Travel to USA: California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada
USA On The Road classical self-drive trip review

This trip review discusses how to rent a car and travel to USA West Coast, from Los Angeles to San Francisco, through Arizona, Utah and Nevada, sleeping into motels on the way. Visit to the most beautiful national parks in the USA, like Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon and Death Valley. Trip through Sonora desert between giant Saguaro cactus. Pictures from USA South West. USA On The Road trip.

WHAT DO DO AND WHAT TO SEE IN SOUTHWEST?

In a nutshell: incredible landscapes, including some of the unique world's wonders like the Grand Canyon. A trip to southwest is ideal for nature enthusiasts, for photographers, for geologists, but also for botanists thanks to the endemic flora and the unique trees like sequoias and giant Saguaro cactus. In any case, although most of the trip will be usually focused on nature and landscapes, you will also visit beautiful cities like San Francisco and you will probably want to stop a couple of nights in Las Vegas, which is on the way traveling from Utah to California.

HOW TO ORGANIZE A SELF-DRIVE TRIP TO THE USA?

Traveling throughout the USA is easy and very safe. All that you will need to do, is to rent a car (obviously is best to book it in advance, especially during high season), making sure that the contract allows to travel to all the states you wish to visit. The roads are all in good conditions, but if you would like to sometimes leave the paved road to explore more, you may need at least an "intermediate" class car allowing to drive safely on gravel roads with some possible sand. Accommodations may be all pre-booked: this will give you the peace of mind to certainly have a place where to sleep, without hearing "sorry, we are sold-out tonight", but will make the journey less flexible, as you can't stop longer or shorter in the place you visit, depending on how much you like it. The best way would be to travel off season, avoiding July and August, so that you may travel without pre-booked accommodation (just stop to a motel when you are tired and see the "vacancy" sign).

WHAT IS THE BEST SEASON TO GO TO SOUTHWEST?

The best time to visit the southwest, including California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada is probably late spring and late summer / early autumn, because the weather is milder and there are less tourists. July and August may be crowded and very, very hot, with temperature often exceeding 40 degrees Celsius throughout Arizona, Nevada and internal regions of California. Wintertime is probably too cold, with possible snow at higher altitudes (you will drive up to 3000 meters of elevation).

TRAVEL TIPS AND IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE GOING TO SOUTH-WEST USA

The US is a major tourist destination among people from all over the world, so it is not difficult to find in the web lot of useful information needed to plan the tour. We nonetheless publish a brief summary of the most important things to know before you travel to the United States, inviting to always check the latest information on other web sites:

• Is it necessary to bring a credit card? When traveling to the USA it is strongly recommended to bring at least one credit card (better two) having sufficient funds to cover the cost of unpaid services, as well as the deposits that are sometimes made as a guarantee by hotels and the car rental companies (they may "block" an amount of money higher than the actually agreed price, unlocking the funds only once the payment has been confirmed and the room or the car has been returned in its original conditions).
  
  
• Can I use my foreign driving license in the USA? The driving license from most European countries is valid in the USA, but we suggest to consult the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country to make 100% sure that you can drive in the USA without any additional documentation.
  
  
• What kind of power plug adapters will I need in the USA? The power outlets in the United States consist of two perpendicular flat slats (type A or type B accordingly to the international classification) and the voltage is 110 / 120V at 60Hz. While most smartphone and laptop's power supply units will automatically adjust to this voltage, some devices (like hair driers) may either be provided with a selector for 110V to be set manually, or will need a transformer.
  
  
• Will my smart phone work in the USA? Modern smart phones from most countries will wotk in the USA, however, your SIM card may be either blocked in foreign countries or will have very high roaming costs. We suggest to contact your mobile phone operator to carefully check if your SIM card works in the USA and at what price. Some mobile operator has convenient packages to save on roaming expenses, to be activated before you leave your contry.
  
  
• Is it safe to travel in the USA? Travelling to United States does not involve any particular risk, even in very isolated areas and deserts, where the crime rate is not as high as advertised by media. It is in any case advised to adopt good common sense and to avoid leaving valuables in sight when you park your car. We recommend to bring a photocopy of your passport and other important documents, to be kept in a separate place from the originals.
  
  
• Are the walks in the national parks suitable for everyone? The national parks of the United States are often equipped with trails that have different levels of difficulty and different trip times: many are suitable for families with children, while others should be considered only by the most trained trekker who have plenty of time to visit the intended destination. At the visitor center of every national park you will always find the latest information and updated maps. Please never forget that most of the national parks are located at altitudes above 2,000 meters, where the thin and dry air (but still very hot in summertime) imposes drinking plenty even during shortest walks, protecting the skin with adequate clothing and sun screen.
  
  

Airport transfers