Coming to US for the first time!

[sibot]

Hey everyone,

I'll be coming to US this September. I wanted to know a few things, since its going to be my first trip to US.

We're going to be renting a car and driving from Buffalo to Canada, so I wanted some heads up on the traffic rules there.

I wanted to book flight tickets for inter-US travel, which would be the best and cheapest site to do so?

We'll be stopping over in NY City for 2 days on our way back. I'm looking for some good 2 - 3 star hotels in a central location. So if you could suggest me any hotels and a site to book the same. It'd be real nice!

I also want to shop around a bit, would you suggest shopping online or visiting stores?

Thanks in advance,

Regards,

Sibot

[kylejn]

1. I don't know about Canada, but traffic rules in America are pretty simple. Stay around the speed limit, drive on the right-side of the road, and so forth. If a traffic light is flashing red, that means to treat it as a stop sign.

2. Maybe Expedia.com or Travelocity.com?

3. Don't know about any hotels in NY.

4. Shopping online is usually cheaper, but it's more fun to shop in stores. Plus, you don't have to worry about where to ship an item to if you're going to be travelling a lot.

[tsupersonic]

If you're heading to Buffalo and going into Canada, make sure you stop by for Niagara Falls.

There are tons of sites where you can find low fares, travelocity, expedia, priceline, etc. Some "cheap" airlines are Southwest and Jetblue.

If you're going to shop, I'd do the brick and mortar stores just for the experience. What are you planning to buy?

[Yggdrasilly]

If you're heading to Buffalo and going into Canada, make sure you stop by for Niagara Falls.

+1

But definitely visit the Canadian side. No offense to the US, but I find the stuff on this side of the border WORLDS better. That, and the falls themselves are awesome.

As for driving, well... I don't drive, but the rules are pretty much the same here as in the US.

[Neo003]

1. I don't know about Canada, but traffic rules in America are pretty simple. Stay around the speed limit, drive on the right-side of the road, and so forth. If a traffic light is flashing red, that means to treat it as a stop sign.

2. Maybe Expedia.com or Travelocity.com?

3. Don't know about any hotels in NY.

4. Shopping online is usually cheaper, but it's more fun to shop in stores. Plus, you don't have to worry about where to ship an item to if you're going to be travelling a lot.

+1

He pretty much nailed it.

[Alexandre.]

1. I don't know about Canada, but traffic rules in America are pretty simple. Stay around the speed limit, drive on the right-side of the road, and so forth. If a traffic light is flashing red, that means to treat it as a stop sign.

Daaaamn, when we were in Florida (first time in USA, apart from Hawaii) we thought red flashing meant go at your own risk... We broke a law =(.

[Lant]

When you get given the immigration forms (they are green for me), make sure you ask for extras, because when ever I go I always managed to do them wrong at least twice... Usually its too tempting to tick the boxes "Are you insane" and "Were you ever a Russian spy" :D

[Axel]

In Canada... you can turn right if at a cross roads the light shows red can't you? I seem to remember this when I was there - is this true of the US as well? Or am I just making things up!? :p

[CrashG]

In Canada... you can turn right if at a cross roads the light shows red can't you? I seem to remember this when I was there - is this true of the US as well? Or am I just making things up!? :p

Yes, unless there is a sign posted saying "No Right Turn On Red".

[Axel]

Yes, unless there is a sign posted saying "No Right Turn On Red".

Fantastic - I wish we had a system like that here in the UK - makes a lot of sense!

[trek]

In Canada... you can turn right if at a cross roads the light shows red can't you? I seem to remember this when I was there - is this true of the US as well? Or am I just making things up!? :p

Yes that is true except in Quebec. But who wants to drive there anyway :p

[JackBauer87]

Don't come here expecting to much. Things are so so right now and as a visitor it may give you the impression America isn't that great. If you don't come here expecting a lot you will have a great time. Once this economic slump is over, then i'd say the above is a different story.

The traffic rules have been covered. Another very important one is pedestrians have right of way always.

Most signs are self explanatory but if you are concerned I can put together pictures and what the signs mean.

