For many people, a trip Stateside is top of their must-visit list. It has something to offer everyone. From picturesque national parks to bustling cosmopolitan cities and not forgetting Walt Disney World, the US is a great place to explore. We have visited on a number of occasions and have loved every second of each of our trips. If you are a regular reader of our blog you will know we love hitting the road and always endeavour to have a stress-free road trip wherever we are in the world. We have travelled around many countries in hire cars and campervans. Nothing beats the freedom of the open road and some of the most open roads in the world are in the US. Wide highways and beautiful scenery make driving in a lot of the country not only relatively easy but also fun. Plus the benefit of any road trip – you get to see a lot of places. Yet you are still masters of your own destiny.
However, it’s important to remember that you need to have a few things before embarking on a US road trip. Therefore, we have put together a list of the key documents, equipment and knowledge that you need to ensure your road trip is as stressfree as possible.
ESTA (“Electronic System for Travel Authorization”)
The first and most important thing you need is am ESTA visa. It is an electronic travel authorisation for the US and is mandatory. Unless you hold an American passport, an ESTA is a must. Regardless of whether you are staying in one place, road tripping around the country (remember each stay in the USA can last a maximum of 90 consecutive days) or even just transitting through on your way to somewhere else, you will be denied entry to the US without one.
Applying for one could not be easier. All you need to do is apply online, submit payment and sit back and wait for your approval to come through, which in our experience takes no more than an hour or two. Once you have received your approval you do not need to do anything else. You simply just take your flight and enjoy your trip. Your ESTA is then valid for two years. This means you can take as many trips to the US as you like/budget permits within that timeframe without having to reapply for another one.
Driving Licence
It may seem like an obvious one, right? Of course, you need a driving licence to drive a car. Therefore, if you don’t have one in your home country, there’s no way you can hire a car in the US. So if you’re planning on heading to the US to embark on a road trip don’t forget to take your licence with you. The car hire company will ask to see and make a copy of it for their records. You will need it should you be asked to produce it by any relevant authority.
If like us you use a travel document holder, ensure you pop yours in there ahead of your trip. In fact, treat it with the same importance as your passport. This is because, without it, your dream of a stress-free road trip will be quashed before you even start. Depending on how long you plan to spend in the US it may be worth noting that the US has an agreement with most countries where the person hiring a car’s full national driving license can be used for up to one year. However, some states also require an International Driving Permit (IDP). Therefore you may need to do some additional research prior to taking your trip.
Insurance
As at home, it’s just as important to have an appropriate car insurance policy in place. This is to ensure that you are not left out of pocket if you get into an accident. When you hire a car in the US it’s more than likely that insurance is included in the hire price. However, it’s important that you check what the policy actually covers. This is because sometimes it is often just the basics with a big excess.
Therefore, it may be worthwhile looking at what other options and policies are available. This is to ensure you have cover for a range of potential problems. Paying for an insurance policy which you may not need to call upon may seem like a waste of money. However, you really should look at it as an investment. This is because no one wants to shell out a fortune if any damage is caused to the car. Especially if it could have been avoided by having an adequate insurance policy in place.
Sat Nav
When at home and we travel anywhere that we have never visited before, the sat nav in our car is our best friend. Therefore, when we’re abroad and hire a car a sat nav is an optional extra we always plump for. More often than not you have to pay extra to have a sat nav in your hire car. However, if you want a stress-free road trip and avoid getting lost and potentially arguing with your travel companion, then it is a must.
If you like to use Google Maps (or similar) it’s important to remember your data roaming charges. Our network provider charges us around £5 each, per day. Therefore, it may be worthwhile weighing up whether paying for a sat nav or using a map app on your phone is better value for money. This will obviously depend on how long your road trip is. Another option is to invest in a wi-fi hotspot unit such as a SkyRoam or similar. You simply buy the unit and top it up with data as and when you need it. It is a great investment if you travel/plan to travel to countries where using your mobile phone data is expensive because it is not included in your regular plan.
Knowledge of Laws, Regulations and Rules
The biggest difference for us Brits road tripping through the US is that you have to drive on the other side of the road (known as a right-hand traffic pattern), which without doubt can be daunting. Therefore, if you have never driven on the right side of the road before, take care when first leaving wherever you pick your hire car up from. Having fallen into the trap of drifting to the other side ourselves, it’s something we’re extremely conscious of now.
Each state has its own regulations and rules. Therefore, it’s advised that you research the particular things you need to adhere to, depending on where you plan to visit on your road trip. If you plan to cross state borders, ensure you know the different regulations and rules and adjust your driving accordingly.
We hope these tips, recommendations and reminders ensure you have a stress free road trip in the US. Have you road-tripped through the US before or are you planning on taking one? If so let us know where we are always looking for future inspiration.
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