Here are some tricks to help your drive through the States go as smoothly as possible.
Need a Zip Code?
We've all been at that isolated gas station in Pennsylvania late at night, trying to pay at the pump, when it asks for the Zip code for the payment card. Don't panic - there's a work around for those of us with postal codes.
Take the numbers from your postal code (eg. 123) and add two zeros at the end (eg. 12300)
Problem solved!
Tolls
Many of the interstates in the States have tolls and some states have moved to booth-less collection methods. For example, some sections of New York State require you to either have a pass or go online within a certain number of days to pay. Save yourself the headache and buy an EasyPass transponder. It works in many parts of the States, can be loaded online, and doesn't require a monthly fee. They can be purchased at toll booths (if you can find one) or regional chains like Wegmans in New York.
Border Waits
Without question, the worst part of driving into the USA is the part before the border (especially if you are driving from the GTA). You can make the crossing a little less painful by checking the following websites for real-time information:
bwt.cbp.gov
niagarafallsbridges.com/index.php/services/traffic-conditions