flamingate

Have some questions for a family member who is from UK and will be visiting the USA for a 9 weeks, as a visitor,
Fully UK Passport, and just going for a long break (Not to work or anything else)

= North Carolina

They Going for the first time.




Here are some questions,

CAR HIRE QUESTIONS

a) When hiring a car (budget.com), what UK Documents are needed to be taken with them, to show them?

b) How easy is it, to get used to driving on the 'Right hand side' of the road? (as we drive on the left here) - is it confusing?

c) (how about the roundabouts - do you drive Anticlockwise on them ?)

d) Do you recommend other Car hire companies, in North Carolina USA?


SIM CARD - MOBILE PHONE QUESTIONS
e) Sim card in the USA, for Uk communications?
-They ot a Samsung galaxy S5, but can also take a Nokia basic phone too.

f) Sim card in the USA, for USA communications? (USA Friends) ?
-They ot a Samsung galaxy S5, but can also take a Nokia basic phone too.


MONEY CONVERSION QUESTIONS (Pounds to Dollars)
g) Where in the UK can pounds be converted to USA Dollars?

h) Currency conversion - in USA?
- Does it work out cheaper to convert the currency in the UK,
from Pounds to Dollars, and then take this over there?

i) If converting money in the USA, where is this usually done?
(eg, Western Union?)

j)
- and What proof do these shops need? - do they take photocopies?
(Do they need to take a photocopy of your passport?)

HAVE YOU BEEN TO USA FOR A STAY?
k) Have you been to the USA, and stayed there over 1 month?
How was your experience?

L) Any other advice you can give? for while being there?
(eg, you should be prepared to tip $$$ in he coffee shops lol)

Can you answer 'as many' questions as you can please,

giving your answers in a) b) c) d) e)...i) j) k) format please
(so they are easy to follow)

Thank you very much x

tom169

Firstly, hello. This has been my experience.

A)
Previously I've just shown both my driving licence card and full paper version. However, there is now an online code you need to get from the DVLA and hand that over (as well as the other documents). It's free and easy, just google it. The law changed last year on it.

B)
For me it was easy as pie. Much easier than in the uk. The roads are so much bigger for the most part and the parking spaces have an acre of land to park in. I never worry about it.

C)
Anti clockwise. Easy. I think I've done one roundabout outside of Charlotte. None of those 6 lane mega roundabouts to worry about.

D)
I always use Avis at Charlotte airport. Directly opposite arrivals as you exit you cross the road and there is a new car rental building. I do pre book and then just take my confirmation receipt etc. Shop around and check online for coupons. I bagged like 25% off recently.

E)
I use the mobile carrier "3" and they allow free communication in the USA to uk numbers. They also allow data usage. This is why i went with them originally. Most other providers charge.

F)
Previously i have used T-Mobile for this. I just visited a T-Mobile store and got a sim. Think I had to load up with about $20. Also I have used AT&T to do the same thing. I believe they have them in a few walmarts too. If you are concerned about this, some websites in the uk do sell them online for a fee. I guess the advantage is that they can use it when they land to call you and you have a number to reach them on already.

G)
Almost anywhere. Literally no issue. Tesco for one, post office is another. It's no big deal.

H)
I don't know. I do before I travel. Avoid airports exchange.

I)
An ATM should let you use British card if you've cleared it with bank. Otherwise I'm not sure.

J)
If using bank card in USA let the bank know not to decline it.

K)
Just like any other vacation. Save up money and plan it.

L)
Consume as much NC food goodness as possible.

tom169

The other point to make is to ensure the visitor has an approved ESTA / relevant visa and proof of ties to the UK.

Ensure that travel health insurance is taken out for the entire trip.

Simanda

[QUOTE=flamingate;11860021]Have some questions for a family member who is from UK and will be visiting the USA for a 9 weeks, as a visitor,
Fully UK Passport, and just going for a long break (Not to work or anything else)

= North Carolina

They Going for the first time.




We have just returned (yesterday) from a 3 month trip from the U.S. so we can help.


CAR HIRE QUESTIONS

a) When hiring a car (budget.com), what UK Documents are needed to be taken with them, to show them?
We just used our plastic licence, that's all that was required.

b) How easy is it, to get used to driving on the 'Right hand side' of the road? (as we drive on the left here) - is it confusing?
Not a problem just follow the car in front (and hope they are not British)

c) (how about the roundabouts - do you drive Anticlockwise on them ?)
Not many roundabouts in the USA as they have a grid system.

d) Do you recommend other Car hire companies, in North Carolina USA?
We used a brilliant company called Thrifty who didn't charge or extra driver.
Try rentalcars.com as they included insurance.


