North America / Destination guide
United States
Plan your journey city by city. Explore destination facts, arrival planning, and practical travel guides.
10 of 36 guides checked against official sources · others are editorial previews- Capital
- Washington D.C.
- Currency
- USD
- Languages in source
- English
- Geographic region
- North America
Source-imported reference data; not an entry or visa guide. Source & verification notes ↗
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San Francisco
Find your bearings. Plan your journey.Craig Howell from San Carlos, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0 ↗
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Chicago
Find your bearings. Plan your journey.File:Chicago River ferry.jpg : John Picken derivative work: Georgfotoart · CC BY 2.0 ↗
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Planning for United States
Brooklyn / Accommodation
Brooklyn or Manhattan: Choosing Where to Stay in New York
An honest comparison of staying in Brooklyn or Manhattan: subway lines and time to Midtown, what you pay for, nights out, and luggage in walk-up buildings.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingChicago / Transportation
Reading Chicago: How the Street Grid and the L Fit Together
How to navigate Chicago without a map: State and Madison as the zero point, what an address number tells you, and how the L's colour lines and Loop work.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingHonolulu / Transportation
Renting a Car in Hawaii (Oahu): Licence, Taxes, Parking
Do you need a car on Oahu? Foreign-licence rules in Honolulu, the $7.50 daily rental surcharge, Waikiki meter rates, Diamond Head fees for visitors and when TheBus is the better deal.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingLas Vegas / Transportation
Las Vegas National Parks Road Trip: 2026 Fees for Visitors
Non-US visitors pay a $100 per-person fee at Zion, Bryce and Grand Canyon in 2026 unless they hold the $250 pass. Loop costs, Death Valley heat, fuel and rental road rules.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingLas Vegas / Money & payments
Las Vegas Resort Fees and Casino Economics: What the Room Really Costs
How a Las Vegas room rate becomes a total: resort fees, parking, the FTC all-in pricing rule, what a player's card trades, and how a non-gambler should budget.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingLos Angeles / Transportation
Renting a Car in Los Angeles: Insurance and Age Fees
What an overseas visitor needs to rent a car in Los Angeles, which insurance options matter under California law, and what under-25 and extra-driver fees add to a week.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingMiami / Transportation
Miami Tolls in a Rental Car: SunPass vs Rental Programs
How cashless tolls reach a Miami rental car, what Enterprise, Avis and Hertz toll programs cost in 2026, and when buying your own SunPass PRO is cheaper.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Practical information
9/11 Memorial and Museum Tickets: Prices, Free Hours, Bags
The 9/11 Memorial is free, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily. Museum admission is $24–$36, timed and booked ahead; free Monday-evening tickets drop online at 7 a.m. ET.
Official sources checked 2026-10-19New York / Food
Why American Chains Look Identical: Franchising Explained for Visitors
The franchise model behind American chain restaurants, why menus and prices still differ by location and state, and how ordering works for a first-time visitor.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Late-night travel
Arriving in New York After Midnight: Trains, Taxis and Waiting
What still runs when you land in New York after midnight: 24-hour subway, overnight service changes, which airport transfers stop, and how late fares behave.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Shopping
American Big-Box Stores Decoded: Costco, Walmart, Target and More
What Costco, Walmart, Target, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are each for, whether a visitor can shop without a membership, and why they are rare in Manhattan.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Food
Diners, Delis and Bodegas: Three New York Counters Explained
Tells apart the Greek-American diner, the Jewish appetising store or deli and the corner bodega in New York: what each is for, how to order and where to tip.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / SIM & internet
eSIM or US SIM Card: Getting Data on a Trip to the United States
Compares home-carrier roaming, travel eSIMs and US prepaid lines from the three network operators and MVNOs, with device and coverage caveats.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Practical information
ESTA or Visa for the United States: Which One You Actually Need
When a US trip needs only an ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program and when a B-2 visa is required instead, with cost, validity and passport rules.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Safety
Healthcare Costs in the United States: What a Visitor Actually Faces
What care costs a visitor without US insurance: emergency room versus urgent care, EMTALA, ambulance bills, cash prices, prescriptions and travel cover.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Airports
JFK to Manhattan: AirTrain, Subway, LIRR or Taxi Costs
JFK to Manhattan costs $11.75 by AirTrain and subway, $14–16 with the LIRR, or a $70 taxi flat fare plus $6.75–11.75 in surcharges, then tolls and tip.
Official sources checked 2026-10-19New York / Airports
LaGuardia to Manhattan: Free Q70, M60 Bus or Taxi Costs
LaGuardia to Manhattan: the free Q70 bus runs to the Jackson Heights subway, so the trip costs one $3 fare; the M60 is $3 to Harlem. Taxis to Midtown about $30–52 plus extras.
