Travel buddy for a 14 day stay over before the USA (from UK)

LornaLou

Hey! I'm looking to stay in another country for 14 days before heading into the states. I'm in the UK and he's in Ohio, USA. I've been apart from my boyfriend since January 2020 and I can't take it anymore. I actually don't have anyone I know willing to do a 14 day stay in another country with me, so I was wondering if anyone wanting to do it for themselves, as they need to get into the USA too, would like a travel buddy and want to travel with me instead of alone? I'm trying to make this work, but it's a daunting thing to do alone. Lorna.

TheSativaDiva

LornaLou wow first I'm so sorry to hear, second I'm in the same situation. UK and needing to go to Cleveland, Ohio...
It's driving me insane waiting for this travel ban or whatever to move in a direction where I and many others, don't have to feel this way...but it's just not happening is it....

Ayse0728

When? I’m planning on doing this in the next week or so if the travel ban isn’t lifted by the 10th!

LornaLou

Ayse0728 Oh wow! Yeah, I mean I'd be looking to do it as soon as possible. What country would you be going to?

Evik97

Hi! I was hoping the US borders would open up today with it being the 4th of July yesterday. But no luck there, so now I am also looking to leave the Schengen area for 14 days. Do you have any idea yet where you want to go? I am now looking into Croatia, Turkey and Mexico.

Ayse0728

Evik97 I was really hoping they would have been an announcement and they would be open yesterday also!

UKtoUS

Evik97 If the borders were to open on 4th of July, would have been plenty of 'signals' to understand that. I would suspect the borders will be open in several months but not in the following weeks. Anyone annoyed with the way the USA visa section puts up dates for interviews and then remove them over and over again?

LornaLou

Evik97 Typically I haven't figured things out too well as I haven't ever flown before, so I'm not sure what would be best. As long as the flight back into the USA doesn't stop over somewhere we aren't allowed, and the country I'm staying in is safe etc.

Ayse0728

I’ve been looking into Mexico. I looked int Croatia but someone said if your connecting flight lands in a country on the ban list then you have to do your 15 days again and most flights from Croatia were landing elsewhere first. So I was thinking Mexico.

UKtoUS

I was thinking into doing something similar myself as I need to travel to Chicago. Yet with the storms in the Caribbean, I would prefer to do it later on - anybody interested, get in touch. All my social media and travel reviews sites etc (I can forward to you) will detail I am just a very easy going, positive and normal person.

Ayse0728

UKtoUS I think I’ll be doing Mexico. Will be booking sometime this week as the latest date I can fly out is the 10th. I’m getting married on the 28th so need to be there before that.

LornaLou

UKtoUS When are you thinking of going? I can't leave this week as I don't have enough time to prep everything properly, but soon is preferable. I can also be vouched for on social media, what's your Instagram handle?

Evik97

Ayse0728 Congrats on your upcoming marriage! That is amazing :) I really hope you can make it work.
I did some research and leaving on Thursday to Cancun for 15 nights seems like the best deal for me. Hope you can all figure something out too!

Ayse0728

Evik97 Coukd you give me the info as that’s something I’d be open to doing!

Stars97

Evik97 hope you made it safe! Were you able to enter the US simply on the Visa Waiver Program? Im trying to figure out what is needed to get in after the 14 days in another country

Evik97

I was able to book a direct flight from Germany, Frankfurt to Cancum, Mexico this upcoming Thursday. This way I don't have to transfer in the US. Then I booked an Airbnb for 15 nights (that's the mandatory amount). I found a Reddit post with some helpful info about staying in Cancun. https://www.reddit.com/r/USTravelBan/comments/odqjmx/uk_cancun_la_success_and_tips/ This person used High Impact Solutions to get a COVID test before flying to the US, so I'll be doing the same I think.
Mexico is generally cheap food and drinks wise and my Airbnb was about €500 for the full two weeks. That was the cheapest stay I could find.

LornaLou

Ayse0728

LornaLou

I have heard the same thing, about landing in a banned country for a connecting flight means you have to start again. It's so silly! Antigua looks to be a good idea, it's a direct flight of 7-8 hours from Heathrow. I have a friend who did this late last year to get married to her husband. She quarantined in the hotel for 15 days and it all worked out. Only issue is it's super expensive there. I didn't know there were storms at the moment in the Caribbean. I know this sucks so bad, but I'm so glad that I found this forum. Going through this alone, without anyone else understanding, has been so hard.

UKtoUS

LornaLou Hi and thank you for your message. My husband is going to to visit me in the UK, for this reason I am looking at going to Chicago to stay with him for almost 3 months after that (as we are allowed with the UK passport), which might not suit you - unless you want to visit USA later on this year. As I am alone here, before doing this step, I have to think what I am going to do with my place in London.

Regarding the travel situation, I think is worth paying attention to the weather in the Caribbean via http://www.weather.com (https://weather.com/en-GB/weather/radar/interactive/l/6121681b2c5df01145b9723d497c595c53ae08104787aa1c26bafdf2fb875c07 for radar) or any similar sites (besides the fact that you cannot enter the USA on the 14th day but as from the 15th day onwards from the Caribbean country for example).

In order to travel cheaply, the best is to book a package holiday with BA (together with another person) when they have their offers: Mexico has lots of cheap places, some islands in the Caribbean (especially those closer to Florida like Bermuda, Cayman etc are more expensive) as opposed to those closer to S America (Barbados etc)

Also read the travel updates as presented on the USA government site for UK https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/UnitedKingdom.html or even https://www.dailymail.com

Is there anyone here having a visa appointment with the USA embassy in London and who had it changed by them several times since March 2020? I would like to know your view on this.

Ayse0728

I don’t have Instagram, but my TikTok is ourldr_ukusa

ive been trying to do it as cheap as possible as I already have direct flights booked to the states which obviously won’t be able to do, so I haven’t got loads of extra cash. I’ve been thinking Mexico, this doesn’t seem like a bad option. I’ve priced things up. I’ve flown numerous times yearly.

LornaLou

Ayse0728 I'm Lornaraindrops on TikTok or Instagram. If you want to look me up. I haven't got loads of extra cash either, which is what's making this so difficult. I've also seen that booking one way tickets is so expensive, it costs more than return flights. Which is crazy!

LornaLou

UKtoUS Oh! If you are married, you're allowed into the USA to see him anyway right? Under the spouse exclusion? Wherever I fly into the US is no problem to me, I have to get a connecting flight to Ohio anyway, but yeah I still can't do that with the ban. I check the travel updates everyday, and always end up losing hope with it :(

Ayse0728

Evik97 I’ll look into that as I think I’m going to be going Thursday. What area was your Airbnb in if you don’t mind? Wouldn’t mind being close to someone.

LornaLou

Evik97 Oh cool, that is cheap! Do you not have to quarantine in Mexico? You can leave the place you're staying in? I've heard so many stories about having to stay put in the hotel you're in, so make sure it's all inclusive for food etc. as you're not allowed to leave. Is that old news now?

Evik97

Ayse0728 Oh that's great! I hope you can make it work. I think the neighborhood is called La Ceiba, it's close to the Mercado 28.