East Coast USA
Many people tend to group the USA together as a country with one distinct culture, set of values, food, landscapes and history, but in reality this huge country can offer an abundance of experiences as you cross state borders and travel from east to west, or north to south. The East Coast is a particularly popular destination for Aussie tourists all year round, and is a perfect example of this as you travel from the Deep South in Georgia up through New York to the northeast coast.
A great place to start your trip is in Florida, where you can hit up the beaches in Miami and soak up the sunshine. As a significant proportion of the population in Florida are from Latin America, you are bound to find a vivid mix of cultures, language, food and people, so rather than stay in the dense touristy areas get into the lifestyle of the locals and make the most of it.
Through Georgia and South Carolina you can head inland and experience some of that famous southern hospitality, or stick to the coast and beach-hop your way up pristine coastline and beaches. From here you can make your way up to the capital Washington DC where you can find the White House and the Washington Monument.
An absolute must for any traveller heading up the East Coast is the infamous New York City, which tends to be the reason for travelling the East Coast for many travellers. Although NYC is a great distance from us, TV and Hollywood have made it close to home. For some the ultimate experience of New York is sipping a latte as you wander through Hyde Park in a new designer outfit, others head there for the nightlife, and some to experience a Broadway musical or check out the art scene.
Whatever your reason, you are bound to have an unforgettable time travelling the East Coast. Whether you book into a tour or do it yourself by bus or hire-car, the East Coast USA is a fantastic spot to explore with plenty to do and see, perfectly catered to all types of tourists and with warm and welcoming locals. Make sure you book yourself plenty of time to explore so you're not rushing through everything, because when you find that little beach or town that you fall in love with you are going to want to stay and extra day.
Once you have booked your flights and any other prepaid arrangements like accommodation or tours, it is important to organise international travel insurance to cover the money you have paid. If you don't have a Silver, Gold or Platinum iTrek travel insurance policy and you have to cancel your trip, you may not be able to get any refunds or you will find yourself paying huge cancellation fees. These can be covered by North America travel insurance, so make sure you organise it as soon as possible.
Travel insurance is also important, as it will cover your medical bills, hospitalisation and emergency assistance if you are unfortunate enough to have an accident overseas. The USA is the most expensive place in the world for medical accidents, so make sure you organise travel insurance to cover your entire trip overseas.