This has to be the most stressful part of any holiday, but is especially so now with all the extra security
Before you even leave home there are some things you must do if you are travelling to anywhere in the United States. First, you must fill in an ESTA form, this replaces the green form you used to fill in on the plane. You can get these online or at any travel agent. This is vital as you can not enter the country without one, they will just turn you back on the next flight. Also you must have at least 6 months left before expiry on your passport and do not forget the babies, even they need their own passport now.
Telephone your credit card company and tell them you will be using your credit card in America, as they may block it if they do not know about your trip before hand. The best card to use at the moment is the Post Office credit card, they are at the moment the only card company which does not charge any interest when you use it abroad. Most card companies add an extra 1. 5% to each transaction and hide it in the exchange rate. Very sneaky!
Now you are on your way. Weigh your luggage to make sure you are not over the limit and remember to leave extra room and weight allowance for all the goodies you will no doubt buy when you see the low prices! Make a final check that you have all your tickets, passports, money and ESTA. Everything else is secondary – albeit rather inconvenient if forgotten.
Arrive in plenty of time at the airport to allow for check in, this can take ages. Don’t let any of your party wander off and leave you to check in as all party members must be present to check in. You are then free to browse the duty free shops or have a snack and a drink before going through customs. Leave plenty of time to go through all the security checks. These really can be very time consuming and they will not hurry just because you have a flight to catch – every body does! There are plenty of restaurants and shops once you go through security.
Any liquids, drinks, perfume, nail polishes etc, must be carried in a clear plastic bag and each item must not be more than 100mls. For some unknown reason, they consider lipsticks as liquid too, so do not forget to include them in your clear bag. You can not take any bottled water through either, but you can buy some once you are air side.
Before you even leave home there are some things you must do if you are travelling to anywhere in the United States. First, you must fill in an ESTA form, this replaces the green form you used to fill in on the plane. You can get these online or at any travel agent. This is vital as you can not enter the country without one, they will just turn you back on the next flight. Also you must have at least 6 months left before expiry on your passport and do not forget the babies, even they need their own passport now.
Telephone your credit card company and tell them you will be using your credit card in America, as they may block it if they do not know about your trip before hand. The best card to use at the moment is the Post Office credit card, they are at the moment the only card company which does not charge any interest when you use it abroad. Most card companies add an extra 1. 5% to each transaction and hide it in the exchange rate. Very sneaky!
Now you are on your way. Weigh your luggage to make sure you are not over the limit and remember to leave extra room and weight allowance for all the goodies you will no doubt buy when you see the low prices! Make a final check that you have all your tickets, passports, money and ESTA. Everything else is secondary – albeit rather inconvenient if forgotten.
Arrive in plenty of time at the airport to allow for check in, this can take ages. Don’t let any of your party wander off and leave you to check in as all party members must be present to check in. You are then free to browse the duty free shops or have a snack and a drink before going through customs. Leave plenty of time to go through all the security checks. These really can be very time consuming and they will not hurry just because you have a flight to catch – every body does! There are plenty of restaurants and shops once you go through security.
Any liquids, drinks, perfume, nail polishes etc, must be carried in a clear plastic bag and each item must not be more than 100mls. For some unknown reason, they consider lipsticks as liquid too, so do not forget to include them in your clear bag. You can not take any bottled water through either, but you can buy some once you are air side.