What should I bring when traveling to the United States? Go for 21 days

1. Mobile phone, SIM card and APP

1. Whether it is to communicate with people or navigate, book a hotel, check news and weather forecasts, mobile phones are indispensable. The US mobile phone network The standards are basically China Unicom standards (including 3G and 4G). Most mobile phones on the Chinese market can be used directly in the United States, so the first thing you have to do when you come to the United States is to apply for an American SIM card (Chinese mobile phone It is very inconvenient to use in the United States and the data price is very expensive) At this time, you need a prepaid SIM card. Prepaid means paying first and then using it (traditional American cards are used first and then paying). There are three major operators (ATT T-MOBOLE Verizon). Here I strongly recommend everyone to buy an ATT card. It costs 45 US dollars a month to send text messages and calls for free with unlimited data (but only 1.5G of 4G data will be converted to 3G after exceeding the limit). The signal is the best in the United States. Okay (even if you want to go to a place with fewer people, there will still be basically no signal). To purchase, you can go to any ATT store (you can find them everywhere in big cities, of course you need to be able to speak English. If you don’t, you can ask a friend who can speak English to buy for you), or you can buy online.

PS: Don’t forget to bring a car charger and a car holder for your mobile phone.

PS: The card application policy changes at any time, please check the operator's official website for the most accurate information.

As for the portable WIFIs that are very popular when traveling abroad, my suggestion is that you can use the ATT network. If it is not ATT, don’t consider it. The one with the best signal in the United States is ATT, which has the most base stations. My friend TMOBILE has basically no signal outdoors. (It is best to buy a US number, so it is convenient to make calls to the US, and it is also convenient for merchants to contact you when booking something)

2. APP

GOOGLE MAP The best navigation software in the world . I used this software for navigation all the way, and it has built-in traffic conditions. After logging in with a GOOGLE account, I can save points of interest, eliminating the trouble of checking them every time. In addition, searching for supermarkets, gas stations, and restaurants (including reviews, which can tell whether the restaurant is delicious or not) is also a necessary function for self-driving tours. Before going to a place with no signal (such as the entire Yellowstone Park), please use the GOOGLE MAP offline map function to download the map of the travel area in advance, so that you can use GOOGLE MAP to reach various locations even if your mobile phone has no signal. GOOGLE MAP even has all walking routes in all national parks.

GAS BUDDY displays the nearest gas stations and oil prices nearby, and can be imported into GOOGLE MAP for navigation. It is very convenient and can save money. If the price difference is not big, give priority to oil from SHELL EXXON MOBIL, which has the best oil quality.

THE WEATHER CHANNEL The best weather software, which can view cloud maps, rainfall range maps, etc. in real time, and can query the weather very accurately.

Travel guide websites such as Qionyou Mafengwo will recommend some attractions in each city and location, which you can refer to.

PRICELINE is the cheapest hotel booking website. Of course, it is easier to use on a computer. The APP is also usable. Why is it the cheapest? Let’s talk about it below.

YELP Dianping in the United States, I personally feel that the interface is not friendly enough, and the restaurant search in GOOGLE MAP is enough.

2. Car rental and hotel

There are many car rental options and many websites. There is no difference in price. Just compare the price options of the car rental companies. Buy full insurance. Don’t rent a GPS. Use GOOGLEMAP is a hundred times better than GPS. You can return the car in the same place or in another place, but it is more expensive in another place. The roads in the United States are very good, and cars can basically meet the requirements of all destinations. I only have MOVING ROCKS this time. The roads in Monument Valley and Area 51 are not very easy to travel, and the rest are basically asphalt roads. If you are going to a place with snow in winter, rent a four-wheel drive. If you are lucky enough to go to the Wave, rent a four-wheel drive SUV. If you're feeling adventurous, almost every national park has 4WD routes to explore.

Hotels are where the bulk of the money is spent, let me emphasize this.

Highly recommend a website and a way to book a room, EXPRESS DEAL. If you book tickets in the normal way on this website, the price is the same as traditional websites such as booking expedia, but its EXPRESS DEAL is a discounted price. In the DEAL, you can see the hotel's price, star rating, and general area of ??the location. Rating, how much money you save compared to the regular price, but you don’t know what this hotel is.

Of course, I found the secret after using it twice. You divide its price by the percentage to get the regular price, and then compare it with hotels of the same star rating in the same area, you can easily find yours. Book a specific hotel, so that you can book the hotel you want at a very cheap price. Of course, not all hotels have EXPRESS DEAL, but the average price with this DEAL is 50-30% off the regular price. Can save a lot of money! We recommend hotels with a rating of at least 7.0 for the best value for money.

Note that each hotel in the picture above has several icons, representing gym, swimming pool, WIFI, breakfast, etc. It is strongly recommended to book a hotel with free WIFI and breakfast, which will save you a lot of worry.

The only disadvantage of booking a hotel with EXPRESS DEAL is that it cannot be canceled! ! ! So if you are not sure about your itinerary, it is best to be sure to stay before booking to avoid wasting money.

A type of hotel that has emerged in recent years is AIRBNB, which privately rents out your own apartment to tourists. This method is generally cheaper for long-term rentals. If you stay in a certain place for a long time, you may consider using AIRBNB. Disadvantages Even if there is no cleaning staff, the requirements will be more than those of a hotel. It is inevitable to have some inconveniences when staying in someone else's house. There are few reviews on the website, so you can't know whether the house you want to rent is in good condition, and you don't necessarily know the landlord once you have chosen it. I will rent it to you, so I recommend everyone to stay in a hotel.

