USA

foodietravel

New Member
Hi San,
I've not shopped at Walmart & Target in Anaheim so can't comment.

As for your passport, i wasn't sure abt whether i needed to fill up more forms upon arrival or needed a visa so i purposely applied for a biometric pp just for going to the States. I know it speeded up customs for me.

I've not driven o'seas but i believe you'll nd 2 apply for an international licence. Not sure where.
Sorry!
 


sharon_c

New Member
Hi M,
read you used the biometric pp, you didn't fill up any custom's forms? i will be leaving in 6 days!
happy.gif


Hi San,
you don't need Biometric pp now!
 

lovelygal

New Member
hi M,

Thanks. I have booked all my hotels n domestic flights. Will be on UA and i'm departing next sat!! ;)

Just wanna ask.. is there any limitation or taxing when taking domestic flights?? I'll be getting quite a few stuff, like some Coach bags(hehe, the orders are flowing in), and i would do that most probably in SF as I have almost a week there. Just worried if i might be taxed for bringing so much stuff on domestic?
 

foodietravel

New Member
Hi Sharon,
Of course must fill up std customs form but at least don't need to fill up the add'l US visa form. I think that time my friend didn't hv bio-pp so had to queue a longer queue. Not sure abt now. Oh yes, I remember that US customs also scanned either your face or eyeball or some part of your face and fingerprinting also.

Hi Ann,
I assume you're gonna buy Coach bags etc from factory outlets? Because if you're buying duty-free from overseas airport, you can't check in the items, must be hand carried in duty-free bags. Not sure abt tax on factory outlet goods.
But beware, my relative kena taxed in S'pore airport because was picked out for having too many similar items (scanning thru x-ray machines) and ended up paying GST on 'imported' non-duty-free pdts! If you travelling with your hubby or friends etc, split the items in different luggages hor before coming back into Changi.
 

emcee

New Member
spore is under the visa wavier programme. u do not need to apply visa provided that u going not more than 90 days for tour or biz and that u are holding to a machine readable passport n have a round trip ticket. also no criminal records or being rejected entry by usa.etc.... all this can be found at singapore.usambassy.gov

upon reaching..u need to fill in customs declaration form n entry form... also thumbprint plus being photo at customs counter ..

all above was wat I went thru' 1 week ago with my machine readable pp..
 

lovelygal

New Member
M, thanks. Ya, i was told about the tax thingy. Nah, i'm not gonna buy the whole store back! So i'm not that worried about sgp airport.
 

sea_blue

New Member
You can use your singapore driver's licence at the car rental company. No need international licence.

Yep... we are under visa waiver. As long as we stay for <90days. So just fill out the green immigration form for the US customs. white forms are for visitors who hold a visa.

Personally, I find target a nicer place to shop. Walmart sometimes just get too messy.
 

foodietravel

New Member
Hi San,

Location is very good! But according to the website, the 2 pools will be closed after 30th Nov 2007 (it's winter and also, the hotel is installing gaming machines by the pool). There's a spa and fitness center but donno how they are.

I've not stayed there but if you need a food court, you can easily walk to Fashion Show Mall. Takes abt 10-15min.
 

nesame

New Member
Hi M,
Thanks. Anyway, we had decided to choose Paris. Before that, was opting for either Paris or Flamingo new Go room. Finally, settle for Paris after much thinking.
 

foodietravel

New Member
Hey, btw San, how much are u paying for Paris?
i received an advert from Harrah's ( i previously stayed at both Paris &amp; Caesar's) - they're having a Post Thanksgiving special that lasts till Jan 08 BUT you must book by this Sunday. Eg, FOR THE 10TH-12TH Dec 07, Paris Hotel is selling rooms at USD89-129 per nite (i think tax excluded).
 

foodietravel

New Member
oh my Ann!
you shd be out exploring SF instd of checking this forum!! I'm really touched that u logged in to say hi!
When i'm in SF Union Square, i usually go Border's (just up the street along Powell) or Cheesecake Factory atop Macy's and hang out till very late.
Take care and have fun!
 

nesame

New Member
M,
that's the advert I received too and I booked it! Paris is US$79 per nite for my 2 nites. If w/o this promo link to their web, i check their reservation website, it is 129 &amp; 89 on their website. Save alot!

