The United States is one of the most diverse and exciting travel destinations in the world. With 50 states spanning from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the country offers everything from vibrant cities and stunning national parks to epic road trips and hidden gems. No matter how many times you visit, there’s always something new to discover.
We have been to the USA countless times. We stood inside the crown of the Statue of Liberty in New York, hiked in the Colorado Rockies, explored countless glaciers in Alaska, and drove thousands of miles road-tripping all over the country… As a student, I spent three summers working and traveling in the U.S.
While we could never cover all of those trips on this blog, our travel guides highlight some of our favorite destinations, unforgettable experiences, and practical tips to help you plan your trip.
Browse our USA travel articles below for inspiration, and if you’re curious about what it’s like for a European to visit the U.S., don’t miss our take on some of the country’s quirkiest customs!
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USA National Parks
If you follow our blog for a while, then you already know that we love nature destinations and road trips. So it will come as no surprise that America’s National Parks are among our favorite places to visit in the United States. Below, you can find plenty of inspiration for some of the most beautiful nature destinations in the United States.
National Parks Inspiration
PRO TIP: If you are planning to visit several National Parks over a period of 12 months, get an annual pass. It’s called America the Beautiful Pass and costs 80 USD for the whole family traveling in the same vehicle. It is valid in all National Parks and 2,000 federal recreation sites across the United States for one year from the month of purchase.
Our Favorite Parks
If you are looking for an itinerary that combines both these places and more, check out our American road trip itinerary for Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.
Best Things To Do & National Park Itineraries
Where to Stay
Amazing Outdoor Destinations
Here’s a small selection of our articles featuring other stunning nature- and outdoor destinations in the United States. Take a look!
Travel Inspiration for Outdoor Lovers
Alaska
With more than a hundred thousand glaciers and incredible wildlife, Alaska is a nature-lovers’ dream destination. Our guides below have everything you need to plan a real bucket-list adventure – check it out!
City Guides
There are so many cities in the USA! Needless to say, we haven’t been everywhere… But we have visited some of the most beautiful cities and have written about some of those recent visits on our blog. As always, our guides are packed with helpful info and practical tips to help you make the most of your visit. Check it out!
New York City
Las Vegas
Los Angeles & San Diego
Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix & Scottsdale
How to Plan Your Trip
As with any destination, we always advise booking your trips in the United States well in advance. Some National Parks, for example, only have limited accommodation options. For the stays in high season, they often sell out a year in advance.
Also, when booking in advance, you have more choices and thus better deals. This counts for everything, from flights to car rental and from hotels to tours.
Flights
There are so many flight search engines available, so use them to find the best flight deals for your trip. We personally always check Google Flights and Momondo. Other popular options include Skyscanner, Kayak, etc.
TIP: Sometimes, you can find better deals if flying to/from an alternative airport nearby.
Accommodation
We use Booking.com for over 99% of all our accommodation bookings. Also for travel in the United States, you’ll find the best deals for accommodation on this website.
If you prefer to check several websites to make sure that you’re getting the best deal, you may want to also check Expedia.com and Hotels.com. For USA lodging, Expedia sometimes has more accommodations on offer than Booking.
Car Rental
We personally use and highly recommend Booking.com’s car hire service. Not only do they offer the best prices, but they also have excellent customer service and a very flexible cancelation policy.
Furthermore, you can often purchase zero-liability insurance as well, which is multiple times cheaper than at the counter.
Tours & Tickets
Many places in the United States can easily be visited on your own. Some others require booking tours. If you visit cities, definitely get skip-the-line tickets for the most popular attractions in advance!
Often, you can just book tours upon arrival. However, the most popular excursions often sell out weeks in advance. So if you know your travel dates and what you want to do, we always recommend booking ahead.
TIP: We book pretty much all our day tours and organized activities for our trips via GetYourGuide. It’s our favorite one-stop shop for all organized tours. They have an amazing selection of tours, great customer service, and the best cancellation policy. Alternatively, Viator is also a good option, and for some destinations in the USA, they have a bit bigger selection of tours than GetYourGuide.
For tickets to museums and other popular attractions, we also use Tiqets.com. They often have great bundle deals (especially for city trips), saving you some money and time.
Travel Insurance
Whether you are traveling domestically or internationally, good travel insurance is a must!
Be sure to do some research on the best companies and policies in the area where you live. But do not ever leave on a trip without travel/health insurance.
Credit Cards
If you don’t have a good credit card yet, take a look at this selection of the best US credit cards for travel. Some of the cards offer cash-back for your travel bookings, while others include free travel insurance, etc.
If you are also planning international trips, get a card that doesn’t charge foreign exchange fees. Also, be sure that your card has a chip and a 4-digit PIN – it’s widely used in many countries all over the world. Or simply connect your card to your smartphone or smartwatch and pay that way.
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