{"id":1306307,"date":"2026-10-08T10:53:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T10:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/?page_id=1306307"},"modified":"2026-10-12T13:57:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T13:57:15","slug":"usa","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/north-america\/usa\/","title":{"rendered":"USA"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":200,"featured_media":0,"parent":1302043,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"hw-hub-country-states","meta":{"footnotes":"","hw_hub_hero_eyebrow":"","hw_hub_hero_h1":"","hw_hub_hero_intro":"","hw_hub_hero_image":"","hw_hub_hero_overlay":"","hw_hub_hero_cta":"","hw_hub_why_title":"","hw_hub_why_body":"","hw_hub_why_link_label":"","hw_hub_why_link_url":"","hw_hub_why_cards":"","hw_hub_stats":"","hw_hub_countries_title":"","hw_hub_countries_intro":"","hw_hub_featured":"","hw_hub_regions":"","hw_hub_hostels_title":"","hw_hub_hostels_intro":"","hw_hub_hostels_cta_label":"","hw_hub_hostels_cta_url":"","hw_hub_hostels_source":"","hw_hub_hostels_location_type":"","hw_hub_hostels_location_id":"","hw_hub_hostels_currency":"","hw_hub_hostels_count":"","hw_hub_hostels_cache":"","hw_hub_hostels":"","hw_hub_when_title":"","hw_hub_when_intro":"","hw_hub_seasons":"","hw_hub_costs_title":"","hw_hub_costs_body":"","hw_hub_cost_rows":"","hw_hub_cost_note":"","hw_hub_money_reads":"","hw_hub_rail_title":"","hw_hub_rail_body":"","hw_hub_rail_link_label":"","hw_hub_rail_link_url":"","hw_hub_rail_image":"","hw_hub_routes":"","hw_hub_events_title":"","hw_hub_events_intro":"","hw_hub_events_source":"","hw_hub_events_continent":"","hw_hub_events_count":"","hw_hub_events_cache":"","hw_hub_events_cta_label":"","hw_hub_events_cta_url":"","hw_hub_events":"","hw_hub_events_pills":"","hw_hub_reads_intro":"","hw_hub_article_rows":"","hw_hub_show_read_time":"","hw_hub_all_title":"","hw_hub_all_body":"","hw_hub_all_cta":"","hw_hub_trips_title":"","hw_hub_trips_note":"","hw_hub_trips":"","hw_hub_faq_title":"","hw_hub_faq_note":"","hw_hub_faqs":"","hw_hub_cta_title":"","hw_hub_cta_body":"","hw_hub_cta_buttons":"","hw_hub_newsletter_title":"","hw_hub_newsletter_body":"","hw_hub_newsletter_shortcode":"","hw_hub_hub_term":"","hw_hub_scope_rows":"","hw_hub_country_hero_eyebrow":"USA country guide","hw_hub_country_hero_h1":"Things to do in USA","hw_hub_country_hero_intro":"Fifty states, thirteen time zones counting territories, and national parks the size of small countries. Too big to plan as one trip, so pick a corner.","hw_hub_country_hero_image":"1307995","hw_hub_country_hero_overlay":"medium","hw_hub_country_hero_cta":"Pick a state | #states\r\nWhat it costs | #money","hw_hub_country_stats":"$45 | Dorm bed, from\r\n63 | National parks\r\n6h | New York to Los Angeles by air\r\n$250 | Park pass for visitors from abroad","hw_hub_country_intro_title":"Pick a state, not a city","hw_hub_country_intro_body":"The USA is the size of Europe and the mistake is treating it as one destination. New York to Los Angeles is a six-hour flight, and driving it takes the better part of a week without stopping.\r\n\r\nThe practical approach is to pick a region. The Northeast gives you New York, Boston, Washington and Philadelphia within a few hours of each other by train. California runs San Francisco to Los Angeles to San Diego down one coast road. The Southwest links Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches and Monument Valley in a loop that is one of the great road trips anywhere. The South covers New Orleans, Nashville and Memphis and the music that came out of them.\r\n\r\nHostels exist mainly in the big cities and near some national parks; everywhere else assumes a car and a motel.