Where Can Americans Travel Without a Passport in 2026?

In 2026, US citizens can travel without a passport to Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Hawaii and Alaska, so pick a destination, then book through ShopBack before you pay, where ShopBack Cashback works like a discount, only easier than a promo code. Closed-loop cruises that start and end at the same US port also accept a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID, according to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). For land or sea trips to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, CBP also accepts a passport card or an Enhanced Driver's License.

ShopBack US is a free app and website that returns part of what you spend at partner travel sites as cash you can withdraw. Booking a trip online: pick your dates, compare flights and hotels, go through ShopBack to the booking site, then pay with a travel card. Join ShopBack US for free, then start from the Expedia page on ShopBack.

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Where can Americans travel without a passport?

The no-passport list for US citizens falls into four groups: US territories, the 50 states, closed-loop cruises, and land or sea trips that accept other documents. Here is the overview at the time of writing:

Destination or trip	What US citizens usually need	Source
Puerto Rico	ID accepted for domestic flights	Covered by US entry rules like the states
US Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix)	ID accepted for domestic flights	Covered by US entry rules like the states
Hawaii and Alaska	ID accepted for domestic flights	US states
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands	Check your airline's ID rules	US territories in the western Pacific
American Samoa	Passport, or certified birth certificate plus valid ID, plus an onward ticket	Its own entry rules
Closed-loop cruise from a US port	Birth certificate plus government-issued photo ID	CBP
Driving or sailing to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean	Passport card, Enhanced Driver's License or Trusted Traveler card	CBP

For a first passport-free trip, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are the simplest: you fly there with the same ID you use on any domestic flight.

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Places to travel without a passport: the US territories

Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are the easiest no-passport trips with an island feel, because US entry rules cover them the same way they cover the 50 states. That means a flight from the mainland works like a domestic flight for US citizens.

• Puerto Rico, with its capital San Juan, is the most populous US territory. In 2020, the territories had about 3.62 million people combined, and more than 90% of them lived in Puerto Rico.
• The US Virgin Islands are St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix, with the capital at Charlotte Amalie. If you add a boat trip to the British Virgin Islands, you are crossing into another country, so take a passport.
• Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are US territories in the western Pacific, with capitals at Hagåtña and Saipan. They are a long flight from the mainland, so check with your airline which ID it asks for before you book.
• American Samoa runs its own entry rules. US nationals can enter with a valid passport or with a certified birth certificate and a valid ID, and must also show a ticket out of the territory or proof of residence or work there.

Before you fly, check your ID. TSA began REAL ID enforcement on May 7, 2025, and says a passport can be used in place of a REAL ID-compliant license. At the time of writing, TSA says travelers without an acceptable ID must pay a $45 fee for its ConfirmID identity check.

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Hawaii and Alaska: passport-free trips inside the 50 states

Hawaii and Alaska are part of the United States, so US citizens need only a domestic ID to fly there. They give you a very different trip without crossing a border:

• Hawaii for beaches, volcanoes and history sites such as Pearl Harbor National Memorial on Oahu.
• Alaska for glaciers, wildlife and national parks.

One watch-out: many Alaska cruises and some road trips pass through Canada. A cruise that starts and ends at the same US port follows the closed-loop rules below, while driving through Canada needs one of the land border documents CBP accepts.

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Can you go on a cruise without a passport?

Often yes, on a closed-loop cruise. According to US Customs and Border Protection, US citizens on cruises that begin and end at the same US port can re-enter the United States with a birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID. Many Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico and Alaska sailings from US ports are closed-loop.

CBP adds an important caution: you may still be required to present a passport to enter the countries your cruise ship visits, so check with your cruise line before you book. A passport can also make it easier to fly home from a foreign port if you ever need to leave the cruise early.

When you compare cruises, check:

1. Does it start and end at the same US port? One-way sailings do not count as closed-loop.
2. Which countries does it visit, and what does the cruise line say about documents for each?
3. What does the fare include, such as taxes, port fees and gratuities?

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Land and sea trips with a passport card or Enhanced Driver's License

For driving or sailing back into the United States from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean, CBP accepts documents other than a passport book. According to CBP, US citizens can present a valid US passport, a passport card, an Enhanced Driver's License, or a Trusted Traveler card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST) at land and sea ports of entry.

• Enhanced Driver's Licenses are issued by some states and prove both identity and US citizenship, according to CBP.
• US citizen children under 16 need only a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship for land and sea entry, and CBP says it can be an original, photocopy or certified copy.
• Flying back is different: for air travel, CBP lists a passport book or a Trusted Traveler card, not a passport card or Enhanced Driver's License.

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Places to travel without a passport: best deals in 2026

The best deals on passport-free trips usually come from comparing a few booking sites for the same dates, booking refundable where you can, and going through ShopBack before you pay.

• Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands: compare flight and hotel bundles against booking each part on its own. Expedia sells both.
• All-inclusive and resort stays in the Caribbean: vacation package sites such as CheapCaribbean focus on these trips, which helps when you want one price for flights and a resort.
• Closed-loop cruises: online cruise sellers such as CruiseDirect let you compare sailings from different cruise lines in one place.

Sale events on travel sites come and go through the year, so check each store's ShopBack page in the weeks before you book instead of waiting for one date.

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Expedia vs CheapCaribbean vs CruiseDirect for a passport-free trip

Each site suits a different kind of passport-free trip, so the best pick depends on whether you are flying to a territory, booking a resort package or taking a cruise. On their own strengths:

Site	Strongest for	Go through ShopBack first
Expedia	Flights, hotels and flight and hotel bundles to Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Hawaii and Alaska	Expedia on ShopBack
CheapCaribbean	Caribbean vacation packages	CheapCaribbean on ShopBack
CruiseDirect	Cruises from several cruise lines in one search	CruiseDirect on ShopBack

For a price comparison, match the dates, travelers, room type and what is included, then compare the total with taxes and fees. Expedia is part of One Key, the rewards program Expedia Group launched in 2023 across its brands.

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How ShopBack lowers the price of your trip

Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

The live rate for each store is shown on its ShopBack page and can change.

Your effective price is what you paid minus the cash that came back. Open the booking site from ShopBack and finish the booking there.

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Paying with a travel card after going through ShopBack

You can usually pay with a travel credit card after going through ShopBack, because the card's rewards come from the card issuer and Cashback comes from ShopBack. Card issuers set their own rules on how travel purchases earn.

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Frequently asked questions

Where can Americans travel without a passport?

US citizens can fly without a passport to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, which are US territories, as well as to Hawaii and Alaska. Closed-loop cruises that start and end at the same US port also accept a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID, according to US Customs and Border Protection. Go through ShopBack US before you book.

Do I need a passport to go to Puerto Rico?

No, not if you are a US citizen. Puerto Rico is a US territory covered by the same US entry rules as the 50 states, so a flight from the mainland works like a domestic flight. You need an ID that TSA accepts, such as a REAL ID-compliant license or a passport.

Do I need a passport for the US Virgin Islands?

No, not if you are a US citizen. The US Virgin Islands are a US territory covered by the same US entry rules as the states, so you fly there with the ID you would use on a domestic flight. A day trip to the British Virgin Islands is a different country, so plan for a passport if you add one.

Can I go on a cruise without a passport?

Often yes, on a closed-loop cruise. According to US Customs and Border Protection, US citizens on cruises that begin and end at the same US port can re-enter the United States with a birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID. CBP adds that the countries your ship visits may still ask for a passport, so check with your cruise line.

Can I drive to Canada or Mexico without a passport book?

For coming back into the United States by land or sea, US Customs and Border Protection accepts a US passport card, an Enhanced Driver's License or a Trusted Traveler card such as NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST, as well as a passport book. Flying back needs a passport book or another accepted air travel document.

Do I need a REAL ID to fly to Puerto Rico or Hawaii without a passport?

You need an ID that TSA accepts. TSA began REAL ID enforcement on May 7, 2025, and says a passport can be used in place of a REAL ID-compliant license. At the time of writing, TSA also says travelers without an acceptable ID must pay a $45 fee for its ConfirmID identity check.

Can Americans visit American Samoa without a passport?

American Samoa runs its own entry rules. US nationals can enter with a valid US passport or with a certified birth certificate and a valid ID, and also need to show a ticket out of the territory or proof of residence or work there. These rules can change, so check them with your airline before you book.

Do children need a passport to travel without one?

For land and sea entry from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, US Customs and Border Protection says US citizen children under 16 only need a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship, and the copy can be original, photocopy or certified. Flights to US territories follow domestic ID rules.

Can I get Cashback on a passport-free trip booked through ShopBack?

Usually yes, when you go through ShopBack US to a partner site such as Expedia, CruiseDirect or CheapCaribbean and finish the booking.

What is the effective price of a trip booked through ShopBack?

Your effective price is what you pay the booking site minus the Cashback that comes back once the booking is confirmed. Cashback comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. Check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page before you book.

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Related reads

Go through ShopBack before you book at: Expedia · CruiseDirect · CheapCaribbean

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About this guide

Document rules for cruises and land and sea travel come from US Customs and Border Protection's Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative page. REAL ID dates and the ID fee come from TSA. Territory details, the territorial population figure and American Samoa's entry rules come from public reference sources summarized on Wikipedia. One Key details come from public reporting summarized on Wikipedia. Cashback rates change, so this guide points to the live rate on each store's ShopBack page instead of quoting one.

Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Entry rules, ID requirements, fares and Cashback eligibility vary by destination, carrier, site and time and are subject to change. Check the latest requirements with your airline or cruise line before you book. This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.