1. Time difference: China is 12-13 hours earlier than the United States, the United States is a large area, across five time zones. So you need to adjust your watch at all times for long distance traveling in the US.
2. Best time to visit: The best time to visit the United States is spring and fall (March-May/September-November), and April-October is the best time to visit the western part of the United States. This time of the year can avoid the rainy season, and the four seasons in the eastern United States is obviously suitable for tourism.
3. Consumption level: The consumption level in the US is higher than that in China. A 2L bottle of Coca-Cola costs about 1.5-2 USD, a bottle of mineral water costs about 1 USD, and a steak in a restaurant costs about 60 USD per person. In addition, consumption in the western part of the United States is relatively cheaper than in the eastern part.
About Airline Tickets and Baggage
Airline Tickets
There are two ways to fly to the United States: connecting flights and direct flights. At present, there are no direct flights to the United States from any other cities in China except Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Cities that can fly directly to the eastern part of the United States are New York, Boston and Washington. It is usually a 12-hour flight in the western part of the United States and a 14-hour flight in the eastern part of the United States.
Direct flights: from three cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, you can fly directly to the United States. Prices range from 6,000 to 8,000. When you fly directly to the United States, you don't have to work too hard on your journey, so if you are looking for cost-effective, you can spend a few hundred dollars more to fly directly.
Connecting flights: in general, if you fly to the United States, connecting flights are cheaper than direct flights. You can choose between Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong for connecting flights. It's cheaper to fly to the US from Hong Kong than from Tokyo Narita. For families traveling with kids, connecting flights are a good option. Besides being cheaper, you can take a break from flying halfway and you won't be too tired.
Tips:
1. Don't blindly pursue cheap airfare: Some round-trip tickets to Los Angeles, USA will be cheap, but you need to consider whether you want to take it with your own itinerary. Sometimes the same in and out, plus a domestic ticket within the U.S., can even be more expensive than in and out of a different city.
2. Pay attention to the seat of the long-distance flight: for the guests who are tall and fat, please pay attention to the seat width when choosing flights, otherwise it will be very hard to sit up for the long-distance flight. International area, free to choose a seat, sometimes Asian guests are not very good seats. If you have special requirements for seats, you can apply for seat selection or upgrade.
3. Airplane facilities: Most of the airplanes flying to the US have USB charging ports and even provide wifi. this is still very convenient.
Baggage
Usually, you can carry two pieces of 23KG baggage on international flights in the US. However, it is important to note that domestic flights usually do not include checked baggage, which costs an additional $25 per piece. So when picking up your luggage, consider the baggage allowance for both the international and domestic segments. We recommend bringing a large suitcase, boarding pass or carry-on bag. If you need to do a lot of shopping in the U.S., consider buying boxes and packing them in the U.S. directly.
Tips:
1. Remember not to bring anything for others. After getting off the plane and getting your luggage, please do not tear off your luggage tags. Do not move until all members have gotten their luggage to be checked.
2. U.S. airports require that checked bags are not allowed to be locked because they are not checked in front of the owner, but in the background. You have locked your luggage. If it needs to be unlocked, the staff can only take a big pair of scissors and cut your lock.
About Visa
The process of getting a U.S. visa: 1. fill out form DS1602. pay for an appointment in person 3. face-to-face.
If the first step or the second step is too cumbersome for fear of making mistakes, you can just hand it over to the travel agency. Some travel agencies will help you book a face-to-face appointment in addition to filling out the form. It is recommended that you book one that loves traveling. The customer service is very patient and the signing rate is fast, and you can book directly on Flying Pig.
Step 1: Fill out the D
Log in first_zh/cn-NIV-paymentinfo.ASP、、、、 If you do it yourself, the US visa is cumbersome and complicated. If you fill out the wrong form, you can't change it, so you have to start over. So it is recommended that you leave it to a travel agent.
Interview
All materials should be in a transparent bag during the interview. Opaque bags or backpacks are not allowed to be brought into the embassy. No food, liquids, electronic devices, etc. are allowed. If you bring any of these items, you will be denied entry by the embassy and will have to reschedule your interview.
About entering the country
Entry process
First, fill out the customs declaration form issued by the flight attendants on the airplane (the entire form should be filled out in capital letters).
Get off the plane, follow the crowd to the arrivals hall, and look for signs to take the foreign national/non-resident (non-citizen/foreigner) lane.
