Travel Tips For U.s.

[Nordlys]

I am Mrs. Nordlys are going to the U.S. this weekend provided Mrs. Nordlys (Thai passport holder) gets her visa granted (and flight secured after visa). It's going to be my first time travelling to the U.S. in ten years and my wife's ever. And I have a few questions for either U.S. citizens or the frequent travellers to the U.S. in the forum who might be able to help us in making travel arrangements.

1) U.S. domestic flight

Travel agent in BKK quoted very high price for domestic flight in the U.S. and advised us we make domestic travel arrangement in the U.S. because it's cheaper so than in Thailand. But we have to connect our flight to San Diego as soon as we arrive in LAX - no time to look for local travel agent. I understand between major cities in California there are shuttle flights leaving every hours round the clock (e.g. LAX to San Diego, LAX or John Wayne to SFO), just like the long distance buses leaving Mor Chit bus terminal. I don't mind a few hours of layover at LAX as long as we arrive in San Diego on the same day. How likely is it for us to be able to catch domestic flight hopping on whatever the available flight within the same day without making prior arrangement (we're arriving at LAX just before noon), by paying the airfare at the airline counter on carriers like Southwest, P.S. Air (does it still exist?)? I probably can make online reservation of U.S. carriers with my credit card but it probably won't be till within 48 or 72 hours before the flight that we know if we can really travel to the U.S. - too late for online reservation.

2) Rent-a-car

Do major rental car companies in U.S. charge drop off fee if you return the car at the rental shop other than where you rented (e.g. rent at LAX and return at SFO)? I remember being quoted more than 300USD when I asked if I could return the car I rented at LAX in SFO, last time I was in U.S. ten years ago. So I had to drive all the way back to L.A. from S.F. just to return the car. I heard that's no longer the case. Is that true? Also is there rental car service at major hotel chains in the U.S. (Hyatt, Marriott, etc)?

3) Carry-on baggage

Is one carry-on baggage rule strictly enforced on flights to and from U.S. like in UK? I tend to carry a lot of electronics (12 inch laptop, camcorder, digital SLR, digital photo storage device, etc and etc and their accessories) + lots of medications. Problem is, because my dSLR and its lenses (I usually carry two) + an external flash are so big I need a camera bag separate from my carry-on case. And I can't pack any of them in the checked-in baggage. Do non-U.S. carrier flying to U.S. enforce one carry-on only rule?

4) Visa question for Thai passport holder

We'll get the result of my wife's U.S. visa application on Tuesday, immediately after the interview at the embassy. But I heard it will take a few days for the embassy to process the application and return the passport by mail to the passport holder which might take a few days it not a week. If it's going to take a week we can't leave Thailand on the intended date of departure this Sat (29th) after which there's no longer a point of making travel arrangement (because the day we have to be in the U.S. to take care of business is the 30th). What is the average period of wait from the date you have the interview till you receive your passport returned by mail for the visa application made at U.S. consular office in BKK? My wife has full time employment, has one Schengen visa and two Japanese visas (along with Chinese, Indian, etc) on her valid passport and her trip will be accompanied by me (a passport holder of a visa-waiver program eligible country for the U.S.), so I'm not too worried about her visa being denied.

Thanks in advance.

Edited March 23, 2008 by Nordlys

[lopburi3]

This is Thailand specific travel forum - moving to visa/information for other countries where readers are more likely to know the answers.

[jstumbo]

Any flight that you do at the Airport in the US you are going to be paying through the nose. Definitely try to book online ahead of time if you can. Book a car online also, cheaper and you can see if they are going to charge you a fee if you only rent one way.

Carry on bags should not be a problem. You can have one carry on bag, in addition to a purse, laptop, camerabag, computer, or that type of thing. They might have a problem though if you have a large carry on bag, a computer bag, a large camera bag, and more. If I have many bags, I just use one of my suitcases that is the biggest size allowed, and I put all my other bags inside it and then carry it on. Makes it easier because it has rollers, so I do not have to have all the bags hanging off me.

Personally, I would drive to San Diego from Los Angeles. A one way flight, is going to set you back $360 each unless you want to have a connection in another city that turns a 45 minute flight into a 4+ hour flight. And that is if you book now, if you try to book at the airport, or right before the flight, you are probably looking more like twice that.

