The USA is not one country, it's fifty — different climates, accents, food, even alcohol laws. The Northeast is Europe-meets-density. The South is BBQ, blues, hospitality. The Midwest is friendly, flat, and surprising. The West is national parks, deserts, and Pacific. Hawaii and Alaska are their own worlds. Pick one or two regions per trip; don't try to do it all.
First trip pattern: New York + Las Vegas + Grand Canyon + San Francisco (the classic 'East-and-West' loop, 14 days, internal flight included). Or East-coast triangle: NYC + Washington DC + maybe Boston or Miami (10 days, train/short flights). Second trip: National parks Southwest loop (Vegas-Zion-Bryce-Grand Canyon-Sedona, road trip). Third: Pacific Northwest or the South.
Two things to know. Distances are continental — coast-to-coast is 5 days driving, NYC to LA is 6 hours by plane. Internal flights are cheap (€80–200) and essential. And tipping is brutal — 18–22% expected at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 per drink at bars, $2 per bag for porters. Budget 15% extra everywhere over the menu price.
ESTA visa-waiver for EU, UK, Australia (online, US$21, 90 days). Canadians visa-free. Apply 3+ days before travel.
Three windows to know: best, shoulder, and the one to avoid.
Spring and fall — mild weather across most of the country, shoulder-season prices, fall foliage in the Northeast and Midwest. National parks at their best before the summer crush. Best general windows; specific regions have their own micro-seasons.
Mild south (Florida, southwest, Hawaii), still cold in the north. Cherry blossoms in DC late March. Spring break crowds (March) at Florida and ski resorts. Thanksgiving (4th Thursday of November) — domestic travel chaos, many things close.
Peak everything — Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon all packed and pricey. NYC is 35°C and humid. Phoenix and Las Vegas hit 45°C. National-park lodges sell out 6+ months ahead. Hawaii's only OK time year-round.
Spots that justify the trip on their own. Tap to open in Maps.
The most photographed city on earth. Central Park, the Met, the High Line, Brooklyn Bridge at sunset, $1 pizza slices, the subway. Stay in Manhattan for first trip (Midtown or Lower East Side); cross to Brooklyn or Queens for eating. Minimum 3 days; 5 is right.
1.6km deep, 446km long, layers of rock 1.8 billion years old. South Rim is the year-round, accessible side (open all year); North Rim is the seasonal, quieter side (closed in winter). Sunset at Mather Point is a religious experience. 4-hour drive from Las Vegas.
America's first national park (1872). Grand Prismatic Spring (the iconic rainbow pool), Old Faithful geyser (every 90 minutes), the Lower Falls, wildlife (bison, wolves, bears). Add Grand Teton next door for the dramatic mountains. 5–7 days minimum.
The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the cable cars on the hills, sourdough bread, Chinatown (oldest in North America). The fog rolls in afternoon — wear a layer year-round. Pair with Napa Valley (wine, 1hr north) or the coast drive to Big Sur (4hr south).
The world capital of artificial fun. The Strip is 6km of mega-casinos with themed architecture — Eiffel Tower (Paris), Venice canals (Venetian), Sphinx (Luxor). Shows (Cirque du Soleil, residencies), buffets, pool parties, gambling. Use Vegas as a 2-night stop and base for Grand Canyon/Zion road trips.
The temple of American climbing — Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls (highest in North America, May–June only). Glacier Point view of the valley. Drive 3hr from San Francisco. Reservations required to enter the park April–October.
America's most European-feeling city — French/Spanish/Creole/Cajun fused. Bourbon Street is the touristy one; Frenchmen Street is where the actual jazz happens. Beignets at Café du Monde (open 24/7), gumbo and étouffée everywhere. Mardi Gras (Feb–Mar) is the chaos peak.
Volcanoes, beaches, jungle, all-year warm. Big Island has active volcanoes (Kīlauea, sometimes erupting) and black-sand beaches. Maui has Road to Hana (jungle waterfalls) and Haleakalā sunrise. Oahu (where Honolulu is) for the urban version; Kauai for the wildest. Fly into HNL.
