Visiting The US (as a US Citizen Resident Abroad)
Since my announcement last week (SOOOOO lovely to hear from you all, by the way) I’ve been deep in planning mode. Planning my trip, what I’ll need, where I’ll go….etc.
It’s exciting and oh-so-familiar at the same time. I know the PNW coast like the back of my hand, and just looking at the map has me reliving memories that flow through my mind like a vivid movie reel. I can taste the sea, smell the moisture in the air, feel that sand between my toes. It’s so close I can hear it in my soul.
And yet, as I zoom into my soon-to-be drive I also discover places that I don’t recognize. Forest service campgrounds we never went to in “the beast” simply because she was too darn large. Small highway stops we never made, mostly for the same reason. Alas I also find out that many places are already booked up (arghhhhhhhhh!), the inevitable result of more RVs on the road (I guess) and 7 years since I last visited that corner of the world. Even my beloved Cape Blanco, one of the last great FCFS campground on the OR coast, has now become reservation-only (nooooooo!).
I’m going to have to plan this trip out more thoroughly than I originally thought…
On top of that are all the other details the come along with long-distance travel. Although I’m a US citizen (which means I don’t need any kind of travel authorization or visa to come back), I live abroad and that means I do have to think of health insurance, phone service, rental car and all kinds of other details that a US person living in the US might not have to deal with. It’s an odd (and very specific) topic which may admittedly not be of interest to many, but I figured I’d make it into a blog post just the same.
After all, maybe one day some of US my blog readers will live abroad and decide to come home for a road trip too?
First, A Bit Of Info On My OR Coast Bookings
I honestly didn’t plan to book any sites for my up-coming October trip. In fact my whole point of traveling by car and tent was to avoid this very thing, to give me max flexibility so I could just drive and pitch up (or Airbnb it) wherever I felt like it.
Realizing that Cape Blanco State Park has gone to reservation-only changed that plan.
There are places I must stay at this trip, to soak my soul and recharge the very innards of me and it seems I’m not the only traveler out there with that idea for Oct. State Parks are heavily booked, way more than they ever were back in the days we traveled the coast, and I simply don’t want the stress of traveling 8,000 miles to find out I can’t get into the places I really want to. So reluctantly this week I sat down and booked all 10 or so days of my coastal drive.
I’m not keen on it, but I think it’s going to be worthwhile…
I’ve got several days secured in Cape Blanco (yeahhhhhhhh!), a tent site at Sunset Bay, a prime waterfront spot at Tillicum FS Campground (which is a “first” for me), a beachfront site in Cape D, and a couple of Yurt stays.
The latter was a last-minute idea and I’m curious to see how it works out. Basically I think I’m going to be fine “roughing it” with a tent, especially for the short time I’m in the USA, but I also know OR weather can be super finnicky. I could get great weather (fingers and toes crossed) or it could rain the entire time I’m on the coast (for the love of Odin, please no) in which case the 2 breaks I booked in a Yurt may save me mentally.
Either way all is booked now, for better or worse….
I’ve Rented A Car…And Found An Odd Cost Loophole
Car rental prices (in case you don’t know) have gotten insane since COVID.
From what I understand many car rental companies drastically reduced their inventory during COVID, and supply still hasn’t caught up. My car rental for 20 days in OR will cost me close to $1,000 (!!!), and that’s the cheapest option I could find with separate pick-up and drop-off cities. Incidentally I also found an interesting cost loophole as I was pricing it out.
Renting on my French license (as a resident of France) gave me ~40-50% discount compared to renting on my US license with a US address. Seems nuts, right? I priced out several rentals, both directly and through discount sites like rentalcars.com (all using incognito mode on my web browser) and got a better price with my foreign address each and every time using the exact same dates, insurance options and terms. Whether this is a fluke or a real loophole it’s certainly very interesting and something that I’ve only seen mentioned on a few select forums.
By the way I know many of you asked why I’m not renting an RV or van for this trip and TBH I would have loved to, but that price is closer to $3,000 for 20 days which is a bit too insane for me, especially as camping prices are the same on-top either way. For a good $2,000 in savings I’m happy to “rough it” with a tent, at least I am right now (let’s hope I don’t come to regret that choice LOL).
Bottom line, if you’re a s US citizen resident abroad and you need to rent a car back in USA, try pricing it out with your foreign license and foreign address before you use your US license/address (if you still have those). You might be very pleasantly surprised!
