Eating and everyday life

Groceries, restaurants, tipping, alcohol, laundry and conversions: day-to-day life over there.

Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis in the United States: what the law says

A legal age of 21, ID checks, an open bottle in the car, dry counties, cannabis legal in a state but banned in the parks: the rules to know when travelling.

Coffee and breakfast in the United States: ordering without getting it wrong

Bottomless filter coffee, coffee shop sizes and jargon, ordering on the app, diner or hotel breakfast, brunch: the instruction manual for the American morning.

American manners: small phrases, queues and subjects to avoid

The "How are you?" that expects no answer, conversations with strangers, queues, personal distance, sensitive subjects: understanding American customs when travelling.

Grocery shopping in the United States: supermarkets, prices and good deals

Walmart, Trader Joe's, Safeway, Publix, Costco: where to do your shopping on a road trip in the United States, how to get the reduced prices and what to put in the cooler.

Cooking in a van or at a campground during a road trip in the United States

Minimal equipment, gas, cooler, simple meal ideas, washing-up and the rules in bear country: how to eat well in a van or at a campground without spending the whole evening on it.

Laundry, showers and toilets on a road trip in the United States

Laundromats, showers at truck stops and campgrounds, toilets on the road and in the parks: the practical side of a road trip in the United States, by car or by van.

Eating at restaurants in the United States: diners, fast food and the customs to know

How a restaurant meal works in the United States: types of establishment, ordering, portions, the bill, menu vocabulary and regional chains to try.

Miles, Fahrenheit, gallons, shoe sizes: the conversion sheet for the United States

Distances, temperatures, volumes, weights, clothing and shoe sizes, date and time formats: all the conversions that are useful when travelling in the United States.

Tipping in the United States: how much, to whom and how

Restaurant, bar, hotel, taxi, guide: the usual tip amounts in the United States, and why you shouldn't skip them.

What to eat in the United States? The specialities to try, region by region

New York pizza, Texas barbecue, clam chowder, Cajun cooking, key lime pie, Californian tacos: the dishes to try in each region of the United States.

Travelling vegetarian, gluten-free or with allergies in the United States

Reading menus and labels, telling the server, finding vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free options on the road and in the parks: the guide to eating without risk.