General Travel Information

Below is some guidance regarding your travel arrangements

Visa Waiver Programme

Citizens of the United Kingdom holding a valid, full validity e-passport with an electronic chip may currently travel visa-free to the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme for holiday purposes and for a period not exceeding 90 days. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct passport and visas to gain access to countries included in your travel arrangements. Your passport needs to be valid for the duration of your stay. You do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this.

All eligible travellers must apply online for authorisation under the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) process at: http://www.cbp.gov/esta. This costs US$14 per person and should be completed no later than 72 hours before departure.

Passengers must be holding a return or onward ticket. If travelling on an electronic ticket, a copy of the itinerary must be carried for presentation to U.S. immigration at the port of entry if requested.

If you have not obtained your travel authorisation you will not be allowed to travel to the USA.

If you are in doubt about how the rules affect you, please call the US Embassy Visa Information Line on 09055 444546 (premium rate), or write to: Consular Information Unit – United States Embassy, 24 Grosvenor Square, London W1A 1AE. Non-British citizens, including “British Subjects”, should consult their local US Embassy or Consulate for information.

Advance Passenger Information & Secure Flight Passenger Data (APIS & SFPD)

US Customs and Border Protection have implemented Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) and Secure Flight (SFPD) for data collection and transmission requirements. The requirements impact upon the processing of international passengers who are travelling to or from the United States. Airlines have to pass on passport and citizenship details as well as the address of where you will be staying for the first night in the States. Some of the basic data has already been collected when your flights were booked, the rest of the data must be provided to the airline when you check in with your airline, either online or at the airport.

Airline Contact Information

American Airlines
UK: 0844 369 9899     US: 1-800-433-7300

British Airways
UK: 0344 493 0787     US: 1-800-247-9297

Delta Air Lines
UK: 0871 221 1222     US: 1-800-241-4141

United Airlines
UK: 0845 844 4777     US: 1-800-864-8331

Virgin Atlantic
UK: 0344 209 7777     US: 1-800-862-8621

Health & Health Insurance

Currently no vaccination certificates are required for entry into the USA. However, if you have been in an area infected by smallpox, or other disease, shortly before travelling to North America, please check with the relevant government office. It is essential that visitors to North America take adequate health insurance, and this is a condition of booking with The American Golf Holiday. Medical cover of at least $1,000,000 is strongly recommended.

Money

Most major credit cards are accepted in hotels and restaurants. It is becoming increasingly difficult to exchange foreign currency in cash, and hotels will typically cash US Dollar travellers’ cheques in small amounts only. Prepaid currency cards, such as Caxton FX MasterCard, are a modern and convenient alternative.

Rental Vehicles

Rental vehicles have been booked as shown on your Booking Confirmation. A voucher has been issued with one lead driver, who must provide a driving licence and credit card upon collection of the vehicle. Up to 3 additional drivers may be specified on arrival free of charge. All drivers must be over 25. Your car rental includes Loss/Collision Damage Waiver, Liability Insurance Supplement/ Extended Protection, one tank of fuel, state and local taxes and surcharges, and unlimited mileage.

You may be offered additional insurance and premium roadside assistance when you collect the vehicle however this is optional, and additional charges will apply, payable locally.

The vehicle reserved will be large enough to take all your luggage however you may be offered larger/upgraded vehicles when you collect the vehicle for which additional charges will apply, payable locally.

Driving in the USA

May we remind you to drive carefully and observe the rules of the road, in particular:

  • In the U.S. the rule of the road is to drive on the right.
  • Drivers must carry their driving licence with them at all times when driving.
  • The rental contract acts as the insurance policy and must be kept in the vehicle during the rental.
  • You are permitted to turn right on a red stop light, unless otherwise instructed.
  • School buses stopped on either side of the road with their yellow, hazard lights flashing are signalling for all drivers on both sides of the road to stop.
  • Speed limits in school zones are considerably reduced and are strictly enforced.
  • You must come to a complete stop at three-way or four-way stop signs, even if no other traffic is in sight. The first car to arrive at the stop sign has priority, if arriving together the car to your right has priority.
  • Always lock your car and, if you must leave valuables in it, put them in the trunk.
  • Please pay attention to parking restrictions, especially close to fire hydrants and disabled parking bays. Police have jurisdiction on private land and fines will be pursued.
  • Drink driving laws are strictly enforced. Please do not drink and drive.
Accommodation Vouchers

An accommodation voucher is provided as an instruction to the hotels to provide the accommodation as booked. Please ensure you present these upon check in. Rooms are allocated by the hotel on a “run-of-house” basis unless otherwise confirmed in your reservation, which means you will have a standard room from any part of the property. Any special requests will be passed to the hotel but are not guaranteed.

Hotel Incidental Charges

You will be required to present a credit card when you check in to guarantee any incidentals charged to your room. If you choose to present a debit card the hotel may put a “hold” on funds which may impact your available credit in your account. Even if you do not incur any charges at the hotel during your stay it can take several weeks to clear this hold with a debit card. You can also choose to leave a cash deposit.

Telephones

To dial the UK from America you will need to dial 011-44 followed by the area code and phone number in the UK, omitting the first “0” of the area code. To contact emergency services while in the States please dial 911. We recommend you check hotel charges prior to making international calls as these are often very expensive. Prepaid calling cards, which can be purchased from most gas stations, grocery and drug stores, are usually a much cheaper option.

Tipping

It is customary to tip for virtually all services and we are pleased to suggest the following gratuities:

  • Restaurant/Bar Staff 15-20% of bill
  • Bell staff $2 per bag
  • Hotel housekeeping $2 per night
  • Taxi drivers 15% of bill
  • Airport porters $2 per bag
  • Valet parking $2-$5
  • Golf club staff $2 per bag for cleaning clubs /$2 per bag for taking clubs to car
Motorised Golf Carts

Where golf clubs provide motorised golf carts (buggies) they are driven at your own risk. You would be responsible for any damage caused to or by the golf cart. You can take out travel insurance including liability cover for damage caused by the golf cart – please check with your travel insurance provider. Also, if you are not experienced in the operation of a golf cart please request instruction from the golf club staff prior to use.

Soft Spikes

Most US courses now require soft spike golf shoes and will change spikes, if required, for a minimal fee – please arrive at the course in plenty of time if you require this service.

General Travel Tips
  • Remember to keep your passport, driving licence, money, and any prescription medication in your hand luggage – do not pack these items in your suitcase!
  • Label your suitcases clearly with your name and the address of your US hotel. Only put your home address on the labels when you are returning to the UK. There is no point advertising that you will be away from home.
  • Always keep your holiday insurance certificate handy. Take a photocopy and leave it with relatives at home.
  • If you are carrying any prescription drugs make sure you take with you a copy of the prescription and/or letter from your doctor in case you are stopped by customs or require medical treatment whilst on holiday.
  • Always use the safety deposit boxes or room safes at the hotels.
In An Emergency

There are 20 consular offices in the USA. To find out which one is most able to assist you in your emergency please telephone the British Embassy, Washington DC, on (202) 588 6500. Should you require non-emergency assistance please contact your resort manager, or contact us directly by telephone on +44 208 0502 969, or email on sales@americangolfholiday.com.