I Need Health Insurance..And It’s Reasonable
An often overlooked part of travel, especially for US citizens going home is health insurance.
As a French resident in the French system I am covered for just about everything including emergency treatment all across Europe. However this does not cover me in USA, and as someone who has researched and understands the true costs of US healthcare it would be insane to ignore this.
Now I have several credit cards that offer travel insurance, but when it comes to healthcare coverage the devil is always in the details. For example my “best” credit card at the moment (Chase Sapphire Preferred) offers $100,000 “accident insurance” if I pay for the entire trip with the card. This sounds pretty darn good at face value, but if you read the actual Chase policy it only covers me for very, very specific injuries (e.g. loss of a certain number limbs, or permanent loss of eyesight, or death etc.). In other words, if I simply get sick or end up in hospital and don’t lose a limb (for example) I’m not covered at all!
There are other credit cards which offer “emergency medical” coverage as well (which is more all-encompassing) but often you’ll find the $$ values are too low (anywhere from $3,000-$10,000) for US healthcare purposes. If something serious happens to me, IMO this is not nearly enough.
I am not yet of Medicare age, so what I need is a stand-alone health insurance policy and not only that I need an insurance company willing to insure Americans who live abroad for short-term visits back home (it’s kind of a weird insurance situation). I’ve only found a few companies that do this, but IMG is one of them and they offer a plan called Patriot America Plus that rides on the United Healthcare PPO network (which is fairly substantial), and also covers COVID-related illness.
I haven’t used this plan and hope I never have to, but for 20 days, I can buy a $1 million coverage plan with $0 deductible for only ~$189 (even less if I chose a small deductible). Honestly I consider this a pretty solid deal.
Bottom line, don’t rely on your credit card to cover you for general healthcare purposes, especially when traveling to USA. Just buy a separate healthcare plan. For non-US residents, it’s not all that expensive and you’ll have peace of mind.
I Need A Cellphone Data Plan…Going eSIM
I wish I could do my trip to the USA without any connection at all, but alas I am directionally-challenged and addicted to Googling everywhere I go. Plus I want to stay in touch, post some stuff….all the modern conveniences of life whatnot.
My French Orange phone plan does provide an “add-on” that I can buy for USA travel, but the data amounts are pretty small (10Gb) and I just know I’ll blow through that in no time, especially as I’m staying in state parks with no WiFi to tide me over.
Thankfully there are several companies that sell short-term data plans (say, 20 days or 30 days) either with a physical SIM or eSIM (which my iPhone can handle) at pretty reasonable prices.
The main “gotcha” with kinds of plans is that they’re sold by third parties (Holafly, Yoho, Airalo, Nomad, Ubigi etc.), so what you really need to figure out is which underlying network (T-Mobile, ATT or Verizon) they’re running on, as this obviously affects your coverage big-time. Also there are hundreds of these kinds of services, but for unlimited data (why not) there’s only a few options that look good and rate well (high customer satisfaction).
Personally I think I’ll be going for Holafly which runs on both ATT and T-Mobile, and claims to provide truly unlimited data (in their FAQ section they say you could get throttled for 24 hours if the network sees > 90GB usage and decides you have exceeded local Fair Use Policy, but otherwise there are no limits). I’ll let you know if it works out!
Note/ All these eSIMs are data only (no voice calls or SMS), so I plan to use Whatapp for all my calls/texts while traveling. If you need phonecall & SMS ability there are physical SIMs from companies such as Simify that offer data/voice/SMS.
More about eSIMs and travel: Best eSIM For International Travel
More about Mobile Internet in USA: Mobile Internet Resource Center
I Will Need *Some* Comforts Too
I may be “roughing it” this trip with a tent, but I also plan to bring along a few comforts that will hopefully make my life easier.
I’ve done enough long-distance walking over the last 2 years that I have a pretty tight packing list and know how to go light as well as what mini-comforts make me happy. I just need to upgrade things a bit for this car-camping trip such as bringing a tent, camping pad, collapsible chair (essential, I tell you), backpacking stove/pot and portable French press (I must have morning coffee or I will DIE!). Most of these I already have from my old backpacking days 20+ years ago, but I’ll need to bring ’em out, dust them off and make sure they haven’t turned into mouse food somewhere along the way. Perhaps, once I get my gear together, I’ll post about that too.
