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John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
Please don't rely on this list as being complete.
This list is also intended to act as a summary of essential hints, with links to other pages on this site which offer more detailed information.
| Obtain a road atlas of the USA and Canada, such as one of those published by Rand McNally. Although these are much less expensive when purchased in the USA or Canada (especially in Wal-Mart or K-Mart) than in Britain, you really do need to obtain one in advance for planning purposes.
US state road maps in Adobe Acrobat PDF format are available for downloading free of charge in the World Maps > Download Maps section of the Rand McNally web site (external link verified Dec-00). While these free maps are extremely useful, they do not include all small towns or minor highways. |
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| Decide which area or areas of the USA and/or Canada you most wish to visit. Many of the pages on this site are intended to give you ideas, but don't try to do too much. The USA and Canada are huge countries and many visitors find it preferable to concentrate on a relatively small region.
Visit relevant state tourism web sites and request their extremely useful printed travel guides etc. Some of these sites will also send you free state highway maps. Visitors from Britain may wish to visit the US Air Tours web site (external link verified Feb-02) and request a free copy of their excellent North America Travel Planner brochure. From the home page, select the "Brochure Request" option. The web sites of the US National Park Service (external link verified Feb-04) and Parks Canada (the Canadian National Parks Service; external link verified Feb-04) are each well worth a visit, as are those of the relevant state and provincial parks. |
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| Decide when you wish to travel, bearing in mind factors such as your circumstances, the likely temperatures and rainfall at different times of the year in the places you plan to visit and the effect on prices (for flights and accommodation) and availability during holiday periods. | |
| When deciding when and where to go, remember that the USA and Canada are huge countries. The climate varies significantly with time of year, latitude, longitude (mainly relative to coasts and mountain ranges) and altitude.
The south may be too hot for many in mid-summer while the north may be too cold and some mountain passes still blocked by snow even in late spring. The west coast may be cool and wet when at the same time it is hot and dry fifty miles inland. |
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| Decide which size of car you need to rent. If you will be touring, don't forget that you'll have suitcases with you all the time - be sure to check that the boot (trunk) will have sufficient space. | |
| Obtain a wide variety of brochures for flights, car rental, fly/drive and personal holiday insurance. It also helps to obtain the relevant airline timetables in order to check information such as routes, flight timings, number of stops and types of aircraft.
Calculate the total cost of the various options from each company which meet your requirements. Consider flying to all the possible airports within the area you are visiting (although you may wish to rule out having to take internal flights in the USA/Canada). If you will be visiting southern Canada, consider flying into a nearby US airport as a possibly less expensive option. Remember that car rental CDW/LDW is considerably less expensive in California than in other states. Remember to compare like with like when choosing car rental. Check exactly which car rental cost elements are included and which you will have to pay directly to the car rental company in the USA. In my experience car rental is always less expensive if purchased in advance in your own country, and even more so if purchased as part of a fly/drive package. However, you may wish to visit the car rental companies' web sites and check what rates would apply if you purchased directly with them in the USA. Visitors from Britain may wish to consider the option of flying from a regional UK airport via Amsterdam or Brussels. Consider obtaining personal holiday insurance from a separate source. Decide on booking. |
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| Book flight and pay deposit. | |
| Purchase car rental, possibly as part of a package with the flights.
Specify any special requirements for the car rental such as child/infant seat rental. |
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| Purchase motel vouchers if desired. However, I cannot recommend these vouchers as they tie you in to the more expensive motel chains and limit your flexibility. | |
| Purchase personal holiday insurance if separate to main booking. | |
| Start to record essential information (booking reference number, flight numbers, passport numbers, etc) in a notebook. | |
| Check if passports need to be obtained or renewed and take action as necessary; allow plenty of time for UK passport applications to be processed. Check detailed passport requirements at the US Embassy in London web site http://www.usembassy.org.uk and the UK Passport Service web site http://www.ukpa.gov.uk (both external links verified Jun-04) | |
| Check if you will qualify for the US Visa Waiver Programme or if you need to obtain or renew visas and take action as necessary. Allow plenty of time for this process. | |
| If you plan to visit Canada from the USA or vice-versa by air or road, check the visa requirements.
