Trip to the U.S

Dylan12345

I've made quite a few post's already about getting help when it came booking my trip and what i need to do for my ESTA so this should be the last one. We've booked the trip, printed out the tickets and the ESTA is all done. Are there any other things we need to do before going on this trip? Thanks, Dylan

Atlantic Dawn

Just make sure you have travel insurance, any injuries in US are mega money to be treated.

kujaultima

What are you doing for transport? Certain places in the US are really hard to get around. LA is a nightmare and needs forward planning.

Jimbob1977

A power adapter for appliances. Completely different plugs from Ireland and continental Europe.

Travel insurance

Photocopy of passport (leave your passport in accommodation or safe place) and carry the photocopy in your wallet.

Credit card. I'd be wary of debit cards working in 100% of places.

A legitimate address for the first night of your stay (although I think the ESTA covers this). Making up fake addresses and zip codes is detectable. Pick any hotel off the internet and jot down its details.

Yamanoto

kujaultima wrote: »

What are you doing for transport? Certain places in the US are really hard to get around. LA is a nightmare and needs forward planning.

My first 2 visits to LA, I used nothing but public transport.

Stayed in Pasadena (on the light-rail Gold line), visited Amoeba records on Sunset (Red line to Hollywood & Vine), LA County Museum of Art (Metro Bus), Santa Monica (Big Blue Bus) & the Getty Museum in Brentwood (Metro Bus). I believe Santa Monica is now reachable by light-rail on the Expo line.

Of course a car makes life a WHOLE lot easier in LA, but it is doable without one.

pl4ichjgy17zwd

I used ubers in LA, relatively cheap and so easy

Dylan12345

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Just make sure you have travel insurance, any injuries in US are mega money to be treated.

I don't know how ill get travel insurance. Seems quite costly.

Dylan12345

kujaultima wrote: »

What are you doing for transport? Certain places in the US are really hard to get around. LA is a nightmare and needs forward planning.

Well I'm going to Philly so hopefully ubers will be the way to go.

Dylan12345

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

A power adapter for appliances. Completely different plugs from Ireland and continental Europe.

Travel insurance

Photocopy of passport (leave your passport in accommodation or safe place) and carry the photocopy in your wallet.

Credit card. I'd be wary of debit cards working in 100% of places.

A legitimate address for the first night of your stay (although I think the ESTA covers this). Making up fake addresses and zip codes is detectable. Pick any hotel off the internet and jot down its details.

Travel insurance I'm not too sure about, but I can try get a photocopy of my passport. Not sure how though. Credit card? Is that where you can put a certain amount of money onto a card and if it gets lost then I can get the money refunded?.. We have the hotel booked so all of the details we have printed out.

Dylan12345

Mr.S wrote: »

Travel insurance for the US is cheap, 20-30euro for the year -

Oh really? How would you go about getting that and is it necessary or?

coylemj

Dylan12345 wrote: »

I don't know how ill get travel insurance. Seems quite costly.

Do not go to the US without travel insurance which includes medical cover for the US, preferably with a limit in the millions.

I was in Austin, Tx on my first trip to the US many years ago. I acquired a minor injury which required outpatient treatment in the local general hospital A&E. When I presented myself at the reception desk, they asked me how I was going to pay before they asked me what was wrong with me.

Dylan12345

coylemj wrote: »

Do not go to the US without travel insurance which includes medical cover for the US, preferably with a limit in the millions.

I was in Austin, Tx on my first trip to the US many years ago. I acquired a minor injury which required outpatient treatment in the local general hospital A&E. When I presented myself at the reception desk, they asked me how I was going to pay before they asked me what was wrong with me.

Ok ill try and get travel insurance

Sparko

Dylan12345 wrote: »

Ok ill try and get travel insurance

Try multitrip.com, not hugely expensive, especially considering the alternative in the event that you needed medical attention in the US.

stargazer 68

Dylan12345 wrote: »

Ok ill try and get travel insurance

Search online. AA, 123.ie, blue, travelinsurance.ie
Just a few places that do it.

Dylan12345

Dovies wrote: »

Search online. AA, 123.ie, blue, travelinsurance.ie
Just a few places that do it.

Would i be able to get that in time for my trip. I'm going in 24 days?

stargazer 68

Dylan12345 wrote: »

Would i be able to get that in time for my trip. I'm going in 24 days?

You can buy it today and go tomorrow if you need to.

Dylan12345

Mr.S wrote: »

Don't try - get it.

