USA Guide: Travel & Leisure
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Driving in the US
An introduction to the American way of driving
T he US has a passionate and enduring love affair with the car. Most Americans simply won’t walk anywhere, hence the proliferation of drive-in services, including banks, dry cleaners, fast food outlets, espresso bars, grocery shops, religious services, clinics and marriages. In the US, the car is God and it’s every American’s birthright to own one as soon as he reaches puberty.
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Public transport
Travelling by public transport in the US
With the notable exception of air travel and rush-hour urban rail and bus services in some cities, public transport in the US is generally slow and infrequent. Except for a few cities, public transport is nowhere near the standards enjoyed and taken for granted in Europe and would be considered hopelessly inadequate in any country less reliant on the car.
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Driving Licence
Recognition of foreign licenses and US licenses
The minimum age you can obtain a ‘regular’ driving licence varies from 14 in ‘rural’ states such as South Dakota to 17 in Minnesota and New Jersey. However, in the majority of states it’s 16. For commercial vehicles up to 7.5 tons laden weight, the age limit is 18 and for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) it’s 21.
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Vehicle import & export
How to bring you car to the US
If you plan to import a motor vehicle or motorcycle, first make sure that you’re aware of the latest regulations. Taking a new or relatively new car to the US is usually an expensive exercise and moreover exporting a car from the US is a relatively simple process and usually yields huge savings, particularly exports to most European countries, where car prices are up to twice as high as those in the US.
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