\r\n\r\nTwo to three weeks per region. The parks are the thing most visitors underrate.","hw_hub_country_facts":"Language | English. Spanish widely spoken in the Southwest and Florida\r\nCurrency | US dollar\r\nEmergency | 911\r\nTap water | Safe to drink\r\nTipping | 18\u201322% in restaurants and bars. Not optional in practice\r\nSales tax | Added at the till, not shown on the price tag\r\nHow long to stay | Two to three weeks per region\r\nBest months | Depends entirely on region \u2014 see When to go","hw_hub_country_cities_title":"","hw_hub_country_cities_intro":"","hw_hub_country_cities_live":"","hw_hub_country_cities":"","hw_hub_country_trips_title":"What kind of trip is this?","hw_hub_country_trips_intro":"The USA does cities, road trips and national parks, and the parks are what people remember.","hw_hub_country_trip_types":"City break | blue | city | A handful of genuinely great cities. | New York over a week; Chicago architecture by boat; New Orleans in the French Quarter | Manhattan; French Quarter; Chicago Loop | New York; Illinois; Louisiana | city-break\nAdventure | green | backpack | Sixty-three national parks, several the size of countries. | Hike the Grand Canyon rim to river; Yosemite Valley in spring; Zion's Narrows | Grand Canyon; Yosemite; Zion | Utah; Arizona; California | adventure\nCulture | purple | culture | Music cities, museums and civil rights history. | Live blues in Chicago; The Smithsonian, free; Civil rights sites in Memphis and Montgomery | Smithsonian; Memphis; New Orleans | Louisiana; Tennessee; Washington DC | culture\nBeach | sunset | sunglasses | Three coastlines and very different water. | Drive Highway 1; Miami Beach; Surf in San Diego | Big Sur; Miami Beach; San Diego | California; Florida; Hawaii | beach\nNightlife | pink | nightclub | Expensive, and tipping applies to every drink. | Live music on Frenchmen Street; A Brooklyn night out; Chicago blues bars | Frenchmen Street; Brooklyn; Wicker Park | Louisiana; New York; Texas | nightlife\nFood | sunset | local-markets | Regional and deeply specific \u2014 barbecue, Creole, tacos, diners. | Barbecue in Texas or Memphis; A Creole gumbo; Tacos in Los Angeles | New Orleans; Los Angeles; Memphis | Louisiana; Texas; California | food","hw_hub_country_do_title":"Things to do in the USA","hw_hub_country_do_body":"The national parks are the strongest argument for coming. Since January 2026, visitors from outside the USA pay $250 for the America the Beautiful annual pass, which covers entry to all federal parks and lands for a year; US residents still pay $80. Without the pass, non-residents also pay a $100-per-person surcharge at 11 of the busiest parks, including the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain, so if you are visiting more than two of them, the pass is the cheaper option. The Southwest loop from Las Vegas links the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce and Arches over ten days.\r\n\r\nBook campsites and park lodges months ahead. Several of the busiest parks use timed entry or reservation systems in peak season, and they sell out.\r\n\r\nIn the cities, New York deserves a week: the Met and the MoMA, Central Park, Brooklyn, and walking neighbourhoods rather than ticking sights. Washington's Smithsonian museums are all free.\r\n\r\nNew Orleans is the most distinctive city in the country \u2014 Creole food, brass bands on the street, and live music on Frenchmen Street rather than Bourbon.","hw_hub_country_do_points":"Park pass | $250 a year for visitors from abroad; $80 for US residents\r\n$100 surcharge | Per person at 11 of the busiest parks if you have no pass\r\nBook parks ahead | Timed entry and campsite reservations sell out months in advance\r\nSmithsonian | All free, in Washington DC\r\nFrenchmen Street | Where New Orleans music actually happens, not Bourbon Street","hw_hub_country_do_tag":"things-to-do","hw_hub_country_do_more":"All things to do in the USA","hw_hub_country_food_title":"Eating in the USA","hw_hub_country_food_body":"American food is regional and the generalisations are useless. Texas and Memphis do different barbecue and argue about it. New Orleans has Creole and Cajun cooking that exists nowhere else. Los Angeles has the best Mexican food outside Mexico, and New York has the best of most other things.\r\n\r\nDiners serve enormous breakfasts for $10 to $18, food trucks and taquerias run $8 to $15, and a sit-down restaurant dinner is $25 to $50 before tip.