3. Daily necessities

1. Passport and air tickets.

2. Wallet (Customs regulations stipulate that carry-on cash cannot exceed US$10,000. It is recommended that you do not bring too much money with you).

3. Mobile phone (it is best to activate international roaming in advance to facilitate contacting your tour guide or receiving your friends in the United States. Add 1 in front of the American number when dialing it).

4. Letter to the customs officers (if you do not understand English, you can ask a friend who understands English to write this letter for you. The letter will be used as a backup for the customs officers. The main content of the letter is to introduce yourself to the United States. reasons, travel arrangements, confirmation of return air tickets, etc.).

5. Just print out the flight information from the website.

6. Black pen, used for filling in forms.

7. A large coat (it’s very cold on the plane, so be prepared).

8. Printed small cards in Chinese and English. One side is in English, the other side is in Chinese: The most important thing about this card: I am sorry. I don't speak English. (Sorry, I don't speak English) appears more often by visual inspection. Also, write down the address of your accommodation in the United States in advance.

9. Commonly used medicines (thermometers) are a must, especially antibiotics. Antibiotics in the United States are prescription drugs and cannot be bought in pharmacies without a prescription. (If you are afraid of mosquitoes, please bring toilet water, there may be mosquitoes in the forest)

10. American hotels do not have kettles to boil water, only coffee machines. If you do not know how to use the coffee machine and want to drink boiled water, please bring your own boiler. For boiling water, I brought a small electric cooker this time, which can boil instant noodles, hot pot noodles, and boil water. It is very useful.

11. It is best to bring a pair of slippers, the hotel does not have them.

12. Keep some water and food in the car, just in case.

13. I won’t go into details about gadgets such as conversion plugs. The voltage in the United States is 110V. If you are carrying or buying electrical appliances, you should pay attention to the voltage.

4. Travel Protection

I believe everyone has heard about the medical expenses in the United States. One of my classmates had a stomachache and called 911 to be taken to the hospital. The ambulance cost alone was $2,000. Therefore, traveling to the United States without medical insurance is a very risky thing. Insurance from large companies is not expensive, costing about tens of dollars per day. Pay attention to the terms and conditions of what is covered.

Extended information

Things to note when traveling to the United States - a must-read for customs entry

After all, leaving the country is different from domestic tourism. There are differences in language, food, customs, etc. There is a huge difference, so you need to be prepared before going abroad and be aware of it. Especially when traveling to the United States for the first time, there are many things to consider. Let’s take a look at what we need to pay attention to. In addition to applying for a US visa, what else do you need to prepare? That’s customs entry! Don't think that you can enter the United States with a legal visa. The customs at entry will be an important door to the United States.

1. Entry process

Fill in the customs declaration form CUSTOMS

DECLARATION (as shown below)

First of all, on the plane, the flight attendant will A customs declaration form is issued. The United States has eliminated the filling out of the I-94 entry and exit form, so only the customs declaration form needs to be filled out. The customs declaration form is based on each family. Only direct relatives (such as father and son, mother and son, husband and wife, biological brothers and sisters, etc.) can fill in one form at the same time. Collateral relatives and friends must be filled in separately. . Regardless of whether the form you get is the Chinese version or the English version, please note that the entire form must be filled in English capital letters. (If it is invalid if filled in in Chinese, you will be asked to fill it in again, which is a waste of time).

2. Interview

As people flow away, they enter the customs procedures. There are two types of customs entry: one is for US Citizens and Permanent Residents; The second one is for non-U.S. residents (Non Residents/Foreign Nationals).

Note: When entering customs, you are not allowed to make calls on your mobile phone or take photos.

Non-U.S. green cards or non-U.S. citizens are listed at the window for non-U.S. residents. If you still can’t tell the difference, basically follow the majority of Chinese people on the same flight. You’re right.

Border guard interview questions may be:

·Is this your first time in the United States? If not, when did you first come, what was the purpose, how long did you stay, and where did you go?

·What is your purpose of coming to the United States this time?

·Which cities are you going to visit and how many days will you stay?

·When will you return to China?

·Are you here alone? If not, what is the relationship between the family members?

The above questions are for reference only, but they are roughly the same. At this time, you can use the letter you prepared in advance to the customs.

After passing the border defense step, you are more than half successful. The border guard will stamp the visa type and duration of stay on your passport, as long as you return to the country before this deadline.

3. Claim your baggage

Please follow the instructions on the screen, check the corresponding baggage carousel according to the flight number, and wait for your baggage before arriving at the corresponding carousel.

Please note: Do not take any chances and secretly hide prohibited items in your luggage. Violators may be subject to confiscation or even fines. It will also leave a bad record for yourself, and you may be subject to strict inspection every time you enter the customs in the future.

4. Customs spot inspection

This is the last step for you to enter the United States. Give the customs officer your customs declaration form. If there are no declared items, go to the green channel; if so, Declared items go through the red channel. Please be sure to report truthfully, otherwise you may be fined if caught by random inspection.

At the port of entry, customs officials will inspect the luggage carried by immigrants to see whether there are contraband and whether taxes are levied.

Finally, I would like to advise everyone to declare truthfully. Otherwise, in addition to having your items confiscated, you may also be fined and imprisoned. The fine amount ranges from 250 yuan to a fine of more than 1,000 yuan. In addition, those who are fined will be put on the customs blacklist and will be inspected by staff every time they pass through customs.

When you have passed the customs luggage spot inspection, you have officially entered the United States and can start your vacation.