Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
#16
Re: Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
They went to a few major cities and did that and apparently saved lots of money along the way.
#17
Re: Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
Yeah, great information, thx.
#18
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2015
Location: Watford
Posts: 1,147
Re: Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
I tell you what, with information like that you and Ian may as well resign, you two know nothing!!
#20
Re: Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
I already said, it's cancelled. You must be talking about a different party.
#21
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
I already said, it's cancelled. You must be talking about a different party.
#22
Return of bouncing girl!
Joined: Sep 2004
Location: The Fourth Reich
Posts: 4,931
Re: Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
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!
In many states in the US, the minimum wage for tipped employees is $2.13/hr unless the employee doesn't make enough tips to bring them up to the actual minimum wage. In other words, your food bill likely does not include much in the way of staff wages, so you pay that on top via the tip.
When you factor in a 20% tip in the US, there really isn't that much difference.
#23
Return of bouncing girl!
Joined: Sep 2004
Location: The Fourth Reich
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Re: Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
#24
Re: Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
The thing to remember when driving is that you, as the driver, generally need to be next to the center line. This applies in both the UK and the US. When you turn on to a road late at night you'll often get confused "left right" but I found remember that I have to be near the center line is the easiest way.
Also remember that to "go around the block" is generally three right turns, not three left turns. Happens quite a bit in a city when looking for something.
Also note many car rental places only do 30 day rentals maximum.
As for currency conversion, it is not like the UK with a shop on every street. In fact it's not very common at all. You can use ATMs and Credit Cards but double check you aren't going to be charged excessive fees. Overall I would point out that you're going to spend what, 2,000-3,000 over the trip such that a "good rate" and a "bad rate" isn't going to make all that much of a difference overall. We've seen people spend a day running all over the place with taxis and subway fares just to save 0.03¢ on a rate only to discover it was 'false economics' overall.
Also remember that to "go around the block" is generally three right turns, not three left turns. Happens quite a bit in a city when looking for something.
Also note many car rental places only do 30 day rentals maximum.
As for currency conversion, it is not like the UK with a shop on every street. In fact it's not very common at all. You can use ATMs and Credit Cards but double check you aren't going to be charged excessive fees. Overall I would point out that you're going to spend what, 2,000-3,000 over the trip such that a "good rate" and a "bad rate" isn't going to make all that much of a difference overall. We've seen people spend a day running all over the place with taxis and subway fares just to save 0.03¢ on a rate only to discover it was 'false economics' overall.
#25
Re: Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
Hope that helps!
#26
Re: Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
I use Air B&B a lot, but it's often cheaper to stay in a hotel, so worth checking both. As an example, we're staying in San Francisco for a few nights next month, and it was much cheaper to get a room in a 4* hotel than it was to hire somewhere with Air BnB, because any rooms in SF were extortionate!
Last edited by christmasoompa; Feb 9th 2016 at 9:18 am.
#29
Re: Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
#30
Return of bouncing girl!
Joined: Sep 2004
Location: The Fourth Reich
Posts: 4,931
Re: Visiting USA (for 8weeks) Car Hire? SimCard? Currency Exchange? Questions ?
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