How to Move Around the United States?

The United States is one of the biggest countries in the world (4th biggest) and the distances there can seem overwhelming with some states being bigger than some European countries and some trips taking dozens of hours by car. The United States also has the reputation to be a country mainly made for automobiles. In all of that, many people wonder; How to get around the United States? Well, that’s what this article will consider.

Overview

Generally speaking, the claim that the U.S is a country for cars is true. However it is not a fate for tourists. Because you are visiting America does not mean that you will need to rent a car. Your need for a car will generally depend on what you are trying to do. The United States has several options when it comes to transportation, some being more developed than others. Within big cities like New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles (among others) public transit such as Bus or Metro is available. Longer distances (city to city) can be traveled through the air, bus and for more specific destinations, train (which we will talk about shortly). Therefore, the short answer to how to move around is, “It depends”. Here is more information to help you determine what may work the best for you. 

Driving In the United States

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Driving in the U.S. is the number one option for a simple reason: America is made for cars. From going to the grocery store to driving coast to coast (from east to west), roads will take you everywhere. And things are generally made to promote the use of automobiles. Gas is cheaper than in other countries, driving licenses are cheap and relatively easy to get when compared to other places, and parkings as well as roads are very wide (unless you are in cities like NYC). Roads are so important in the U.S that some became national icons like the Route 66 or the California 1. Therefore, yes, driving is a big deal in the United States. But there are also downsides to consider. Of course the first thing that may come to mind is the cost of insurance, it can be very expensive. It becomes even more important when looking at the driving of some people in the United States. Another factor to consider is distance. Depending on the city where you go, going from point A to B can take dozens of minutes, and a lot more if there is traffic. If you are planning a roadtrip, time can be even longer. For example going from New York to Los Angeles (a coast to coast) represents around 40H of driving depending on the route you take. The two other aspects to consider are parking and safety. For the former, a lot of parkings in the U.S are charged, meaning that your budget can easily go up as your trip advances. Depending on destinations, parking may not be included in your hotel reservation. Regarding safety, the issue may be getting your car broken. In big cities (a lot in San Francisco), thieves may break car windows to steal people’s belongings. It is then often recommended to not leave any visible items in your car. Of course, there is no need to be scared, but you should be careful.

Can you drive in the United States with a foreign license?*

Yes, you can drive in the United States with a foreign license. However, you will need to have the license of your country with you, and depending on the country where you come from, you may need the International Driving Permit. The IDP is not a license in itself but a sort of translation of your original permit. You will need to get one before you come to the U.S. You might also want to check with local states, as not all states will require an IDP from you.

*Please note that the answer presented here focuses on those looking to visit the United States and live there.

Flying In the United States

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Now that we considered cars, let’s get interested in another big option: planes. Nearly every big or medium city in the United States features an international airport or at least a regional airport. There are many airlines and a lot of flights every day, even for less popular destinations. There are many advantages to flying. The biggest is obviously time. It takes a significantly lower amount of time to cover long distances for planes than it takes for cars. Another advantage to the air can be money. Many believe that flying is more expensive than driving, and it can be true. However, with the highly competitive airline market in the United States, and the high number of low cost airlines, some trips are sometimes a lot cheaper than they would be for a car. This being said, let’s now consider the downsides of flying. The biggest is probably convenience. Going to the airport will obviously require getting there first. Once you have reached your destination the same problem begins. How are you going to go from your airport to your destination (Hotel, Park, etc…)? Often, you may need to pay for a Taxi, Uber or other transportation and its additional fees. Another factor is comfort. If you are willing to pay for the big airlines, you are likely to have a good experience. However, if you settle down for the low-cost airlines, you will discover that it's not as comfortable. This will often not be a problem for short distances, but that’s not the same story for longer ones.

Do you need a passport to fly within the United States?

Yes, you need a passport to fly within the United States if you are a foreigner. An identification form is required for domestic (and international) flights in the United States. There are several options for locals (check TSA’s website), but for foreigners this will generally be a passport, unless you have a form of identification accepted by the TSA. Please, check with the official site of the Transportation Security Administration for accurate and up-to-date information.

Taking the Train In the United States

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A long time ago, trains were THE transportation mean in the United States. Perhaps, you can picture the far west with steam powered trains moving in the desertic landscape. However, that time has long passed. Trains still exist in the U.S. but they are not as common and convenient as they may be in other European or Asian countries. In the U.S. passenger trains are operated by Amtrak. There are many routes across the country, but not a lot when considering the number of cities. We will not extend too much on trains, but for the most part it's a good thing for those who want to experience the pleasure of traveling by train. However, it is neither time savvy, convenient or cheap.

Moving In the Cities

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Well, let's say you have chosen your transportation option for long distance, what about short distances? How are you going to move throughout your destination? The answer to that question is going to depend on where you are going. If you’re planning to visit more rural destinations like National Parks for example, you may not really have any other choice than driving. For some of these destinations, buses are also available. When it comes to cities, your range of options will be much wider. For most major cities of the United States, at least buses are available, and the metro (subway) is also very popular. But in the end, it will depend on where you are going. Some cities with the best transit options are probably San Francisco and New York City. If you are looking for more specific information about individual cities, you can check our page which go more in depth in the transit systems of several cities.

Comparing

To help you compare the different transportation means explored in this article, we made a tab that compares different aspects of a same trip using either the roads, plane or train.

Time

Estimation for:	LA to NYC	LA to SFO	LA to Grand Canyon Nat'l Park	NYC to Miami
Driving (Car, Bus...)	41H	9H30	7H30	20H
Flying	5H30	1H30	1H40 + 1H30^	3H15
Train	71H	9H30	12H + 2H15*	30H

The following airports were used to estimate the time between cities by flight: John F. Kennedy Int’l Airport for NYC, Los Angeles Int’l Airport, San Francisco Int’l Airport, Miami Int’l Airport and Flagstaff Pulliam Airport.

^Flying to the Grand Canyon can be done with two options. The first one (likely the easiest) used in this tab involves landing in Flagstaff, AZ and then taking a shuttle to the park. The second possible option is to land directly at the Grand Canyon National Park Airport. However, this option requires to take a charter or private flight, an expensive and inconvenient option.

*There is no direct railway going from Los Angeles to Grand Canyon, therefore making a trip entirely by train requires to ride to Williams, AZ and then take the Grand Canyon Railway. Nonetheless, this option is inconvenient and expensive. If you want to take the train while keeping some freedom, we recommend riding to Williams and then taking a car, bus or shuttle to the park.

Conclusion

There are several options to move around the United States. A car is often the option that will give you the most freedom on where you can go, but it also comes with other downsides. Overall, what we can recommend is to analyze your needs. Consider where you are going? What do you plan to do? How many people will be included in your group? From there you will be able to decide what works best for you.