If you will be driving a rented car, check that your car rental company permits its cars to be taken across the border. By the way, for insurance reasons none of the rental car companies allow their cars to be taken into Mexico. |
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| Obtain details of top-up insurance for driving a rented car in the USA/Canada and purchase, unless this is included in the car rental package. | |
| If you will be driving a friend's or relative's car in the USA or Canada, check that you will have valid insurance. I believe this can be a problem for visitors from Britain because car insurance in Britain is for a car, whereas car insurance in the USA and Canada is for a driver. | |
| Commence more detailed research of places to visit, choices for overnight stops, etc. | |
| Obtain motel directories. |
| Make main payment for flight (etc). | |
| Plan transport to and from UK airport.
Book overnight accommodation in UK if required. |
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| Reserve seats on flights. Most airlines now allow you to do this ninety days before each flight. It is best done direct with the airline rather than through a travel agent or holiday company.
Besides asking to sit together, you may wish to ask for seats next to a window, or an aisle, or not over the wing, etc. All flights are now non-smoking so that is no longer a factor. Being able to quote a "locator number" helps the operator find your record on the airline's computer. If this isn't available, a booking reference number may help. It may not be possible to reserve seats in advance on feeder flights, such as from UK regional airports to Amsterdam. Specify any special requirements (if you are travelling with very young children, require special meals, etc). |
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| If you will be travelling via another EU country (for example, via Amsterdam), obtain European Health Insurance Card forms from a post office, to facilitate reciprocal health cover. The European Health Insurance Card replaces the old E111 form which is no longer valid. | |
| Check that all your financial commitments such as direct debits will be covered by adequate funds in your bank account while you are away. | |
| If necessary, purchase an adapter for US and Canadian mains sockets for use with an electric razor. Also check that your razor can be switched to 110v. | |
| Make a reservation for your first night accommodation in USA/Canada if desired. | |
| The driver and navigator should plan the route from the airport to your first night accommodation. Bear in mind that at some airports the car rental depots are located a few miles from the airport, so you may wish to visit the relevant car rental company's web site and look up the street address. Motel directories always provide directions to each property.
You may wish to use a printed road atlas such as the Rand McNally for route planning, or perhaps a web site which offers online maps. The ideal is to obtain a copy of the relevant car rental company's map for the appropriate airport from a previous traveller or the company itself. Sadly these maps don't seem to be available on the web - they would be a most useful resource. |
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| Check the tickets, car voucher, etc when they arrive. Copy all the details of the information on the tickets and vouchers, including all reference numbers, into your notebook of essential information. Also include in this notebook insurance policy information, contact phone numbers and addresses, etc. It might also be wise to keep a record of all this information at home. | |
| If necessary, phone the airline to verify any requirements for special meals during flights (vegetarian, special diet for health or religious reasons, etc). | |
| Check that all drivers have a credit card; obtain these if necessary. | |
| Check whether credit or debit cards will expire while you are away and request replacements if necessary. | |
| Look up the airport codes of all the airports that you will be flying to (including on the return flights) so that you can ensure that your checked baggage is given the correct baggage tags. | |
| If you are taking a camera, digital camera or camcorder, then obtain film, cassettes, batteries, etc. Also check whether you need to obtain a special adapter to allow you to recharge the device's battery from a US mains socket. | |
| Purchase inflatable neck pillows for use during flights if desired (in Britain, Argos and Index are good sources). | |
| Make a list of any items that you wish to purchase while on holiday. You may also want to note the price of these items in your own country for comparison purposes.
If you plan to purchase spectacles while on holiday (prices in Wal-Mart's Vision Centres are a fraction of those in any UK optician) then you may wish to have an eye examination and obtain a prescription in your own country beforehand, especially if you qualify for a free examination. It is wise to carry your latest prescription with you anyway, in case a replacement pair of spectacles should be required. Consider the compatibility of electrical and electronic equipment between the USA/Canada and the UK, and remember that you will only have the reduced (outside EU) customs allowance. |
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Write out the information required on the US immigration and customs forms on a piece of paper, for use on the plane:
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| Familiarise yourself with the vital differences in driving regulations between the UK and in the USA/Canada, for example: | |
| Familiarise yourself with the road signs used in the USA and Canada. | |
| All normal rental cars in the USA and Canada are automatics. If you have never driven an automatic car before, try to organise a test run in a friend's car if possible. | |
| Familiarise yourself with all the options and payments associated with car rental. Decide which of these options you will accept and which you will decline when you pick the car up. | |
| If you are visiting the USA, obtain US Dollar travellers cheques.
