< Back to Essential Documents

Travel Outside the United States

As an au pair, you get a J-1 multiple entry visa in your passport, which allows you to travel outside the United States during your program year. If you plan a trip outside the U.S., you will need to send your original DS 2019 form and travel request form: http://www.aupairinamerica.com/pdf/travform.pdf to the Connecticut office for a travel validation signature.

This should be done at least three weeks before a planned trip. When you travel, you must bring your signed DS 2019 and passport with you. You will need to show these documents to the Customs & Border Patrol Officer when you reenter the U.S. after a trip outside the U.S.

Travel Within the United States

• Greyhound Bus - http://www.greyhound.com/
• Amtrak - http://www.amrtrak.com/
• Small Group Travel Tours - http://www.trekamerica.com/
• Cultural Hi-ways Group Travel - http://www.chiways.net/
• Youth Hostel Search and Information - http://www.hiusa.org/
• Top 25 U.S. Tourist Destinations - http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations-cTop-g191
• National Park Finder and Information - http://www.nps.gov/
• National Seashores and Beaches - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_national_lakeshores_and_seashores
• List of Museums by State/Town - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_the_United_States

Travel Safety Tips

Always leave a number with your host family where you can be reached. If you haven't made photocopies of your most important documents (passport and visas), remember to do so before you take those documents on a trip. In case of loss or theft, the photocopies cannot substitute for originals, but they may help you get replacement papers sooner.

• Stay alert
• Never leave your luggage unattended
• Don't put any valuables in luggage that you check
• Keep your travel tickets, passport and visa in a safe closed bag or pocket, not sticking out of an outer pocket
• Never carry a large amount of cash
• Carry your cash separate from your wallet. Keep both in an inner or front pocket
• Carry handbags and cameras close to you, not hanging by a long strap
• Don't put valuables in an easy-to-reach backpack
• If you are bumped or distracted by a stranger, be aware that a pickpocket may be targeting you. Stay alert!