Btw, is it save to roam at nite in SF. My SIL keep say dangerous. They had been to US for honeymoon 10 yrs back and always remember US very dangerous. She still remember there's 1 nite, there was a gun shot happening somewhere around their hotel.

For LA, have you been to Griffith Observatory. Should we go in the nite instead?
 

lovelygal

New Member
oh i just finish shopping.. so juz relax abit .. ya gonna go chocolatefactory.. super long Q. it's safe if u are in a group.. just be careful and dun hang out too late alone. but generally SF is quite ok, rite M? Stick to Macy/Union Square area....
 

foodietravel

New Member
Hi San and Ann,

there'll always be crimes happening in the US, so don't go out too late alone and stick to the touristy areas instead of neighbourhoods. Union Square in SF is quite okay but of course, don't walk too near the homeless folks at night just in case they approach you for cash. If you're staying at the Fisherman's Wharf, don't stay out past 10pm because it may get quiet walking back to some of the hotels. Financial District area is also quiet at nite.

San, i've not been to the Griffith so can't comment. Sorry.
 

nesame

New Member
hi M,
Btw, for Sausalito what is interesting over there? Thought to drive over there to look see and at the same time, drive on the Golden Gate Bridge. But not sure about anything and what to see or do there. Is the Bridgeway the main area to see?
 

jane78

New Member
Hi,

I have some enquiry to check with u ladies ...
Do u have any ideal whether we need to hv bio-pp before we can go to US? I have called up the US embassy n they say that as long u r holding S'pore passport. Is okay to go to US w/o the bio-pp. I am still a bit confusing. Coz, I heard from my colleagues saying that some s'porean is not allow to go to US when they reach their airport due to not having bio-pp. Please advise. Thanks.
 

foodietravel

New Member
hi Jane,

you can read and compare your current passport with the newspaper article in today's Straits Times (i think the Home section).

i'm not sure which type of passport you are holding so a bit difficult to explain. Besides the biopass, there're 2 other types. If it's machine-readable (very likely your photo was scanned into the passport) then you shdn't have a prob at the airports. But if your photo was 'pasted' onto your passport, not likely the USA customs will accept you entering their country.
 

jane78

New Member
Hi M, my passport hold 2 scanned photos with a orchid on one of the head ... hahaha ...

just worry. scali reach airport. tell me cannot, i need to turn back ... so sian ...
 

foodietravel

New Member
Jane,
if your photo was scanned, you shdn't have a prob. If u live near Changi, maybe you can pop by a week beforehand and check with one of the counter crew?

Hi Lynn,
i've not travelled with CTC before (usually free and easy or Tradewinds &amp; Chan Brothers) and nowadays, i find it safer to by travel insurance. Even if the travel company includes group insurance, the insurance is against a third party. If let's say, some incident occurs (eg, tour agent late to meet at airport and the whole group gets delayed) at least you might be able to claim something.
hth.
 

email1706

New Member
it gd to buy travel insurance. at least u don't have to worry abt medical cost if u fall sick. medical fee in US is not cheap, medical consultation &amp; medicine are charged separately.
 

hello

New Member
lynntsh
yes, good to buy travel insurance. i alwys buy when i go on holiday (except to M'sia). And in US, like what Stevis said, the medical cost is very high. I travelled with CTC recently to West Coast too. And the tour consultant strongly recommend that I get the travel insurance. Even suggested that I can the higher coverage one.
 

hello

New Member
San
I felt safe roaming in SF when I was there recently. Shopped around Union Square till abt 9pm before catching the public transport back to hotel. Just avoid going to the Civic Centre/City Hall area at night time. But when my wife went to US 8 or 9 years back, she and her frens was advised by a restaurant owner to stay indoor at nite cos it's not very safe. Not sure where she was staying then. Probably it's a different area, hence the advice from the restaurant owner.
 

lynntsh

New Member
thx ppls for your advice. After the flood in washington and the weather nowadaes , i also think we shldnt save on such money. at least a peace of mind. I signed up with NTUC income, more affordable and took the higher coverage one. 15% promo somemore! =)
 

foodietravel

New Member
Lynn,
after reading your link, i think it's better for you to postpone your trip because some travel insurance packages don't cover disasters caused by acts of nature. and it's probably better for u to personally go down to CTC instead of talking o' the phone.
Take care!
 

