Passports take up to six weeks or more to process. If you want to take a tropical vacation sooner than that, there are a number of warm places U.S. citizens can travel to without a passport. Among these are the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, Hawaii in the south Pacific and Key West on the southern tip of Florida.
Puerto Rico
Located two hours south of Miami by plane, Puerto Rico is a U.S. possession and, therefore, U.S. citizens can travel there without a passport. Puerto Rico boasts an average temperature of 80 degrees as well as miles of white sand beaches, casino gambling, rain forests to explore and historic sites like Old San Juan and El Morro Castle, a former Spanish fort. The people of Puerto Rico are welcoming and most speak English in addition to their native Spanish.
U.S. Virgin Islands
Because they are U.S. territories, U.S. citizens can travel to the Virgin Islands St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John without a passport. These Caribbean islands, located east of Puerto Rico, are noted for their beaches, snorkeling, duty-free shopping and American customs in a tropical setting. On St. Thomas, visit shops in the capital of Charlotte Amalie, play a round of championship golf or explore one of the several forts dotted around the island. On St. Croix, visit a rum distillery or snorkel off of Buck Island, one of just three underwater national monuments in the United States. Smaller St. John is home to St. Johns National Park and miles of hiking trails and wildlife.
Hawaii
Hawaii is America's own slice of the South Pacific. The island chain, the 50th U.S. state, offers a variety of beaches--some of which are made of black lava--as well as orchid farms, some of the world's best surfing, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home to the still-active Kilauea volcano. Hawaii offers some of the most unique culture and cuisine, and some of the most spectacular sunsets, on earth.
Key West
Key West is on the southernmost tip of Florida, just 106 miles from Cuba. This casual, relaxed island offers history, interesting sites like the house where Ernest Hemmingway lived, small cove beaches, palm tree-lined streets and a nightly sunset party at the end of Duval Street. It's almost always warm in Key West; the average monthly high temperature ranges from 75 degrees in January to 90 degrees in August.
