New York skyscrapers, California beaches, Florida theme parks, Grand Canyon, Vegas and New England leaf-peeping. The transatlantic flight that's been the UK's top long-haul destination for a century.
Around 4 million UK visitors a year — the USA is the UK's favourite long-haul destination. Direct flights from every major UK airport, a shared language, and no single trip captures it: Manhattan and New England are polar opposites from Miami or Vegas, and all of them are four time zones apart from California.
New York is the classic first trip (7h 30m from London). Florida (Orlando, Miami) dominates family/theme park holidays. California (LA, San Francisco, Yosemite) is the west coast classic. Vegas for weekend breaks and national park road trips. Boston and DC for history. Texas and the deep South for music and food.
Budget carefully: US prices shock UK travellers used to European value. Expect to tip 18–20% at restaurants, 15% on taxis, $5/day for hotel housekeeping. Sales tax is added at the till, not shown on price tags.
Direct flights from London (huge choice), Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Glasgow.
| Visa (UK passport) | ESTA required — $21 (about £17), apply online at esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Valid 2 years, multiple entries, up to 90 days per visit. Apply 72+ hours before travel. |
|---|---|
| Currency | US Dollar (USD, $). 1 GBP ≈ 1.27 USD. Tipping culture — 18–20% standard at restaurants. Cash tips for bellhops, valets, housekeeping. |
| Time zones | USA has 6 time zones. Eastern (UTC-5) for NYC/Miami/Boston, Central (-6) for Chicago/Dallas, Mountain (-7) for Denver, Pacific (-8) for LA/SF. Plus Alaska (-9) and Hawaii (-10). |
| Language | English. Spanish widely used in Florida, Texas, California. |
| Best months | Varies: May–June and September–October for NYC. Jan–April for Florida/California (warmest). July–Aug avoid Deep South/Vegas (extreme heat). |
| Flight times from UK | NYC 7h 30m · Boston 7h 10m · Miami 9h 20m · Chicago 8h 30m · LA 11h · SF 10h 50m |
| Plug type | Type A/B (two flat pins + ground). UK adaptor needed. 110V — check dual voltage on hairdryers/chargers. |
| Sales tax | NOT included in prices on the shelf. Added at the till — varies by state (NY 8.875%, Vegas 8.375%, no tax in Oregon/New Hampshire/Delaware/Montana). |
Depends hugely on region. May–June and September–October are the best "whole country" months — New England is cool, Florida is pleasant before hurricane season (August–October), Vegas/Southwest is tolerable, California is sunny. Summer (July–Aug) is expensive school-holiday season; winter is magical for New York Christmas but brutal for the Midwest.
Mild weather most places, shoulder prices.
Florida/California peak. NYC cold but no tourists.
School holidays = expensive. Vegas 40°C+. Florida storms.
UK passport holders need an ESTA — apply at esta.cbp.dhs.gov, costs $21 (about £17), valid 2 years for multiple trips up to 90 days each. Apply at least 72 hours before travel. Never use unofficial ESTA websites that charge £50+ for the same thing. Passport must be biometric/ePassport (all UK passports since 2010 are).
US Dollar (USD, $). 1 GBP ≈ 1.27 USD. Cards accepted everywhere but bring some small bills for tips. Many places add a 3–4% "credit card surcharge" at small shops — ask first. Tipping is not optional — 18–20% is expected at restaurants.
May–June and September–October are best across most of the country. Florida and the Caribbean-facing southern states have hurricane risk August–October. July–August is school holiday season (expensive) and punishingly hot in the Southwest (Vegas, Arizona = 40°C+).
7 hours 30 minutes westbound (UK to US), 6 hours 30 minutes eastbound (US to UK — jet stream helps). Boston is 7h 10m. LA is 11 hours. Miami is 9h 20m.
London Heathrow has the widest choice (40+ daily flights to 15+ US cities). Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Glasgow all fly direct to JFK, Orlando or LAX. Other UK airports (Bristol, Newcastle, Belfast) connect via London or Dublin.
Yes, with common sense. The most practical concerns for UK travellers are healthcare (travel insurance is non-negotiable — a broken leg can cost £40,000 uninsured), tipping culture (get cash out), and navigating the US customs queue on arrival (can be 2+ hours at peak times). Solo travellers in major cities are safe; some urban areas are best avoided at night — your hotel will advise.