USA travel is unique, and if you’re trying to explore the whole country you’ll realize why the road trip is a staple in the American student’s experience. Except for a few dense cities, America is very much a car culture, and the country is spread far and wide. There is an old saying that’s very telling, saying “In Europe, 100 miles is a long way, In the US 100 years is a long time.” The USA is a young country, but a big one, and driving long distances is something Americans don’t even blink at.
In the US there are some of the most famous cities in the world, and some of the most beautiful natural wonders that can be found on Earth, so if your heart is in the city or the country there is plenty to see and do. Use this travel guide and some USA travel tips to visit some of the best places to visit in America for college students.
Language
English being the international language of trade has hurt the US in a strange way; very few people know any other languages. In other parts of the world, it’s very common to know multiple languages, but in America, most people only know English. A distant second language spoken in the US is Spanish, and that’s mostly found in big urban areas. We suspect if you’re reading this, you know English pretty well, so don’t sweat it.
Currency & Tipping
The US dollar ($) is currently about €0.90 euro, ¥6 yuan, and ₹67 rupees. Credit cards are widely accepted across the USA. ATMs are easy to find here, found often at convenience stores and gas stations, but often charge you a service fee. Tipping is customary in the US for many things, like cabs and especially sit-down food service. A general rule is that you pay between 15-20% of your total bill to the waiter, and remember that they rely on tips for their wages.
USA Cuisine
A lot of American cuisines is brought in from all over the world, but the one thing that it does share is that it’s often to-go and usually comes in bigger portions than expected. The to-go model is built into meals like breakfast and lunch, with dinner being a more sit-down experience at restaurants. Across the board, meal portions are huge, so if you’re a tiny eater you might want to consider splitting an order with a friend. American cuisine is as wildly diverse as its population. Immigrants brought favorite foods with them to the US, and many stuck as favorite dishes.
Tech Tips
The US is massive, but unlike Europe or Asia, there’s only one type of socket you need to worry about. The USA is pretty uniform across the entire thing when it comes to that, so one adapter will be all you need. Free Wi-Fi in the US is pretty much only in chain fast food places and coffee shops, so remember that if you want to check e-mail or something without using up data. You’ll probably be doing a lot of driving if you’re outside a major city, too; plan to use a GPS app.
Cultural Differences
Over the last few decades, smoking has been pushed out of most indoor places like restaurants and bars. If you’re a smoker, be aware that you’ll have to, most likely, take it outside. America is also a huge sports culture, but not too many people follow “football” there. Instead, they’re devoted to American football, basketball, hockey or their old past time baseball. In terms of conversation, people you have just met usually will talk about anything except religion and politics, and it is seen as a bit awkward to bring up controversial topics with people not close to you personally.
