USA TOURS

An A-Z of the USA:

A-Listers. Birth of Jazz. Celeb culture. Die Hard debate – is it a Christmas film or not?! EPIC food portions. Football... the American way. The Grand Canyon. Hollywood. Indigenous culture and history. Justins... Timberlake, Bieber (Canadian-born FYI), Hartley, Jefferson. Kings... of Pop and Rock ‘n’ Roll. Lady Liberty. Marilyn moments. NASA. Oversized everything. Princess of Pop. Quahog. Rocky Balboa. Stars and stripes. Texan treats – the whole lot’s deep fried. Unis of Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Yale. VEGAS. The White House. Xtraterrestrial activity. "Y’all!” Zip codes.

It depends on the type of traveller you are! We recommend a camera for the mems, an elasticated waistband for the food, swimmers or jumpers depending on the season you travel, and plenty of energy! It’s GO BIG OR GO HOME time. Want an in-depth list of what to pack? Your trip notes are the place to find it.

It depends! You’ll need to budget for spending money, meals (only the ones which aren’t included, obvs) and those immense optional activities. Go through your itinerary and think about the optionals you’re keen to experience – it’s all part of the fun!

Tipping is BIG in America. You should tip restaurant staff between 15 and 20% – up to 25% for an awesome service. Taxis and Ubers also require 15 – 20% whilst 10 – 20% is usually given to tour guides. Top tip! Carry $1 bills for smaller tips like coffee, other bevvies and housekeeping staff.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (3rd Monday in January) celebrates the birthday of pioneer, activist and spokesperson, Martin Luther King Jr., who led non-violent protests throughout the Civil Rights Movement. Memorial Day (last Monday in May), or Decoration Day, honours those who have died whilst serving their country. The US flag is flown at half-mast from dawn until noon and in full from noon to dusk. Independence Day (4 July) goes off with a BANG with fireworks and parties across the USA whilst the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped 13 times in honour of the original 13 American colonies. Labor Day (1st Monday in September) has been celebrated since 1894, recognising the American labour movement. It’s also the “unofficial end of summer” which translates to vacation, vacation, vacation! Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in November) means a BIG turkey, all the trimmings, and spending quality time with family on the last Thursday of November.

It depends whether you want to throw your bathers and thongs on or cosy up in woolly jumpers and big coats. For warm weather and hours of sunshine, May to early June is the time to travel to northern states. “Fall” (Autumn) – September to November – experiences warm weather in the south with less humidity than the summer months (June – August). Bonus – it's less crowded too. Want to experience a Winter Wonderland full of twinkling lights? There’s nothing like New York at Christmas. If you’re heading to Florida, Atlantic Hurricane Season occurs between June and November – best to avoid the Sunshine State during this time.

You must have comprehensive travel insurance to participate in a Topdeck trip to the USA. You will be unable to join us without it.

It’s your responsibility to obtain the correct visas for your trip. Ask your travel agent or check with the relevant embassies before you depart.

Find travel advice for Australia citizens here, for New Zealand citizens here for US citizens here, for Canadian citizens here and for British citizens here. If you’re travelling from a country not listed here, head to the relevant government website for more information.

We recommend you consult your doctor about health and vaccination requirements before you travel to the USA. For current travel safety advice, please check your home country’s travel advisories. 

Mobile phone reception in the USA varies. Signal is likely to be better in cities and towns than in rural areas. Remember to check your network provider’s roaming fees to avoid any nasty surprises on your next bill!

Type A and Type B plugs are used in the USA. The standard voltage is 120V and the standard frequency is 60Hz. We recommend you bring a universal plug adapter – airports usually sell them, but it’s cheaper to buy one before you go.

Crossing the road requires a lesson or two of its own – they are W-I-D-E so beware of a LOT of traffic. If you want to do your own USA road trip, make sure you get in the left side of the car and drive on the wrong side of the road – aka the right side. To drink any alcoholic bevvie, you gotta be 21 or older. It’s law. Talking of IDs, it’s best practise to always keep your passport on you – some places may not accept other forms of ID.