Reply To: Prices in the USA

[davefl]

Ok, after 6 weeks with a week to go here I can talk with a little authority on this. It really depends where you go and what you’re eating/drinking.

Yes the major cities are ridiculous but honestly no more expensive than London, Amsterdam etc.

If you want cheap groceries, you go to Walmart and Aldi like you would in the UK with Asda/Lidl/Aldi but if you’re a Waitrose/M&S kind of shopper then you’ll spend big in Safeway/Publix etc. Top tip – Sign up for a loyalty card at those and you’ll save massively – You can do it with your email address at the till.

There are still hotels in Vegas with no resort fee if you shop around. Hilton GV if I remember correctly. Valet fees everywhere are outrageous. Either ditch the car before you get to the hotel and re-rent after your stay or find a public lot and Uber/Lyft/Walk to the hotel.

I found a cunning way to avoid the tip in restaurants which seems to work 90% of the time – Use a debit card to pay, (Wise, Revolut, Chase, Whatever) and then when the server comes back with the slip for you to sign, add the tip in the box provided…. and for some reason they never update the transaction to include the tip. Doesn’t work where you are presented with an e-pad to sign/swipe/add tip but every restaurant that still uses paper slips it seems not to update.

Plenty of places doing happy hours if you want to eat and drink early.

For familes, you have to experience a buffet restaurant such as Golden Corral at least once. Not fine dining but all you can eat (and soft drink) for 4 for less then $100 is the way to go.

@Froggee Kids will lap it up

Don’t use stuff like Uber Eats – taxes, tip, service fee, extra charges etc turn a $15 meal into $30. Find the restaurant online with google maps and choose one of the no-fee options for ordering directly with the restaurant and then go pick it up.

If you intend to visit any National Park sites then buy an Interagency (AKA America the Beautiful) pass for $80. Allows a car and 4 people into any park/BLM/Federal land site and covers you for parking at trailheads.

Btw, it was so &^&%ing hot in Utah my pass melted on the dashboard, it’s now soft and wiggly.

If you’re in Florida or California then a State Park pass is equally good value.