\r\n\r\nTwo practical points. Tipping is 18 to 22 per cent and is how staff are paid, so it is not optional. And sales tax is added at the till rather than shown on the price, so everything costs more than the menu says.\r\n\r\nPortion sizes are genuinely larger than elsewhere, and sharing or taking leftovers is normal.","hw_hub_country_food_points":"Diner breakfast | $10\u201318, and enormous\r\nTipping | 18\u201322%, and it is how staff are paid\r\nSales tax | Added at the till. The price on the menu is not the price\r\nRegional | Barbecue, Creole, tacos and diners are different countries","hw_hub_country_food_tag":"food","hw_hub_country_food_more":"All food guides for the USA","hw_hub_country_nightlife_title":"Going out in the USA","hw_hub_country_nightlife_body":"New Orleans is the one built for it, with live music every night on Frenchmen Street and a drinking culture that includes going outside with your drink, which is legal there and almost nowhere else.\r\n\r\nNew York, Chicago and Los Angeles all have deep scenes across neighbourhoods rather than concentrated strips \u2014 Brooklyn, Wicker Park, Silver Lake.\r\n\r\nThe practicalities catch visitors out. The drinking age is 21 and photo ID is checked regardless of how old you look, with foreign passports sometimes refused by venues that only accept US ID. Last call is often 2am outside New York and New Orleans.\r\n\r\nA beer is $6 to $10 and cocktails $12 to $18, plus tip on every round.","hw_hub_country_nightlife_points":"Drinking age | 21, and ID is checked. Some venues refuse foreign ID\r\nNew Orleans | Live music nightly, and legal drinking in the street\r\nPrices | Beer $6\u201310, cocktails $12\u201318, plus a tip on each round\r\nLast call | Often 2am, though New York and New Orleans run later","hw_hub_country_nightlife_tag":"nightlife","hw_hub_country_nightlife_more":"All nightlife guides for the USA","hw_hub_country_transport_title":"Getting around the USA","hw_hub_country_transport_body":"Fly between regions \u2014 domestic flights are frequent and often cheap booked ahead \u2014 and drive within them.\r\n\r\nA car is essential outside the big cities, and it is how the country is designed. Rental is $40 to $90 a day, fuel is cheap by European standards, and under-25 drivers pay a substantial young driver surcharge. An international permit is not usually required alongside an EU or UK licence.\r\n\r\nAmtrak works well in the Northeast corridor between Washington, New York and Boston, and is scenic but slow elsewhere. Greyhound and Flixbus cover intercity routes cheaply.\r\n\r\nNew York, Chicago, Boston, Washington and San Francisco have usable public transport. Los Angeles, and most of the country, does not.","hw_hub_country_transport_points":"Fly between regions | New York to LA is six hours. Driving it takes a week\r\nCar hire | $40\u201390 a day, with a heavy surcharge for under-25s\r\nAmtrak | Good in the Northeast corridor, slow elsewhere\r\nCity transit | Works in New York and Chicago. Not in Los Angeles","hw_hub_country_transport_tag":"transport","hw_hub_country_transport_more":"All transport guides for the USA","hw_hub_country_money_title":"What the USA costs","hw_hub_country_money_body":"This is an expensive country and the hidden costs make it worse than the sticker price. Dorms start around $45 and run to $80 in New York and San Francisco, restaurant dinners are $25 to $50 before tip, and a beer is $6 to $10.\r\n\r\nAdd 18 to 22 per cent tipping on food and drinks and sales tax at the till, and a $40 dinner becomes $52.\r\n\r\nA day comes to $100 to $180 in cities. The levers are supermarkets and food trucks, hostel kitchens, free museums in Washington, and, if you are visiting several of the big national parks, the $250 annual pass for visitors from abroad.