USA Travel Pack

1. Report it to local police and get a report number.
2. Report it lost or stolen to the Australian Passport Office online (search "report lost passport Australia") or call the Consular Emergency Centre. Once reported it is cancelled for good, even if found.
3. Contact the nearest Australian consulate for an emergency passport. Bring the police report, a copy of the old passport, passport photos and your flight booking.
4. Tell the insurer and the airline.

This is why a photo of each passport page lives in your phone and in email.

• Life threatening (chest pain, can't breathe, heavy bleeding, head injury, collapse): call 911 or go to the nearest ER (Emergency Room). They must treat you, insurance or not.
• Not life threatening (infection, sprain, fever, cut needing stitches): go to an Urgent Care clinic. Walk in, no appointment, a fraction of ER cost.
• Minor: a pharmacist at CVS or Walgreens can advise for free.
• Call the insurer's 24/7 line as early as you can. Keep every receipt and ask for an itemised bill.

1. Freeze the cards in your banking app straight away, or call the bank (number on the back of the other person's card or the bank's website).
2. Phone: use Find My (iCloud.com) or Find My Device (Google) from the other phone to locate, lock or erase it.
3. Get a police report (311 or the local precinct). The insurer will need it.
4. Tell home so someone can help sort cards and money.

• Stay calm and polite, keep hands where they can be seen, no sudden movements, don't reach into bags or pockets without saying so first.
• Never argue or physically resist, even if it feels unfair. Sort it out later.
• You can ask "Am I free to go?"
• If detained or arrested, say: "I am an Australian citizen and I want the Australian consulate told." You have the right to this. Then call the Consular Emergency Centre.
• Don't sign anything you don't understand.

Very unlikely, but know it like a fire drill.

1. Run. If there is a safe way out, go. Leave belongings. Help each other.
2. Hide. If you can't get out, get out of sight behind something solid, lock or block the door, turn phones to silent (vibrate off too).
3. Tell. Call 911 when it is safe. If you can't talk, leave the line open.

In any crowded venue, get in the habit of noticing two exits when you arrive.

ESTA

• Each of you needs your own approved ESTA, linked to the exact passport you're flying on. Check status at esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Only use that official site; lookalike sites overcharge.
• An ESTA lets you board. It doesn't guarantee entry. The officer at the airport makes the final call.

At the border

• Answer simply and truthfully. Purpose: "holiday". Have ready: return flight, the address of your first hotel, a rough plan, and how you're paying.
• No jokes about bombs, drugs, overstaying or working. Officers take everything literally.
• Officers are legally allowed to look through phones and laptops at the border. Stay calm and cooperative.
• Fingerprints and a photo are normal.

Customs

• Declare ALL food, even a muesli bar or an apple from the plane. Declaring costs nothing. Not declaring can mean a big fine.
• No fresh fruit, meat, or homemade food. Eat or bin plane snacks before landing.

After you land

• Get your I-94 record (proof of entry) at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. Screenshot it and check the "admit until" date.
• US law says visitors 18 and over should carry proof of their lawful entry. Carry your passport on travel days and anywhere official. On other days, at least carry a photo of the passport page and the I-94 screenshot, with the real passport in the hotel safe.
• Ignore anyone in the arrivals hall offering a taxi or ride. Use the official taxi rank or the marked rideshare pickup zone.

Where to go

• ER (Emergency Room) for anything serious. Call 911 if it's urgent.
• Urgent Care for anything that needs a doctor today but isn't life threatening. Search "urgent care near me".
• Pharmacy (CVS, Walgreens) for advice and over the counter meds. Some CVS stores have a MinuteClinic with a nurse practitioner.
• Many insurers also offer free telehealth calls with a doctor. Check the policy.

Medicine translator

Your own meds

• Keep prescription meds in original labelled packaging, in carry-on, with a copy of the script or a doctor's letter.
• Pack a few extra days' worth in case of delays.

Pills and drugs

Tap water is safe to drink in US cities.

The Australian Government rates the US "exercise normal safety precautions", the lowest level. Most trips are trouble free. These are the habits that keep it that way.

Out and about

• Phone snatching is the most common crime. Don't hold your phone out near the kerb, and keep it off the edge of café tables.
• Cross-body bag, zipped, worn in front. Never hang it on the back of a chair.
• Don't leave anything visible in a parked car, not even an empty bag. Car break-ins are very common, especially in San Francisco and LA.
• Downtowns can change block to block. If a street feels wrong, turn around or grab a rideshare. After dark, rideshare beats walking somewhere unfamiliar.
• Homelessness and visible drug use are common in some city centres. Give people space, don't engage, cross the street if someone is agitated.
• Steer clear of protests and large demonstrations, and don't film or get involved in police or immigration enforcement activity.

