Book as early as possible,  especially if you want specific dates during school holidays.

Check holiday home availability before confirming flight booking, some travel agents will hold flight bookings for a couple of days.

Ensure holiday deposit is paid by the due date, when acknowledged, immediately check dates and all details are correct.             

Book the correct sized car for your party and luggage. American car boot sizes are smaller than in the UK.  Ensure you take out the appropriate level of car insurance, if possible in the UK, this saves time at the airport.

Get holiday health insurance.  Medical treatment in the U.S. is superb, but it’s not cheap.

Travel Light, allow for extra luggage on homeward journey. Take a light jacket, jumper or cardigan to put on when you go into a restaurant -  U.S. Air conditioning can be a shock to the system.

Leave a tip. The norm in restaurants is 15%. Tips are customary and form part of the salary.

Don’t be afraid to ask in a restaurant for a “take out box” for your uneaten food.  Everyone does it.

Don’t forget the “sun block cream”.  The higher the factor the better, the UV has no mercy.  Do not underestimate the power of the sun.

When driving, filtering right on red lights is allowed: unless indicated otherwise.  When waiting at traffic lights, green does not mean go, it means wait for the two or three cars that might jump the red light across your path.

You can overtake another vehicle on either side, subject to good road sense and conditions permitting.

If driving behind a school bus, and a Stop flag appears, you must stop, whichever lane you are in.  On a two lane road this applies whichever direction the bus is travelling.