LinkTen

Hi,

I hope this is okay to post here, as it's not directly related to immigration.

While I hope to emigrate to the US one day, I thought it'd be a good idea to travel around the states for a few months while I'm taking a year out of university before starting my final year in Sep.

I have a few questions.

I'll be traveling for 2-3 months. I can travel on the waiver program, right?

I have an iPhone that I'd like to use with a local network that offers data. Can I just choose a Pay as You Go sim similar to the UK and top it up?

I'll be staying in hostels, so do not want to carry much money. My bank charges a fee for cash withdrawals abroad. Is there a cash card or something similar I can transfer money to? My bank can open me a US account for a fee (think it's £50), but not sure that's wise for just a 2-3 month visit, nor would it be worth it.

Who offer the cheapest domestic flights within the US? Amtrak seems expensive.

Thanks.

tonrob

VWP = 90 days or less so should be ok. Be prepared to answer questions about your trip and be ready to show evidence of your return flight and ties to the UK if necessary.

Domestic flights have been increasing in price over the last couple of years - there is no "low cost carrier" - at least not in the European sense. Sites like Expedia etc. do not check all airlines, so make sure to search separately for airlines such as Southwest etc. that sometimes - but by no means always - offer cheaper fares.

Have you looked into Amtrak rail passes as a way of saving money? People seem to either love or hate Amtrak. Check out their site including maps and timetables to make sure you're happy with their limitations (frequency and coverage, or lack thereof) if you go down this path.

Are you able to get a UK credit card that doesn't have foreign transaction fees? You can pay for almost everything with a card in the US, so while you should always carry some cash just in case, you won't need to replenish your stock too often.

LinkTen

Thanks for the reply.

I'll be flying to JFK and flying back from LAX. I guess I'll take some evidence of my course resuming in September, though apart from that, I don't actually have any ties to the UK apart from family/bank accounts. Could this be a problem?

Thanks. I had a look at Skyscanner for all different dates and destinations. Delta and AA seem to always be in the top cheapest flights. I'll search all the different airlines however.

I have. I'm thinking of getting the 30 days one and supplementing this with flights for long journeys. I'll have to mix and match and see what works out cheapest.

I have a UK credit card that charges 3% fee conversion which isn't too bad. A lot of hostels will only accept cash though according to HostelWorld.

ian-mstm

Allegiant Air has a lot of inexpensive domestic flights, although they only fly on certain days and to/from certain locations. But, if your travel plans are flexible, it's something to consider.

Ian

jeffreyhy

You may be required to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds readily available to support yourself in the USA for that length of time. T-Mobile offers a pre-paid SIM Card. It requires a SIM-unlocked GSM 1900 compatible international cell phone. I find that airfare is much more expensive than Amtrak for regional travel. Might not be the case for coast-to-coast travel. Regards, JEff

Phoodilicious

You might want to know that airlines such as South West, who are often cheaper than AA, are not listed in skyscanner etc.

LinkTen

Thanks. I'll look into this.

I'll take a bank statement and a credit card with me. Thanks.

I have an unlocked iPhone 5, so that should work I believe, thanks.

Thanks. I've taken a look at some routes and it seems that it may be worthwhile taking Amtrak on shorter routes, however on the longer routes, it seems flying is sometimes cheaper.

Thanks. Will remember this.

AmerLisa

How about renting a car and driving some of the distances? Or are you only going to stay in large cities?

LinkTen

I can't drive.

materialcontroller

Excellent answer.

Jerseygirl

Neither can many of the folk on the road here...but it doesn't stop them from getting behind the wheel.

Bob

Under 25 would make it really hard to get a car anyway.

As for flights, perhaps look at the smaller regional airports and look at the smaller, regional flights who might offer better rates.

You can get flights out of Rhode Island that are much cheaper than flying out of Boston, same for Portland Jetport in Maine, with their regional airlines that cover the north east. Tend to lack any services and might be dodgy prop planes and iffy in winter, but might be cheaper than the bigger names.

For money, well if you just want to withdraw a large chunk at once, you can go to most banks or what not and buy a visa/mastercard type gift card jobby and load that up and use it as a debit/credit card.

LinkTen

I can never drive for health reasons. I'm not sure I'd want to drive in the US anyway. I've heard some horror stories.

I'll check out the flights from smaller airports. I believe the Post Office offer some sort of travelcard that you top up like you described. I'll have a Google search.

I booked my flights to and from the US tonight. Excited!

Michael

Also check Jet Blue. They usually have very good prices from coast to coast (about $139 one way if flexible) and do not charge a premium for one way flights.

http://www.jetblue.com/

RICH

Hi I can't help with the travel plans, but I noticed the bank opening comment, and I know others have asked about opening accounts via UK banks. Would you mind naming the bank and if there are any conditions attached? Thanks