South Beach art deco hotels, Cuban food in Little Havana, Wynwood street art. The Florida Keys are a 200km island chain south — drive the Overseas Highway to Key West (Hemingway's house). Best November–April; summer is 35°C and hurricane risk.
America's underrated big city. Architecture (the city invented the skyscraper), deep-dish pizza, blues bars on the South Side, Cloud Gate ('the Bean') in Millennium Park, the lakefront trail. Architecture boat tour on the river is the best $50 you'll spend.
Capitol Hill, Lincoln Memorial, White House (Pennsylvania Ave view only since 2001), the Smithsonian museums (19 of them, all free). Cherry blossoms late March-early April. 4-hour train from NYC ($50 Amtrak) — easy 2-3 day add-on.
The greatest concentration of national parks in North America. Vegas → Zion → Bryce Canyon → Capitol Reef → Arches/Canyonlands → Sedona → Grand Canyon → back to Vegas. 7–10 days, rental car mandatory, otherworldly red-rock landscapes the whole way.
Food, drinks, and experiences this country does better than anywhere else.
FoodBurgers everywhere; the best are at smash-burger places (Shake Shack, In-N-Out, regional spots). BBQ has 4 styles: Texas (brisket), Kansas City (sweet sauce), Carolina (vinegar pulled-pork), Memphis (dry-rub ribs). Pick the regional one when traveling.
FoodPancakes, bacon, eggs, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, bottomless coffee. The 24-hour diner is an American institution — Waffle House (South), Denny's (everywhere), local greasy-spoons (Northeast). $10–18 for a heart-attack breakfast, 1980s vibe included.
DrinkAmerica has 9,500+ craft breweries (more than wineries). Every city has a brewery scene. Bourbon is the native spirit (Kentucky, where 95% is made — Buffalo Trace, Maker's Mark, Wild Turkey, Woodford distilleries open for tours). California, Oregon, New York for wine.
ArtNew Orleans for jazz (Preservation Hall is the institution, $25 cover), Memphis for blues (Beale Street), Nashville for country (Bluebird Cafe, the Grand Ole Opry), Austin for everything (live-music capital of the world). Every Tuesday night has a venue somewhere worth visiting.
ExperienceA US baseball game is the most American afternoon possible — 3 hours, beer, hot dogs, Cracker Jacks, 7th-inning stretch. NFL is bigger but tickets are pricier ($150+ vs $25 for baseball). NBA games are loud, fast, indoor. Tickets via Vivid Seats / SeatGeek; buy day-of for cheap.
Experience63 official national parks — the world's first park system (Yellowstone, 1872). The annual pass (€80) covers all of them and pays for itself in 3–4 visits. Most-visited: Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone, Yosemite. The crown jewels are concentrated in the West.
ExperienceThe American road trip is the national mythology. Route 66 (Chicago to Santa Monica, 4,000km of decommissioned highway, 2-week drive), Pacific Coast Highway (SF to LA, 600km, 3 days), the Great River Road (Mississippi from Minnesota to Louisiana). Rental cars are cheap ($30–60/day), gas is half European prices, distances make it the point.
To frame your trip by what you have time for and what you're after.
New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Niagara Falls
Dense, walkable, train-connected (Amtrak Boston-NYC-DC). The most European-feeling region. Best weather May–June and September–October; brutal humid summers, snowy winters. NYC + DC + Boston in 10 days is the classic East-Coast trip.
Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Antelope Canyon, Sedona, Monument Valley
Red rock + desert landscape = the most photographable region. Fly into Las Vegas (LAS), rent a car, do a 7–10-day national parks loop. Best March–May and September–November; brutal 45°C heat in summer at low elevations.
San Francisco, Yosemite, Big Sur, LA, San Diego, Napa
Pacific Coast Highway is the spine — drive SF to LA over 3 days. Yosemite 3 hours east of SF. Napa Valley 1hr north for wine. Year-round mild; cool foggy summer mornings in SF, hot dry in the LA area.
