United States of America — Globe Hopping with Irma

WHAT TO SEE WHEN YOU HAVE 10 DAYS TO VISIT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

When planning a holiday to the US for the first time, you might already have an idea which city or cities you want to visit. But in case you have not, here are some suggestions. I grew up, studied and worked in the country as a foreigner for more than a decade and therefore already have a list of favourite cities. My top five US cities are: New York, Washington, DC, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Not only because they are large and vibrant cities, but also due to the fact that there are so many places and site you can visit. And you will always learn something new, which is what the US is all about- relatively new and vast country.

Just like any other popular destinations in the world, it would be more enjoyable and less crowded, not to mention, cheaper to not travel during the summer and year-end holidays. And since Autumn is my most favourite season of the year, for my latest travel to the US, I chose to travel in mid-November for 10 days. This coincides with one of the most popular American holiday- Thanksgiving, the one holiday that every American from all the different religions and races observe an evening of thankfulness, by having a meal together with close family and friends. It normally falls on the last Thursday evening in November.

Assuming you have 10 days to explore the US and you want to do both East and West coasts, I would then suggest: 2 days in Boston, 2 days in Washington, DC, 3 days in New York and 3 days in San Francisco, including a day trip to Napa Valley. If you have a couple of extra days, it might be worthwhile quickly visit to Los Angeles as well while you are on the west coast.

The reason why I picked London-Boston-Washington, DC, San Francisco- New York-London route is because: Boston is best when it is this time of the year (it is not that cold yet) and the direct flights to Boston are cheaper than to New York. Washington, DC is absolutely stunning with the different colour of the fallen leaves. This also applies during the springtime- cherry blossom season. San Francisco is almost the same all year-round. But New York, in my opinion, is very vibrant and beautiful after Thanksgiving, which is officially the start of the build-up towards Christmas.

Living just outside London with easy and close access to at least 2 major international airports, I had no problems coming up with several options that I considered reasonable. At the end, I decided to fly Norwegian Air Shuttle from Gatwick Airport because it was the cheaper option.

The following are a list of recommended airlines that fly from London to Boston, New York, and Washington, DC, as well as airlines flying within the US:

From Europe: Norwegian Air Shuttle, Icelandair, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, SAS, Air France, United, Delta, Swiss, and Lufthansa.

From other regions: Singapore, Cathay, Turkish, Qatar, Emirates, New Zealand, Qantas, Japan, ANA, Eva.

Domestic: Virgin America, JetBlue, Frontier Airways, Delta, United and American.

(the first three are budget airlines, of which JetBlue offers free wifi)

Trains: AMTRAK; from Boston to New York: 4 hours; and fro New York to Washington, DC: 4 hours.

Buses: Greyhound.

Last but not least, the best way to get to know a city is to go on the Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour or City Sightseeing. All the cities mentioned above have one and they go around the city and stops at almost every major tourist attraction. You normally buy a ticket that can be used between 24-48 hours, and you can get off at one stop, do a bit of sightseeing, and then get on another bus to the next destination. These buses normally provide a map of the city with its attractions, a digitally recorded tour guide and earphones with a choice of several different languages that you can choose from.

Visa Requirements:

Check on the website for visa requirements to visit the USA. Those who do not need to apply for a tourist visa (ie: EU nationals, etc) must submit a waiver online (ESTA). Everybody needs a US address when entering the country, at least for the first few days of your stay.