ESTA for the USA
Discussion
I went to the States 2 yrs ago and did my ESTA with the rest of the family.
But, I first went to the USA over 30 yrs ago, when I was 18, and in those days you sent your passport off in advance with your visa application to have your visa stamped in it. My fellow travellers all got a 1 yr visa or whatever the time scale was, but for reasons unknown, I got a lifetime visa. I still have that old passport with the lifetime visa stamped in it.
Is it valid?
But, I first went to the USA over 30 yrs ago, when I was 18, and in those days you sent your passport off in advance with your visa application to have your visa stamped in it. My fellow travellers all got a 1 yr visa or whatever the time scale was, but for reasons unknown, I got a lifetime visa. I still have that old passport with the lifetime visa stamped in it.
Is it valid?
TwigtheWonderkid said:
I went to the States 2 yrs ago and did my ESTA with the rest of the family.
But, I first went to the USA over 30 yrs ago, when I was 18, and in those days you sent your passport off in advance with your visa application to have your visa stamped in it. My fellow travellers all got a 1 yr visa or whatever the time scale was, but for reasons unknown, I got a lifetime visa. I still have that old passport with the lifetime visa stamped in it.
Is it valid?
Yes, according to this: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/826But, I first went to the USA over 30 yrs ago, when I was 18, and in those days you sent your passport off in advance with your visa application to have your visa stamped in it. My fellow travellers all got a 1 yr visa or whatever the time scale was, but for reasons unknown, I got a lifetime visa. I still have that old passport with the lifetime visa stamped in it.
Is it valid?
With that kind of time gap, and bearing in mind many things have changed over the years, I might be minded to just get an ESTA though.
Vipers said:
Interesting question, lifetime visa, out of date passport, as we all know the current rules say the ESTA is valid for 2 years, providing the passport doesn't run out first.
An ESTA is not a visa though, its an approval to travel under the visa waver program, so its rules and expiry are irrelevant to someone travelling with a visa. The sarcastic in me says that the lifetime visa will have expired the last time you did. But more practically its worth checking with the embassy if you are not confident its still valid. I do wonder, why not just use the ESTA and Visa waver program if your travel doesn't require a visa. It was our experience when travelling for holiday, one person with a visa and one without that it threw up more questions than if we both just turned up on the old green form looking like tourists, and as soon as the passport with the visa expired we just went back to the green form. Americans don't like you not looking like a tourist. We also keep very quiet if we are meeting/staying with our American friends as that can lead to a whole series of questions also.
Edited by ViperDave on Tuesday 16th April 10:35
Talking about Americans, don't bother taking American Express travellers cheques when you go over to visit, trying to find a bank who will change them is a rare as rocking horse s
t.
One even asked if I had a bank account with them, I said "No I am a tourist, hense the American Express travellers cheques"
"We are very sorry sir we can't change them"................... doh.
But their pertol prices are worth the visit
t.One even asked if I had a bank account with them, I said "No I am a tourist, hense the American Express travellers cheques"
"We are very sorry sir we can't change them"................... doh.
But their pertol prices are worth the visit
Vipers said:
Talking about Americans, don't bother taking American Express travellers cheques when you go over to visit, trying to find a bank who will change them is a rare as rocking horse st.
One even asked if I had a bank account with them, I said "No I am a tourist, hense the American Express travellers cheques"
"We are very sorry sir we can't change them"................... doh.
We've been going for many years and my wife has a thing about always taking travellers cheques. We've never changed one in bank - we just use them to buy stuff or pay for meals and the change gives us the cash we need. Obviously you have to be reasonable about this in terms of cost vs cheque value but we've never had a problem.t.One even asked if I had a bank account with them, I said "No I am a tourist, hense the American Express travellers cheques"
"We are very sorry sir we can't change them"................... doh.
Vipers said:
But their pertol prices are worth the visit
With cars doing lower MPG and their gallon being smaller than ours, cost per mile is probably pretty similar to UK now. Especially in California. And everywhere is further in the US!Deva Link said:
With cars doing lower MPG and their gallon being smaller than ours, cost per mile is probably pretty similar to UK now. Especially in California. And everywhere is further in the US!
Interpret this as you will.Colorado last September, unleaded petrol was $4.59 a gallon. Taking all the conversion factors into account, including smaller US gallons, that equates to about 76 pence per litre. Currently, unleaded in the UK is about £1.40 per litre.
Looks good to me. I will enjoy my visit this year, I do like their multiple occupancy lanes as well.
Yes, we did exchange some in Maceys, no,probs.
Vipers said:
Deva Link said:
With cars doing lower MPG and their gallon being smaller than ours, cost per mile is probably pretty similar to UK now. Especially in California. And everywhere is further in the US!
Interpret this as you will.Colorado last September, unleaded petrol was $4.59 a gallon. Taking all the conversion factors into account, including smaller US gallons, that equates to about 76 pence per litre. Currently, unleaded in the UK is about £1.40 per litre.
Looks good to me. I will enjoy my visit this year, I do like their multiple occupancy lanes as well.
Yes, we did exchange some in Maceys, no,probs.