Enter the row of monitors and enter your personal information. If the card printed on the monitor shows O, you can enter the country directly through the courier channel, and X can enter the country through the customs checking channel (there is usually a staff member on hand to guide you, so don't worry).
Tips:
1. The U.S. Customs inspection is very strict and prohibits the carrying of fruits, meat, contraband, soil, plants and animals. Pirated crops are not allowed to be brought into the country. Even legal works such as books, videotapes, computer software, artwork. There is a limit of one copy per person.
2. For U.S. entry, please keep about 1-2 hours. (When there are multiple international flights arriving at the same time, check baggage, etc. It is slower to go through customs in the U.S.)
About insurance
Personally recommended to buy Allianz. Allianz travel insurance has a high reputation in China and is one of the world's leading insurance groups. The coverage is comprehensive and reasonably priced, and it also provides comprehensive medical treatment, emergency rescue and various travel accident protection, which is suitable for the needs of overseas travelers. It has a high level of basic coverage such as medical coverage, self-driving car coverage, financial risks, weather changes, legal risks, and aviation insurance.
Tips:
Information shows that the average cost of a private clinic in the United States is $285, with a minimum of $1,980 per day for hospitalization. If admitted to the ICU, it is up to $6,000. In addition, financial security should not be ignored. Credit card theft is a new risk that Chinese people need to pay attention to when shopping in American towns and cities, so it is very important to buy an insurance policy.
5. Tips on money
Currency
6.39 RMB for 1 US dollar. It is recommended to bring 3000-4000 dollars to the US for the first time, and then bring VISA card and Mastercard. It's easy to swipe your card in many places in the U.S., but very few ATMs have the ATM logo.
Tips:
1. If the trip has been booked, just go to the U.S. daily consumption. It is recommended to carry about 3,000 U.S. dollars; 4,000 U.S. dollars if there is still a lot to be paid locally.
2. Anything over $4,000 per person must be declared.
Tips.
What do you need to tip? Including restaurant waiters, hotel baggage porters, room cleaners, hotel concierge, cab drivers, tour guides, baristas, cab drivers, etc.
How much do you usually tip? Usually the tip is 10-20% of the consumption. For example, if you spend $100, you need to tip $10-20.
Tip:
In hotels and restaurants, tips are usually counted as part of your purchase and are billed automatically, no additional tipping is required.
6. About self-driving transportation
The United States is a country on wheels, and the main mode of transportation in the United States is self-driving. In addition to self-driving, there are also buses, cabs, rental cars and chartered cars.
Chartered Car
If you are traveling freely and want to visit different attractions in one day, and the attractions are far away, then you can choose self-driving. Compared to public **** transportation, chartered buses are more affordable. If your English is not good, you can also choose a Chinese driver.
Before renting a car, you can communicate with the driver in advance about the route and pick-up time, so that both traveling and touring are more hassle-free.
Self-driving
Plan your self-driving trip well.
When driving in the West, be sure to plan your trip. The plan includes information on routes, hotels, car rentals, and more. And you need to allow more than 3 months for preparation. To avoid driving too much and rushing every day, please take care to plan your driving route.
Driving Route
Highway 1 - This highway winds between California's coastlines from Los Angeles all the way to San Francisco, with cliffs on both sides, winding ruggedly for more than 600 miles, with a strong American flavor.
Route 66 - When it comes to road trips in America, how can you not have Route 66. Today, many sections of Route 66 are abandoned. You can still travel west by replacing interstates on Route 66 (such as I-55 from Chicago or I-70 from Missouri) or the National Scenic Highway, known as Historic Route 66.
Certificates
Foreigners driving in the U.S. must carry four valid documents with them: passport, driver's license, vehicle registration card, and insurance card.
Renting a car
Cars are usually rented a month in advance and can then be picked up at the airport. If you want your own car rental company, you can rent a car from Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, and others.
1. Rental car company to pick up the car before departure to carefully check the car, so as not to return the car when looking for you to claim. Then install GPS, car recorder, cigarette lighter charging port.
2. Drive your child using a child seat. children under 2 years old can not sit in the front row, 7-8 years old children need to wear a seat belt, children under 1.1m need to use a baby seat.
3. Pedestrians have priority. In the United States, pedestrians have an absolute right of first refusal. If a pedestrian crosses the street, no matter what the situation, even if there is no crosswalk, the driver must stop and give way.