From the grandiose national parks of the West to New York skyscrapers, from Miami beaches to the jazz clubs of New Orleans, America does everything big.
The United States offers a staggering diversity: from the Grand Canyon to Manhattan’s skyline, from California’s beaches to New Orleans’ jazz clubs.
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May
In may, the climate in United States is excellent. The weather is generally sunny, with maximum temperatures around 24°C and about 8 rainy days. Tourist crowds are moderate.
January is the month with the highest chance of snow in New York. And on this Saturday, 18 January, we were lucky enough to see the Big Apple dressed in its white coat. But we chose to take shelter in one of the world's saddest museums.
Join me for a day to discover the reality of life and daily routine in New York. Often fantasised, exaggerated or idealised, the New York routine turns out to be just as ordinary as everywhere else... for the most part.
Today it's time to reveal my first apartment in New York, located on 136th Street and Broadway. Just steps from the subway station, we had enormous difficulty finding an apartment due to our particular situation and limited budget.
Here I am, after more than three months of waiting for my visa, arrived in the United States for a year. In this first vlog, I tell you about my journey from France and how I spent my first week in New York.
As a big consumer of lofi, jazz and hip-hop videos for working, I decided to offer you one as a bonus. Perfect for working, studying or just chilling with beautiful shots of my walk in Brooklyn!
Discover my incredible apartment in New York, in the Long Island City neighbourhood, just steps from Astoria. After the troubles with my previous 6-bedroom in Harlem, we decided to be a bit more demanding.
The United States is a continent in its own right. From the Grand Canyon to the skyscrapers of Manhattan, from California’s beaches to the Louisiana bayous, from the forests of Maine to the deserts of Arizona — this country of 9.8 million km² offers a diversity of landscapes, cultures and experiences that no other nation can match.
The United States is the road trip country par excellence. Legendary routes (Route 66, Pacific Coast Highway, Blue Ridge Parkway), grandiose national parks (63 in total), iconic cities that have shaped world culture — New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, Miami. It is also a land of striking contrasts, where vast metropolises sit beside natural spaces of dizzying immensity.
The West is the kingdom of wide open spaces. The Grand Canyon (1.6 km deep, 446 km long) is a dizzying geological spectacle. Monument Valley and its iconic red sandstone buttes, Zion and its sculpted canyons, Bryce Canyon and its supernatural hoodoos, Arches and its 2,000 natural arches — Utah and Arizona concentrate the country’s most spectacular landscapes.
Further north, Yellowstone (the world’s first national park, 1872) offers geysers, multicoloured hot springs and free-roaming bison. Yosemite in California impresses with its vertiginous waterfalls and mythical granite cliffs (El Capitan, Half Dome). Death Valley, the lowest and hottest point in North America, completes this picture of superlatives.
New York is a world-city that never sleeps. Central Park, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, the Metropolitan Museum, Brooklyn and its hip neighbourhoods, the High Line — every street corner is a movie scene. Beyond NYC, the East Coast offers Boston (history and universities), Washington D.C. (free Smithsonian museums), Philadelphia (birthplace of independence) and the blazing autumn colours of New England.
The Golden State alone packs enough diversity for an entire trip. San Francisco and the Golden Gate, Los Angeles (Hollywood, Venice Beach, Griffith Observatory), the Pacific Coast Highway (one of the world’s most beautiful coastal roads between SF and LA), Big Sur, the giant sequoias of Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Napa Valley vineyards, and San Diego — California is a world of its own.
New Orleans is the musical soul of America: jazz in the clubs of Frenchmen Street, Cajun and Creole cuisine, the colonial architecture of the French Quarter. Florida offers Miami and its Art Deco, the Everglades (alligators and mangroves), the Keys (an ocean highway to Key West), and Orlando for theme parks. Tennessee (Nashville and Memphis) and Georgia (Savannah) complete this southern immersion.
Two worlds at opposite ends. Hawaii offers active volcanoes (Kilauea), paradise beaches, legendary surfing and living Polynesian culture. Alaska is the last frontier: immense glaciers, grizzly bears, humpback whales, northern lights and wilderness on an incomprehensible scale. Denali (6,190 m) is North America’s highest peak.
The United States IS the road trip country. Distances are immense but roads are wide, well-maintained, and every mile reveals a new landscape.
A rental car is virtually essential outside major cities. Roads are excellent, petrol is cheap ($0.90–1.20/litre) and parking is plentiful. Domestic flights are the fastest way to cover great distances. Discover our travel experiences to best prepare your American road trip.
The USA offers good value compared to Western Europe, especially for food and petrol. Budget $80 to $200 per day per person depending on travel style. New York and San Francisco are the most expensive, the South and Midwest the most affordable.
With 6 time zones and every possible climate, there is always a good time to visit the US. Autumn (September – November) is the best overall period: pleasant temperatures everywhere, spectacular colours in New England, national parks less crowded. Spring (April – June) is ideal for the West and the national parks.
Summer (June – August) is high season: perfect for the West Coast and northern parks (Yellowstone, Glacier), but avoid the Southwest (extreme heat) and Florida (hurricanes). Winter suits Florida, Southern California, Hawaii and the ski resorts of Colorado and Utah.
Los Angeles (2 days) → Pacific Coast Highway → San Francisco (3 days) → Yosemite (2 days) → Death Valley (1 day) → Las Vegas (1 day) → Grand Canyon (2 days) → Monument Valley (1 day) → Utah Parks: Zion, Bryce, Arches (4 days) → back to Las Vegas. The great classic covering the icons of the West.
New York (4 days) → Philadelphia (1 day) → Washington D.C. (2 days) → Blue Ridge Parkway → Savannah (1 day) → Charleston (1 day) → Miami (2 days). Or in autumn: New York → Boston → New England colour route (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine). A journey through history, culture and nature.
New Orleans (3 days: jazz, Cajun food, French Quarter) → plantation route → Memphis (2 days: Graceland, Sun Studio, Beale Street) → Nashville (3 days: country music, honky-tonks, hot chicken) → Natchez Trace Parkway → back to New Orleans. The perfect itinerary for music lovers.
Beyond the classics, the US hides wonders. New Mexico (Santa Fe, White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns) offers a unique Hispanic and Native American side of the country. Oregon (Portland, Crater Lake, wild coast) is California without the crowds. Montana and Glacier National Park offer wild America in all its splendour.
The Great Smoky Mountains (the most visited US national park, yet little known to Europeans), the Badlands of South Dakota, and Maine with Acadia National Park are well worth the detour. For those wanting to cross the border, neighbouring Canada offers a complementary adventure. Explore all our destinations.
Entry to the United States requires an ESTA authorisation (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) for French nationals. The application is made online, costs $21 and is valid for 2 years.
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