Hi all,

I am very new to this site, and have noticed there are a lot of Americans. I am thinking of going to the US this summer in September and wondered if anyone could give me some tips on where to go and what to see.

I have limited myself to 3 weeks, and am intending on focusing on the westside (cos you know its the best side). Will fly to San Fran, and it could go anywhere from there really.

So please help! never been to the US before, and travelling alone. what is Amtrak like? is the Greyhound better? Or should i just fly everywhere (oh, im hoping not to spend too much money, even though the exhange rates quite preferable atm).

Any advice will be much appreciated!

Thanks

Iiiiinteresting. Where are you staying at? To make things interesting, how about couch surfing? I've met some international travelers through Hospitality Club before and my friend regularly hosts people to stay at her place for free in SF. If you travel light and don't need to leave expensive stuff around, it's a good way to go.

CouchSurfing
Free Accommodation world wide through Hospitality Exchange - Hospitality Club

Greyhound is okay for some travel within 3 hours. Anything longer and you may as well start torturing yourself now. I haven't been on Amtrak yet, but I've heard positive things about their more popular lines, like up and down the West Coast. Beware of the connecting trains that take you part way and dump you on an Amtrak bus the rest of the way.

I'm sure some members here would hang out and show you around, keep us posted on dates.

hey thanks for that Cow!

i never knew these sites existed. wow, this is so good on so many levels!

Best deal is Amtrak. I did several cross country trips to explore the USA on Amtrak. In the off season (Sept-May), a 30 day All America pass is about 700 something dollars, which is a real bargain. Get that, and get yourself a North America hostelling book, and you'll be all set to go anywhere you please. Be aware of the cultural differences in the USA though. In general, people outside of the cities, are really nice people. Once you get into the cities, they're usually, well, not as friendly. You've also got huge regional differences too. New England has it's own culture, Middle Atlantic (NYC, Philadelphia, Washington) has it's own culture. The South is a very interesting place to visit, in my opinion, and it's one of the more fascinating cultures to check out, especially New Orleans, Nashville, and Atlanta. If you go to Atlanta, make sure you stop at the House of Blues. South West, as in New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, is breathtaking, and the people are friendly. The rocky mountain states are interesting too. One thing a lot of europeans I met while on tour did is the canyons tour, which is the Grand Canyon, and then off to Utah and Colorado to check out the natural marvels there.

One thing you'll find about the USA, that I think makes it special compared to the other places I've been to in the world, is the sheer wealth of National, natural wonders. When I talk to Europeans and Japanese, they always tell me that traveling Europe or Japan, you're there more to explore the old cultures, castles, etc. But the USA is where you go to find natural wonders of the world. Get a National Park system book, and read up on it. The Amtrak hits the Grand Canyon (Flagstaff, AZ), Mammoth Caves (Kentucky), Yellowstone (Butte, Montana), Olympia (Seattle, Washington), Redwoods national forest (Northern California stops), Everglades (Miami, FL), etc.

And don't let other's preconceived notions get to you. Despite what you read, I've found in general that people are really nice, really friendly, and usually ignorant, but that's OK, cause I can be ignorant to a lot of things too.

Oh yeah, and if you want to hang out with the original inhabitants of the continent, go to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It's also the only UNESCO world heritage site in the USA, and the world's third largest art market.

"Your mind's pictures of today are tomorrows reality."

http://www.myspace.com/adventure_maniac
Blog: http://davesnewadventure.wordpress.com

Also, STAY away from CABS!!
They will so rip you off!!!!!!!!

Go to Nashville and Memphis and experience the blues, the country, the mountains, etc. I lived there for a few years and it has a vibe all to its own. It also can really rock and has lots of culture. I would be glad to supply any info on sights in Nashville, where I lived for 5 years or Washington, DC, which is where I was born and raised (20+). If you make it to the east coast the great thing is that everything is SO compact. Philadelphia is 2 hours from DC, NYC is 3 hours from DC, Boston is 8 hours from DC (all driving, so much faster by train). You can see a good bit of the east coast in a week or so if you plan it right.

What if Prince Charming had never shown up? Would Snow White have slept in that glass coffin forever? Or would she have eventually woken up, spit out the apple, gotten a job, a health-care package and a baby from her local neighborhood sperm bank?

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Greyhound = totally ghetto.

Yes the WEST COAST is the very best! (also has the best looking women!)

You should definitely go to Santa Monica, ca San Diego, ca. Carmel, ca! Seattle Washington is really nice and so is Portland Oregon. If you are great with internet searches and directions I say rent a car in sf and drive down the coast. SM has a youth hostile which is only 16 dollars a day. If you use hertz or budget rental car you can google coupon codes that will give you a huge discounts and they inculde unlimited mileage. Just make sure you return them from the place you rented them or they try to take your first born for payment!

Great girls come in all colors, it's great to expand your horizons!-NYCbabygirl

I am biased, because I lived there for years!! You have to see Vermont!! Incredibly beautiful, lots of mountains, and really cool people. Burlington is a really cool small city right on a lake, with mountains all around. Very fun town. Also, Boston is a great city too!!