In the following post you will find some important advice before going to the United States.

Outfit:
Suitable for temperatures, depending on the month in which the trip is planned. In the spring and summer period, recommended “Holiday” clothing. Due to high temperatures, we recommend cotton clothing, breathable; shoes – light, airy, both flip-flops and sneakers will be useful. Despite the high temperatures in some places in California, it is advisable to take a fleece jacket or sweater and a folding umbrella. In the period from October to March, when visiting the Grand Canyon and the Bryce Park, even a warm hat can be useful. Temperatures can change with the time of day and movement around from state to state. It is necessary to buy sunglasses, sunscreen and summer headgear to protect against the sun. These recommendations are quite universal for each month, so just in case, you should have summer and slightly warmer clothing in your luggage.

Outfit during dinner / departure to the club, show, etc .:
In the United States, also during more formal meetings, a casual outfit is preferred (unless the invitation contains information about the required outfit).

In practice, this means full freedom of creation for women. For men, most of the elegant restaurants or nightclubs require: full shoes, long trousers, a shirt with a collar (polo accepted, t-shirt NOT).

Attention!
An iron and an ironing board are provided in each hotel room.

When you go to the clubs / bars and when buying alcohol in the store – you need a photo ID with your date of birth on it.

Expenses:

Sample prices:

• lunch: 15-45 USD / dinner: 25 – 100 USD
• coffee – 1.5 – 5 USD
• Coca-Cola – a can costs 95 cents in a supermarket; in restaurants up to 5 USD
• a glass of wine – 8-15 USD
• beer – 5-10 USD

Souvenirs / gifts:

• Folders / albums / books on visited places: from 15 – 35 USD
• souvenirs such as fridge magnets / from 5 – 10 USD

Tips:
In the US, the tip system is strongly developed. People working in the service always expect tips in the amount of 15-22%. The final prices in the restaurant are about 30% higher than those given on the menu, it is made up of state tax 7-10% (depending on the state) plus the mentioned tip 15-22%.

Tax:

When shopping in the US, keep in mind that in some states, the prices of products in stores do not include state tax. This means that at the cash register for a given product we will pay more. The tax varies depending on the product and condition (7-10%).

Wall sockets:
In order to be able to use European electrical equipment, before departure you should have a transducer for the USA (unless the equipment is suitable) for 110V, for example: chargers for telephones, cameras, etc. The easiest way to buy them at international airports or cheaper – on the Internet before your departure.

ATMs:
ATMs in the USA are easily accessible. They are located almost at every gas station, thanks to which, if necessary, you can easily withdraw cash using international credit/debit cards.

Public bathrooms:
When traveling around the US, you do not have to worry about the availability of toilets. Free bathrooms can be found easily at every gas station, park, beaches or mountain trails and tourist attractions.

Units:
In the US, instead of the metric system, which is used all around the world, imperial units are in place. The basic differences are: Fahrenheit instead of Celsius degrees, gallons instead of liters, feet instead of meters, miles instead of kilometers. The surface area is given not in square meters, but in square feet, weight in pounds, and height in feet and inches. The speed, on the other hand, is measured in miles per hour. To make your life easier, we recommend downloading a special application that converts the given units.

Visa:
To get to the United States a visa is necessary. In the event that the departure to the US will take place for non-profit purposes (holidays, sightseeing, visits to family and friends, etc.), you must apply for a B-2 visa. To do this, complete the application form for nonimmigrant visa (DS-160), which can be found on this page: https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/ and pay the appropriate fee for consideration of the application (this amount is not refundable if not receiving a visa). To submit an application, it is necessary to have a valid passport (more than six months over the planned stay in the US) and a current photo (guidelines can be found on the website of the American embassy in Poland). After correctly completing the visa application and paying the fee, you will be able to make an appointment with the US embassy or consulate.

Note: visa applications for Polish tourists should be submitted only on this website: https://pl.usembassy.gov/pl/. There, you will also find all necessary information about the entire visa process. Do not use any “third source companies”.

TRIPS: Transport – Bus
In the USA, on board of the bus you can not eat food and drink anything except water (alcohol prohibited). Both on the bus and in other closed rooms in the USA, the air conditioning is set to low temperatures and strong ventilation. It is always worth having a light cover, a scarf or a baseball cap with you.

Smoking
In many states and cities, there are laws to restrict smoking; for example, smoking is punished in buildings and public places and at the entrances to shops. Smoking is also forbidden in most restaurants, even in the open air. Hotels and airports have also introduced bans for smokers. More and more hotels are advertising as places where the guest will not feel the musty cigarette smell and where all the rooms are non-smoking. Hotels impose severe fines, about $ 250 (so-called “cleaning fees”) for smoking in hotel rooms. American airports rarely have special zones for smokers, which are popular at many European airports.