Idaho

Travel Guide North America USA Western United States Idaho

Introduction

Autumn's Rainbow

Idaho is a US state in the northwest of the country. It borders Washington and Oregon to the west, Canada to the north, Wyoming to the east, Montana to the northeast, and Utah and Nevada to the south. It's famous in the US for its potatoes. The state covers around 83,000 square miles and has just over 1.5 million inhabitants, most of them living in the largest city and capital Boise. Idaho became a state only in 1890 as number 43.

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Geography

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Cities

Boise, the state's capital and largest city.
Caldwell
Coeur d'Alene
Idaho Falls
Lewiston
Meridian
Moscow
Nampa
Pocatello
Twin Falls

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Sights and Activities

Idaho Sun Valley offers many activities such as mountain biking and fly fishing.
Sawtooth Mountain National Recreation Area is ideal for adventure trips, camping out in the woods, etc. You can also arrange guided tours through the area.
Snake River is a good spot for rafting.
Salmon River is a good spot for rafting.

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

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Getting There

By Plane

Boise Airport (BOI) has most flights, including to/from Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, Sacramento, San Jose, Seattle, Spokane, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Reno, Oakland, Chicago, San Francisco and Phoenix.
Idaho Falls Regional Airport offers flights to Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Denver.
Twin Falls, Haily, Lewiston and Pocatello have regiona airfields as well, with flights to Salt Lake City and some of them also offering flights to Seattle or even Los Angeles.

By Train

The Empire Builder, operated by Amtrak, travels between Chicago, Illinois and Seattle, Washington, stopping en route in Sandpoint, Idaho.

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

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Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

Idaho has a number of National Scenic Byways which offer a great way to explore the state crossing beautiful landscapes. Mostly, there are lots of national parks, state parks or monuments along the way and it's generally a better alternative than the faster but boring Interstate Highways.

By Bus

By Boat

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Eat

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Drink

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Sleep

Hotel and Motel Chains

There are dozens of hotel and motel chains, ranging from budget to top end. Allthough they are not the most charming accommodations, they usually have a very decent midrange service with good rooms and are generally good value. At least you know what to expect and in some cases they are either the only or the best option in the area. Some of them include: