Travel USA travel tips and tricks

deltablues

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I'm planning a 4-5 week trip in March-April next year to America, Canada & possibly Mexico.

I was thinking something like;

LA
Dallas
(Possibly somewhere in Mexico)
New Orleans
New York
Boston
Vancouver
Vegas
Return to LA and fly home.

Flights are going for 1200 return at that time of year at the moment!

I'll probably do 3-4 days in most cities and a week in New York.

Any advice or tips would be brilliant, who has done Mexico and what cities/places would you recommend?
I will ponder it, but my initial thoughts are nix LA and Dallas [even tho TX [[Houston]]was my home state] and nix Vegas unless you gamble. NYC, Boston and Vancouver (and Seattle) def yes.
No comment on Mexico.
 

alex_is_on_fire

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I will ponder it, but my initial thoughts are nix LA and Dallas [even tho TX [[Houston]]was my home state] and nix Vegas unless you gamble. NYC, Boston and Vancouver (and Seattle) def yes.
No comment on Mexico.

Love Seatle and Vancouver but they are niot really a tourist haven. The Space needle or some grunge bars are good places to visit but they are not really places you visit unless it's for family.

LOL - A bunch of mates and I drove from Vancouver down to San Diego via SFC and LA back in the day. We decided to stop in Seattle one night. The hotel we stayed at was right next door to a strip joint. We found it very funny that we could go to a strip joint as an 18 year old but can not drink until you're 21.
 
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Headed to the US with the family during January for 2 and a bit weeks.

Plan is to fly from Melbourne - LA - Salt Lake City in one big hit on the 13th and then on to Canyon's resort for a week snowboarding.

Leave on the 20th to Las Vegas for 4 days (and possibly spending a couple of days in Salt Lake City). Then a couple of days in LA then back home.

Unfortunately I won't be 21 yet so won't be able to drink/gamble, but can anyone recommend any things to do in Las Vegas and LA?

I think the family will want to do a theme park on one of the days in LA (got 2 younger sisters so that'll appeal to them) and I'd like to do the WB studio tour. and I'd also like to see a sports game whether that be NFL, NBA etc.
 

alex_is_on_fire

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make sure you leave plenty of time between arriving at lax and the flight to salt lake city.

Shouldn't need that much time - 90 minutes would be ok.

The flight should land about 6 am and customes and immigration isn't very busy that early. Should get through in about 30 minutes.

But James_Blues look at getting tickets to a TV show taping in LA. Conan O'Brian is good and tickets are easy to get. You cazn see a NBA game in LA as LA doesn't have a NFL side. NHL is an option.

Disneyland, California Adventure World, Universal Studio, Knotts Berry farm, and plenty of others are all good.

In Vegas, you can do the Grand Canyon, Pawn Stars, a stage show, M&M factory, coke factory,
 
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Shouldn't need that much time - 90 minutes would be ok.

The flight should land about 6 am and customes and immigration isn't very busy that early. Should get through in about 30 minutes.

But James_Blues look at getting tickets to a TV show taping in LA. Conan O'Brian is good and tickets are easy to get. You cazn see a NBA game in LA as LA doesn't have a NFL side. NHL is an option.

Disneyland, California Adventure World, Universal Studio, Knotts Berry farm, and plenty of others are all good.

In Vegas, you can do the Grand Canyon, Pawn Stars, a stage show, M&M factory, coke factory,

Awesome thanks! I think Grand Canyon is on mum's list of things to do so that'll be done among other things.
 

alex_is_on_fire

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Just wondering, how far in advance should you book the tickets to go see Conan? and how long does the taping take?


You are going in January right?

I'd start looking in mid to late November and it takes a few hours. 11am to about 5 pm.
 
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You are going in January right?

I'd start looking in mid to late November and it takes a few hours. 11am to about 5 pm.

Yeah late January. Oh wow so you'd have to more or less dedicate the entire day to it then.

Sorry for the tonnes of questions, but do you know where some good places to go clothes shopping would be in Vegas and LA?
 

alex_is_on_fire

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Yeah late January. Oh wow so you'd have to more or less dedicate the entire day to it then.

Sorry for the tonnes of questions, but do you know where some good places to go clothes shopping would be in Vegas and LA?

No worries. Happy to answer them. This is why the page was set up.


http://www.citadeloutlets.com (LA)
http://m.simon.com/default.aspx?id=1236& (Anaheim)
http://m.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/Vegas (Vegas)
http://www.miraclemileshopslv.com (Vegas on the strip)
http://www.thesanteealley.com (this looks dodgy but it's good value for a flea market) (LA)

That's just a start. Plenty more but that should get you started and excited.
 

deck

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A week in DC is way too long I think. Also for Orlando/Vegas too. I would've gone for go 2 days in DC, 3-4 in Orlando, 3-4 in Vegas and thrown the freed up days onto New York.
Can easily do a week in Orlando if going to all theme parks. Did a week back in 2012 and spent 3 days do the 4 parks at Disney, 2 days doing the Universal parks and 2 days doing water parks.
 

deltablues

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Love Seatle and Vancouver but they are niot really a tourist haven. The Space needle or some grunge bars are good places to visit but they are not really places you visit unless it's for family.

LOL - A bunch of mates and I drove from Vancouver down to San Diego via SFC and LA back in the day. We decided to stop in Seattle one night. The hotel we stayed at was right next door to a strip joint. We found it very funny that we could go to a strip joint as an 18 year old but can not drink until you're 21.
I guess I like places by the water, so Vancouver and Seattle and Boston I enjoy (as far as cities go).

You would have had a nice drive down the west coast - always recommended (especially the section from Portland Oregon to San Francisco - better than the usual tourist route along US 1 from San Francisco to LA. I've done the whole of US 1 west coast a few times (not all in one hit) in my little roadster, roof down all the way, hammering it thru the curves (when safe, of course ;)). Great scenery, great road.
 

thejockey

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Yeah late January. Oh wow so you'd have to more or less dedicate the entire day to it then.

Sorry for the tonnes of questions, but do you know where some good places to go clothes shopping would be in Vegas and LA?
When we were in Vegas we were told by our hotel ( Paris Las Vegas ) there were two major outlets either end of the strip we should visit

Apparently the 'outdoor' one is the better one . I'm not a shopper but found it decent.
Cant remember its name but ill try to find out, everyone there seemed to know it though
 
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When we were in Vegas we were told by our hotel ( Paris Las Vegas ) there were two major outlets either end of the strip we should visit

Apparently the 'outdoor' one is the better one . I'm not a shopper but found it decent.
Cant remember its name but ill try to find out, everyone there seemed to know it though

Neither am I but from what I've heard, the shopping in the US is pretty good as its all relatively cheap in comparison to Australia so I'll make the most of it. Thanks, I'll do some research into it!
 

alex_is_on_fire

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When we were in Vegas we were told by our hotel ( Paris Las Vegas ) there were two major outlets either end of the strip we should visit

Apparently the 'outdoor' one is the better one . I'm not a shopper but found it decent.
Cant remember its name but ill try to find out, everyone there seemed to know it though

Premium Outlet North and South.

Check the 3rd link on #2839 and yes, the outdoor one is better.
 

JuddsABlue

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Neither am I but from what I've heard, the shopping in the US is pretty good as its all relatively cheap in comparison to Australia so I'll make the most of it. Thanks, I'll do some research into it!
Premium Outlet North and South.

Check the 3rd link on #2839 and yes, the outdoor one is better.

Yeah these two centres are north and south, you want to go to the North outlet, its absurdly better than the south one

If you just ask the cabbie for the North shopping outlets he'll know exactly where to go
 

alex_is_on_fire

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Yeah these two centres are north and south, you want to go to the North outlet, its absurdly better than the south one

If you just ask the cabbie for the North shopping outlets he'll know exactly where to go

Which is ironic as I picked up a $3800 Hugo Boss suit in Australia for $199 (us) at the south outlet.
 

thejockey

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Which is ironic as I picked up a $3800 Hugo Boss suit in Australia for $199 (us) at the south outlet.
Wow , I thought I did pretty well . Cant beat that !
I would say I saved between $400-500 total on jeans, polos and US sports gear

Luggage on the way back was certainly heavier
 
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