If you are visiting Canada, obtain Canadian Dollar travellers cheques. If you visiting both countries, obtain some of each. |
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| Obtain a small amount of US and/or Canadian currency as appropriate. | |
| If you are visiting Canada, obtain a GST/PST/HST refund form from a travel agent (and read it!). |
| Purchase any required snacks and drinks for the airport in advance, since prices in airports are usually exorbitant. Small packets of soft drinks with straws are recommended. | |
| Commence packing.
Remember that you don't need to take towels, face flannels or soap because they are always supplied in motels, and that clothes and many other items can be readily purchased at low cost in shops in the USA and Canada. Also remember than all electrical items must be packed in your carry-on luggage, that sharp items such as scissors, knives and corkscrews must be in checked luggage (or better not taken at all) and that you must not take items prohibited by the airline (aerosol hair sprays, etc) or prohibited by US Immigration (food, etc). |
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| Fill in your details on the baggage labels to be attached to each suitcase. If you are travelling via any intermediate airports, include each of these (or their codes) was well as that of your final airport, in order. Ensure that your name and home address is also inside every item of luggage. If possible, on the baggage labels and the information inside each case also state an address while you are on holiday, or the name and address of your tour company, villa rental agency, etc. This is to increase the chances of the airline being able to return your baggage to you should it be mislaid in transit. | |
| Try to estimate the total additional payment that you will make direct to the car rental company in the USA/Canada for items such as CDW/LDW, sales tax, etc, so that you can check that their figure is reasonable. | |
| If you are taking any digital watches or travel clocks, check that you know how to change their time setting. | |
| Make sure that everyone in your party knows that the phone number for the emergency services (fire department, ambulance and police) in the USA and Canada is 911. This number must only be used for emergencies. | |
| Domestic arrangements: cancel milk and newspaper deliveries, etc. |
Bear in mind that almost everything apart from tickets, passports, travellers cheques and credit cards can be purchased in the USA and Canada, in most cases at considerably lower prices than in Britain.
| Your notebook of essential information, plus a second notebook for recording additional information. If desired, a small notepad for recording gas (petrol) purchases is also useful. | |
| Pens. | |
| Tickets for any UK transport. | |
| Air tickets. | |
| Car rental voucher. | |
| Motel vouchers. | |
| Passports. | |
| Travellers Cheques. | |
| US and/or Canadian money. | |
| Driving licences for all drivers. If you have the British new photo driving licence, take the accompanying paper document as well because the photo card does not have all the information which US car rental companies require. | |
| Credit cards for all drivers. | |
| Personal holiday insurance documents. | |
| Top-up insurance documents. | |
| European Health Insurance Cards (if you are travelling via another EU country). | |
| Discount cards for motels (Super 8 V.I.P. card, for example) and senior citizen discount cards for restaurants. If you belong to a senior citizen organisation, be sure to take your membership card in order to claim discounts, especially if the organisation is affiliated with the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons). | |
| USA/Canada road atlas. | |
| State highway maps. | |
| Motel directories. | |
| Details of the information required for completing the Immigration and Customs forms on the plane. | |
| Prescribed medicines if any, plus details of them should replacements be required. | |
| Spare spectacles if any. | |
| A tiny screwdriver for tightening spectacles screws. Wal-Mart Vision Centres sell these. However, airline security regulations may now forbid these as they could be considered as being sharp objects. | |
| Shaver adapter for US mains sockets. | |
| A small torch for map-reading at night. | |
| List of items to purchase while on holiday. | |
| Clothes. |
| Domestic matters (unplug television aerials, disconnect computer modems from phone sockets, empty fridges and freezers, switch off electricity, gas, water as necessary, etc). | |
| Domestic security (lock windows and doors, give keys to neighbours, etc). | |
| Check that you have all essential documents (tickets, car rental voucher, passports, travellers cheques, driving licences, credit cards, insurance documents, etc). |
| When checking in at the airport, ensure that your checked baggage is given baggage tags with the correct airport codes for your intermediate and final destination airports.
According to a British newspaper article in Dec-02, a rule may be introduced shortly that all checked baggage passing from, to or via US airports must be left unlocked, so that it can be inspected for any terrorism threat. One source suggested securing checked baggage with plastic ties instead of locks, so that they can be easily cut, failing to realise that this won't protect your property, only let you know if it has been stolen. If this report proves to be true then it will inevitably lead to even higher rates of theft from checked baggage by airport staff. If checked baggage is left unlocked then insurance companies will doubtless use that as an excuse to avoid paying compensation. In my opinion, instead of this ill-considered idea, which will be unacceptable to most travellers, it would be far better to inspect checked baggage in the presence of its owners during the check-in process. |
| If you are not taking a direct flight, ask whether you have to handle your checked baggage each of at the intermediate airports or whether this is done for you. For KLM UK/KLM/Northwest flights via Amsterdam the baggage is transferred at Amsterdam for you. At your first airport in the USA (your "Port of Entry") you will have to collect your baggage for possible customs inspection, then check it in again for any US internal flight or flights. However, since this point is so vital, it would be worth inquiring when you check in. In our experience travel agents and airport general inquiry desks are highly unlikely to be reliable sources of information on this subject. |
| Once you board the aircraft for each flight, it's a very good idea to set your watch to the local time at the destination and start to think in terms of that time zone. |
| On the flight to the USA you will be issued with the US Immigration and Customs forms. Each person who does not have a visa must complete a green Visa Waiver form on both the front and back. Each person who does have a visa must complete a white Visa form on the front only. Each family must complete one customs form. When filling in these forms, be careful to enter the dates of birth in the required format (dd/mm/yy or mm/yy/dd). Also be very careful to check whether to enter the information on the line above the name of each field or the line below it - the Immigration forms are particularly confusing in this respect. If you will be touring, enter the address of your first night's accommodation in the relevant field on the form - do not write "touring" or similar. If you are renting a villa etc and haven't yet been allocated a specific address, then enter the address of the villa rental agency (etc). Be sure to include the ZIP code (postcode). Citizens of the United Kingdom should enter the name of their country of origin as "Britain" and not "United Kingdom", "Great Britain" or "England" (in some parts of the form there is not enough space to enter "Great Britain" or "United Kingdom"). On most flights a video is shown explaining how to fill in the forms. Filling in the forms precisely as required will greatly ease your passage through US Immigration and Customs. |
| Pass through US Immigration. The key to success here is to obey the rules. Make certain that you have the correct immigration and customs forms and that they all filled in completely correctly, and therefore the immigration officer can type the details into the computer system without any problems. Stand behind the yellow line until called forward. A family should be processed as one group. Answer all the immigration officer's questions with complete honesty. Avoid any attempt at humour. Avoid making any comments as to how stupid and pointless the whole exercise is, especially having to supply an address in the US when you are touring. |
| You will have to collect your checked baggage, even if you are taking an onward internal flight in the USA. This is because you will need the baggage for possible inspection by customs. At some airports baggage collection is done before Immigration, sometimes after.
