Questions tagged [usa]

Large country in North America, mostly located between Canada and Mexico, plus Alaska northwest of Canada, and territories in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Used for questions on traveling from, to, or through the USA. For general questions about North America, please use the [north-america] tag, but be more specific (e.g. State) where relevant.

USA flag

United States of America (USA)

A large country in the continent of , the main area sharing borders with to the north, to the south, the to the west, and the to the east. The primary language is English.

In addition to (the capital district), state-specific tags presently in use include:

There are also tags for the following "insular areas":

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How do you know if Americans genuinely/literally mean what they say?

I have come across a few situations when an American will say something like "We should have lunch some time" or "Let's have lunch some time." Or "you should come down to visit me in D.C. (or Miami or wherever"); we have great museums (or Cuban food…
user8803
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How to intentionally get denied entry to the US, without getting into trouble?

I have a multiple entry visitors visa for five years. I went to USA last year and lived there for one year with my husband (6 months entry and other 6 months of extension). I left USA legally. Now my family wants me to go back and live with my…
204
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Why prohibit engine braking?

When I learned driving in The Netherlands (in a car with a manual gearbox), I learned that on a down slope¹, I should switch to low gear and use the engine to brake, thus reducing the wear on the brakes. In Dutch, this is called op de motor remmen,…
gerrit
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Immigration officer that stopped me at the airport is texting me. What do I do?

Yesterday my cousin arrived to Chicago from Mexico, she is visiting family there to spend the holidays, this is not the first time she visits. She was stopped by immigration, because they thought it was weird that she was spending the holidays away…
DiegoJ
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Canadian citizen, on US no-fly list. What can I do in order to be allowed on flights which go through US airspace?

My father and I, both Canadian citizens, were denied to board a direct Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Toronto non-stop without any prior warning or information. Literally, at the gate, we were told that we were put on a no-fly list by…
Aras Celik
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How can I find restaurants in the USA where tipping is not expected?

I am uncomfortable with tipping and would much rather eat at sit-down restaurants in the United States that pay their employees fairly without expecting customers to supplement with tips (as occurs in many other countries in the world). In other…
Thunderforge
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How does President Trump's 2017 travel ban affect nationals of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen traveling to the US?

On January 27th 2017, President Trump has signed an executive order which bans nationals of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from traveling to the US for at least 90 days. Does this ban only include those on immigrant visas or does…
JonathanReez
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Is it rude to ask if the food contains pork or alcohol?

Some years ago, I was invited to a friend's place. The home-cooked food contained alcohol, and I don't eat or drink anything that contains alcohol (religious reasons). I was shy enough to eat it to avoid embarrassments. Anyway, I am not planning to…
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Considerations for very fragile and expensive (> $100,000) items in carry-on luggage

Background: I am a part of a university student team building a CubeSat due to be launched this September. Around mid-June, we will need to transport the CubeSat from its current location in Ohio to Houston, Texas to turn it over to the company that…
Ryan
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How to avoid hotels with bellhops in the USA

Many guides to tipping in the USA include a specification to tip a "bellhop" at a hotel, which is apparently an employee who expects to be paid separately for the "service" of accompanying the guest from the reception to their room. The times I have…
hmakholm left over Monica
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Is there a ZIP code I can enter when paying-at-the-pump in the USA with a foreign credit card?

In the USA, many pay-at-the-pump fuel dispensers that accept credit cards require a 5-digit numeric zip code that corresponds to the billing address of the credit card. In Canada, for instance, we have 6-digit alphanumeric postal codes, so it's…
alx9r
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My hotel "blocked" 5,000 dollars when I arrived and now is taking again the money

I'm staying in San Francisco for 2 weeks. When I arrived I gave my European debit card to the hotel, and they (at least, I thought so) withdrew the 5,000 dollars I owed them for the whole stay. Yesterday, I noticed my debit card account went…
Fez Vrasta
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What happens if you declare more than $10,000 at the US border?

Let's say I need to bring over $10,000 into the US and decide to use cash to save on transfer fees. What would happen at the border when I declare all that cash? Would CBP briefly question me on the source of funds or require some proof to confirm…
JonathanReez
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Is crime an issue in the US countryside, especially for a cyclist?

I have a dream of one day cycling from one coast of the USA to the other. I am aware that cycling on the road can be dangerous, but I've done a lot of it. I know how to stay safe, and I'm not concerned about that. As a Brit, I'm used to the idea…
Ne Mo
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No Facebook account, will I be able to visit the US?

I heard that the US immigration is asking people for their Facebook or any other social media logins, or at least are planning to do so. I value my privacy so I don't even have a Facebook account and never will. And even if I did, I would not give…
Thomas
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