Despite being a former British colony, one of our closest allies and generally being lumped together on the world stage, travellers are often both surprised and delighted by the differences they encounter in the US in terms of lifestyle, attitude and geography.

Yet delight can turn to aggravation when British travellers, when they realise that America is an often chaotic collision of beliefs, values and customs. You are at once supposed to know the rules – both enforced by law and unspoken cultural norms – and abide by them, but individual states dispense their own rules on everything from driving to taxation and consumer protection and are not usually set up with visitors in mind.

This year, even entering the US has raised worries for some holidaymakers, with reports of travellers sub

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