Have fun!

[sibot]

1. I don't know about Canada, but traffic rules in America are pretty simple. Stay around the speed limit, drive on the right-side of the road, and so forth. If a traffic light is flashing red, that means to treat it as a stop sign.

2. Maybe Expedia.com or Travelocity.com?

3. Don't know about any hotels in NY.

4. Shopping online is usually cheaper, but it's more fun to shop in stores. Plus, you don't have to worry about where to ship an item to if you're going to be travelling a lot.

I checked out the tickets on expedia and I got some good prices, thanks for the tip!

I'm thinking about shopping online since like you said it'd be cheaper and mostly I'll be staying in Buffalo at my brother's place.

If you're heading to Buffalo and going into Canada, make sure you stop by for Niagara Falls.

There are tons of sites where you can find low fares, travelocity, expedia, priceline, etc. Some "cheap" airlines are Southwest and Jetblue.

If you're going to shop, I'd do the brick and mortar stores just for the experience. What are you planning to buy?

Yeah! That's the plan as of now, we're planning to go to Niagara falls on our way to Canada. But I heard that the Canadian part of it is more scenic.

I'll check them out! The cheapest flight I found till now was Delta.

I'm planning to buy a laptop, some gadgets, chocolates/candy, clothes, some souvenirs, etc. etc.

When you get given the immigration forms (they are green for me), make sure you ask for extras, because when ever I go I always managed to do them wrong at least twice... Usually its too tempting to tick the boxes "Are you insane" and "Were you ever a Russian spy" :D

Haha I'm surprised at the questions they ask in the forms. Are you a terrorist? Do you have any intention of bombing? Do you know how to make explosives? haha

Don't come here expecting to much. Things are so so right now and as a visitor it may give you the impression America isn't that great. If you don't come here expecting a lot you will have a great time. Once this economic slump is over, then i'd say the above is a different story.

The traffic rules have been covered. Another very important one is pedestrians have right of way always.

Most signs are self explanatory but if you are concerned I can put together pictures and what the signs mean.

Have fun!

Hmmm, thanks for the heads up! But all in all, I think I'm gonna like the place!

I'm not so worried about the signage, what I'm worried about is the lane changing and speed limit. Here in India nobody sticks to their lane, zig-zag driving is the way to go. You'd be surprised at how people change their lanes and cut infront of others. And I've heard in US, they follow lane driving very very strictly - also the speed limit. Which here is broken far too often. You'll find people doing 80kmph in the middle lane - which is 30-50 kmph.

Thanks for replying everyone!

[sibot]

Hey I also wanted to know some site where I can buy watches from. I'm looking on Amazon right now.

[Nathanael]

I'm in the USA for the first time and I'm enjoying it - a lot. I'm sure you will too.

BTW I'm in Vermont.

[strekship]

If you are crossing into Canada over the Peace Bridge, you will get to go through Fort Erie. Its a nice town. From there Niagara Falls is a nice stop. I go to Fort Erie quite a bit to visit my grandparents.

[sibot]

I'm in the USA for the first time and I'm enjoying it - a lot. I'm sure you will too.

BTW I'm in Vermont.

Hey that's great, I sure do hope it goes good! I'm going to be in Buffalo, NY - Ontario, Canada and NY City for some time. Have fun!

If you are crossing into Canada over the Peace Bridge, you will get to go through Fort Erie. Its a nice town. From there Niagara Falls is a nice stop. I go to Fort Erie quite a bit to visit my grandparents.

I'll surely try and make a stop there, thanks for the suggestion.

___________________________________________________________

Could someone give me any tips on lane driving? I'm so not used to it!

[strekship]

Another great place to stop is Niagara on the Lake. It takes a bit longer to get to than Niagara Falls, but it is a nice town with lots of interesting shops on the main street.

[Joel]

Yes that is true except in Quebec. But who wants to drive there anyway :p

It's only not allowed on Montreal island now, and anywhere else that it's specifically marked as forbidden. That doesn't stop tourists who drive here from turning right on reds, though. Signs 15-feet high at every entrance point to the island say you can't do it, but they do it anyway.