\r\n\r\nHealth insurance is not optional. Medical care is extremely expensive and an uninsured emergency room visit can run to thousands of dollars.","hw_hub_country_money_points":"Dorm bed | From $45, up to $80 in New York and San Francisco\r\nA day, all in | $100\u2013180 in cities\r\nTip and tax | Add roughly 30% to menu prices between them\r\nPark pass | $250 for visitors from abroad\r\nInsurance | Not optional. An uninsured ER visit runs to thousands","hw_hub_country_money_tag":"budget","hw_hub_country_money_more":"All budget guides for the USA","hw_hub_country_safety_title":"Staying safe in the USA","hw_hub_country_safety_body":"The USA is safe for most travellers in the places they go, with crime concentrated in specific neighbourhoods rather than spread evenly. Ask locally or at your hostel which areas to avoid at night, because the answer varies block by block in a way that maps do not show.\r\n\r\nThe single most important thing is health insurance. There is no universal healthcare, an ambulance ride alone can cost over a thousand dollars, and an emergency room visit without cover can be financially serious.\r\n\r\nDriving is the most likely risk to a traveller: long distances, high speeds, and distances between fuel stops in the West that catch people out. Check water and fuel before desert drives.\r\n\r\nIn the national parks, heat kills people in the Grand Canyon and Death Valley every year, altitude affects visitors in the Rockies, and wildlife rules about bears and bison are there because people ignore them and get hurt.","hw_hub_country_safety_points":"Health insurance | Essential. There is no universal healthcare and costs are extreme\r\nEmergency | 911\r\nNeighbourhoods vary | Block by block. Ask locally rather than guessing\r\nDesert and park heat | Grand Canyon and Death Valley kill visitors yearly. Carry water","hw_hub_country_safety_tag":"safety","hw_hub_country_safety_more":"All safety guides for the USA","hw_hub_country_entry_title":"Entry and documents","hw_hub_country_entry_body":"Visa Waiver Program countries \u2014 most of Europe, the UK, Australia, Japan and others \u2014 need an approved ESTA before travelling, applied for online, valid two years, for stays up to 90 days. The fee is $40. Apply at least 72 hours before departure and only through the official government site, as many lookalike sites charge far more.\r\n\r\nEveryone else needs a visa, usually a B-2 tourist visa, which requires an interview at an embassy and can take months to schedule. Start early.\r\n\r\nNote that travel to certain countries can make you ineligible for ESTA and require a full visa instead. Passports must be valid for the stay and machine-readable.\r\n\r\nRules change with administrations, so check the official position close to travel.","hw_hub_country_entry_points":"ESTA | Required for Visa Waiver countries. $40, official site only \u2014 copycats overcharge\r\nApply early | At least 72 hours ahead. Visa interviews can take months\r\nTravel history | Visits to some countries can void ESTA eligibility\r\nRules change | Check the official position close to travel","hw_hub_country_entry_tag":"travel-tips","hw_hub_country_entry_more":"All travel tips for the USA","hw_hub_country_season_title":"When to go","hw_hub_country_season_intro":"Too big for one answer. Broadly, spring and autumn work almost everywhere, summer suits the north and the parks, and winter suits the south and the desert.","hw_hub_country_season_note":"Average highs for New York. This is a continent \u2014 Alaska, Florida, Arizona and Maine share almost nothing climatically. Desert parks are dangerous in midsummer and ideal in spring and autumn.","hw_hub_country_season_rows":"January | 4 | 2 | Cold in the north. Good for Florida, the desert and skiing\r\nFebruary | 6 | 2 | Still winter. Mardi Gras in New Orleans\r\nMarch | 11 | 3 | Spring in the south. Desert parks at their best\r\nApril | 17 | 4 | Excellent almost everywhere. Cherry blossom in Washington\r\nMay | 22 | 5 | Superb. Parks opening and crowds not yet arrived\r\nJune | 27 | 4 | Summer. Parks busy, north at its best\r\nJuly | 30 | 3 | Peak crowds and heat. Deserts dangerous, north excellent\r\nAugust | 29 | 3 | Same. Humid in the east and south\r\nSeptember | 25 | 5 | The best month overall. Warm, clearer and quieter\r\nOctober | 18 | 5 | Excellent. Fall colour in New England and the north\r\nNovember | 12 | 3 | Cooling. Thanksgiving fills transport for a week\r\nDecember | 6 | 3 | Cold