SIM CARD - MOBILE PHONE QUESTIONS
e) Sim card in the USA, for Uk communications?
-They ot a Samsung galaxy S5, but can also take a Nokia basic phone too.
We used our Three mobile as Three have done a deal with the U.S. so whatever your contract here in the UK woks there. We have unlimited calls, texts and Internet and paid our normal £39 a month and it all worked over there.

f) Sim card in the USA, for USA communications? (USA Friends) ?
-They ot a Samsung galaxy S5, but can also take a Nokia basic phone too.


MONEY CONVERSION QUESTIONS (Pounds to Dollars)
g) Where in the UK can pounds be converted to USA Dollars?
Get a Hallifax Clarity credit card as they do not charge for taking money out overseas (as recommended by Martin Lewis) just make sure that you pay it off monthly!

h) Currency conversion - in USA?
- Does it work out cheaper to convert the currency in the UK,
from Pounds to Dollars, and then take this over there?
We used our credit card.
i) If converting money in the USA, where is this usually done?
(eg, Western Union?)
As in the UK look for the best rate. We found Wells Fargo really good.

j)
- and What proof do these shops need? - do they take photocopies?
(Do they need to take a photocopy of your passport?)
We used our credit card and drivers licence, however chip and pin is popping up a lot more now.

HAVE YOU BEEN TO USA FOR A STAY?
k) Have you been to the USA, and stayed there over 1 month?
How was your experience?
3 months with a couple of cruises thrown in as well, loved it!

L) Any other advice you can give? for while being there?
(eg, you should be prepared to tip $$$ in he coffee shops lol)
As Brits were not known for tipping, however please note that the waiting staff are paid considerably less in the US so we always tipped 18% for good service.

We hope this has helped you!
Enjoy America......... We had the best time, in fact so good that were thinking of moving there!

Pulaski

FWIW I live in NC, have done for 13 years.

A) You do not need an international driving permit. They're a complete waste of money in the US.

B) That's personal, some people have no problem, for others it's very difficult. lMO ot is more of a problem on quiet roads than busy ones, and very generally speaking seems to he more of an issue for people as they get older. Oh, and the roads are set up so it is scarily easy to get onto interstates (motorways) and divided highways (dual carriageways) going the wrong way!

I will disagree with Tom on the ease of driving, the size of junctions can make them confusingly large, and exits from junctions are not as clearly marked as they are in the UK, especially at night (they don't have those lit-from-the-inside bollards with white/blue arrows on them). When faced with turning left a major crossroad junction, which can literally mean an acre of tarmac, it is VERY easy to turn too sharply and turn towards the left side of the road you are trying to turn into.

As I mentioned above, you're fine when there is lots of traffic around, but at night, when it's quieter, and at a poorly lit junction, it can be surprisingly easy to end up on the wrong side of a road with a central reservation - in other words, there is no easy way to get back to the right side of the road! Worse still, NC has a number of interstate (motorway) on-off junctions where the on and off ramps (slip roads) are directly next to each other (one ramp or the other is a sweeping 180° bend) - so as you turn left you face the exit of an off-ramp to the left of the entrance to an on-ramp, so turn too sharply and you can easily find yourself on the interstate going the wrong way!

C) Er, they have to go the other way because you're on the other side of the road!

Roundabouts are fairly rare in NC. It is quite possible that you could visit NC and not experience one at all. Americans are not very good at them and (i) tend to stop when it is not necessary to do so, (ii) are usually unable to "read" which way cars on the roundabout are going, and (iii) are particularly bad at recognizing a safe gap to enter, which is connected to (i) ..... they don't "get" that you can slow down and then hit the gas and slot in to a gap. And as Tom said, the few roundabouts here, are "skinny", usually just a single lane all the way round.

G) Bring VERY little cash, there is virtually no need to use physical money. The exchange rates on small quantities of cash are disgraceful, in both the US and the UK. If the person feels they "need" some cash, bring $100, maybe $200 tops. Everywhere takes Visa and Mastercard credit/debit cards, and I mean EVERYWHERE! .... Fast food, coffee shops, gas stations ..... I can't remember the last time I found a business that didn't take cards.

While there are fees charged by your bank for using your credit/debit card overseas, they are small compared to the fees and p!$$-poor exchange rate on physical cash.

And be sure to TELL your bank when you are going to be in the US, otherwise they might start rejecting transactions as being "out of pattern" .... it happened to my mother!

I) It is rare to find places that will exchange cash outside of an airport. Banks might, but the exchange rates will make your eyes water! If you need to top up your cash, your British credit card will work at most ATMs, but there will be a fee, of several dollars assessed by the ATM owner, so if you "run out of cash", one larger transaction would be better than several smaller ones. But like I said, credit cards are universally accepted.

