Travelling across america?

I plan to travel america next summer from west coast to east coast, i would travel by train but what would be a rough estinate of price for 3 months or so for food and general living as well as the train? And would i need any visas?

Comments

  • You just need one visa for the US, unless you are crossing into Canada or Mexico at some point. Then you might need a multiple entry visa or re-entry visa or something like that. The US embassy website for your country would tell you what you need. There's also a Visa Waiver Program - residents of certain countries don't need a visa to come to the US to travel.

    $100 per day would be a minimal budget for the US. Even the cheapest hotels will normally run you at least $50, and then you have food and sightseeing costs on top of that. Do keep in mind that the US' train system is not great - nothing like Europe's system. Most trains are slow, and there are often no direct routes between two major cities. Most cities don't have very good public transportation, and many places will be hard to get around without a car. You might consider renting a car for your trip instead.

  • I know you can get deals on Amtrak if you have a multi-stop ticket or maybe a hop-on-and-hop-off ticket. Also, a student gets a lower price. You can phone them and see what you can find out.

    They Greyhound bus is actually much cheaper but certainly not as nice at the train.

    You can stay in hostels to save money. They are all over the US. As far as daily costs, I can't imagine doing this for $100 a day, unless you ride the Greyhound for transport, stay in hostels, and eat take away and fast food, sandwiches from the grocery stores, etc. I think that would be a bare bones price. I travel a lot, and I don't know of any hotels or motels cheaper than $35 plus tax, unless it's a horrible scary neighborhood.

    I do think you need a visa. Pretty easy to get, from what I know.

  • You do not need a visa if you plan to visit in the U.S. for 90 days or less. You do need to register for ESTA. See site below. If you wish to stay longer, you must apply for a B-2 tourist visa. it is far better to come under the visa waiver program for 90 days or less. if you apply for a B-2 visa and are declined, you cannot, then, come under the visa waiver program. about 50% of applications for b-2 visas are declined. See 3rd site below for info on finding free lodging.

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