lynntsh

New Member
hi M, i managed to call them yest and they said that if any prob, us embassy will issue them a memo to stop the trip. i cant postpone the trip either. received a call today from ctc cos i emailed them b4 i managedto get them on the fone yesterday and they said that it is still safe as their colleagues are over there now. i dun feel secure too and wld like to cancel but penalty fee is a lot. i guess the trip has to go on and hopefully they will cancel it once anything crops up.
 

foodietravel

New Member
Hey Lynn,
looks like you better buy a premium travel insurance and it might be safer for you to buy one-two days extra... ie, if your trip is 10 days, buy one that's for 12 days.. just in case you get stuck there... Plus, see if the insurance covers certain acts of nature.
Good luck!
 

lovelygal

New Member
hi all... i'm just back from my trip to US... San Francisco, Las V*gas, and LA!! Yes, I was lucky as the storm was hitting LA soon. I had one of my domestic flight cancelled. I was flying from V*gas to LA on Tues and it was cancel cos the plane from SF didn't take off.. In the end we took a later flight.. which was almost half a day later. Now wondering if i can claim any insurance on that!! Haha. My hubby was watching the weather channel on TV and it's always showing delays at airports and such due to the storm... but it should be over cause it's moving towards the east side.

SF is safe to roam till 9+. My hubby n I were shopping ard the union square area till 8+ which by then most shop will be closed. Went for dinner and head home.. Just dun go past the 5th street. U'll know why when u're there!
 

lynntsh

New Member
hi all
i heard of quick and easy wedding at LV. tot it would be fun to get married again in LV. any idea the cost?

also, how do i get to santa monica from LA. i read abt the big blue bus but have no idea how to go abt it.
 

ec8

New Member
Hi all

I'm on honeymoon in San Francisco now. Was logging in to check on the food recommendations from M previously when I read some of the latest postings.

We drove out to Gilroy premium outlets today and I still didn't manage to cover all the shops I planned to check out so anybody planning on going there, do start your day early &amp; be focused. Check out the stores you like 1st before wandering into other stores.

We walked from our hotel at Omni Hotel (500 California Street) to Macys (btw, they open til 11pm starting this week, til 11.30pm on wkends now) around 9.30pm and only left at 11pm. So far did not detect any danger along the way. Tried Scoma's (Dungeress crab &amp; lobster's great!), Cheesecake Factory and In &amp; Out Burger (much tastier than Macdonalds!).

Will be going for the Monterey, Carmel &amp; 17 mile drive tomorrow. Then Fisherman's Wharf and maybe Sausalito on Thurs before we leave for Las V*gas. Just read the posting abt the storm, hope weather's good by the time we hit LA.
 

lovelygal

New Member
M,

By the way, thanks alot. Your recommendation came in handy. Stayed in Ho Jo in Anaheim, definitely a good choice!

ec8, go grab the American Breakfast at Sears Food, or Mels. No regrets guaranteed.. hehe
 

yc_mw

Member
Hi Peeps,

Need ur help here.. Was tinking of planning a trip to US next Feb for my Honeymoon. Was tinkin of going for 10days, and will be landing in San Frans, coz got good promo under CX for the flight now.

Hmm, hoping to go to San Frans, LV, Florida for their Disneyland, NYC, Niagara Falls &amp; Washington.

Anyone can help by giving me some ideas.. Coz now totally dunno where to start..

Appreciate ALL inputs!! TIA! "D
 

milk1

New Member
hi piglet, i just came back from SF and went to nigara falls a couple months back. i think 10 days might be too tight for all the sights. niagara falls is towards the east coast area while the rest is at the west coast. so u might want to focus on either the east coast or west coast. niagara falls is way nicer at the canada side. can travel fr US side to canada side to stay for a nite.

given the promo for SF, u might consider SF (a couple of days), LV, shopping at factory outlets (a must, if u love shopping), disneyland. decide whether u want a driving trip or taking shuttles. We drove fr SF to San diego with stopover at LA (within 2 days) can be done, tiring but we managed to find some off the beaten track shopping bargins.
happy.gif
 

foodietravel

New Member
Piglet,

milk1 is right.. it's pretty ambitious to cram all those stops into 10 days... the flying times will take up a lot of time and energy.

