holidaying in usa

[arnie87]

My daughter aged 14 is going on holiday with her friend and her family. We have only just got her passport, someone has said that you need your passport for six months before you can go to the usa, is this true??
Also is there any free insurance similar to the EHIC form you can get from the post office, for the usa?
If you can think of anything else she might need I would be grateful if you can include it in your answer. Much appreciated thanks!

[cruella]

Hi arnie87
Think what you mean is, the passport has to have six months still to run before your return date. A new passport is acceptable.
As far as I know, Insurance for the USA is not free. To be ill in USA costs a lot of money, so better to be safe than sorry. Think you would be better purchasing insurance for your Daughter.

[tonythebiker]

the passport is ok she could have gone the same day she got it no there is no free inc in the USA

[lafrancaise]

Check before paying travel insurance. If you paid the trip by say Gold mastercard or equivalent your daughter would be covered.

[sddsddean]

I'm assuming she has a mobile phone. If she wants to use it in the US (even if just to text like I do when I'm abroad) make sure it is a Triband phone and phone the service provider and ask them to enable international roaming (unless of course you have done this already).
If she is buying things in shops, cafes etc, Goods Sales Tax is not usually added on to the advertised price, so she may see something for $10 and it will actually cost about $11.50. Not critical I know, but confusing if you don't know. Hope she has a great time. Oh, and make sure you get some sort of insurance!

[loonytunes]

Mobile phone in the States - I tried to make the arrangement for my current phone with 3pay when I went to the States at Christmas. They said I had to top it up with �15 before they would do it. I went to Walmart and bought a disposable phone with credit for �10.

[arnie87]

Thanks everyone for your replies, you have been really helpful with the passport question and especially thanks for information about the mobile phone and the Goods Sales Tax, she'd have thought she was getting ripped off ha ha.
Thanks again!!

[JonnoGenie]

Good advice, and as said, make sure you have insurance. A young friend of mine just had an excruciating gall-stone attack in the US a few weeks ago. She sought advice, had her gall-bladder removed as an emergency, four days in hospital (because her GB was infected and they had to keep her in and wait) , and it cost her $35,000.