in the north, warm in the south, and the holidays are expensive","hw_hub_country_budget_title":"What your trip will cost","hw_hub_country_budget_intro":"Pick how you travel and how long for. Per night, for one person, in US dollars, before tip and tax.","hw_hub_country_budget_note":"Tipping at 18\u201322% and sales tax added at the till push real costs roughly 30% above menu prices. Car hire at $40\u201390 a day sits outside these figures.","hw_hub_country_budget_rows":"Shoestring | 45 | 30 | 15 | 15\r\nMiddle of the road | 70 | 65 | 40 | 45\r\nComfortable | 130 | 110 | 70 | 90","hw_hub_country_budget_currency":"$","hw_hub_country_events_title":"What is on while you are there","hw_hub_country_events_intro":"Two of these fill entire cities, and one shuts the country for a week.","hw_hub_country_events_source":"api","hw_hub_country_events_country":"usa","hw_hub_country_events_count":"8","hw_hub_country_events_cache":"24","hw_hub_country_events_cta_label":"All events in the USA","hw_hub_country_events_cta_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/events\/north-america\/usa\/","hw_hub_country_events":"Mardi Gras | February or March | New Orleans | Parades for weeks before Fat Tuesday. Accommodation books a year ahead. |  | \nThanksgiving | Fourth Thursday in November | Nationwide | The busiest travel week of the year. Flights and buses fill and prices spike. |  | \nSXSW | March | Austin | Music, film and tech across the whole city for ten days. |  | \nFall colour | Late September to October | New England \u00b7 the Rockies | The reason a lot of people visit the northeast in autumn. |  | \nIndependence Day | 4 July | Nationwide | Fireworks everywhere, and a long weekend that fills the parks. |  | \nCoachella and festival season | April onwards | California and nationwide | The start of a summer festival calendar that runs to September. |  | ","hw_hub_country_hostels_title":"Where to stay in the USA","hw_hub_country_hostels_intro":"The highest-rated hostels in the country, live from Hostelworld. New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco have the most \u2014 outside big cities, motels are the norm.","hw_hub_country_hostels_cta_label":"All hostels in the USA","hw_hub_country_hostels_cta_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/hostels\/north-america\/usa\/","hw_hub_country_hostels_source":"api","hw_hub_country_hostels_location_type":"country","hw_hub_country_hostels_location_id":"222","hw_hub_country_hostels_currency":"USD","hw_hub_country_hostels_count":"12","hw_hub_country_hostels_cache":"12","hw_hub_country_hostels":"","hw_hub_country_team_title":"","hw_hub_country_team_intro":"","hw_hub_country_team":"","hw_hub_country_faq_title":"USA travel questions","hw_hub_country_faq_note":"The ones we get asked most.","hw_hub_country_faqs":"How much of the USA can I see in two weeks? | One region. New York to Los Angeles is a six-hour flight and driving it takes a week without stopping. Pick the Northeast, California, the Southwest parks or the South, and do it properly.\r\nDo I need an ESTA or a visa? | Visa Waiver Program countries \u2014 most of Europe, the UK, Australia \u2014 need an approved ESTA before travelling, which costs $40 and must be applied for on the official government site only. Everyone else needs a visa with an embassy interview that can take months to schedule.\r\nIs the USA expensive? | Yes, and worse than the sticker price. Dorms from $45, restaurant dinners $25 to $50, and then 18 to 22 per cent tipping plus sales tax added at the till \u2014 roughly 30 per cent on top of menu prices. A day in cities is $100 to $180.\r\nHow does tipping actually work? | 18 to 22 per cent in restaurants and bars, and it is how staff are paid rather than a bonus for good service. Tip on the pre-tax total, add a dollar or two per drink at a bar, and expect it to be expected.\r\nDo I need a car? | Outside New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington and San Francisco, yes. The country is built around driving, rental is $40 to $90 a day, and under-25 drivers pay a substantial surcharge.