Edited March 23, 2008 by jstumbo

[sbk]

Assuming you have a credit card you can book online with Travelocity, Orbitz or Expedia for far cheaper and easier than trying to find an agent or booking at the airport. Drop off fee is paid but again, using the above sites, you can also find a decent price for car rental. And, AFAIK, you can do this 72 hours before. You could also try lastminute.com (I think its called) which specializes in, obviously, last minute tickets

Carry on depends on the security person near as I can tell. I have carried a bum bag (around my waist) laptop bag and carry on suitcase with no problems at all until one security person decided to count the small bag around my waist as a 3rd carry on! I had to take it off and put it in my laptop bag in order to enter security. Needless to say, I later took it back out of the laptop bag and put it back on and no other security person ever bothered me about it.

As for waiting for the passport/visa, I am sorry, my husband was issued his visa on the spot, and given his passport back, he didn't have it mailed back so I can't help you there.

[Jamie]

Domestic flights are really a gamble. Sometimes they are cheap (depending on where you are going), other times it's robbery. My brother in law came down to Arizona to visit me from Wisconsin. The original flight he had looked at booking through a travel agent cost almost the same as my ticket to Bangkok ($1200). Leaving a day later, he was able to get a ticket for just under $600.

[greg67]

One way car rentals are not too terribly expensive. I just made a reservation thru yahoo for one day rental for $59. I'm picking car up at LAX and dropping it off in San Diego. The name of the car rental company is Thrifty.

[jstumbo]

And driving from LAX to San Diego takes only a little over 2 hours.

[Nordlys]

Thanks all for all the advice.

Yes, I've thought about driving to San Diego. But it's not what I fancy doing after arriving from Bangkok on 5 + 10 hours flight half of its way on economy class (NRT - LAX booked on premium economy), let alone a car with a steering wheel on left hand side (not to mention drop-off fee as I probably won't return to LAX but fly from John Wayne to SFO after San Diego). I'll try making last minute booking online. Anyone knows what airline flies from LAX to San Diego and San Diego to John Wayne (Orange County airport)? Is there any other mode of transportation between LAX and San Diego? Any bus to San Diego from LAX (I don't think I want to go to bus depot in LA to catch a Greyhound though)?

As for waiting for the passport/visa, I am sorry, my husband was issued his visa on the spot, and given his passport back, he didn't have it mailed back so I can't help you there.

You mean the same day he had an interview? When did he apply the visa? U.S. embassy website says the passport will only be returned by post office mail according to my wife. But some say you can request the embassy to hold the passport at the post office in Don Muang where the passport owner can go pick it up if/when in urgent.

Edited March 24, 2008 by Nordlys

[jstumbo]

Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines fly from LAX to SAN directly.

These guys have a shuttle service between San Diego and LAX. You might want to check with them. I know nothing of them, so I cannot recommend them.

You can also take a city bus from the airport to the Amtrak train station and then take the train to downtown San Diego.

This is another shuttle van option.

[zzdocxx]

If you don't want to drive, then the shuttle van is a great idea.

[EricZ]

Horizon Air, Air West are communter flights between LAX and SAN.

Walk out of the international airport after clearing imigration, turn right and walk over to the next terminal building. Ask where the commuter termanal is. Flights leave more often than every hour.

Its pricey though. Get "Cloud 9" shuttle company on the internet and see if they have a shuttle to San Diego. There are several shuttle companies.

A little more hassle, but there is a free bus to Union Station (rail) and you can catch a train down.

Renting a car is the best price, but the freeways can be trying if your not used to them.

I live in San Diego and the last flight I had out of LAX, I rented from National. No drop off fee. Cost me around $65

[Nordlys]

Thanks Eric, jstumbo, et al.

Good to know Shuttle Van service covers areas as far away as San Diego (I've taken one of those to Orange County many years ago). Do you think I can hop on one without a reservation?

Yes, I was inclined to take Amtrak from Union Station in downtown LA as I found from LAX airport website that they now have "Flyaway" bus service between LAX and Union Station every half an hour, (also frequent Amtrak departure frm Union Station to San Diego). I'm opted to take Amtrak if we're not too groggy after long flight from Bangkok, I think it's a great way to view the scenic beauty of Southern California as it goes mostly along the coast after passing Orange County (if I remember correctly).

Wife had her visa granted yesterday and we'll go pick it up at Ron Muang post office first thing tomorrow morning. Then straight to Mexican embassy to apply for Mexican visa to visit Tijuana from San Diego (though we'll be there for perhaps no more than 4 hours). She should get the Mexican visa just a day before we're scheduled to leave Thailand.

BTW, does anybody know if hotels in U.S. charge for in-room internet?