That’s about it my friends! For those few of you that might actually have stayed with me this far and found this blog post interesting (I know it’s somewhat specialized) DO let me know if you have any other questions. For the rest of you, I will see you here again soon.
Nina, it’s so nice to have new posts from you. I’ve missed your talented writing and photography skills.
Did you consider renting a U-Haul van? I’ve heard anecdotally that they’re much less expensive than a “normal” vehicle rental. Not sure if the fuel mileage decrease would offset any savings, though.
Hi Brett,
Thank you for the lovely compliment, and no I hadn’t thought of a U-Haul….I may look into it, just to see.
Nina
I’m so excited for you and can’t wait to hear all about this trip! I know you will be a mad woman until you get your coffee in you, but just in case it takes a while, don’t forget to take along some Pocket Coffees!!! 🙂
LOL you know me well my dear….I will bring pocket coffees (and prob stock-up on chocolate-covered espresso beans in USA).
Nina
Just popped over to your blog after a loooooong time. Sounds like a great trip! Tim and I started our first rental-car road trip — without our whole home with us — in the states about a week ago (variety of house visits, hotels and “glamping”), and the one thing we definitely did not plan well for was the morning coffee situation!
Oh I feel your pain LOL. My Camino trips taught me to pre-plan my coffee, so a little backpacking stove and a French press are definitely coming with me this trip. I’ll prob also carry some instant (for those truly desperate moments). Needs must…
Nina
Have you priced out what the cost will be as extra luggage when you fly? And what you’ll do if the airline loses your gear?
I’ve got a checked bag already included in my ticket (which I bought on miles), and I think that should be enough. Everything I’m bringing is backpacking-type items, so they are light and mobile. That said losing gear is always a concern. It’s only happened to me once (coming back from the Camino this year in fact) and it’s a real bummber, but there’s not too much I can do about it. I will be borrowing some of the bigger items (tent, chair etc.) from a friend in USA when I arrive so even if my luggage is lost, I’ll still be able to do the trip.
Nina
I’m excited for you on this trip, which I’ve also taken many times in various vehicles. I wonder if you might have blog followers whom you might meet up with along the way. I’d love to have you visit, but I’m all the way up in Alaska. Best wishes and I look forward to your blog posts!
OOOOO…Alaska is tempting, but admittedly I won’t be making it that far this time around. Maybe another road trip sometime in the future?
Nina
So looking forward to your ‘camping’ trip. I know you’ll do it justice. We’ll be doing a family gathering in Utah as some have yet to view the Grand Canyon or Monument Valley, it will be very peopley. Bet your experience will be more rewarding and personal.
Gatherings are always fun. My big “people-intense” stop for this trip will be the Eclipsefest gathering in Chiloquin. I will only do 2 days (because I think that’s about my limit for such a huge gathering), but it should be fun….exhausting and fun.
Nina
Wow! So happy to see you’ll be back in the PNW and NorCal this fall. Looking forward to reading all about it. Know that you and Paul inspired us over the years. During Covid no less, we pulled the plug and went full-time. 10
-months in a Casita, and then almost a year now in a 5th wheel and F-350. In October we’ll be in Arizona and then Nov.-Mar. in SoCal near family. Wish you both well and much continued happiness.
Oh how very cool! And you started in a Casita no less. That’s quite something. So happy to hear you’ve come to love the lifestyle 🙂
Nina
I’m at Cape Blanco now. Some things have changed since you were last here. The lighthouse is not staffed by volunteers anymore. It was taken over by the historical society. Because of safety concerns ( stairs in need of repair) you can no longer climb to the top. You cannot drive to the lighthouse, the road eroded in some places and you have to walk about 1/4 mile to the lighthouse.
Ahhhh what a bummer. I will certainly walk out there, but it’s sad there are no tours going. Thanks for the update.
Nina
Hi Nina, I’m going to chime in and say you and Paul inspired me to think about a nomad life in an RV. We now are traveling as retirees since I couldn’t quit early being a public librarian and lose my pension. We are on the last leg of our first long trip and heading back to home in Northern California. I am sorry to miss the Solar Eclipse gathering—at least I think we will miss it having not captured an RV spot yet. But I am anxious to get home and feel into what this 6 month trip has meant and figure out our next step. Full time? If not, where should we settle into retirement since we are so far away from family. But it has been quite a trip and I’ve loved it. Have fun revisiting the Oregon coast.