Inspect your baggage for any damage and if necessary report this and fill in a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) claim form before leaving the baggage reclaim area. |
| Pass through US Customs. |
| If you are taking an onward flight, check in your checked baggage (ensuring that each item is given the correct destination airport baggage tag) and remember to re-inspect your baggage for any damage at your final destination. |
| At some airports you need to visit the relevant car rental company's desk in the airport terminal. In most cases you then have to take the company's free shuttle bus to their depot, often showing the driver your rental agreement. At other airports there are no car rental desks in the terminal and you have to take the car rental company's free shuttle bus to their depot where the paperwork is completed. At most airports each car rental company operates its own fleet of free shuttle buses. At a few airports, for example San Francisco, there is a single fleet of free shuttle buses shared by customers of all the car rental companies. Car rental company depots can be located adjacent to the terminals, in the central airport area but a little way from the terminals, or a few miles from the airport. Even at the same airport, different car rental company depots can vary in this respect. |
| Make sure that you receive the correct credit for all the items on any pre-paid car rental voucher. |
| Check that you are being given a car of at least the grade you paid for; particularly make a point of checking if you paid for a four-door car that you get one. |
| Probably accept CDW/LDW but no other car rental insurance options. |
| Be very wary of being talked into an unnecessary upgrade. |
| Probably elect to return the car full of petrol. |
| Declare any additional drivers. |
| Declare any young drivers. |
| Organise child/infant seat rental if required. |
| Obtain a free map (always available on the desk; also extremely useful for locating the car rental depot when returning the car). |
| If possible, take time to get organised, have a coffee, etc before finding the car.
Check that the rental agreement is in order. |
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Once you find the car, again take time to relax and get organised.
Check the car for any visible signs of damage inside and outside. You may wish to record the starting mileage, if only to be able to calculate your petrol consumption figure at the end of the holiday. Check seat and mirror positions. Check the location and operation of the essential controls (including electric windows, lights, windscreen wipers and how to set the ventilation system to demist the windscreen and rear window). Ensure that you have a map to your initial destination (your first night motel, etc) available inside the car and not in the boot. If you will have to pay any road or bridge tolls, make sure you have the necessary money available. If you only have notes, you will probably need to choose a toll booth which offers manual payment rather than an automatic machine which only accepts the correct value coins. If you will be driving at night, make sure you have a small torch available in order to allow the navigator to read the map, unless the car has map reading lights. Ensure that you keep the rental agreement available since you will need to show it to the gate guard when you leave the car rental depot. Most car rental depots have devices with spikes in the road to prevent vehicles being driven into their exits. These devices will cause very serious tyre damage if you reverse over them. Be very careful of these devices when driving the car out of the depot. |
Some essential driving reminders:
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| When you arrive at your initial destination, before leaving the car be certain to check how the door locks operate and that you have the key. |
| Check where the car's petrol filler cap is (so as to know which side of petrol pumps to draw up to), and how to open the flap (you may need to press a button in the glovebox, for example). |
| Check in the car's glovebox and the boot for spare keys, spare remote door lock "clickers", drink can/cup holders, manuals and other useful accessories. |
| If necessary, obtain a spare car key (from Wal-Mart, etc, or if necessary from a locksmith) which you can keep on you in case you accidentally lock the other key inside the car. |
| Obtain one or more large bottles, fill them with water and keep them in the car. They may be very useful in an emergency to refill the radiator or for drinking water, especially if you are stranded due to a breakdown in hot weather. The bottles in which Wal-Mart sell drinks such as pink grapefruit are ideal. |
| Skim through the car's manual (if supplied) for other potentially valuable information. The capacity of the petrol tank is a particularly useful piece of information to discover since it will help you to calculate how much petrol to purchase at those petrol stations where you have to pay before pumping. |
| As soon as possible, discover the correct tyre pressures for the car. This information will be in the car's instruction book if it is available. Other possible sources include a sticker inside the driver's door opening or in the glove box, any garage (but probably not a petrol station), a car salesroom for the appropriate make, a mechanics handbook sold in shops, or if you have Internet access the car manufacturer's web site. |
| Familiarise yourself with the procedure for changing a wheel on the car in case you have a puncture. Locate the spare wheel, the jack and the tools. |
| Purchase a US National Park Service National Parks Pass or a Golden Eagle Pass at the first National Park, National Monument, etc that you visit, if you will be visiting sufficient parks to make this worthwhile. |
| Pick up new motel directories when convenient. |
