You might have endured lots of difficulties to make your dreams come true. Yes, we are talking about getting into U.S. – the country of Uncle Sam. You may have faced hard times in terms of visa troubles, getting new passports, security screening challenges at the airport, and the like.
However, once you get into the country, you, as a tourist, can feel how relaxing it is to visit the country. To ensure a memorable travel experience in the United States as a foreign traveler, you need to follow some basic tips and a few of them are enumerated below.
- Don’t plan to see a lot – The continental U.S. is even larger than the continent of Europe. So as a foreign traveler, don’t try to see a lot. If you want to visit New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Washington, DC all in a single shot, you will make a big mistake. It will be extremely tiring, especially if you have only a few vacation days. Such an itinerary will allow you to visit the places without getting its actual essence. Rather focus on any particular region and travel intensely. You may, as the first time traveler, explore East Coast places like Washington, DC and New York or the West Coast places like Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco.
- Do always tip for good services rendered – As an U.S. traveler, you must know that tipping is mandatory in the country. In fact, this makes a huge percentage of the service employees’ wages, especially in hotel industry. Don’t just walk out of the restaurant without tipping. A tip between 10% and 20% is good enough. Though some resorts and restaurants have their own gratuity fee of 18% on the bill amount, in most cases, the tipping percentage is at the discretion of the tipper. However, you must check the bill for any dubious gratuity fee.
- Don’t smoke everywhere – Smoking publicly isn’t allowed in every part of the country. Rather this is strictly restricted. There are some anti-smoking measured that have been implemented. For example, in cities such as Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC, smoking is completely banned in clubs, bars, hotel and restaurants as well as indoor spaces like malls. The rules are even stricter for states like California where smoking is prohibited even in the beaches and private residences.
- Don’t be late – Any fluid concept regarding time hardly gets over in the country. If you are asked to meet with someone at 9 pm (especially for utmost formal purposes like passport renewal in Los Angeles), be there at sharp 9 pm or a few minutes early. Punctuality is strictly maintained across the country. Americans are very particular about time. This is highly suggested that you get yourself ready early and start early, so you can reach on time. Since it’s a new place that leaves you with no clear traffic idea, it’s always better to have enough time in hand to avoid unwanted delays owing to heavy traffic.
- Do be smiling and enjoy your trip – Be it the United States or any place on the world, maintain a smiling face. Ask questions politely while adding magic words like ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’. The local Americans are sober enough to reward your kindness and will be happy to help you have a wonderful trip around the cities and towns. They can even help you with your urgent requirements like getting an emergency passport renewal in Los Angeles.
Well, these are just the beginning. If you really want to enjoy a hassle-free, unforgettable trip of America, start with these and get going.