\r\nWhat is the America the Beautiful pass? | An annual pass covering entry to all federal national parks and lands. Since January 2026, it costs $250 for visitors from outside the USA and $80 for US residents. Without it, non-residents pay an extra $100 per person at 11 of the busiest parks, including the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone, so the pass pays off if you visit more than two of them.\r\nDo I really need travel insurance? | More than anywhere else in this guide. There is no universal healthcare, an ambulance alone can cost over a thousand dollars, and an uninsured emergency room visit can run into tens of thousands.","hw_hub_country_cta_title":"Say yes to hostels, meet the world","hw_hub_country_cta_body":"Compare hostels across the USA \u2014 live prices, real reviews and free cancellation on most bookings. Then meet the people already there in the app.","hw_hub_country_cta_buttons":"Find hostels in the USA | https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/hostels\/north-america\/usa\/\r\nGet the app | https:\/\/hostelworld.onelink.me\/IdiK\/f5a50nhd","hw_hub_country_newsletter_title":"Get the good stuff monthly","hw_hub_country_newsletter_body":"New city guides, deals and route ideas. No filler.","hw_hub_country_newsletter_shortcode":"","hw_hub_country_hub_term":"usa","hw_hub_country_parent_hub":"north-america","hw_hub_country_scope_rows":"1","hw_hub_city_hero_eyebrow":"","hw_hub_city_hero_h1":"","hw_hub_city_hero_intro":"","hw_hub_city_hero_image":"","hw_hub_city_hero_overlay":"","hw_hub_city_hero_cta":"","hw_hub_city_live_stats":"","hw_hub_city_stats":"","hw_hub_city_intro_title":"","hw_hub_city_intro_body":"","hw_hub_city_facts":"","hw_hub_city_areas_title":"","hw_hub_city_areas_intro":"","hw_hub_city_areas_map":"","hw_hub_city_areas_zoom":"","hw_hub_city_hostels_pins":"","hw_hub_city_areas_live":"","hw_hub_city_areas":"","hw_hub_city_itin_title":"","hw_hub_city_itin_intro":"","hw_hub_city_itin":"","hw_hub_city_do_title":"","hw_hub_city_do_body":"","hw_hub_city_do_points":"","hw_hub_city_do_tag":"","hw_hub_city_do_more":"","hw_hub_city_free_title":"","hw_hub_city_free_body":"","hw_hub_city_free_points":"","hw_hub_city_free_tag":"","hw_hub_city_free_more":"","hw_hub_city_food_title":"","hw_hub_city_food_body":"","hw_hub_city_food_points":"","hw_hub_city_food_tag":"","hw_hub_city_food_more":"","hw_hub_city_nightlife_title":"","hw_hub_city_nightlife_body":"","hw_hub_city_nightlife_points":"","hw_hub_city_nightlife_tag":"","hw_hub_city_nightlife_more":"","hw_hub_city_transport_title":"","hw_hub_city_transport_body":"","hw_hub_city_transport_points":"","hw_hub_city_transport_tag":"","hw_hub_city_transport_more":"","hw_hub_city_money_title":"","hw_hub_city_money_body":"","hw_hub_city_money_points":"","hw_hub_city_money_tag":"","hw_hub_city_money_more":"","hw_hub_city_safety_title":"","hw_hub_city_safety_body":"","hw_hub_city_safety_points":"","hw_hub_city_safety_tag":"","hw_hub_city_safety_more":"","hw_hub_city_trips_title":"","hw_hub_city_trips_intro":"","hw_hub_city_trips":"","hw_hub_city_trips_tag":"","hw_hub_city_trips_more":"","hw_hub_city_season_title":"","hw_hub_city_season_intro":"","hw_hub_city_season_note":"","hw_hub_city_season_rows":"","hw_hub_city_events_title":"","hw_hub_city_events_intro":"","hw_hub_city_events_source":"","hw_hub_city_events_count":"","hw_hub_city_events_cache":"","hw_hub_city_events_cta_label":"","hw_hub_city_events_cta_url":"","hw_hub_city_events":"","hw_hub_city_budget_title":"","hw_hub_city_budget_intro":"","hw_hub_city_budget_note":"","hw_hub_city_budget_rows":"","hw_hub_city_budget_currency":"","hw_hub_city_hostels_title":"","hw_hub_city_hostels_intro":"","hw_hub_city_hostels_cta_label":"","hw_hub_city_hostels_cta_url":"","hw_hub_city_hostels_source":"","hw_hub_city_hostels_count":"","hw_hub_city_hostels_cache":"","hw_hub_city_picks":"","hw_hub_city_hostels":"","hw_hub_city_team_title":"","hw_hub_city_team_intro":"","hw_hub_city_team":"","hw_hub_city_faq_title":"","hw_hub_city_faq_note":"","hw_hub_city_faqs":"","hw_hub_city_cta_title":"","hw_hub_city_cta_body":"","hw_hub_city_cta_buttons":"","hw_hub_city_newsletter_title":"","hw_hub_city_newsletter_body":"","hw_hub_city_newsletter_shortcode":"","hw_hub_city_hub_term":"","hw_hub_city_city_slug":"","hw_hub_city_country_slug":"","hw_hub_city_parent_hub":"","hw_hub_city_good_for":"","hw_hub_city_currency":"","hw_hub_city_scope_rows":"","hw_hub_country_states_title":"Where