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Travel Tips

Weather

The World Cup is likely to be extremely hot in many host cities, particularly across the southern United States and Mexico.

Hydration stations will be common around stadiums and organisers have repeatedly stressed the importance of staying hydrated. In many venues, free water refill stations will be available if you bring an empty clear plastic bottle.

Humidity will also be a major factor, especially in places such as Miami, Houston and parts of Mexico. Sun cream, hats and light clothing will quickly become essentials rather than luxuries.

Temperatures in some cities are expected to regularly exceed 30°C. Dallas organisers themselves admitted that some locals leave the city during summer because of the heat, which probably tells you everything you need to know.

Money

Three countries means three different currencies.

Canada uses the Canadian Dollar (CAD). Canada is largely cashless and card payments are accepted almost everywhere. Carrying a small amount of cash is still sensible for emergencies.

The USA uses the US Dollar (USD). Card payments are extremely common, although carrying some cash for tips or smaller purchases is useful.

In bars and restaurants across both the USA and Canada, staff may hold onto your debit or credit card while you run a tab. You will usually sign a receipt at the end of the transaction, including your chosen tip amount and final total.

Mexico uses the Mexican Peso (MXN). Card payments are widely accepted in major cities and tourist areas, although cash remains more commonly used than in the USA or Canada. Carrying smaller notes is particularly useful.

ATMs are widely available across all three countries. Using official bank-operated ATMs is strongly recommended to reduce fees and avoid card-skimming risks.

Travel cards and banking apps such as Revolut and Monzo generally work very well across all three countries.

Tipping culture

Tipping culture is very different to the UK, especially in the United States where hospitality staff often rely heavily on tips as part of their income.

In restaurants, bars and cafés, tipping is generally expected unless service has been genuinely poor.

Increasingly, businesses automatically add gratuity to bills, particularly for groups, so always check before tipping twice.

It can occasionally feel like absolutely everybody expects a tip. You may genuinely be asked whether you would like to tip after buying a bottle of water from a fridge. This remains entirely at your discretion, regardless of how aggressively the payment machine stares at you.

Typical tipping expectations are:

  • USA: 18–22%
  • Canada: 15–20%
  • Mexico: 10–15% in most situations

Health Insurance

We cannot stress enough how important comprehensive travel insurance is for this tournament.

Medical costs in the United States in particular can be extraordinarily expensive, even for relatively minor treatment. Without insurance, costs can quickly run into thousands of pounds.

If you hold annual travel insurance, double-check the maximum trip duration covered. Many policies only cover trips of 30 days or fewer.

None of the three host countries provide free healthcare to UK visitors. If medical treatment is required, contact your insurer as soon as possible.

Our advice is to ensure somebody travelling with you also has access to your insurance details and emergency contact information.

Medication

Bring basic medication with you, including painkillers, antihistamines, plasters and any regular prescriptions.

Keep prescription medication in its original packaging where possible and bring copies of prescriptions for any important medication. Some medications that are routine in the UK may face restrictions elsewhere, so check in advance if unsure.

Toiletries

Current hand luggage liquid restrictions remain at 100ml per container in most airports, with liquids generally needing to fit inside a clear plastic bag.

Rules continue to evolve at different airports, so always check with your airline and departure airport beforehand.

Mobile Service

Check with your mobile provider regarding roaming charges and data allowances across Canada, Mexico and the USA.

Many UK providers now offer inclusive roaming packages or bolt-ons for North America.

eSIM services are also widely available and often provide excellent value for data usage across all three countries. Public WiFi is readily available in most hotels, restaurants, airports and cafés.

Language

English and Spanish will be the two most widely spoken languages throughout the tournament.

French is also an official language in Canada, although this is unlikely to affect supporters visiting Toronto or Vancouver.

The good news is that English will comfortably get you by in virtually every host city. A few attempts at Spanish in Mexico will usually be appreciated though, even if your pronunciation immediately gives the game away.

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