Things to Think About When Planning a US Trip*

It’s no secret that visiting the USA is one of my favourite things to do as far as travel is concerned. I’ve been to Florida and California multiple times, as well as visiting family in Georgia as a child. I have also done a tour of the East Coast and my fair share of trips to New York. With the travel corridor between the UK and the USA reopening in November, it’s finally time to start thinking about the next trips we’re taking. I’m not quite ready to explore somewhere new, but I am desperate to take my daughter to New York. I want to combine it with a trip to see our friends in Florida, and have a few days experiencing Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, as I went for the 25th as a child.

If like me, you’re ready to head back across the pond, here are some things to help you get started with your planning;

Where You Want to Go

Firstly, you have to decide where you want to go. For me, it’s simple, my daughter is heavily into musicals and where better than to cross some off than Broadway.. and we want to see our friends again. But I know it’s not that simple for everyone. The US is huge and there are so many amazing places, from Washington DC to Seattle. Or perhaps you want to visit Vegas? Or Yellowstone? Or maybe even see the Grand Canyon. So the first thing to do is decide where you want to take your trip. Do you just want to visit one place? Or take a road trip? The possibilities really are endless and travel links are relatively good whether you want to fly, drive or take a bus or train.

How You’ll Get There

Next you have to decide how you’ll get there. For us in the UK, flying is pretty much the only option, unless you want to take a transatlantic cruise! But again, there are ways to make this as cheap or as easy as you want. When flying to Florida I usually choose a flight with a connection as I really hate customs at Orlando International. This is convenient for me so I can just walk off the plane when arriving, it breaks up the journey and it’s usually cheaper too. But I know that’s not for everyone.

Where You’ll Stay

Then you’ll have to decide where you want to stay. This is one of my favourite parts of trip planning. I love a hotel stay and I love using sites like Ebooking to ensure I get exactly what I want at a price I can afford. I don’t mind switching hotels midstay either as I feel like different hotels offer you different things. Hotels aren’t for everyone though. Perhaps if you’re doing a road trip you’ll look at cabins or camping?

What You’ll Do

Finally you’ll have to figure out what it is you want to do while you’re away. We’re now living in a COVID world so it’s important to remember that as a lot of attractions and experiences require you to pre-book before you arrive so they can control numbers. Don’t get caught out and end up having nothing to do (it happened to us in London, thankfully my daughter still loves a park). I love this part of trip planning because I love to have a day to day itinerary.

It’s so exciting that holidays are now back on the board and we can start making some real plans! Let’s hope it stays that way.