How to Survive a Trip to the US: The Definitive Guide for First-time Visitors to the United States

You have seen it countless times on films and TV series, and now you are about to experience it first-hand. You have fantasised about driving a blue Mustang along an endless, deserted highway on your way to the Grand Canyon. You have dreamt of savouring a mouth-watering burger or a pile of pancakes in one of those iconic diners where smiling waitresses generously refill coffee mugs again and again. You might even have booked a couple of surfing lessons in the waters off an idyllic Malibu beach. Yes, it’s happening — the American dream… Unless it becomes a nightmare… If you don’t want that to happen, keep reading.

The first thing you need to know before visiting the United States is that you will need a visa. If you’re travelling from an EU country, an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) will be enough. You can get it online, and it shouldn’t cost you more than twenty or thirty dollars.

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Secondly, bear in mind that the surface area of the US is about nineteen times the size of Spain’s and thirty-three times the size of Italy’s. This means that, unless you have unlimited time and budget, you won’t be able to visit the whole country in just one trip. The most realistic thing to do is to choose an area and leave the rest for another occasion. Which takes us to the next issue you should think of: transportation. Americans drive everywhere. This is not an understatement. The lack of sidewalks in the US is shocking to European eyes, as is the absence of a well-connected railroad system. If you are visiting one single city, do some research about how safe it is to use the underground there — if it’s New York City, don’t even bother; just stay away from it. The good news is that transportation apps like Uber work quite well there, so make sure you download at least one of them, just in case. If you are planning a road trip, bear in mind that renting a car in the US can be an odyssey, since you will need a credit card — debit cards are rejected by most car rental companies — and a ton of paperwork. The minimum age for renting a car in the US is twenty-five, so if you are younger than that, get ready to spend half of your trip on a Greyhound bus. Yay!

Next topic: food. As we all know, America is the fast-food paradise: burgers, Mexican tacos and burritos, fried chicken, pizza, doughnuts, giant cookies… you name it. This might sound fun and delicious at first but believe me when I assure you that after a week stuffing your mouth with junk food, you will be begging for a salad. The massive size of their portions doesn’t help; they are so big that you could feed yourself for a couple of days from one individual dish. But of course you will try to finish all the food on your plate because that is how your mother raised you, and because you won’t want to offend the server, who by the way will expect a generous tip from you. Yes, in the US, customers are expected to leave about 20 per cent of the price of the bill as a tip for good service. It may sound like a lot of money if you are travelling on a budget, but tips are an essential part of the income of service staff, so you should really, really try to save a few coins for them and dodge the ‘rude European tourist’ bullet. 

STAYING ALIVE

Talking about bullets, if you see someone carrying a firearm in the middle of the street, don’t be alarmed (although on second thoughts maybe you should be!). In many US states it is legal to visibly carry handguns and even rifles in public spaces; Florida and Washington, D.C. are some of the few exceptions where this is not allowed. As gun violence keeps growing — there were more than 630 mass shootings in the US in 2023 — the gun control debate is more necessary and divided than ever. But the truth remains that firearms are deeply ingrained in American society. Americans love their guns as much as they love eating burgers and driving. This passion for bullets is one of the enigmas about America that the European mind cannot comprehend, along with the mystery of why their coffee is so relentlessly awful or how it can be possible to be allowed to drive at sixteen while having to wait until twenty-one to legally have a beer. 

Still, the chances of you being accidentally shot, being eaten by a shark or falling off Niagara Falls are quite low, so there’s no real need to panic. What you should be panicking about, though, is medical bills. If, for example, your inconsiderate appendix decides to become inflamed during your stay in the US, you could receive a $20,000 bill even before you are taken to the operating table. This would probably ruin your holiday and empty your bank account, so it is a very, very good idea to buy medical insurance before setting foot on US soil. 

ETIQUETTE

By the way, if you don’t want to stand out as a tourist, you’d better leave your smart attire at home. With a few exceptions, Americans dress very casually; so casually that sometimes you will wonder if their house has just caught fire and they have jumped straight out of bed. Their relaxed style reflects their character, too. Americans are generally easy-going, friendly and curious; they will probably ask you what you do for a living, where you are from, and they will be happy to share their family tree with you, just in case you are distant cousins. Americans are also individualistic, practical, hard-working and direct. Unlike British people, who love a good old euphemism, Americans are straight shooters — not just literally, ha ha — which mustn’t be mistaken for rudeness. They tell it like it is. They are also achievers; they like to ‘do things’, even in their leisure time, so don’t be surprised if they don’t share your dolce far niente mindset. After all, time is money, and they didn’t become a superpower by just sitting and talking while sipping wine and eating tapas!

There is so much more to discover in the US, of course, but these survival tips can make your stay easier and less stressful. Just a couple more things: check out the weather forecast for hurricanes — yes, there is a thing called ‘hurricane season’ in the US —, pack a Type A adapter to plug in your appliances, and don’t bother taking ibuprofen tablets with you, you will find them in the supermarket, right by the mac and cheese boxes.