, food, drink, laws and politics.
24/7
Nearly everything in America is open 24/7 that means any need you have form a 2am Slurpee or a 4am cheeseburger you will be able to find it, especially in big cities. When travelling through smaller cities and rural areas, you will need to plan ahead for earlier closing times or be on the lookout for stores that are 24-hour.
Generosity
Servers and the majority of the U.S are relentlessly friendly; however it can be more a mode of communication method than personality trait. They may even do it so they receive a higher tip. In America also expect generous tips too. Tipping is officially voluntary, however unofficially you need to tip about 15 to 20 per cent in restaurants which are considered the norm. Especially as minimum wage is low, the tipping makes up for it.
Security
In America security is incredibly cautious, and making jokes with the staff will not lighten the mode. We all know when it comes to travelling security it can be annoying especially when you have to remover your belts and shoes. However don’t try and release your inner comedian, just put up with the queue and it will be easier and quicker in the long run as they take security matters very seriously.
Still Young
Relatively speaking the U.S is a very young country still. Native Americans arrived more than a thousand years ago, but the formation of the United States is just a couple of hundreds of years old, this year America celebrated their 240 years of independence declaration on the 4th July.
Finally make sure you have a passport which has a validity of six months before you travel.