maybe you can decide whether you wanna do the east or the west and then let us know your narrowed down destinations? alternatively, u can scroll back to some of the previous posts for an idea of what might attract your fancy and decide from there.

i think 3 cities would be the most you can jam into 10days.

ultimately, it's YOUR honeymoon, we can only help with destination attractions;)
 

yc_mw

Member
Hi milk1 &amp; M,

Hmm, after some discussions, here are my plans.. Pls gimme some advise, okies. :p

4th Feb- Land in SFO at bout 11am, intend to leave for NYC straight away. Tink the internal flight will take bout 5 hours+, so, will reach NYC bout 6pm+ liao. Will spend 3 days there (incld 4th Feb). Tink Niagara Falls is near NYC rite, so, within the 3 days, hope to go there too.

6th Feb- Will leave NYC in the evening &amp; travel to Florida (Is it accessible to drive there?) for Disneyland. Will spend another 2-3days there ba.

9th Feb- Will fly back to LV, and spend 3days there.

12th Feb- Will drive to LA if still got time, if not, will drive straight back to SFO for the Attractions there.
 

milk1

New Member
hi piglet, just my thoughts for u to consider:

will it be cheaper to just fly to NYC? cos u be flying to SFO then taking internal. (can consider the cost factor &amp; time taken).

u can use google maps to check the distance from one point to another. i find it very useful when planning my driving trip before leaving. hence u will know how long it takes to drive fr state to state.

Not sure how long it takes to drive to niagara falls fr NYC, couple of hours &amp; more, i think (cos i was at the canada side and drove to US niagara side, never go to NYC). but u can use the google map to check e driving distance. do try to get to the canada side (it is definitely more beautiful there)

can drive from NYC to florida. But i think may take a day with rest stops? do check the google map. cos florida is really far south fr NYC. maybe can consider the disneyland at LA since u will be going to LV.

for LV to SFO - i think u need abt 9 hours at least (assuming smooth traffic and no rest stop taken). Pls take note the traffic can be heavy esp peak hours cos I was struck in traffic jams couple of times fr LA back to SFO) plus must add in rest stop periods - will be tiring, also depends on whether there 2 drivers or just one driver. can fall asleep esp nite time! i think during early feb, it will still get dark quite early say 5plus. so after dark it will be more tiring to drive.

overall, may be touch and go for mostly places. perhaps go to NYC for niagara falls then to LA for disneyland and to LV and then back.
 

yc_mw

Member
Hi Milk,

Hmm, we're flying direct to SFO due to the promo ticket from Cathay Pacific. Return is only $1375.

Yer, actually, we did consider goin to LA for the various 'Funland', coz tink LA has got Universal Studio rite..

I'm getting all confused over the States &amp; Cities.. :S

Anyway, ask ask hor, anyone has any idea on the temperature there. Heard tat in Feb, NYC will be below 0C.
proud.gif


Wat kind of winter wear should I get?
 


paulineda

New Member
Hi everyone, I'm now in Tucson, staying at my bestie's place.

The weather is rather cold here. Time to put on your winter clothes unless you are going LA which is one of the least cold states.

Been travelling from San Francisco to Yosemite to LV to Grand Canyon. The overall journey was extremely tiring but great!

I love San Francisco. I was staying at Marriott Fisherman's Wharf and it was very convenient! Been to Coit Tower, Alcatrez, Lombak Street, Twin Peak, Golden Gate, Cliff House, Fisherman's Wharf (Try those dungeress crabs!), Union Square, Six Flags (Only open from 4-10pm due to winter), Sausalito and Napa Valley (Stirling Winery).

Yosemite was very cold when I reached there. The valleys were all mostly frozen. I stayed at the Yosemite Lodge. Nice cosy place. I suggest the best time to go Yosemite is Summer.

Overall, I think the safest place to roam around at night is The Strip at LV. I was walking along The Strip at about 1am and there were still many people around.

Grand Canyon is spectacular! It's winter time so there's snow all over the place. It's beautiful!

Enjoy yourselves, folks! Happy Holidays! =)
 

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