How much does it cost to travel to the USA, if you go on your own, travel to the USA – how to save money and how much the flight, food and accommodation actually cost for a tourist. Personal experience.
For example, I’ll take one of the recent travel to the states of California, Arizona and Utah and reveal the secrets of the budget trips to the USA using the example of these statesand also where and what can you save on, and what is not. How to buy a low-cost flight and book hotels in the USA, how much does it cost to eat well while traveling in the United States and other financial travel details.
Air travel to the USA
The most expensive travel segment in the USA. We use the rules of cheap flights and buy a ticket at least six months in advance and start on Tuesday. The lowest prices for flights to California are the so-called off-season – October-November or February-March. The off-season is so-called, because in fact the weather in California is always wonderful.
The flight cost us $ 750, from inexpensive companies I recommend paying attention to Aeroflot flights if you fly from Moscow and KLM / Air France flights when departing from Kiev. The Turkish often have good tickets.
Where do we look for cheap flights?
The cost of hotels in the USA and how to save on accommodation
Again, it’s about states California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah… IN California housing is more expensive than in Arizona or Utah, except for the territory of the Grand Canyon National Park, but there are options for how to save money.
In the States, we usually stay in analogs of European 3 * hotels, and this is what we start from. Luxury options are sometimes much more expensive and there is a wide range of prices.
An average 3 * hotel with sufficient comfort will cost between $ 60- $ 120 per day for a double room. Lodges in national parks such as the Grand Canyon, Bryce or Zion will cost at least $ 100 for a modest double room, depending on the season. High season increases the price up to 30%.
I advise you to read: How blind hotel booking sites work and how not to buy a pig in a poke
It is very risky to save money and live in roadside bedbugs; you can not get enough sleep because of inadequate neighbors, bedbugs or unsanitary conditions – all from personal experience. In addition, there is utter boredom around such hotels – there will be nothing to do in the evening.
You can save money if you travel with a company and book an apartment or an expensive hotel but one room for all. Often double rooms have two huge double beds (photo). In case of emergency, you can stock up on an inflatable mattress. Hotels turn a blind eye to this. In Las Vegas, for example, the four of us quite legally lived in a huge double room for $ 240 at the Four Seasons.
On holidays in popular places “include” the holiday rate – consider this when planning.
How to find cheap accommodation while traveling?
How much does food cost in the USA for a traveler
We have not seen cheap family taverns like in Europe in the USA. If such exist, then in small quantities and the weather does not make on the market of tourist cafes. In popular places, a good lunch cost $ 55- $ 75 for two with taxes and tips. These are ordinary street cafes or small restaurants. Dinner in a beautiful viewpoint, at Big Sur, on the pier in Monterrey or in Grand Canyon or at oceanfront in La Jolla pull 100 evergreens for two.
Meals at fast food or popular burgers will start at $ 12 per person. If you carefully select the places for lunch and dinner, you can enjoy and save money. You can read about the places we liked and the food and prices in the article Where to eat deliciously in Los Angeles.
It should also be borne in mind that breakfasts in most American hotels are absent or very meager at the level of tea-coffee-jam with a bun. You can have breakfast in cafes or restaurants in hotels or in cities. The usual cost for a normal hot breakfast – scrambled eggs, toast, ham, sweets, will cost about $ 15. But not everywhere in Las vegas for that kind of money you can only drink coffee. A full breakfast buffet, when you eat whatever you like, will cost $ 40- $ 50 per person.
You can save money if you buy food in supermarkets and cook at home, if you live in an apartment. Kitchens are also available in some hotels. In this case, food costs can be up to $ 20 per person. I can advise budget travelers to focus on fruits and vegetables, they are the cheapest in the States – bananas, avocados, salad. In restaurants, you can order one portion for two – they are huge there or be limited to starters.
How much do drinks cost in the USA
I took out drinks in a separate section, since water in the States is, in principle, free – you can drink from the tap, in restaurants, ordinary water / bread is also served free of charge. But beer, bottled water, wine and so on are more expensive than in Europe.
Beer in a pub or restaurant – $ 6- $ 10 per mug (0.5 l.), In the supermarket, beer is sold in packs of 6 bottles (0.33 l.). The price of a beer package is $ 8- $ 12, which is $ 1.5 for a 0.33 liter bottle of beer. Wine in supermarkets costs $ 10- $ 20 per bottle, tequila – $ 30- $ 50, whiskey – $ 20- $ 30.
A drink in a bar or restaurant costs an average of $ 9- $ 14 per drink (50 ml.)
Coffee to go (takeaway) will cost $ 2- $ 3 at Starbucks-style establishments.
You can save money by giving up drinking whenever possible – this is at least two hundred bucks for two.
How much does it cost to visit attractions in the USA
It is very different here. It may cost nothing, such as a natural monument like the famous Colorado River bend and up to $ 50 to enter Antelope Canyon. The average entrance fee to National Parks is $ 20- $ 25, entry to Indian territories, such as Monument Valley, costs $ 15. You also need to plan from $ 5 for a ride on public transport like the tram in San Francisco and from $ 20 to $ 50 for a boat trip.
Read also: Arches National Park – How to Plan Your Trip
Rafting on the river or a full day hike with a guide costs around $ 100 and depends a lot on the place.
Save on visiting national parks USA if you travel with a company in one car – the fee is charged for the car. You can also buy an annual ticket to visit all national parks, it costs $ 80 and pays off when you visit several places.
How much does it cost to rent a car in the USA
Car rental in the USA – the most convenient travel format and the most budgetary. Prices are lower than in Europe, both for car rental and for fuel. A middle class passenger car will cost $ 30- $ 40 per day.
A jeep is needed if you need to travel to hard-to-reach places, such as White Pocket in Arizona, and will cost $ 170 per day with fuel, but it will still be cheaper than taking an organized tour to the same place, which costs $ 140 per person.
I advise you to read: Car rental in California, what to look for
Fuel prices depend on how rich the state you are traveling in. IN California the most expensive gasoline – about $ 1 per liter, in the states of Utah or Arizona it cost 75-80 cents per liter. This is after the rise in price. Even five years ago, everything was much cheaper.
Car rental, as well as planning other moments of the trip, it is worth doing in advance – this will help to save money and plan the budget correctly.
How to rent a car while traveling?
With proper planning and living in inexpensive apartments and self-preparation of food from supermarket products, traveling with a company of 4 people, the budget for a two-week trip will turn out to be approximately $ 1500- $ 1700 including flights, accommodation, meals, car rental, attractions and souvenirs.
More interesting articles about life in the USA:
Discounts in the USA or what you can save on
Weather in California
When is the best time to go to California