Post-Camp Travel
You have a grace period of up to 30 days to travel after Camp.
Your 30 days starts from the day after your Camp contract ends and you must leave within 30 days of that date. For example, if your Camp ended on August 15th, you would then have 30 days from August 16th - September 14th to travel, but would need to leave within this time.
You do not need to stay the full 30 days and can leave the US any time within that 30 day travel period. This period cannot be extended and you cannot overstay beyond 30 days on your J-1 Visa.
During your 30 day grace period after Camp, you can travel absolutely anywhere in the US. This does not include US territories but does include states outside of the mainland (Hawaii and Alaska).
Most participants will plan their Post-Camp Travel during Camp with the friends they make during the summer. You can use your time off and days off to plan your travels with friends and book any travel and accommodation.
If you want someone to take the wheel and plan out an amazing trip for you, you can use our partners Contiki to book one of their fantastic US road trips packages.
You can use your Camp Salary to pay for your Post-Camp Travel, but if you want to plan ahead and make sure you definitely have enough, the budget will depend on the type of travel you will be doing. For example, if you are travelling on a budget, taking buses and staying in hostels and Campgrounds, you won’t need quite as much as if you are taking long internal flights, staying in hotels or going to theme parks and resorts.
While you are travelling there are several ways you can get around to all the cities and attractions you want to visit:
- Internal Flights: The US is a vast country and sometimes the best option for getting from city to city is to fly. Internal flights with airlines such as Delta, United and JetBlue are usually a quick and cost-effective way to get around.
- Coaches and Buses: For shorter journeys, the most cost-effective option is a bus such as a Greyhound or Megabus.
- Car hire: If you are a confident driver and meet the requirements to hire cars in the US, you can pick up a car and head out on a road trip.
- Trains: Trains are not as common as they are in the UK and can be more expensive, but can be booked through Amtrak if you want a smooth and scenic journey.
Tourists can hire cars across the US if:
- They have a valid drivers license
- Are over the age of 21
- Have a credit card
If you are driving between the ages of 21 to 25, you will be charged a young drivers surcharge. This means that there will be additional costs if you hire a car under the age of 25.
While you are travelling around the US, there are several accommodation types you can book including: hotels and motels, hostels, Airbnb’s and holiday rentals, and campgrounds. We recommend using comparison sites such as Hotels.com, Kayak, Hostelworld, and HipCamp to find the best price.
We do not directly plan travel for participants, but our partners over at Contiki do have a range of thrilling US road trip packages you could book on to.
Yes, your AmeriCamp medical insurance will still cover you for your 30 day grace period, but you will not be covered if you overstay this 30 days or if you exit the US and reenter on an ESTA.
No, as soon as you leave the US your Visa will end and you will not be able to reenter on the same Visa. This means that if you travel outside of the US and decide to reenter the country you will need an ESTA for this.
You can travel to US territories but your Visa will end as soon as you exit mainland USA. If you take a cruise that ends by docking back in the US, you need an ESTA to reenter the US.