US Citizens · 2026 REAL ID Rules
Every destination US citizens can visit in 2026 without a passport — territories, closed-loop cruises, and the domestic 50 states + Hawaii. What ID actually works, what doesn't, and where to go for beach / culture / adventure.
Beaches + rainforest + colonial architecture in USD
San Juan's Old Town is the closest thing to a Caribbean colonial capital most Americans will experience without a passport. Direct flights from every major US city. El Yunque rainforest + Vieques bioluminescent bay + Rincon surf. USD currency, English + Spanish widely spoken.
✈ MIA (2h) · JFK (3.5h) · IAH (4h) · LAX (7h) direct
Caribbean beaches, no passport required
St. Thomas (Magens Bay + shopping) + St. John (Trunk Bay + Virgin Islands National Park) + St. Croix (quiet + snorkelling). Ferry between islands. Charlotte Amalie is a top Caribbean cruise port. USD currency.
✈ STT: JFK (4h) · MIA (2.5h) · CLT (3.5h) · ATL (3.5h) direct
Pacific island vacation, US territory
Tumon Bay resort area, WWII history sites, world-class scuba diving (Blue Hole), duty-free shopping. Long-haul from mainland US, but from Hawaii or West Coast this is genuinely tropical.
✈ HNL (7h) direct · LAX (~12h via HNL)
3-14 day cruises from US ports w/o passport
Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian all run closed-loop Caribbean routes from Miami / Fort Lauderdale / Port Canaveral / Galveston / New Orleans / Baltimore. Return to same port = no passport. Popular short-hops: Miami → CocoCay (Royal Caribbean), Miami → Nassau (Carnival), 4-day Bahamas.
✈ Sail from MIA / FLL / PCB / GLV / NOP / BWI ports
Glaciers + wildlife from Seattle w/o passport
Alaska cruises departing from Seattle and returning to Seattle qualify as closed-loop domestic — no passport needed. Inside Passage + Glacier Bay + Ketchikan + Juneau + Skagway. Note: Vancouver-departure Alaska cruises DO require a passport.
✈ Sail from SEA (Seattle) — fly SEA from any US city
Remote South Pacific US territory
The most remote US territory. Pago Pago harbor + National Park of American Samoa (only US national park south of the equator). Ideal for travelers wanting genuine cultural immersion without international paperwork.
✈ HNL (5h via Hawaiian Airlines twice weekly)
Pacific US commonwealth beaches
Saipan's Managaha Island snorkelling, Grotto dive site, WWII history. Long-haul from mainland but a Pacific paradise without passport requirement for US citizens.
✈ GUM (30min) · HNL (~7h via GUM)
50th US state
Domestic US flight — no passport needed, no customs. Oahu (Waikiki + Pearl Harbor) · Maui (Road to Hana + Haleakala) · Big Island (Volcanoes NP + Kona coffee) · Kauai (Napali Coast). US dollar. English official.
✈ Direct from most major US cities to HNL, OGG, KOA, LIH
Expedia's Puerto Rico Vacation Packages include air + hotel + rental car in one booking. Free cancellation on most rates. USD currency = no exchange fee.
Search Puerto Rico on Expedia
US defaultExpedia bundles the flight + hotel discount in-cart (5-30% off the combined book). Price-match guarantee means you can rebook if the rate drops before check-in.
See Puerto Rico ratesDomestic US destinations, US territories (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands), and closed-loop cruises from US ports that visit Caribbean/Mexico/Bahamas destinations and return to the same US port. All require a REAL ID-compliant driver's license (or passport card / enhanced driver's license) as of 2026 TSA rules.
Not if the cruise is "closed-loop" — meaning it departs from and returns to the same US port. Closed-loop cruises to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico, and Bermuda accept a state-issued birth certificate + REAL ID-compliant driver's license or passport card. If the cruise starts and ends at different US ports (open-loop) or you fly to meet the ship abroad, you need a full passport.
No. Puerto Rico is a US territory and treated as domestic travel. You need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license (or passport / passport card / military ID / enhanced driver's license) for TSA screening, but no passport is required. Same for the US Virgin Islands (USVI), Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Only if the cruise starts at a US port and ends at a different US port (open-loop), OR if you fly to meet the cruise at a foreign port. Closed-loop Caribbean cruises from Miami / Fort Lauderdale / Port Canaveral / Galveston / New Orleans that return to the same US port do NOT require a passport for US citizens — a birth certificate + government-issued photo ID is enough. That said, cruise lines strongly recommend a passport in case you need to fly home from a foreign port due to emergency.
No. Hawaii is a US state — domestic flight. You need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license (or passport / passport card / etc.) for TSA. Non-US citizens still need a passport for domestic US flights.
For 3-day closed-loop cruises from US ports (Bahamas typically), no passport is required for US citizens — birth certificate + government photo ID is accepted. The most common 3-day no-passport cruises are Royal Caribbean's Miami → Nassau → CocoCay itineraries and Carnival's Miami → Nassau + Freeport / Fort Lauderdale → Nassau routes.
REAL ID is a federal driver's license standard. Since May 7, 2025, all US domestic air travel requires a REAL ID-compliant driver's license (marked with a star in the top-right corner) OR a passport / passport card / military ID / enhanced driver's license. Non-REAL ID licenses will be rejected at TSA — bring a passport as backup.
For beaches: Puerto Rico (San Juan + Vieques) or USVI (St. John + St. Thomas). For culture: New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah, Santa Fe. For nature: Alaska cruises (closed-loop from Seattle), Grand Canyon, Yellowstone. For cheap Caribbean vibes with zero admin: closed-loop 3-4 day cruise Miami → Bahamas.