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A First-Timer's Guide to Navigating America

Volunteers and attendees at registration desk

For many first-time attendees from abroad, DjangoCon US represents the first time for people entering the United States.

Before you can get into the USA, though, you may need a visa. Check our Visa Support page for details and organizer Benedict Kofi Amofah's excellent blog post on the visa preparation process.

Here's a quick guide to navigating life in the United States as a newcomer:

Payments

Almost every venue nowadays takes Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and usually Discover. Make sure you notify your bank before you are traveling that you are going to the United States so you don't set off any fraud alerts. In the US, this requires calling the customer service number printed on the back of the card, but overseas banks may differ.

When making payments, some card machines will give you the option to pay in USD or your home country; generally your bank will give you a more favorable exchange rate (even after conversion fees) than the merchant, so you should probably pick USD.

Carrying Cash

However, credit card machine failures do happen, so it's a good idea to carry a small bit of cash just in case. You will typically get better exchange rates at ATMs over airport currency exchange shops.

Many taxis will not have working card readers, so having cash for this is a must!

Most but not all vending machines will take cards and NFC payments (e.g. Apple Pay and Google Pay), so it's useful to have a few small bills ($1 is a paper note in the US, unlike most countries) just in case.

Mobile Phones

The United States has 3 main wireless telecommunications providers: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Now that Verizon has retired its 3G service, you should be able to bring nearly any phone that supports Voice over LTE (all 5G phones automatically do) and have it work in the US via roaming. However, that can be super expensive depending on your plan back home.

If you want to get a temporary US plan, you have numerous options. The big three carriers are all post-paid, typically requiring long contract terms which make them unsuitable for a quick visit. However, there are numerous providers called MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) that offer prepaid service, including:

  • Boost Mobile
  • Cricket
  • Visible
  • Google Fi
  • Tracfone
  • Mint Mobile

Many of these are able to offer a "bring your own phone" plan where you would have to get a SIM card, likely having it shipped to your hotel and then doing the swap yourself after you land in the US. You may also be able to find shops in the airport once you arrive in the US while you wait to board your final flight to RDU (Raleigh-Durham Airport) that offer SIM cards. Check the directory of your connecting airport for more information.

Alternatively, you can get an eSIM that you activate upon arrival. If your phone supports both an eSIM and a physical SIM, you can keep your normal phone number for receiving calls and use the eSIM for mobile data in the US. A few common providers are:

  • Airalo
  • Holafly
  • Nomad
  • aloSIM
  • Jetpac

Doing some internet searches (or asking your friends) might yield some handy discount codes, too.

Sales Tax

Many countries have some form of value added tax or goods and services tax rolled into the retail price that you pay, so a bottle of water that's listed as costing $2 is exactly what you pay. In the US, this is very much not the case. Instead, each state charges its own sales tax, and in many states, counties and municipalities add their own tax on top of that. Some places charge different tax rates for different classes of goods, such as a discount for food.

In Durham County, NC, the sales tax is a flat 7.5%. The city of Durham does not add its own sales tax. For example, you will pay $2.15 for the previous hypothetical $2 bottle of water.

Tipping

Tipping (gratuities) in the United States is rampant. Here's a rough idea of how much you'll be expected to add on top of your bill:

  • Restaurants: 20% for everything except for the big-name fast food restaurants (e.g. McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King)
    • Even some self-serve kiosk ordering places will try to ask for a tip! This money will theoretically go to the staff preparing and/or delivering your food, but it definitely feels odd.
  • Coffee shops: $1-2 per cup of coffee
  • Bars: $1-2 per beer/glass of wine, $2-4 per cocktail, 20% on bottles of wine
  • Rideshare and taxis: 20%
  • Hotel room cleaning: ~$5/day (leave it on your pillow, weirdly)
  • Hotel valet parking: ~$3 per time they retrieve your car

Transportation, or Getting from the Airport to the Hotel

There are 3 ways to get from the RDU airport to the Marriott:

  • Rideshare apps (Lyft and Uber generally have nationwide coverage; which you use is largely up to you) will generally get you where you need to go. It's about a $20-25 ride (plus tip) from the hotel to the airport in the absence of surge pricing. You'll pay using your phone. Use the app to find out where to get picked up. The ride should take about 20-25 minutes once you're in the car.
  • Traditional taxis may be hailed on the curb outside the airport. Follow signs for Ground Transportation and then try to wave down a cab that's going by. Fares will typically be a little more expensive ($30-35 perhaps plus tip), but licensing is stricter. Much like an Uber/Lyft, the trip should take about 20-25 minutes.
  • Durham is part of the GoTriangle Bus System that covers the Research Triangle. Fares are $2.50 per trip, and the route from the airport to the hotel takes approximately an hour including 10-minute walks on each end of the journey. Use the Umo app to make payments through your phone. NOTE: Once you're within the city of Durham, bus rides are free until June 2025, but the airport is in Raleigh, so you'll still have to pay that $2.50 to get to and from the airport.

Identification/Purchasing Alcohol

To purchase alcohol or enter places that predominantly serve alcohol, there's a very good chance you'll be required to present identification. You may be able to get away with a national ID card, but your safest option is your passport. It needs to be the original; photocopies are not accepted.

Recycling

Recycling is extremely hit or miss in public facilities. Airports typically have some sort of recycling setup, and urban cores typically have recycling for plastic types #1 or #2 and aluminum cans and not much else.

All other waste goes into a single trash stream.

Public Restrooms

Unlike many European cities, you're not likely to find public paid toilets. If you find yourself in need of a trip to the restroom while out in public, you have a few options:

  • Public parks typically have restrooms open to the public
  • Visit a retail establishment (grocery store, convenience store, coffee shop, etc.) and buy something
  • Public libraries

Flying Home

When returning home, you'll want to plan on arriving at RDU airport two hours before your departure time. Odds are you will clear security with plenty of time to spare, but in the event of another CrowdStrike-class outage, it's better to have time on your side.