Nights out

• Arrive together, leave together. Agree on that before you go out.
• Watch your drinks being made, never leave them, never accept one from a stranger. If either of you suddenly feels far drunker than you should, tell staff and leave together. Call 911 if it's bad.
• Agree a code word that means "we're leaving now, no questions".
• Keep your phones charged. A small power bank each is worth it.

Hotels and Airbnbs

• Don't say your room number out loud at reception or in the lift.
• Use the deadbolt and latch. If someone knocks unexpectedly, call reception to check before opening.
• Passports, spare cards and cash go in the safe.
• Note the fire exit on your floor when you arrive.

Rideshare (Uber and Lyft)

• Before getting in, check the plate, car and driver photo match the app. Ask "who are you here for?" and let them say your name, not the other way round.
• Sit in the back. Share the trip status with each other or home.
• Never get in a car that pulls up and offers you a ride.

• Scam texts. "Unpaid toll", "USPS package held", "your bank account locked". These are everywhere in the US. Never tap the link.
• Costumed characters and "free" CDs, bracelets or blessings in tourist areas (Times Square, Hollywood Blvd, Vegas Strip). The photo or gift is "free" until they demand $20. Smile, "no thanks", keep walking.
• Clipboard petitions and people asking you to sign or donate. Often a distraction for a pickpocket.
• Card skimmers on petrol pumps and street ATMs. Tap to pay where you can and use ATMs inside banks.
• Fake QR codes stuck on parking meters and posters. Use the official parking app or pay at the machine.
• "Pay in AUD?" at the card machine or ATM. Always choose USD. Paying in AUD lets them set a bad exchange rate.
• Ticket resellers on the street or social media. Only buy from the official seller or the venue.
• Public Wi-Fi. Fine for maps and messages. Do banking on mobile data.

Tipping guide

Check the bill for "service charge" or "gratuity included" (common for groups of 6+) so you don't tip twice.

Cards and cash

• Use a card with no foreign transaction fees (Wise, Up, Macquarie, ING and similar). Tap to pay works almost everywhere.
• Each carry two cards, kept in different places.
• Keep US$50 to $100 in small notes for tips and emergencies. US notes all look alike, so check before handing over.
• Hotels and car hire put a temporary "hold" on your card, so expect less available balance for a few days.

• Cars can turn right on a red light, so watch for cars turning into your crossing even when you have the walk signal.
• Use marked crossings. Jaywalking can still get you a fine in some cities.
• Uber and Lyft work everywhere. Some cities also have Waymo driverless cars, booked through their app.
• The ground floor is called the 1st floor.
• Domestic flights: be at the airport 2 hours before. Liquids in carry-on under 100 ml each.

Quick conversions

Rough rule: take 30 off the °F and halve it. 1 mile = 1.6 km. 1 lb = 0.45 kg. 1 oz = 28 g.

• Sort data before you fly: an eSIM (Airalo, Ubigi, Holafly) or your phone company's US travel pack. Check roaming isn't on pay-as-you-go.
• Download offline Google Maps for every city you're visiting.
• Turn on Medical ID (iPhone Health app) or Emergency information (Android): allergies, meds, emergency contacts. Paramedics can see it from the lock screen.
• Share live location with each other and home: Find My, or Google Maps location sharing.
• Calling home: +61, then the number without the first 0. WhatsApp and FaceTime are free on Wi-Fi.
• US numbers are +1 then 10 digits.

Power

• US plugs are flat two-pin (Type A/B). Bring an adaptor or two.
• Phones, laptops and most chargers are fine on US 120V.

• Thursday 26 November is Thanksgiving, the biggest holiday of the US year. Many shops, offices and restaurants are closed or on short hours. Book dinner ahead, and expect public transport on a reduced timetable.
• In New York, the Thanksgiving parade means huge crowds and closed streets in Midtown in the morning.
• Friday 27 November, your flight home, is Black Friday, in the middle of one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Airports and roads will be packed.
• Check in online 24 hours before. Get to the airport at least 3.5 hours before an international flight and allow extra time for traffic.

• Drinking age is 21 and ID is checked a lot, even if you look older. Bring your passport. Australian licences are not always accepted.
• Drinking in the street or parks is illegal in most places.
• Cannabis is legal in some states, but still illegal under federal law, and banned in airports and across state lines. For visitors, any drug issue can mean being refused entry in future. Best to skip it.
• Wait to be seated in restaurants. Your server will check on you a lot, that's normal. Ask for "the check" to pay.
• Portions are huge, sharing a main is normal. Tap water is free, ask for it. Soft drink refills are usually free.
• Allergies: tell your server clearly every time.
• Working of any kind isn't allowed on an ESTA.

• Declare all food, plant material, animal products, wooden souvenirs, and anything that's been on a farm or hiking trail (clean those shoes). Declaring is free. Not declaring means big fines.
• Duty-free allowance per adult: A$900 of general goods, 2.25 litres of alcohol, and 25 cigarettes or 25 g of tobacco.
• Keep receipts for anything expensive you buy.