Getting Around

Distances in the US are so great that it's essential to think carefully in advance about how you plan to get from place to place. Your choice of transportation will have a crucial impact on your trip. Amtrak provides a skeletal but often scenic rail service, and there are usually good bus links between the major cities - though Greyhound, the mainstay of the US bus network, has cut back on nonprofitable routes of late. Things may get difficult only in isolated rural areas. Even here, by adroit advance planning, you can usually reach the main points of interest without too much trouble by using local buses and charter services, as detailed state-by-state throughout this guide. In planning your public transportation timetable, keep enhanced concerns about security in mind.
Travel is almost always easier if you have a car . Many worthwhile and memorable US destinations are far removed from cities. Even if a bus or train can take you to the general vicinity of one of the great national parks, for example, it can be nearly impossible to explore the area without a vehicle. For that matter, the cities themselves can be so vast, and so heavily car-oriented, that the lack of a car can seriously impair your enjoyment.