Edited March 26, 2008 by Nordlys

[jstumbo]

Was it a single entry visa for the US, or a multi entry. If it is a single entry, she will not be able to get back into the US after going to Mexico.

I would think that it would be best to make a reservation for a shuttle service. Some of them also will not pick up from the airport, they will only pick up from hotels near the hotel.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Thanks Eric, jstumbo, et al.

Wife had her visa granted yesterday and we'll go pick it up at Ron Muang post office first thing tomorrow morning. Then straight to Mexican embassy to apply for Mexican visa to visit Tijuana from San Diego (though we'll be there for perhaps no more than 4 hours). She should get the Mexican visa just a day before we're scheduled to leave Thailand.

BTW, does anybody know if hotels in U.S. charge for in-room internet?

FYI, 3-4 years ago my Thai wife went to Ensenada with my sister & brother in law, I went elsewhere that weekend.  It looked complicated to get the Mexican visa here in Bangkok, plus take at lea

st two 

trips downtown, some 60 km +- from home.  I checked, and there was a Mexican Consulate in Portland, OR so did it there.  Filled out the form, stand-up interview with the Mexican ConOff in the hallway (he was busy) told to come back after lunch.  Did so, quick & easy.

BTW, she still has that unused visa in her passport.  When they hit the border going south, no U.S. Immigration guy to take her I-94 so they drove on to the Mexican Immigration side.  No one there either, so they drove on down to Ensenada for three days.  Coming back, no on on the Mexican side, and the U.S. guy just looked at the three passport covers, two AmCit one Thai, and waved them on back north....

Here's the San Diego Mexican Consulate:

Mexican Consulate of San Diego

1549 India St

San Diego, CA 92101

(619) 231-8414

As another poster posted, check that your wife has a multi entry U.S. visa, this is the common type, but not always.

Re internet in the hotels, yes and no.  Seems like the Motel 6 types, the relative cheapies, might well have free internet whereas the higher line places will charge for their WiFi.  Booo.

Mac

[Nordlys]

Thanks for the headsup Mac and jstumbo.

We live in downtown Bangkok just 15 minutes drive from the Mexican consulate so going there is not a problem (and we're going to Tijuana the day after we arrive in US, so no time). They told us she doesn't need a visa if she will be in 5 miles radius from the border check-point with San Diego but we don't know if where we're visiting is beyond 5 miles radius so we decided to apply for the visa (heavy penalty for going beyond 5 miles if you are caught without a visa, they warned).

I haven't seen my wife's U.S. visa yet as she brought her passport straight to the Mexican consulate as soon as she received it at Ron Muang post office, but she said she saw "M" indicator which she interpreted as multiple entry. What she's sure of is that it has 10 years validity, so I'd assume it's multiple entry visa.

I would think that it would be best to make a reservation for a shuttle service. Some of them also will not pick up from the airport, they will only pick up from hotels near the hotel.

I just made online reservation for Super Shuttle Van service. The fare is USD225 + 40.50 for tips. I could either enter arbitrary number for the tips or just click "18%" which automatically claculates and enters 18% amount in the blank which was USD40.50. Aside from the fact that I'm no longer being used to the custom of tipping these days, I can't get my head around the fact that I'm paying tips (prepaid) online and before I even receive the service. I guess I have to show the driver a print out from the online reservation that shows the tip is already being paid for.

Edited March 28, 2008 by Nordlys

[pete_r]

Motel 6 near LAX airport currently charges 3USD a day for unlimited access to wi-fi internet.

[jstumbo]

You could have always put $0 for the tip and just given it to the driver. He probably would have preferred that, since now he will have to claim the tip instead of just pocketing it.

[Nordlys]

Another last minute question....

Do Holiday Inn, Courtyard Marriott and Best Western class hotels provide coin operated laundry?

I'm asking because I don't want use hotel's laundry service as some of my clothings (most of them polyesters) can't be dried with dryer.

[jstumbo]

I would not think so. Hotels of this class would have laundry services, not coin-op machines.

[Nordlys]

Thanks, jstumbo.

We're leaving for the states tomorrow (everything arranged except air travel from John Wayne airport to SFO and SF hotel).

[Nordlys]

Is there any such thing as sales tax refund for tourists in California?

I've spent over a thousand dollars in shopping alone in the last five days and one shop clerk at a shop in South Coast Plaza said I can claim the sales tax back at the airport customs upon departure, but no form to fill out at the point of sales like in Thailand. How does it work? Do I just show them the receipt?

Edited April 3, 2008 by Nordlys