Before You Leave

Flight tickets
We found that KLM and Delta are offering one year open flight ticket. Surprisingly you can not get it directly from the KLM or Delta, but they provide it as a benefit for their main reseller (Letuska.cz, and probably others). You need to call provider (letuska.cz) to arrange it as it is not as well known. Generally you will buy tickets with return at random time withing recent flight itinerary (so for example August-February, even you plan to leave in May). Than around December, when the new flight itineraries are released, you contact Letuska.cz again and book your final back flight ticket (May). This partial reeboking is without a rebooking fee (which is about 5000 Kc per person), so for a family you can save a lot, if you know your final date of departure. If needed you can always reebook the flight for this aditional cost. In this program you have to return within a year (so for example 25th July to 14th July), if you need longer you would need to pay the rebooking fees.

Health insurance
Fulbright Scholars are covered by some type of health insurance, however any dependent is not. You need to get some type of insurance that will cover medical expenses for them. If any dependent plan to work in the USA, that insurance should allow it (e.g. some travel insurance policies exclude working).

- Discounts on insurance by Czech companies (pages in Czech): https://jakdokanady.cz/pojisteni-do-kanady/

- UK based company: https://www.truetraveller.com/?tag=4395

Vaccination
If you take kids with you and you plan to give them to public schools in the USA, check which vaccination is mandatory for school kids. If some is missing, they may not be allowed to go to public schools.

Also get International Vaccination Certificate from doctor in your country and make sure that all required vaccination is correctly recorded there.

How much cash you will need
Before you leave, your local Fulbright comission will ask you which portion of stipend money you want in cash. The rest will be an bank check. To cash the check bank account is needed.

Some banks won't open you a bank account until you have Social Security Number. Without bank account you won't be able to cash any checks you bring with you. And without cash you won't be able to pay for the first rent and deposit (usually month-worth rent).

So, before you leave, check prices in the area you plan to live in and have basically at least double the amount of the month rent.

International driver's licence
Your national driver's licence may not be recognized in the USA. It is always safer to ask authorities in your country to issue you a international driver's licence, before you leave.

But after your arrival (within few months), you would need to pass the driving test and make an US driving licence anyway. At least you do not need to carry your passport all the time with you and everybody can understand it. As drivers licence is main US identification card, you will need it. You can make drivers licence even without the permission to drive a car in US (works just as an ID).

Rent a car
Public transport in the USA is very limited. Driving a car is much more convenient. If you book your car well in advance (month or two), you get better price. Be sure to either buy car insurance with your rental, or check that your existing covers rental cars. Beside major car rental companies, you may want to check rental aggregators that sometimes offer really good deals.

Good experiences are with Economy Car Rentals: https://www.economycarrentals.com/en-us

You will need rental car until you get your own - it may take 5 to 10 days. Check page on buying a car for details.

Temporary accommodation
It is always better to rent your long term accommodation when you are there, can see the property and the owner. To stay somewhere before you fine something, check usual suspects, such as AirBnB, Booking or Trivago.

If you find AirBnB with a good hosts, they can give you a lot of great advice for your start.

It takes approximately a week to get an long term accommodation. Some properties may be available from 1st day of next month. So book your temporary accommodation for long enough.

Cell Phones
See page on cell phones to make sure your phone will work in the USA - including data (probably not). If not, it is good time to order a phone an amazon and send it to your AirBnB accommodation, to your lab or anyone who will keep the package for you. It takes approx 5 days to get your phone delivered by amazon.

Plug Converters
If you take any electronic device to to USA, make sure they can operate with 110V/60Hz electric grid (most small devices like cellphones, laptops, tablets, etc do). Also bring couple of plug converters from US wall plug to whatever your device requires. Those converters are usually pricier and more difficult to get than in your country.

Offline Maps
If you will be using your non-US cell phone as navigation for couple of first day in the USA, you will be probably without data connection. Download offline maps of the city and surrounding area (e.g. in Google Maps mobile app) while still on Wifi / home cell network.