I’m so glad to hear this, and that I helped inspire some adventure. RVing is a wonderful way to see the US and really does open up opportunities to have a base elsewhere, and still have flexibility to go to the places you love. Excited for you for your future, whatever you decide!
Nina
We are camping at Cape Blanco Monday, Oct 2-Oct 4. Will you be there? Sounds like you are traveling the coast of Oregon after the Eclipse gathering. Just thought I’d check so we could say hi if we were camping nearby.
Ahhhh sadly no. That’ll be before the eclipse, and I’ll be arriving a few days after. If you plan to continue to travel up the OR coast (depending on how fast you’re going) we could catch up? Do let me know.
Nina
Cape Blanco is by far our favorite PNW state park. We first discovered it nearly 50 years ago when camper would pull in and leave the next morning because on the wind. We would have the beach in both directions to ourselves except for an occasional hardy soul. The lighthouse wasn’t open for tours until more recent years. We were dismayed when it went to reservations as we always found a site when we arrived around noon.
Our daughters first camped there when babies and toddlers and love it also.
Everything changes and not always for the best. I hope your trip refreshes fond memories for you.
I was pretty bummed to find Cape Blanco had gone reservation too. Our years lighthouse hosting there were some of our favorite memories of OR. I hope I get good weather the few days I’ve booked, but I know I have to be prepared for anything.
Nina
Why is Paul not joining!
Pets…paw duty. And now that Polly is an old girl we don’t leave her alone. He’s taking his own little solo trip next month, so we will both get some solo travel before we travel together (with the paws) in November.
Nina
Hello,
In case you do not know, there is a site allowing you to find pet sitters when you travel and we are using it. A great way to continue to travel when you have pets you cannot take with you on certain trips…
https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF692894/?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=refer-a-friend&utm_campaign=refer-a-friend
Have fun in Oregon!
Gilles
I’m familiar with them. We’re just the crazy pet parents who never leave their pets. Polly has only ever been left once in her life for a short while, with very (very) good friends. Like I said…we’re well nuts 🙂
Nina
Nina, We have been a fan forever, currently leading an Airstream National Caravan Discovering Cascadia. We will be on the coast in Florence October 8 – 11 & Eugene October 12 – 14 for the annular eclipse.
Oh how exciting…..if you head on out to the coast after the eclipse we could prob cross paths. Don’t know what your plans are exactly, but I’m happy to share my plans via e-mail if you think you’ll be heading that way.
Nina
So exciting to come back to the PNW…..do you think you’ll ever move back permanently? Ah well, no need to ponder that question when you have such a beautiful trip to look forward to. I’m glad you’ve made reservations ahead, you’ll be glad you did. Gone are the days of just pulling into a desirable place and finding availability. Not sure what that is due to, but it is what it is. Put some time into planning and all will be wonderful…..and if something opens up unexpectedly, you can always pivot!
So sorry we won’t be in that area in October….maybe next time…..
The PNW is always somewhere on my mind. I don’t think we’ll be heading there to live anytime soon (we are pretty entrenched here in Europe now), but you never know….I am looking forward to my trip immensely and hope maybe I can do more in the future.
Nina
We have learned that our days of free-wheeling it around the west aren’t anything like they used to be. Especially since COVID when everyone seemed to think an RV was the only way to do anything fun, and that working from the road was a great way to live, the campgrounds have become overcrowded and overused. I would imagine that you will be glad that you aren’t traveling in an RV. I didn’t realize it had been 7 years, Nina. Geez, how time flies. We now watch for cancellations, and have to remain flexible to get anything anywhere in the summer, and often it is impossible. October is our month to head to the coast as well, but not so easy to do that either, as you have discovered. Everything is so different now, with Van Lifers and Instagram influencers RVin so they can take selfies and write quickie notes and post videos. It is such a bummer. But it is what it is. I miss the old blogger days when there was a lot of good stuff to read, like yours and a few others. Sigh
I’m with you, I really am. Sounding like an old lady, but I do miss the days it was just a few folk RVing around. I recall our first year on the coast over 13 years ago…it was so wild and easy to get a site. Things changed rapidly even in the time we were on the road. Ah well….
Nina
Soooo many fcfs campgrounds have gone to reservation now. It has taken the spontaneity out of camping. We loved having the option of staying another day or two if we were enjoying an area. On the plus side, it is nice to know that whenever you roll in, you will have a spot, especially after a long drive or day of sightseeing. No worrying that if you get there late all the sites will be taken. Enjoy your trip!