It's cheap and very easy to get. Just get a plan that includes the US.

https://www.theaa.ie/aa/insurance/travel-insurance

Alright i will get that today. Is there anything else i will need to have? ESTA, Power adapters, tickets printed. Do i need to get a checkup at the hospital?

Dylan12345

Mr.S wrote: »

A check up at the hospital?

How are you going to pay for things while your over there? Good idea to get cash in Ireland before you go so you don't get raped on commission or bank charges.

Also you will usually be asked for a credit card to keep on file at the hotel, if you have a debit card, they'll most likely put a large hold on the card.

Yes i was told something about hopsital checkups but maybe that was bullshizz. I've been converting my euros to dollars for the last while. I should have 1,000$ in total for the trip. And i only have a debit card.

irishgirl19

Try your credit Union for insurance

shopper2011

Last time I was there, Debit cards were not much use as they rate them like store cards (dundrum gift voucher is a type of debit card) They always took cash, could buy stuff in most shops with debit cards, but for car rental and hotels, they wanted Credit cards. It was pain to navigate the syatem to be honest but a work around was always available. My other half used her CC for car rental etc

Hope you enjoy yourself over there and it meets expectations.

Dylan12345

shopper2011 wrote: »

Last time I was there, Debit cards were not much use as they rate them like store cards (dundrum gift voucher is a type of debit card) They always took cash, could buy stuff in most shops with debit cards, but for car rental and hotels, they wanted Credit cards. It was pain to navigate the syatem to be honest but a work around was always available. My other half used her CC for car rental etc

Hope you enjoy yourself over there and it meets expectations.

We had a bit of an issue with the hotel at first. We booked a hotel that said you need to be 18 or older to book in and then when the confirmation email came back it said 21. Contacted Expedia and they contacted the hotel and they said we should be fine as long as we have our Credit Cards or Identity Cards. So I'm assuming my passport and DC will work. Fingers crossed.

whiskeygirl

AA is generally cheaper than multitrip or all the big advertising travel insurers. The second tier option is usually 35 quid or so. Always get that when I go to the states.

fennor72

Dylan12345 wrote:

I don't know how ill get travel insurance. Seems quite costly.

We were in the States earlier this year, I had to go to the doctor for a pulled muscle on my side. Thank God we had insurance. In order to see a doctor we had to go to a private hospital, final bill was 7500 euros.
Also an post do a currency card for the US you use it the same as a credit card. We both got one and put most of our spending money on it.

Sixtoes

Dylan12345 wrote: »

Do i need to get a checkup at the hospital?

Eh...troll alert.

Dylan12345

fennor72 wrote: »

We were in the States earlier this year, I had to go to the doctor for a pulled muscle on my side. Thank God we had insurance. In order to see a doctor we had to go to a private hospital, final bill was 7500 euros.
Also an post do a currency card for the US you use it the same as a credit card. We both got one and put most of our spending money on it.

Ill go to an post tomorrow and see about buying one. Thank you.
And yeah ill get travel insurance.

coylemj

Dylan12345 wrote: »

And yeah ill get travel insurance.

Make sure that it covers travel to and medical treatment in the US.

Activity (=skiing) holidays and US travel are the first things that insurance companies leave out when giving cheap quotes so be careful if you are going to buy a policy that's much cheaper than the competition.

Duff

Quick question on the money front - Has anyone used the PostFX Mastercard currency card from An Post in the US? Heading to LA/San Diego start of September and thinking of putting the majority of my spending money on one as long as it's accepted everywhere like a credit card. It also says purchases from merchants with the card has no fee which is nice.

bee06

Sixtoes wrote: »

Eh...troll alert.

I think he's just young and clueless rather than a troll.

Dylan12345

Mr.S wrote: »

If you don't have a credit card, be prepared to have a large sum of money held on your debit card upon check in, they usually also accept cash.

Unless you have a large balance on your debit card, a credit card is far easier.

The hotel has already been paid for?

Dylan12345

bee06 wrote: »

I think he's just young and clueless rather than a troll.

I'm not a troll. I just don't know a lot about traveling and i don't want to miss out on something and possibly be denied entry to the U.S

Dylan12345

Mr.S wrote: »

Yes but to cover any charges during your stay / if you trash the place and leave, the hotel will use your payment card to cover this, and they'll ask for it when you check in.

They don't actually take any money, but they usually put a holding charge on the card to reserve the funds, usually this is done with a credit card. Debit card should be fine, but as a debit card is just using whatever funds you have a available, you will loose access to a large chunk. Once you checkout and everything's fine, the holding charge is reversed.

Some places also accept cash.

Oh, crap. Should i get my money put into one of those cards or just keep cash?