I can't even get anywhere near that in my Diesel van that returns 45-50mpg!Vipers said:
Interpret this as you will.
Colorado last September, unleaded petrol was $4.59 a gallon. Taking all the conversion factors into account, including smaller US gallons, that equates to about 76 pence per litre. Currently, unleaded in the UK is about £1.40 per litre.
Looks good to me. I will enjoy my visit this year, I do like their multiple occupancy lanes as well.
I would go just for the bigger parking spaces.Colorado last September, unleaded petrol was $4.59 a gallon. Taking all the conversion factors into account, including smaller US gallons, that equates to about 76 pence per litre. Currently, unleaded in the UK is about £1.40 per litre.
Looks good to me. I will enjoy my visit this year, I do like their multiple occupancy lanes as well.
We usually get a full size SUV and they do around 14-16 (US) MPG, so fuel might be half the price but I'm using at least twice as much per mile as I would at home!
Deva Link said:
Vipers said:
Interpret this as you will.
Colorado last September, unleaded petrol was $4.59 a gallon. Taking all the conversion factors into account, including smaller US gallons, that equates to about 76 pence per litre. Currently, unleaded in the UK is about £1.40 per litre.
Looks good to me. I will enjoy my visit this year, I do like their multiple occupancy lanes as well.
I would go just for the bigger parking spaces.Colorado last September, unleaded petrol was $4.59 a gallon. Taking all the conversion factors into account, including smaller US gallons, that equates to about 76 pence per litre. Currently, unleaded in the UK is about £1.40 per litre.
Looks good to me. I will enjoy my visit this year, I do like their multiple occupancy lanes as well.
We usually get a full size SUV and they do around 14-16 (US) MPG, so fuel might be half the price but I'm using at least twice as much per mile as I would at home!
saleen836 said:
Have to agree, we did 1400 miles last September around California/Nevada in a 5.0 Mustang. When we returned home I worked out the fuel cost...£101 I can't even get anywhere near that in my Diesel van that returns 45-50mpg!
Just got back from Florida. We were cruising about in a (surprisingly good) Chrysler 300c. The hire company charged me 78p per litre for gas when I returned it. The Americans thought that was a rip-off. I can't even get anywhere near that in my Diesel van that returns 45-50mpg!The cars on the roads around Orlando were shocking though. The 300c was one of the nicest cars we saw and American car design has seriously lost the plot. It's amusing to see the names of some iconic cars on small jelly mould Jap clones. Chevy Impala anyone:
Perec said:
Just got back from Florida. We were cruising about in a (surprisingly good) Chrysler 300c. The hire company charged me 78p per litre for gas when I returned it. The Americans thought that was a rip-off.
The cars on the roads around Orlando were shocking though. The 300c was one of the nicest cars we saw and American car design has seriously lost the plot. It's amusing to see the names of some iconic cars on small jelly mould Jap clones. Chevy Impala anyone:
That's an old car........The cars on the roads around Orlando were shocking though. The 300c was one of the nicest cars we saw and American car design has seriously lost the plot. It's amusing to see the names of some iconic cars on small jelly mould Jap clones. Chevy Impala anyone:
saleen836 said:
Have to agree, we did 1400 miles last September around California/Nevada in a 5.0 Mustang. When we returned home I worked out the fuel cost...£101 I can't even get anywhere near that in my Diesel van that returns 45-50mpg!
That looks something like 34mpg by my fag packet calculations - help me understand how you did that. I can't even get anywhere near that in my Diesel van that returns 45-50mpg!My wife drives our 5.0 Mustang from Orlando to Leesburg and back 4 days a week - all straight, flat highway 50 miles each way and she drives it gently - steady 75-80mph. Best she can manage is 25mpg. When I drive it, I average around 20mpg. So tell me, what are we doing wrong???
h0b0 said:
Perec said:
Just got back from Florida. We were cruising about in a (surprisingly good) Chrysler 300c. The hire company charged me 78p per litre for gas when I returned it. The Americans thought that was a rip-off.
The cars on the roads around Orlando were shocking though. The 300c was one of the nicest cars we saw and American car design has seriously lost the plot. It's amusing to see the names of some iconic cars on small jelly mould Jap clones. Chevy Impala anyone:
That's an old car........The cars on the roads around Orlando were shocking though. The 300c was one of the nicest cars we saw and American car design has seriously lost the plot. It's amusing to see the names of some iconic cars on small jelly mould Jap clones. Chevy Impala anyone:
Still a nasty, bland Jap-a-like.
Perec said:
Just got back from Florida. We were cruising about in a (surprisingly good) Chrysler 300c. The hire company charged me 78p per litre for gas when I returned it. The Americans thought that was a rip-off.
The cars on the roads around Orlando were shocking though. The 300c was one of the nicest cars we saw and American car design has seriously lost the plot. It's amusing to see the names of some iconic cars on small jelly mould Jap clones. Chevy Impala anyone:
I have booked an Impala myself for my trip.The cars on the roads around Orlando were shocking though. The 300c was one of the nicest cars we saw and American car design has seriously lost the plot. It's amusing to see the names of some iconic cars on small jelly mould Jap clones. Chevy Impala anyone:
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