| Purchase a new US/Canada road atlas if desired. Discount department stores such as Wal-Mart are the least expensive source. |
| If desired, purchase a drinks heater from Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc, for making tea or coffee in your motel room. |
| Purchase snacks and cans and bottles of soft drinks from a supermarket or a discount department store such as Wal-Mart as desired. This is a much less expensive option than from convenience/petrol station shops or vending machines in motels. |
| Purchase items such as a folding cardboard car windscreen shade, sunglasses, large brim hat, etc. Yet again, stores such as Wal-Mart are the least expensive source. |
| You may wish to try a budget motel such as a Motel 6, a Super 8, or an independent "mom and pop" motel. |
| You may wish to try a breakfast or a lunch-time snack at a fast food restaurant, especially one which doesn't operate in Britain such as Arby's, Carl's Jr, Hardee's, Sonic (drive-in), Taco Bell (Mexican food) or Wendy's. If you're in southern California, be sure to visit In 'N' Out Burger. For a healthier option, you may want to try a submarine sandwich from Subway. |
| If you need a map of a town, try the local telephone directory. Motel rooms nearly always have a copy. The local yellow pages is also a very useful source of information on the location of restaurants, shops, etc. |
| If you need weather information, for example to make a decision regarding your choice of route while on holiday, try the USA Today newspaper or the Weather Channel on television. |
| Take a look at the car's tyres each morning, lunchtime and evening. If you are driving long distances then check the tyre pressures at a gas station (petrol station) every few days. |
| If you are driving long distances, check the car's engine oil level and windscreen washer fluid level every few days. |
| If you are touring, be sure to reserve accommodation a few days ahead as necessary using the motel chains' central reservations 800 numbers, especially at weekends (Friday and Saturday nights) at popular locations during holiday periods. |
| If possible, try to visit at least one National Park, National Monument, etc. You won't be disappointed! |
| Keep your eyes open for any unusual wildlife and vegetation (flowers, plants, trees, etc) which are not found where you normally live. |
| If you are visiting Canada from the USA then obtain a GST/PST/HST refund at the border if you haven't got one beforehand. You may also wish to opt for reclaiming the GST/PST/HST at a duty free shop at the border just before re-entering the USA. |
| Take time to relax and chat to the people in the USA and Canada that you meet. |
| Check whether you need to confirm your return flights by phoning the airline a day or two beforehand, and do so if necessary. At the same time you can ask how long before the flight you should check in and at which terminal this should be done. |
| Fill in your details on the baggage labels to be attached to each suitcase. If you are travelling via intermediate airports, include each of these (or their codes) was well as that of your final airport, in order. Ensure that your name and home address is also inside every item of luggage. This is to increase the chances of the airline being able to return your baggage to you should it be mislaid in transit. |
| Be sure to allow sufficient time to return a rental car. If you return the car after the time of day when you picked it up then you will incur a full extra day's rental charge. Also allow sufficient time for dropping the car, conducting any associated business with the car rental company, and for the car rental shuttle bus journey from the car rental depot to the airport terminal, in plenty of time to check in for your flight. |
| Before starting on the journey to the airport, complete all packing. Check the car for items in the boot, the glovebox, door pockets, receptacles in armrests, under seats, etc. You normally have to leave the car immediately as soon as you return it so you need to get organised in advance. |
| Because prices in US airports tend in most cases to be extremely high, purchase any snacks and drinks to consume in the airport at a supermarket beforehand. |
| Ensure that you have directions available to the car rental depot at the airport. If possible, use the map that you picked up at the car rental depot when you collected the car. |
| When you return the car, make sure you leave the key and any remote door lock "clickers" behind but take all your belongings.
You may wish to record the final mileage, if only to calculate your petrol consumption figure. |
| At the airport, you may need to check in at the International Terminal rather than your airline's domestic terminal. |
| When checking in for your return flight, make sure that the check-in clerk removes the US Immigration cards that were stapled into your passport upon entry to the USA. There are no other customs or immigration formalities when leaving the USA.
Also make sure that your checked baggage is given the correct baggage tags for your intermediate and final destination airports. If you are taking an internal flight in the USA prior to your long-haul flight then the airline will probably transfer your checked baggage between the two flights, since it is not required for customs inspection when leaving the USA. However, you would be well advised to ask about this vital point when checking in, especially if your flights are on different airlines. |
| Upon arrival at your final destination airport, check your baggage for any damage and if necessary report this and fill in a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) claim form before leaving the baggage reclaim area. |
| If you have taken an electric razor on holiday, switch it back to the voltage in your own country if necessary. |
Most recently modified 7-Jul-06