Discover the United States travel guide

The United States of America is an iconic Western country that is well known through popular culture and shared history with Canada.

There’s simply no way to sum up a typical American holiday due to the diversity of people, landscapes, food, music and culture that can be found there.

The US covers the majority of the Northern American continent. It is located between Mexico to the South and Canada to the North. The United States spans a number of time zones. The time zone in the East is UTC-5, in the West UTC-8 and in the state of Hawaii UTC-10.

Americans don’t believe in a ‘class’ society. Individualism, success and equal opportunity are widely celebrated. They value independence, equality, informality and directness.

• Americans are friendly and informal, often not waiting to be introduced and will strike up conversations with strangers.
• It is considered rude to talk loudly on a mobile phone in public places such as trains, restaurants and museums.
• Hugging or kissing in greeting is usually only reserved for relatives and lovers, if you are meeting someone for the first time then a firm handshake will do.
  

• What’s up (slang) = Hello
• Boondocks (or boonies) = Very rural area or rough neighbourhood
• Benjamin = US $100 bill - It has a portrait of Benjamin Franklin
• Shoot the breeze = Engaging in idle conversation
• Downtown = CBD or the centre of the town

• While the US can be visited all year round, the variety of regions and landscapes lead many people to argue that the Fall (Autumn) season is the best time to visit. The weather in Fall is warm enough not to need large jumpers or layers but cool enough to walk around without overheating. It is also known as the ‘shoulder season so prices will be lower and sites will be less crowded. It is also a beautiful time of year due to the colours of the falling leaves from Maples and other native trees.

• The US is a large country and the temperatures can vary greatly. Overall the southern parts of the country tend to be warmer than the north — Alaska is artic and Hawaii is tropical. The below temperatures form an average for the country.

• Public transport is comprehensive, especially around big cities like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The subway, buses and taxis are easily accessible, while parking for private vehicles can be non-existent. There are also buses and trains available for travel between cities but if you are heading to a more suburban or remote area then hiring a car may be your best option. Interstate and cross-country destinations are well-serviced by domestic airlines.

• Most expensive healthcare in the world.
• The largest pizza commercially sold is 1.57m wide. From Big Lou’s in San Antonio, Texas the monstrosity must be ordered one day ahead.
• The tallest man ever recorded, Robert Wadlow, was 2.72m (8ft 11in) and born in 1918 in Alton, Illinois.

• National icons are the Stars and Stripes, the Statue of Liberty and the Bald Eagle.