USA Blog: Road Trip Routes, Travel Reports & Tips

Here you will find all the information you need for travelling in the USA: Between the wild west and metropolises to the Rocky Mountains

For many, the USA is a dream destination and the country for road trips and exciting cities par excellence. No other country is associated with unlimited possibilities and vastness, is it? However, the United States is far too big for just one holiday. There is so much to discover that you should plan at least 3-4 weeks for a trip. If you don't have that much time, you should check out my USA travel reports per state here or scroll down to see my tips for America.

I have already travelled the west coast and also the east coast, as well as on the Hawaiian Islands islands. Did a road trip in Florida and also travelled on the legendary the legendary Highway 1 from Los Angeles to San Francisco. San Francisco.

The cities New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami, San Francisco, New OrleansNashville, Memphis, Boston and Las Vegas I have also visited. Of course, some of the highlights are still missing. All slowly and one after the other.

All USA destinations at a glance Highlights in the USA

New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New Orleans as cities

California: Road trip along Highway 1, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego

Hawaii with the islands Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Big Island

Florida Keys and the Everglades in Florida and Miami as a city

• Alaska and the endless expanses

• Arizona and its national parks: Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon and Arches National Park. As well as the Moab Desert

MississippiMississippi Delta, the cradle of the blues

USA Road Trips

No country in the world is as popular for road trips as the United States of America. Here you will find a list of our past road trip reports:

• Florida round trip with rental car from/to Miami

Road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles in California (Highway 1)

• Travelogue of the road trip from Chicago to New Orleans

Hawaii island hopping on your own

Travelogues for cities in the USA

Facts & Figures

• Capital: Washington D.C.

• Time difference: Depending on time zone - 6h (Washington), - 7h (Chicago), - 8h (Denver), -9h (Phoenix and Los Angeles), -10h (Anchorage) and -12h (Hawaii)

• Visa required(tips for visa for USA - fill in ESTA form)

• Best time to travel: All year round

• Currency: US Dollar (USD)

Planning your USA trip

The land of opportunity is really easy to travel to individually. For many it is a dream destination, mainly for city trips and road trips.

So that you don't have to spend too much time planning and preparing for your big USA adventure, we have written down the most important USA tips for you here. You can find more detailed information in the article with the best travel tips for the USA.

Before the trip: Apply for a visa

To enter the USA, you need a machine-readable passport (new e-passport with chip) that is valid for the entire duration of your stay. An identity card is not sufficient. Children also need a passport with an e-chip. The reason for this is the ESTA visawhich you have to apply for before you travel. Read my instructions carefully, how to apply for the ESTA visa online.. Check current visa and entry requirements with the Department of State.

How much does a trip to the USA cost?

If you are wondering whether the USA is an expensive country to travel to, I can answer that it depends on what you want to do, how you want to travel and where you want to go. Hawaii is definitely more expensive than the mainland. New York is cheaper if you book a hotel away from the centre than in Manhattan. A rental car with insurance costs around 200-250 euros per week. It also depends on the size of the car. On the Hawaiian islands it was sometimes cheaper in the low season (See Hawaii tips).

A motorhome is more expensive and costs about 1000 euros per week, depending on the state. But petrol is much cheaper than here. The advantage of a motorhome trip is that you can cook for yourself and save a lot of money.

For larger cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco or New York, you have to calculate an average of 100 euros per night in a double room, if you don't want to book a cheap "flophouse". Read my tips for each city and see exactly where we stayed.

Also make sure that you have a credit card in the USAYou can withdraw money for free abroad and you won't have to pay any fees when you pay. In the US, almost everyone pays with a credit card and you rarely need cash.

In 2023, the best credit cards are the GenialCard from the Hanseatic Bankthe VISA Card the DKB Bank (as active customer) and the awa 7 credit card ( "Green" product of the Hanseatic Bank). With these cards, you can withdraw money free of charge from ATMs and pay locally without paying foreign fees abroad in foreign currencies! With both credit cards you can make contactless payments and use Apple Pay and Google Pay. Here you will find all tips on the best travel credit card 2023 with comparison.

Best time to travel to the USA

The question of the best time to travel is also not so simple. It depends on where you want to go. In the north, it's very cold in winter, just like here. If you want to go skiing, that's ideal. If you want a summer holiday, you have to go south to Florida or California in winter.

You can visit the USA at any time of the year. In summer, the south is very hot and humid. In Florida it rains regularly. Read more about the best time to visit Florida.

You can also visit Hawaii at any time of year. However, there are some subtleties like the whale season or American holidays that you should keep in mind. Therefore, I have also written a separate article for the best time to visit Hawaii created.

For the West Coast in California, it's a little different: spring and autumn are very pleasant. Our last trip was in October - November. The temperatures were around 20 - 26 degrees. In the south (Los Angeles) it was warmer than in the north around San Francisco. There, the temperatures in November were sometimes 5 - 10 degrees.

City trip to the USA

The USA is not only a dream destination for a round trip with a rental car, but also a great destination for city trips. I really like the mix of city and nature. The cities in the USA are always worth seeing and very different from the European metropolises.

The huge blocks of houses in New York with lots of neon signs and skyscrapers. There is probably no city in the world that can keep up with New York and its culture: Broadway with its theatres and musicals. The many museums and clubs as well as rooftop bars and viewing platforms. In between, the famous Central Park is a green oasis. Sure, not everyone likes the hustle and bustle, but once in your life you should experience the hustle and bustle of Times Square in the evening.

Besides Chicago and New York we love San Franciscoprobably the most European city in the United States. Los Angeles polarises and is not everyone's favourite. It is the same with Miamiwhich many avoid and prefer to go straight to Miami Beach directly. New Orleans is also a popular destination because of Mardi Gras and jazz music. I find all the cities exciting, but I wouldn't count them among my favourites either. It's a completely different story with San Diego or Honolulu. San Diego is a completely relaxed big city by the sea. Honolulu surprised us with great beaches, exciting street art and of course the eventful history of Pearl Harbour.