Seattle, Portland, Mount Rainier, Olympic NP, Crater Lake
Rainy, green, mountains-and-coast. Seattle (Pike Place Market, Space Needle), Portland (food carts, breweries), Mount Rainier glaciers, Olympic rainforest. Best June–September; rain other 9 months. Coffee culture is the densest in the country.
New Orleans, Nashville, Memphis, Charleston, Savannah, Atlanta
Music + food + history. New Orleans for jazz and Creole; Nashville for country; Memphis for blues and barbecue; Charleston and Savannah for antebellum-era cobblestone old towns. Hot humid summers; perfect spring and fall.
Maui, Oahu, Big Island, Kauai · Anchorage, Denali, Juneau
Detached from the mainland (5-hour flight from West Coast). Hawaii is tropical, year-round-warm, multi-island. Alaska is wild, glaciers + grizzlies + Denali, only viable May–September. Both are separate trips, not add-ons.
Three lengths, depending on time. Fork any of them into WePlanify.
NYC + DC + Boston or Niagara Falls. Train-connected; no rental car needed.
The 'do America' tour. NYC + Vegas + Grand Canyon + San Francisco.
The road-trip version. Fly into Vegas, rental car, loop through all the parks.
Per person, excluding flights. Three comfort tiers.
Hostel bunk or shared Airbnb ($40), supermarket + diner meals ($30), Greyhound buses + occasional Lyft ($15), one paid attraction ($15). USA is hard on backpacker budgets; bigger cities (NYC, SF) push this to $120+.
Mid-range hotel or quality Airbnb ($140), one sit-down dinner + casual meals + tip ($60), rental car + gas or Uber + Amtrak ($25), entries and activities ($15). The right tier; tipping adds 20% across food and bars.
Boutique 4-star or design hotel ($320), one Michelin or chef's tasting menu ($130), Uber XL + valet ($30), guided tour or private guide ($20). Honeymoon and milestone-trip tier.
Per person, excluding international flights. Sales tax is added at the register (5–10% varies by state), not in displayed prices. Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 per drink at bars, $2 per bag, 15–20% to Lyft/Uber drivers. Budget 25% above menu prices to account for tax + tip.
Small moves that matter — and the ones that make everyone uncomfortable.
Apply for ESTA online 3+ days before flying (esta.cbp.dhs.gov). US$21, 90-day stay, multi-entry within 2 years. Do NOT use third-party sites (they charge €50+ for the same form).
Tip 18–22% at sit-down restaurants. Service is included in the menu price in name only — server wages depend on tips. Round up at bars ($1–2 per drink), 15–20% for Lyft/Uber, $2 per bag for porters, $5 per night for housekeeping.
Don't underestimate distances. NYC to LA is the same as Madrid to Moscow. Driving across Texas takes 12 hours. Internal flights ($80–250) and Amtrak (East Coast only) are usually faster than road trips outside scenic loops.
Get an America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) if you're visiting 3+ national parks. Covers entry fees for the entire family/car. Buy at the first park entrance or online at usparkpass.com. Pays for itself fast.
Don't fly in/out of LaGuardia (LGA) if you can avoid it. NYC's worst airport — try JFK or Newark (EWR). Same for Boston (use Logan only), Chicago (O'Hare for international, Midway for budget), LA (use LAX, accept the traffic).
Book national-park lodges 6+ months in advance — they sell out fast. Lodges inside Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon (Bright Angel, El Tovar) are gold dust. If they're booked, look at park-edge towns: West Yellowstone (MT), Springdale (UT for Zion), Tusayan (AZ for Grand Canyon).
Use the National Park Service app — it has trail maps, ranger schedules, current conditions, alerts. Offline-capable. Cell service is non-existent in most parks; download maps before you go.
Don't be alone at gas stations or rest stops late at night in certain regions (rural South, parts of the Southwest, central LA). The US is safe in tourist zones; specific situations and neighborhoods are not. Trust the local advice your hotel gives.