to go","hw_hub_country_states_intro":"The USA is too big to see in one go, so pick a region and a few states within it. Fly between regions and drive within them; Amtrak only really works in the Northeast.","hw_hub_country_state_regions":"The Northeast | The densest part of the country, with New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington a few hours apart by train. The easiest region to do without a car.\r\nThe South | Music, food and history: New Orleans, Nashville and Memphis, the beaches and nightlife of Florida, and Texas, a country in itself.\r\nThe Midwest | Great Lakes cities and wide open country. Chicago is the reason most travellers come.\r\nThe Southwest | Deserts, canyons and the greatest concentration of national parks in the country, best done as a road trip from Las Vegas.\r\nThe West Coast | California from San Francisco to San Diego along the coast road, and the green Pacific Northwest above it.\r\nThe Rockies | Mountains, ski towns and Yellowstone, the first national park in the world.\r\nHawaii and Alaska | Volcanic islands in the Pacific and the last great wilderness in the north. Both a flight away from everywhere else.","hw_hub_country_states":"New York | The Northeast | The one everyone comes for: museums, neighbourhoods, and a city that runs at all hours. |  | 1306485 | New York |  | \nMassachusetts | The Northeast | Boston, the Freedom Trail and the history of the revolution, with Cape Cod beaches in summer. |  | 1306483 | Boston |  | \nPennsylvania | The Northeast | Philadelphia, where the country was founded, and its cheesesteaks. |  | 1306487 | Philadelphia |  | \nWashington DC | The Northeast | The capital and its free Smithsonian museums. A federal district rather than a state. |  | 1306491 | Washington DC |  | \nNew Jersey | The Northeast | The Jersey Shore, Princeton and the cheapest base for New York, a train ride across the river. |  | 1306513 | Jersey City |  | \nMaryland | The Northeast | Baltimore's harbour, crab feasts on Chesapeake Bay and the historic sailing town of Annapolis. |  | 1306505 |  |  | \nMaine | The Northeast | Lighthouses, lobster rolls and Acadia National Park on a rocky, wild coast. |  | 1306504 | Portland Maine |  | \nVermont | The Northeast | Green mountains, covered bridges, autumn colour and some of the best skiing in the East. |  | 1306529 |  |  | \nNew Hampshire | The Northeast | The White Mountains, with serious hiking, autumn leaves and no sales tax. |  | 1306512 | Conway |  | \nRhode Island | The Northeast | The smallest state: Newport's mansions and sailing, and Providence's food scene. |  | 1306526 |  |  | \nConnecticut | The Northeast | Yale in New Haven, pizza to argue about and quiet coastal towns between New York and Boston. |  | 1306496 |  |  | \nDelaware | The Northeast | A tiny state of beach towns, tax-free shopping and the old streets of New Castle. |  | 1306497 |  |  | \nLouisiana | The South | New Orleans: music, Creole food and the most distinctive city in the country. |  | 1306482 | New Orleans |  | \nTennessee | The South | Country music in Nashville, blues and Elvis in Memphis, and the Great Smoky Mountains. |  | 1306488 | Nashville |  | \nFlorida | The South | Miami Beach and Art Deco, the Everglades, and the islands of the Keys. |  | 1306479 | Miami |  | \nTexas | The South | Live music in Austin, barbecue everywhere, and distances that make the size of the country clear. |  | 1306489 | Austin |  | \nGeorgia | The South | Atlanta's civil rights history and Savannah's oak-shaded squares. |  | 1306498 |  |  | \nSouth Carolina | The South | Charleston's pastel streets and Lowcountry food, and the beaches of the coast. |  | 1306527 | Charleston |  | \nNorth Carolina | The South | The Blue Ridge Mountains around Asheville and the wild Outer Banks. |  | 