L) Tip in restaurants - minimum 15%, unless the waitress told you to ****-off or tried to kill you. Tip 18% for good service, 20% for great service - these days many restaurants print a tipping guide at the bottom of the bill, showing the 15/18/20% amounts (if they don't, take 10%, double it, then round it down by $1-$2, and you have the right sort of nunber for a tip. ) Tipping is not the greatest system, but waiters are literally paid from their tips - minimum wage for waiters is just over $2/hr! Don't try to prove a point that you don't agree with the tipping system by giving low/no tips, the only thing you will prove is that you're an @rsë!

I don't tip in coffee shops or fast food (served at the counter) restaurants though there may be a jar on the counter for tips - staff there are paid differently from waiters in table-service restaurants. If buying alcohol at a bar, tipping the server $1 is customary.

M) Why TF North Carolina? It's a great place to live, but there is not much to do or see here unless you like hiking, hunting, or fishing, or have a niche interest in the history of the US Civil War. When my parents visited it was always a challenge to find places to go to "see something". If I was pushed I might find half a dozen things to do or see in NC, and even despite the large size of NC (it would take 12+ hours to drive from one end to the other) you could see them all in a week.

If I was visiting the US for that long I would do a "road trip", either A to B, perhaps down the east coast, or a large loop through different states returning to where I started.

AdobePinon

100% agree. Also, if it's anything like NM, the "Wrong Way" signs are almost as visible from the right way as from the wrong.

It's worth going in with a little extra knowledge on traffic lights: (i) Flashing yellow means 'proceed with caution', i.e., stop not necessary. (ii) Flashing red means treat it like a stop sign - use extreme caution because many Americans don't know this / don't care (i.e., blow through their own flashing red), and it can be hard to tell if everyone else has a flashing red. (iii) Right turn on red is allowed after stopping, but typically only from the right-hand lane, or right-turn-only lanes. If you have a lit red arrow, you can't turn right on red, and there may be a hard-to-see sign that says you can't do it at that intersection anyway. Note: You do not HAVE to turn right on red, but if the guy behind you starts honking his horn, you know why. (iv) Left turn on red. Best left unexercised if you don't know what you're doing, but typically only legal from one way streets to one way streets, with all the caveats mentioned above, plus an extra dose of confusion from Americans. In NM, I can only think of one intersection where it's possible - nobody does it because they're all afraid of getting a ticket from a cop who doesn't know the law.

Worried yet? Don't be.

Americans in general don't do so well at yield - whether it's a roundabout, merging onto an interstate, zippering around closed lanes, or encountering a yield sign (same as "Give Way"). They tend to the two extremes - punching the brakes, or punching the gas.

And take multiple cards if you have them, since the banks may screw up anyway. Use your credit cards in preference to debit. Debit cards can be a little wonky in this country, especially foreign ones. And if your card fails to work in an ATM, try a different bank, regardless of what the machine told you.

+1 Tipping is not a lolling matter here. Just do it, unless the service is super shite. (For example, if you show up in a white van looking like a church group, you WILL get shitty service because those guys never tip. Foreigners also have a less-than-stellar reputation for tipping, although our Germanic friends on their annual summer migration are perhaps judged worst within that group.)

Pulaski

I don't like get into a tennis match on threads like this, but given that the OP asked questions specific to NC, I must point out that NC is one of only six states (half the rest are in New England, two are in the mid west) where left on red is ILLEGAL.

scrubbedexpat099

a) I like to have a bit of cash on me, never exchanged any in the US so no idea where that happens. Not a common situation.

b) We do have roundabouts, one and two lane, they are not that common.

c) In the US they do have the steering wheel on the wrongside, which is a clue.

d) I have heard NC is a pretty nice place, never been there. Waiting for an invite.

AdobePinon

That makes it easy, then.

Pulaski

Come on over next Tuesday, they're planning a big party in downtown Charlotte. I'm sure you'd be welcome!

scrubbedexpat099

Sadly I have other party plans for that day, another time?

Pulaski

The biggest "party", and the only one worth attending, in these parts is on Memorial day weekend.

scrubbedexpat099

Do you have room for the pup?

Pulaski

Our cats probably wouldn't share well with your pup at Pulaski manor, and the actual party is probably a bit noisey for him, you know the partiers are a pretty fast crowd.

scrubbedexpat099

Can you recommend anywhere else to stay?

Presumably it is pretty booked out?

Somewhere dog friendly, no cats, he has been smacked around a few times by cats.