Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS
CLEARANCE
Visitors arriving by
air, no matter what the port of entry,
should cultivate patience and resigna-
tion before setting foot on U.S. soil.
Getting through immigration control
can take as long as 2 hours on some
days, especially on summer weekends,
so be sure to carry this guidebook or
something else to read. This is especially
true in the aftermath of the September
11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when security
clearances were considerably beefed up
at U.S. airports.
People traveling by air from
Canada, Bermuda, and certain coun-
tries in the Caribbean can sometimes
clear Customs and Immigration at the
point of departure, which is much
quicker.
3 Getting Around the United States
BY PLANE
Some large airlines (for
example, Northwest and Delta) offer
travelers on their transatlantic or
transpacific flights special discount
tickets under the name
Visit USA,
allowing mostly one-way travel from
one U.S. destination to another at
very low prices. These discount tickets
are not on sale in the United States
and must be purchased abroad in con-
junction with your international
ticket. This system is the best, easiest,
and fastest way to see the United
States at low cost. You should obtain
information well in advance from
your travel agent or the office of the
airline concerned, since the conditions
attached to these discount tickets can
be changed without advance notice.
BY TRAIN
International visitors
(excluding Canada) can also buy a
USA
Rail Pass,
good for 15 or 30 days of
unlimited travel on Amtrak (
&
800/
USA-RAIL;
www.amtrak.com). The
pass is available through many overseas
travel agents. Prices in 2004 for a
15-day pass were $295 off-peak, $440
peak; a 30-day pass costs $385 off-
peak, $550 peak. With a foreign pass-
port, you can also buy passes at some
Amtrak offices in the United States,
including Chicago. Reservations are
generally required and should be made
for each part of your trip as early as
possible. Regional rail passes are also
available.
BY BUS
Although bus travel is often
the most economical form of public
transit for short hops between U.S.
cities, it can also be slow and uncom-
fortable—certainly not an option for
everyone (particularly when Amtrak,
which is far more luxurious, offers
similar rates).
Greyhound/Trailways
(
&
800/231-2222;
www.greyhound.
com), the sole nationwide bus line,
offers an
International Ameripass
that must be purchased before coming
to the United States, or by phone
through the Greyhound International
Office at the Port Authority Bus Termi-
nal in New York City (
&
212/
971-0492
). The pass can be obtained
from foreign travel agents or through
Greyhound's website (order at least 21
days before your departure to the U.S.)
and costs less than the domestic ver-
sion. 2004 passes were available in the
following units: 4 days ($160), 7 days
($219), 10 days ($269), 15 days ($329),
21 days ($379), 30 days ($439), 45 days
($489), or 60 days ($599). You can get
more info on the pass at the website, or
by calling
&
402/330-8552.
In addi-
tion, special rates are available for sen-
iors and students.
BY CAR
Outside of Chicago, the
most cost-effective, convenient, and
comfortable way to travel around the
United States is by car. The interstate
highway system connects cities and
towns all over the country; in addition
to these high-speed, limited-access
roadways, there's an extensive network
of federal, state, and local highways and
roads. Some of the national car-rental
