Know before you go: United States

If your country participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in consultation with the State Department, permits citizens of 42 countries to travel to the United States for business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days without a visa. Instead of a consular visa, you apply online for an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization).

Key 2026 details to know:

• An approved ESTA is not a visa, it’s a travel authorization, but it functions the same way for entry purposes, permitting stays of up to 90 days per visit for up to two years before renewal is required.
• As of 1 January 2026 the ESTA costs $40.27, up from $40 after an inflation adjustment and nearly double the $21 charged before 30 September 2025.
• The passport must have a machine-readable zone on the biographic page and must be an electronic passport with a digital chip containing biometric information about the passport owner.
• CBP recommends that travelers apply for ESTA as soon as they begin planning their trip and no later than 72 hours before departure.
• Screening has gotten stricter: starting in January 2026, CBP added new screening questions covering social media activity and prior travel to active conflict zones, and applicants who have visited restricted countries generally lose ESTA eligibility and must instead apply for a standard B-1/B-2 visitor visa.
• Land-border travelers pay separately: the I-94 Arrival/Departure Record fee, required for travelers entering the U.S. by road from Canada or Mexico, climbed from $6 to $30.
• The country list does shift: CBP currently lists 42 participating countries, and Romania is not among them because its designation was rescinded on 2 May 2025, so check the official CBP page directly rather than trusting a secondhand list.
• Not everyone qualifies for ESTA even from a member nation; citizens of non-VWP countries need a traditional B-1/B-2 visitor visa from a US embassy or consulate, which now involves longer interview requirements in some cases.

Bottom line: confirm your eligibility, passport requirements and current fee directly on the official ESTA portal and CBP site before booking, because these rules and country lists are revised throughout the year.

The US is huge and car-centric outside big cities, but visitors relying on public transport have solid options:

• Cities: New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco have subway/metro systems plus buses; short-term unlimited passes are worth considering in big cities, such as a 7-day MetroCard in NYC or Clipper in the Bay Area. Payment varies by city, contactless bank cards work in many systems, but many cities use contactless cards or local transit cards while others still take cash, and many buses need exact change or a local card.
• Intercity trains: Amtrak is the national rail operator. For multi-city trips, the headline product is the USA Rail Pass: 10 segments of travel in Coach within a 30 day window for $499, with no blackout dates and access to most of the Amtrak network. On the busy Northeast Corridor, Acela tops out at 150 mph on the fastest stretches, runs Washington to New York in near 2 hours 45 minutes and continues to Boston, priced at business-class levels, often $150 or more for the New York to Washington leg booked close to departure, while the regular Northeast Regional is cheaper.
• Long-distance buses (Greyhound and similar) are a budget alternative to trains for many routes.
• Rideshare apps (Uber, Lyft) are widely available in cities and suburbs; taxis remain common in a few dense metros like New York.
• Rental cars are practical, often essential, for national parks, small towns and road trips; an International Driving Permit alongside your home license is recommended.
• Use navigation apps: Citymapper or Transit help when navigating US public transport in unknown cities.

The currency is the US dollar (USD). Credit and debit cards, especially contactless, are accepted almost everywhere in cities, but keep some cash for smaller vendors: credit cards work almost everywhere, but food trucks, small stores and some rural businesses prefer cash, while contactless payments are widely accepted in cities and cash is popular in smaller villages and remote areas.

Tipping is expected, not optional in most service settings: tipping is a significant part of the culture and service workers’ wages, with 15-20% expected at sit-down restaurants on the pre-tax bill, $1-2 per drink at a bar, $2-5 per day for hotel housekeeping, and 10-15% for taxis or rideshares.

Remember that sales tax is added at checkout and varies by state and city, ranging from 0% in some states to over 10% in others, so sticker prices are never final. Daily budgets vary widely: budget travelers can manage on $50-$100 per day using hostels and public transit, while mid-range visitors typically spend $150-$250 daily. Use a card with no foreign transaction fees where possible, and buy travel insurance, since medical costs in the USA can be very high and even minor injuries or illnesses may lead to huge bills.

There is no single “best” month for a country this large and climatically diverse, but shoulder seasons generally offer the best balance of weather, cost and crowds. Shoulder seasons, late March to late May and mid September to late October, tend to offer the best weather and fewer crowds, avoiding the heat and crowds of summer and the sub-zero temperatures of November through January, while also showing floral blooms in spring and contrasting colours in autumn.

Summer (June-August) is peak tourist season: it’s the high season, meaning peak prices, warm to hot weather across all states, and it’s ideal for beach vacations, national park visits and city tours, though lots of tourists crowd major attractions. Winter can be a bargain outside the north: northern regions suit skiing and Christmas markets while southern destinations like Florida, Arizona and California provide sunshine, with cold conditions in the north and mild warmth in the south. If visiting the Southeast, note that hurricane season runs from June to November, mostly affecting the Southeast.

Dial 911 from any phone for police, fire or medical emergencies, confirmed as the standard nationwide emergency number: the emergency number is 911 for police, fire, medical. Basic safety tips for visitors:

• Be aware of pickpockets in crowded tourist areas and use anti-theft bags; on the roads, obey speed limits, wear seat belts, and avoid driving under the influence.
• On transit, standard urban-safety habits apply: keep your bag zipped and phone out of sight on crowded cars, and avoid empty cars late at night, choosing cars with more riders instead.
• Healthcare is excellent but expensive, so travel insurance covering medical treatment and evacuation is strongly advised, as noted above.
• Mobile coverage is generally reliable but can drop out in remote areas: mobile phone coverage is usually excellent in large cities and towns, though it may be patchy in remote spots like national parks and mountainous areas.