1306515 | Asheville |  | \nVirginia | The South | Colonial Williamsburg, Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. |  | 1306530 |  |  | \nKentucky | The South | Bourbon distilleries, horse country and Louisville's Kentucky Derby. |  | 1306503 |  |  | \nMississippi | The South | The Delta, the birthplace of the blues, and a quiet Gulf Coast. |  | 1306508 | Clarksdale |  | \nAlabama | The South | Civil rights landmarks in Montgomery and Birmingham, and white Gulf Coast beaches. |  | 1306494 |  |  | \nArkansas | The South | The Ozarks, Hot Springs National Park and some of the cheapest travel in the country. |  | 1306495 |  |  | \nWest Virginia | The South | Whitewater, mountains and the New River Gorge, the newest major national park. |  | 1306531 | Summersville |  | \nIllinois | The Midwest | Chicago: architecture, blues and a lakefront. The most underrated big city here. |  | 1306481 | Chicago |  | \nMichigan | The Midwest | Two Great Lakes coastlines, Detroit's comeback and the dunes at Sleeping Bear. |  | 1306506 | Detroit |  | \nMinnesota | The Midwest | Minneapolis, ten thousand lakes and canoe country on the Canadian border. |  | 1306507 | Duluth |  | \nWisconsin | The Midwest | Milwaukee's breweries, cheese country and the Lake Michigan shore. |  | 1306532 |  |  | \nOhio | The Midwest | Rock and roll in Cleveland, Columbus and Cuyahoga Valley National Park. |  | 1306520 | Columbus OH |  | \nMissouri | The Midwest | Kansas City barbecue and jazz, and St Louis under its Gateway Arch. |  | 1306509 |  |  | \nIndiana | The Midwest | The Indianapolis 500 and the Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan. |  | 1306500 | West Baden Springs |  | \nIowa | The Midwest | Farm country, small towns and the classic Midwest road trip. |  | 1306501 |  |  | \nKansas | The Midwest | The Great Plains, tallgrass prairie and the old cattle towns of the frontier. |  | 1306502 |  |  | \nNebraska | The Midwest | Sandhills, the Platte River crane migration and long, empty roads. |  | 1306511 |  |  | \nSouth Dakota | The Midwest | Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and the Black Hills. |  | 1306528 |  |  | \nNorth Dakota | The Midwest | Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the quietest corner of the country. |  | 1306517 |  |  | \nNevada | The Southwest | Las Vegas, a strange city in a desert, and the base for the Southwest park loop. |  | 1306484 | Las Vegas |  | \nArizona | The Southwest | The Grand Canyon, red-rock Sedona and the desert landscapes of the Old West. |  | 1306476 | Flagstaff |  | \nUtah | The Southwest | Five national parks, including Zion, Bryce and Arches, in a single state. |  | 1306490 | Salt Lake City |  | \nNew Mexico | The Southwest | Santa Fe's adobe and art, White Sands and green chile on everything. |  | 1306514 | New Mexico |  | \nOklahoma | The Southwest | Route 66, Native American heritage and the cowboy culture of Oklahoma City. |  | 1306523 |  |  | \nCalifornia | The West Coast | San Francisco, Los Angeles, Highway 1 down the coast and Yosemite inland. |  | 1306477 | San Francisco |  | \nWashington | The West Coast | Seattle, coffee, and volcanoes and rainforest within a few hours of the city. |  | 1306492 | Seattle |  | \nOregon | The West Coast | Portland, a wild coastline and Crater Lake. |  | 1306486 | Portland |  | \nColorado | The Rockies | Denver, ski towns and Rocky Mountain National Park. |  | 1306478 | Denver |  | \nWyoming | The Rockies | Yellowstone and Grand Teton, with geysers, bison and mountains. |  | 1306493 | Jackson |  | \nMontana | The Rockies | Glacier National Park, big skies and the road into Yellowstone. |  | 1306510 | Bozeman |  | \nIdaho | The Rockies | Hot springs, rivers and the mountains around Sun Valley and the Tetons. |  | 1306499 | Driggs |  | \nHawaii | Hawaii and Alaska | Volcanoes, surf and beaches across the islands, with Honolulu on Oahu as the hub. |  | 1306480 | Honolulu |  | \nAlaska | Hawaii and Alaska | Glaciers, bears and the midnight sun. Summer only for most travellers. |  | 1306475 | Anchorage |  | 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