Packing list for the United States (USA), travel insurance for the United States (USA), and taking your belongings

What to take with you to the United States (USA): spotlighted

Featured items:

• Documents: passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon arrival, ESTA (apply in time!) and copies of both.
• Money: credit card and cash US dollars. These come in handy everywhere in the world.
• Outdoor and conveniences: cap (MAGA or not, that varies per state) and sunglasses.
• Clothing: depends on where you are going and what you are going to do. Generally light clothing in the summer, warm layers in the winter. You can also think of beachwear, going-out clothing and of course rain gear.
• Shoes: good walking shoes for hikes, comfortable sneakers for when you stay in the cities and sandals/slippers for Florida and California.
• Medicines and travel pharmacy: a small first aid kit.
• Extra: foldable bag, in some states plastic bags are prohibited. Technology and equipment: world plug type A&B. (see also world plug or travel plug), otherwise you will quickly be socially exhausted. Power bank, because you really use your phone for everything.

What are some other options for packing as well?

• Reusable water bottle for all refill stations.
• International driving permit for car rental.
• Camping gear such as a headlamp or flashlight, for in the National Parks.
• Quick-drying travel towel.

What should you keep in mind when traveling to the United States with your belongings?

• That tipping can add a lot on your expenses, so take some extra money with you!
• That legislation can differ greatly per state, so you are allowed to have some things with you in one state and not in another.

Are there mosquitoes in the United States?

• In the US you will encounter mosquitoes almost everywhere in the summer, but some areas are worse than others.
• The humid states in the southeast, such as Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia are heaven for mosquitoes. Texas, warm and with a lot of stagnant water, is also attractive to mosquitoes. Minnesota and Wisconsin are particularly bad around the lakes in the summer (Minnesota is sometimes jokingly called “the land of 10,000 lakes and 10,000,000 mosquitoes”).
• Hawaii has a tropical climate, so mosquitoes are everywhere.
• Summer (May-September) is peak season, but in the south it starts in spring.
• Mosquitoes are most active in the mornings and evenings.
• West Nile virus is prevalent throughout the US. Dengue is prevalent in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and now the southern US all the way to Washington D.C.!
• You usually don’t need to protect yourself from mosquitoes, but in areas where West Nile virus is common, it’s smart to protect yourself — especially in the summer.

Are there sandflies in the United States?

• Due to climate change, sand flies that carry leishmaniasis, like mosquitoes with dengue, have now arrived in the US.
• In Texas they are endemic and have the highest incidence, but in Florida, Oklahoma and Arizona sand flies can also sporadically spread leishmaniasis.
• Don't be too scared, it is very rare for someone to get infected, especially a tourist.

Can you buy DEET, or other mosquito repellents, in the United States?

• There are a lot of products available in the US such as DEET, picaridin and natural products.
• You can buy mosquito repellents at supermarkets like Walmart and Target, drugstores like CVS and Walgreens, outdoor stores like REI, Cabela's, Amazon and even some gas stations.
• OFF! is a popular brand, but 100% DEET is overkill.

Can you buy a joint or weed in the United States, or take it with you to the United States?

• Just like almost everything, it also varies by state whether weed is legal. At the government level, it is illegal in any case and you can therefore be punished, especially as a tourist, if you do not know the rules well in the state where you are.
• For medical use, cannabis is legal in 39/50 states. In more than 20 states you are allowed to use it for recreational purposes and here the government legislation is therefore not followed.
• And then you have states like Texas or Idaho where you can still be arrested for a joint as if it were 1993.
• The amount of weed (plants) you are allowed to have differs per state.
• As a tourist you must therefore pay close attention to the rules in the state where you are. You are usually allowed to buy cannabis as a 21+ tourist at a regulated shop ("dispensary"), upon presentation of your passport.
• Use is only permitted in private spaces (so not on the street, not in parks, not on hotel balconies, and certainly not in Disneyland parking lots). Weed may be legal in some places, but often not socially accepted.
• In any case, you are not allowed to bring weed to the US, no matter where you fly to. Federal rules apply once you enter the country. The same applies when you travel across state borders, you are also not allowed to bring anything with you.
• In states where a joint or weed is not allowed (e.g. Georgia, Idaho), you risk fines, arrest, or can even get into immigration problems.
• As a foreigner, you also run the risk of visa problems or re-entry issues: cannabis use could theoretically make you “inadmissible” under US immigration law, even if it was legal where you smoked it.