[MR_Candyman]

In Canada... you can turn right if at a cross roads the light shows red can't you? I seem to remember this when I was there - is this true of the US as well? Or am I just making things up!? :p

You can do it on left as well assuming you're on a one way and going onto a one way (that's travelling left of course)

[pyther]

Something to note, you can only turn right on red, in certain states. Some states allow it other prohibit it, so be careful.

Also if your going to Niagara Falls (Canadian side, much better anyways), you might want to checkout the adventure package. It includes tickets to 4 attractions. https://www.niagaraparks.com/packages/ Triple AAA sells these packages for about $35 USD. If your brother has a triple AAA card, that might be something to checkout.

[JackBauer87]

I checked out the tickets on expedia and I got some good prices, thanks for the tip!

I'm not so worried about the signage, what I'm worried about is the lane changing and speed limit. Here in India nobody sticks to their lane, zig-zag driving is the way to go. You'd be surprised at how people change their lanes and cut infront of others. And I've heard in US, they follow lane driving very very strictly - also the speed limit. Which here is broken far too often. You'll find people doing 80kmph in the middle lane - which is 30-50 kmph.

Be careful with lane changing. Some officers consider it wreckless driving and it really ****es some people off. You don't want to be a victim of road rage. Never go 5 over the speed limit and try not to change lanes more than once every couple minutes unless your trip calls for it.

Youll learn quickly a lot of people dont follow rules here. The speed and change lanes like maniacs. You also need to be careful of people that tailgate you and be sure you don't do it either.

Youll see its much easier than it sounds. I had to drive on the open road with no experience and needless to say the first couple days were scary. Its not so bad.

[sibot]

My brother told me this great site for booking air tickets and I found the cheapest rates there! So I'd recommend anyone whose flying within US to have a look here CheapAir.

Can anyone tell me a central location in NY where I can book the hotels?

Something to note, you can only turn right on red, in certain states. Some states allow it other prohibit it, so be careful.

Also if your going to Niagara Falls (Canadian side, much better anyways), you might want to checkout the adventure package. It includes tickets to 4 attractions. https://www.niagaraparks.com/packages/ Triple AAA sells these packages for about $35 USD. If your brother has a triple AAA card, that might be something to checkout.

Thanks for the tips, first time I'll be driving a left handed car! Excited! Are there any race tracks in Buffalo or Canada that I can go for a spin on? Like with no speed limits?

Thanks for the adventure pack link, I'll surely get one. I don't think my brother has an AAA card though.

Be careful with lane changing. Some officers consider it wreckless driving and it really ****es some people off. You don't want to be a victim of road rage. Never go 5 over the speed limit and try not to change lanes more than once every couple minutes unless your trip calls for it.

Youll learn quickly a lot of people dont follow rules here. The speed and change lanes like maniacs. You also need to be careful of people that tailgate you and be sure you don't do it either.

Youll see its much easier than it sounds. I had to drive on the open road with no experience and needless to say the first couple days were scary. Its not so bad.

The fastest lane is the far right lane? How do the speed limits go lane by lane? As for tailgating, I'll maintain a car or two car distance. You can't imagine how many times i crashed my car before i properly learnt how to drive. I once even hit a stationary bus! :pinch: Thanks for the tips!

[+SOOPRcow MVC]

The fastest lane is the far right lane? How do the speed limits go lane by lane? As for tailgating, I'll maintain a car or two car distance. You can't imagine how many times i crashed my car before i properly learnt how to drive. I once even hit a stationary bus! :pinch: Thanks for the tips!

The 'fast lane' is the lane to the far left. Speed limits are the same for all lanes, just people tend to speed more in the 'fast lane'.

[Admodieus]

The left lane is the fast lane, and also the passing lane. If you're unsure where you're going or just want to go at a slower pace, stick to the right lane or, when possible, the center lane (as people can pass you on both sides).

I don't live in New York (Philadelphia man myself), so I can't help with hotels and restaurants. However, try to catch a baseball game when you're here - the season's winding down, and the Mets are in a playoff race.