please help! Travel advice for 1st time visitor to USA

Hi, i'm a 23 year old from the UK plan on visiting my girlfriend who's
spent the summer working in ocean city, maryland.

I've travelled quite alot through Europe and Asia but have never been
anywhere in America, and so I have a few questions

Where would be best to fly to to get to Ocean City? New York or Baltimore?
I'd need to get a coach or bus to ocean city; but the greyhound site won't
let me reserve tickets since i'm not from the US, are these services always
full or can i just 'turn up'?

Will a regular VISA credit card from the UK work in US ATMS (probably a
silly question but just to be on the safe side!).

Cheers!

Dave
I would recommend flying into Baltimore/BWI and then make a connection
for the commuter flight to Ocean City, MD. It was just announced that a
company has started making daily flights from BWI to Ocean City, I believe
flight time BWI to O.C. is 40 min or so.
If Greyhound is your choice, still fly into BWI then take ground
transportation to Baltimore(20 miles) and from there take Greyhound to O.C.
I can not say as to how full the busses are but I would say that you should
not have a problem except if you are traveling on a Friday Afternoon. I
haven't had to travel by buss since I was in the military 40 years ago.
If you flew into New York you would still have to get to Baltimore(250
miles+-) and then take Greyhound from Baltimore to O.C. Adding additional
time and expense

As to your VISA card I would suggest checking with the company that issued
your card, and be sure to ask about their currency conversion fees/rates.

I hope this helps

Frank

In article ,
"Dave" wrote:

Hi, i'm a 23 year old from the UK plan on visiting my girlfriend who's
spent the summer working in ocean city, maryland.

I've travelled quite alot through Europe and Asia but have never been
anywhere in America, and so I have a few questions

Where would be best to fly to to get to Ocean City? New York or Baltimore?

That depends on the cost of tickets, but Baltimore is a lot closer to
Ocean City, MD than New York.

I'd need to get a coach or bus to ocean city; but the greyhound site won't
let me reserve tickets since i'm not from the US, are these services always
full or can i just 'turn up'?

I don't know about buses. Try calling them to find out.

Will a regular VISA credit card from the UK work in US ATMS (probably a
silly question but just to be on the safe side!).

I believe so, but it cannot hurt to contact the bank who issued your
credit card to confirm.

I've used both visa credit and debit UK cards in the US, never had a
problem.

They (probably still) mostly use the magnetic strip, rather than the
chip.

Don't go with only one way of getting access to funds though - just in
case.


Hanne in london

In message .com
wrote:

I've used both visa credit and debit UK cards in the US, never had a
problem.

Bank machines aren't usually a problem, but on my last trip I found that
many stores don't accept debit at all unless it has a Visa logo (in
other words, unless they can submit it through the credit card system --
They naturally don't care where the funds come from)

They (probably still) mostly use the magnetic strip, rather than the
chip.

The strip is used almost exclusively.

--
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DevilsPGD wrote:
I've used both visa credit and debit UK cards in the US, never had a
problem.

Bank machines aren't usually a problem, but on my last trip I found that
many stores don't accept debit at all unless it has a Visa logo (in
other words, unless they can submit it through the credit card system --
They naturally don't care where the funds come from)

Right, yes, a "switch" card (UK debit card system) will not do in the
store. But many UK banks now offer visa symbol on their debit cards.


Hanne in London

On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 23:34:59 +0100, "Dave"
wrote:

Hi, i'm a 23 year old from the UK plan on visiting my girlfriend who's
spent the summer working in ocean city, maryland.

I've travelled quite alot through Europe and Asia but have never been
anywhere in America, and so I have a few questions

Where would be best to fly to to get to Ocean City? New York or Baltimore?

fly into BWI
take www.bayrunners.com from BWI to Salisbury, Maryland
take www.greyhound.com from Salisbury, Maryland to Ocean City

this is the quickest

if your girlfriend knows of anyone who has a car, they could
pick you up in Salisbury; it is 45 minutes drive



I'd need to get a coach or bus to ocean city; but the greyhound site won't
let me reserve tickets since i'm not from the US, are these services always
full or can i just 'turn up'?

Will a regular VISA credit card from the UK work in US ATMS (probably a
silly question but just to be on the safe side!).

Cheers!

Shawn Hirn:
I believe so, but it cannot hurt to contact the bank who issued your
credit card to confirm.

Dave Hatunen:
If the banks there are anything like the banks here in the USA,
the people at the bank won't know anything, or will give wrong
information. Call VISA instead; use the phone number on the back
of the card.

Not the people at the bank *branch*; the people at the bank's Visa
card department. Which is what that phone number will reach, I'm sure.
--
Mark Brader | "And don't forget there were five separate computers
| in those days."
Toronto | -- Bob NE20G3018 (Ira Levin, "This Perfect Day")

On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 21:55:47 -0400, "FLiP"
wrote:

If Greyhound is your choice, still fly into BWI then take ground
transportation to Baltimore(20 miles) and from there take Greyhound to O.C.

Or for a more direct route, take the Super Shuttle from BWI to
Annapolis, and catch the Greyhound to OC there. Everything coming from
Baltimore has to go through Annapolis anyway to get to OC.

-- Larry

On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 23:49:55 -0400, Shawn Hirn
wrote:

Will a regular VISA credit card from the UK work in US ATMS (probably a
silly question but just to be on the safe side!).

I believe so, but it cannot hurt to contact the bank who issued your
credit card to confirm.

If the banks there are anything like the banks here in the USA,
the people at the bank won't know anything, or will give wrong
information. Call VISA instead; use the phone number on the back
of the card.

************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *