Travel guides for Americans
Plain-English guides to the countries Americans visit most. Prices in dollars, distances in miles, weather in °F, and the entry rules for a U.S. passport, checked against official sources.
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45 in-depth guides: Mexico City, Cancún and the Caribbean coast, the Yucatán, Oaxaca, the colonial highlands, Baja and the Pacific, with safety state by state, entry rules and money, a trip builder and a budget in pesos and dollars.
The first guide
56 in-depth guides: Paris neighborhood by neighborhood, all 17 regions plus overseas France, trains and driving, food and wine, entry rules and money, with a trip builder, a budget calculator and printable itineraries.
Destinations
18 of the countries Americans visit most on vacation, in order of U.S. visitors (2025, estimates built on U.S. Commerce Department travel data). France and Mexico are ready now; the others are being written, one country at a time.
≈ 3½ h·1,557 mi from JFK
≈ 1½ h·366 mi from JFK
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≈ 7½ h·3,442 mi from JFK
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≈ 9 h·4,266 mi from JFK
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≈ 8 h·3,625 mi from JFK
≈ 3½ h·1,559 mi from JFK
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≈ 8 h·3,581 mi from JFK
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≈ 14 h·6,758 mi from JFK
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≈ 8½ h·3,846 mi from JFK
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≈ 10½ h·4,929 mi from JFK
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≈ 3½ h·1,549 mi from JFK
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≈ 5 h·2,212 mi from JFK
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≈ 7 h·3,171 mi from JFK
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≈ 8 h·3,634 mi from JFK
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≈ 7½ h·3,359 mi from JFK
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≈ 8½ h·3,921 mi from JFK
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≈ 14½ h·6,891 mi from JFK
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≈ 3 h·1,099 mi from JFK
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Flight times are estimates for a nonstop flight, worked out from the great-circle distance between airports; real schedules vary with winds and routing, and some routes need a connection. Entry rules are for U.S. citizens traveling as tourists, checked October 2026. Rules change, so check them again close to your trip.
Entry rules at a glance
For U.S. citizens traveling as tourists, checked October 2026. None of these 18 countries needs a visa for a vacation, but a couple want a quick online form before you fly. Rules change, so check them again close to your trip.
0of 18 need a visa for a vacation
2want a quick online form before you fly
8share Europe’s 90-days-in-180 rule
Before you go
The same handful of things trips up American travelers wherever they’re headed. Sort these out before you book.
If your passport expires within six months of the day you fly home, renew it first. The Schengen countries require at least three months beyond your departure, some countries ask for six, and airlines check before you board. Renewals take weeks, so start early.
Since April 10, 2026, your fingerprints and photo are taken the first time you enter the Schengen area; passport stamps are gone. It’s free, but lines can be long, so allow time for connections. ETIAS, a €20 online pass, has not started yet: don’t pay any site that claims to sell it.
The UK needs an ETA before you fly: £20 (about $27), valid for two years of trips. The Dominican Republic needs its free e-Ticket. South Korea waives its K-ETA for Americans through December 31, 2026. Use only the official sites.
The State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program is free. Register your trip, and the nearest U.S. embassy can reach you in an emergency and send you safety alerts for that country.
Medicare usually doesn’t cover care outside the U.S., and Part D doesn’t cover drugs bought abroad. Many other U.S. plans pay little overseas. Check your plan, and consider travel medical insurance that includes evacuation.
Bring a card with no foreign transaction fee. When a card machine or ATM offers to charge you in dollars, say no and pay in the local currency: the dollar option uses the merchant’s exchange rate, which is usually worse.
Plan my trip
Routes, trains, hotels and the bookings that sell out, laid out day by day with costs in dollars, for any budget.
Tell us the basics. We’ll reply by email with questions and a quote.
One short email when a new country goes live. Nothing else.
