I'm writing my undergraduate thesis on travel in the U.S. I won't state my opinion, but I'd like to know what fellow travelers think. Is the U.S. geographically, financially, and culturally accessible? Geography - obviously it's a big country but how have you all managed to get around? Stories and thoughts would be appreciated. Financially? It's more expensive than some parts of the world, less than others. What do you all think? Culturally - are people here nice, talkative, interested in what you have to say? Do they invite you in for tea, dinner, offer a place to stay? Can you hitch a ride? Are people helpful, give directions, etc? Thanks a lot to whoever can reply. And remember, not all those who wander are lost.

D

Probably the most frustrating part of a visit to the US these days is clearing immigration. That done, travel in the US is relatively straightforward. Geographically, the US must be one of the easiest countries to get around, despite its size. Financially, all the things that travellers require (food, gas, hotels, etc) are inexpensive (outside big cities anyway) relative to the UK (where I'm from) but are probably expensive compared to the Third World. Culturally, all the Americans I've met (both inside and outside the US) have been open, friendly and helpful - apart from immigration officials of course! Good luck with the thesis - hope this helps.

Pete

North Americans(Americans) are not open.They are more materialists and most of them travel only inside of the United States.They are scare to go overseas.(I wonder why? )And the officials of Inmigration treat visitors as criminals.and they call you ALIEN instead of VISITOR OR TOURIST.

I don't think it's so much that Americans are scared to go overseas, I think it's more that the vast majority of them do not even know that "overseas" exists - apart from being dimly aware of a place called Iraq where bad things happen. Most Americans don't even have passports. But frankly, that's their loss, and I don't think we can blame individual Americans for this - it's the fault of their media and education system. Peter's right - most Americans (the ones I've met anyway) are open and friendly - certainly more so than certain other nationalities!

Cindy

People like to have a go at the US for some reason but I have found it exceptionaly acomodating, and incredibly friendly and helpful people. Customs is hardly a problem to be honest, you fill out a form generally on the plane if you use yer head then they ask a few questions, where are you staying? what you here for? how long? and thats pretty much that. Traveling is very easy busses trains and planes.

take a look at http://www.WhoIsInTown.com
they have a thriving community of americans that share travel experiences or interested to connect with inbound travellers
the folks are pretty friendly and should be able to answer your questions

good luck

kiatchan

Being that I am from America I'll try not to be too biased. I don't think Americans can be categorized as friendly or not. There are a lot of different people here and it just depends on who you meet and how their day is going. Overall, I think they/we are nice enough. However, American immigration officials are about the rudest people on Earth. I was made to feel scared, angry, and kind of stupid and I am from here! I can't imagine how it would make someone feel if they had never been to America and didn't know English very well. They give the U.S. a bad first impression. As far as accessibility, there are no real trains like in Europe that will take you everywhere. There is an AMTRAK but I have never actually seen one, so they aren't commonly used. There are subways in large cities, and taxis and buses in medium sized ones. I feel that if you really want to see America you must get out of the cities (people are more welcoming and open in the country)and to do this you should rent a car or take a bus. Even then there is no way you could ever see all of the U.S. I have lived here my whole life and only seen 2/3's of it. You just have to make up your mind what is important for you to see (deserts, mountains, forest, beach, great plains). The land is as diverse as it's people. Things are more expensive here than in other places, it just depends on what you're accustomed to paying. Being an American I felt Japan was expensive, Vietnam was cheap, and France/Germany were about the same as home, price wise. Hope this helped.

I have spent quite a bit of time in the US in the last 12 months. On the East Coast (NYC and DC) and four weeks in the mid west, as well as time in LA. I would have to say that Americans are like anybody else and are as friendly to you as you are to them. Culturally - if you take an interest and ask questions I have always found that I get a positive response. Geographically it is relatively easy to get around - even if some of the distances are huge. I always travel with an open mind and believe that you get out what you put in to any adventure. Love the country so much that I am just organizing another trip up the West Coast from San Diego to San Fransisco.

I am from the South Eastern US i have Backpacked in Europe and africa. I have Lived in Many Cities across this large Country. I Have lived in the Big Cities and in the Small towns and even on a farm. I must say that the people are as nice to you as you are to them. If you are truly interested in the American Way of Life it changes many times across this country. From the Busy Hustle and Bustle of the Cities such as NYC, Salt Lake City:Utah and Las Vegas:Nevada to the Simple down home atmosphere of Little towns like West Jefferson:North Carolina, and Ennis:Montana. It all depends on where you would like to go and what it is important for you to see. Obviously you will be coming into one of the bigger cities where the International Airports are. From there I would reccommend visit where you want for a couple of days as the Larger Metropolitan areas are more Expensive than the Small Towns. Unlike Europe we do not have many Pension type accomodations. Most are small hotels. I would Reccommend staying in a Reputable area in the Larger Cities for safety reasons and for Finding someone who can help you with finding directions to your next destination. College towns are a great assett to travelers world wide. As there are always people there willing to learn from you about your country and help you more to understand ours. I found this true world wide in my travels that when ever i needed assitance it was easier to find someone who would assist me near colleges and universities. You may also find people around universities willing to let you stay with them for a night or two. Coffee Houses are the norm for finding people who will help you more than bars. Pubs an Bars in the US are not good places to meet people to help you along. They are used for partying as opposed to in Europe where they are used for socializing. Stay Away from Starbucks though its expensive and most of the customers you would talk to are in a hurry. Greyhound Buses will take you to many places and are by far the cheapest transportation around the country for cost. It may take a day or three to get to your next destination but Airlines charge 3-4 times as much for the same trip. If you must take an airline. Then wait till you get here and look up the local carriers such as South West, Jet Blue, and other low cost carriers. A Coffee House or Cyber Cafe are your best places to find people willing to show you how to look these up and book flights from a close airport. Don't be afraid to use a guide book. There are a few places that rent motorcycles and automobiles. As for Motorcycles BMW USA website has a list of Dealers who rent bikes. They are all round trip rentals meaning you have to return the bike to the Same Dealership that you rented it from. As for Cars there are many Car Rental Companies inside the US. Most advertise Low Daily Rates but have high charges for mileage over their stated mileage in their rate. Cabs and Taxis which are the same are available in many areas. Watch out who you call on a cab. always ask a local which cab company or taxi service is from the local area. They are not used in many cities and towns regularly and therefore you need to discuss price before you agree to be picked up by the cab. As for In town bus Service. that is usually your cheapest in town transportation. A fraction of the cost that a taxi would cost. As for finding bus schedules check with local tourist or visitor information services. You can look those up on the net before you arrive and request information be sent to you. Most send it for free and a short e-mail will guarantee you recieve the information that you are interested in.
I hope this helps you out. If you have any questions just write me at landonphillips@gmail.com