I was surprised to see even forest service campgrounds on the coast are reservation now (although Tillicum still maintains some FCFS sites). I guess it’s all just become too popular. I’m glad I got it all booked so I don’t have to stress about sites when I get there.
Nina
Hi Nina,,,so happy to see another pot this week. I think you have figured out by now to expect the unexpected on your Oct. trip. Best of luck to you and be careful out there.
I am going upon a tour to Portugal in Oct. But I had no idea that ESIM were only used for data. My cell service doesn’t have international options. So maybe just use WhatsApp when there’s wifi.?.
Take care
Oops post!
Yes using WhatsApp is a great plan if you get an esim with data only. That said there are physical sims you can pickup in Europe which will give you both voice and data. Have a look at Vodaphone, or Orange for your trip. I know many Portuguese Camino walkers buy a Vodaphone SIM.
Nina
You, my lady, are a researcher extraordinaire! I’m sure your trip will go smoothly and I look forward to reading about staying in a yurt. But, having been following you for years, I do understand your concern about having basic health care insurance. 🙂
Health care insurance is so very key! I’ve always felt that way, both when we lived in USA and now.
Nina
Traveling in Central America, Airalo has worked well for us. First time is a bit of a learning curve.
This is great info. You’re now the second person who’s recommended Airalo. I wish they had slightly larger data packages for USA, but they clearly work really well.
Nina
Nina, we know how much the PNW is a love for you & Paul. We assume this trip is a fact finding trip. But I’m afraid you might be in for a cultural shock. Yes your favorite landmarks are still there but as you look at the obvious
take over of non-working population you probably will cry as we did. Visiting the area was a shock and we feel so sad. Enough said.
Honestly his is really just for me to reconnect with the nature and beauty of the coast. Hopefully that is still there as it was. I will cry if it isn’t.
Nina
In case it does often rain during your vacation, remember you could sleep in the car,be dry and comfortable…
Yup that’s my backup, and the reason I’m going for an Intermediate SUV rather than a mini.
Nina
Sadly reservations have become the norm on the west coast, in part expected as us boomers retired, but exacerbated by the pandemic, working from the road lifestyle. Alaska is one of the few destinations that you can still wander as you’d like without plans.
Yeah, unfortunately that seems to be the case. For the bookings I made there were very few options left.
Nina
We tried to do a fcfs campsite at Tillicum last month and it was a no go. Apparently the people with expiring reservation sites were moving to fcfs before new campers could arrive! It might be better now that school has started but it will be leaf peeping season then I think. Enjoy your trip. Usually when you don’t get what you expected at a particular campground you pivot and find something else to enjoy!
Ahhh yes, I can totally see that happening. Thanks for that little piece of info. I’ve reserved at Tillicum thankfully, so I have a water-front site already in the books. The view is my main reason for camping there….and I guess that’s true for everyone else too.
Nina
Hi Nina, we are heading south and on to our home base in California. Sorry to miss meeting you! I hope the Eclipse gathering great and your trip is fantastic!
Hi Nina, it’s me again. Google maps kept warning us that our route to Cape Blanco might be affected by the Anvil forest fire. So far no smoke! It is 48% contained and with the current rains it should be out soon. Anyway, our campsite is amazing!!! But what blew our minds is that they are staging the fire fighting efforts near the 101 entrance to Cape Blanco road. Huge numbers of tents, personal, equipment, and trucks. Wow! But again, probably all will be gone once you arrive. Just thought I’d share my eye witness report.
Thanks so much for the update Terri. I’m glad your site is amazing (I so love that place).
Nina
Any updates from your US trip???
If you go to technomadia website you will see that Nina joined friends there mid October for the eclipse.
Hope all is still well with her.
Missing you .. hope all is well.
I am officially worried about them now. Hope all is well.
X2
I’m OK….so sorry for the long absence. I really have struggled with the blog. I did have a great trip to USA.
Nina
Thanks for the heads up, good to know that you’re OK and had a nice trip but no worries about the blog! I know the feeling, sometimes it’s just ‘not there’.
Thanks for the info!!!!
Relieved that all I’d well
Oops,,,all is well
Thanks for sharing, was in need of tips on this. As far as I know, the tmobile esim provided by yoho supports unlimited calls and texts also.