Official sources checked 2026-10-19New York / Luggage
Luggage Storage in New York Before Hotel Check-In: Options
Where to leave bags in New York before check-in: hotel bell desks, staffed and shop-based storage, airport desks, and why station lockers are not an option.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Practical information
Met Museum Tickets: $30 Price and Pay-What-You-Wish Rules
The Met charges $30 for adults, $22 seniors 65+, $17 students; kids 12 and under free. Pay what you wish is only for New York State residents and NY, NJ and CT students.
Official sources checked 2026-10-19New York / Airports
Newark Airport to Manhattan: Train, Bus or Taxi Costs
Newark Airport to Manhattan: NJ Transit to New York Penn Station costs $17.25 with AirTrain included, about 30 minutes; the Express bus is $23.50; taxis $60–80 plus extras.
Official sources checked 2026-10-19New York / Accommodation
NYC Hotel Tax: 14.75% Plus $3.50 a Night, Explained
A New York City hotel room carries 8.875% sales tax, 5.875% city hotel tax, $2 per room per night and a $1.50 state unit fee: $47.75 a night on a $300 room.
Official sources checked 2026-10-19New York / Practical information
Empire State vs Top of the Rock vs Edge vs Summit: NYC Decks
Starting prices: Top of the Rock and Edge from $42, SUMMIT from $44, Empire State 86th floor from $46. Heights, open-air decks, sunset pricing and who each suits.
Official sources checked 2026-10-19New York / Transportation
OMNY for Visitors: How to Pay for New York Subways and Buses
Use OMNY in New York without breaking transfers or fare capping. Learn what to tap, when to buy an OMNY card and which airport trains cost extra.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Transportation
OMNY With a Foreign Card: Tapping Into New York Transit
How to pay New York subway and bus fares by tapping a foreign-issued card or phone, which networks OMNY accepts, how the weekly cap works, and what to do if a tap fails.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Money & payments
US Sales Tax: Why the Shelf Price Is Never What You Pay
Why US prices exclude sales tax, how state and local rates stack, New York's clothing exemption, hotel taxes and resort fees, and why there is no VAT refund.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Practical information
Staten Island Ferry: Free Ride, Schedule and Statue Views
The Staten Island Ferry is free and runs around the clock from Whitehall: every 30 minutes, every 15–20 at weekday peaks, 25 minutes each way past the Statue of Liberty.
Official sources checked 2026-10-19New York / Practical information
Statue of Liberty Tickets: Crown, Pedestal and Ferry Prices
Statue of Liberty tickets are sold only by Statue City Cruises: $26 adults, $17 ages 4–12, $23 seniors 62+. Pedestal or crown adds $0.30; both sell out early.
Official sources checked 2026-10-19New York / Money & payments
Tipping in the United States: How Much to Leave and Where
A situation-by-situation guide to tipping in the United States, from restaurants to taxis and hotels, and the wage rules that make it structural.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Practical information
TKTS Booth NYC: Broadway Discounts, Hours and Payment
TKTS sells same-day Broadway and Off-Broadway seats and next-day matinees at 20–50% off, plus an $8 fee, at Times Square and Lincoln Center. In person only; cards or cash.
Official sources checked 2026-10-19New York / Practical information
What New Yorkers Pay in Rent, and Why Your Hotel Costs So Much
Explains New York rents using city and census data: regulated versus market rent, the 1.4% vacancy rate, broker fees and what all of it does to hotel prices.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingNew York / Airports
Which New York Airport: JFK, LaGuardia or Newark Transfers
Compares getting into New York City from JFK, LaGuardia and Newark by rail, bus and taxi. Covers AirTrain fares, the JFK flat fare, surcharges and tolls.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingQueens / Food
Eating Along the 7 Train: A Stop-by-Stop Guide to Queens
Plan a half-day of eating along the 7 line in Queens, from Sunnyside to Flushing, using city population data to read which communities settled at each stop.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingSan Francisco / Transportation
Driving a Rental Car in San Francisco: Tolls and Parking
California road rules visitors miss, how to pay Golden Gate and Bay Bridge tolls in a rental car, San Francisco curb colours and 2026 parking fines, and how tickets reach renters.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingSan Francisco / Airports
SFO to San Francisco: BART, Caltrain, SamTrans, Taxi and Clipper
Compare BART, Caltrain, SamTrans and ride-hailing from SFO into San Francisco: the SFO fare premium, Clipper on your phone, and what runs after BART closes.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingSan Francisco / Day trips
Silicon Valley for Visitors: What You Can Actually See
An honest day-trip guide from San Francisco to Silicon Valley: which tech venues admit the public, which campuses do not, and how long the trip really takes.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingWashington / Practical information
Planning Smithsonian Museums: Passes, Distances and a Realistic Day
Why Smithsonian admission is free, which museums need timed-entry passes and when they are released, plus the walking distances that decide a one or two-day plan.
Editorial preview · factual review pending