United States: Practical information

Eating Out

Rules For Eating Out: Lunch is usually served between 11 am and 1 pm and dinner 5 pm to 10 pm. Do not forget to tip your waiter or waitress (20 % at a "sit-down" restaurant). Service is almost never included in the price of the meal. Sometimes, if you eat with a group of people over a certain number, the restaurant will add a service charge to your bill, which means you do not have to leave a tip.

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car Rental
Los Angeles Intl (LAX)	24 km / 15 miles	USD 30 / 30-35 min	USD 3 / 30-45 min	Available	Available
Chicago O'Hare (ORD)	9 km / 5 miles	10 min	Available	Available	Available
New York - Kennedy Intl (JFK)	21 km / 13 miles	USD 45 / 40-60 min	Available	USD 5 /1 0-15 min	Available

Current Local Time: It is %T:%M %A In New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia
It is %T:%M %A In Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas
It is %T:%M %A In Los Angeles, San Diego
Summer Time: From April to October.

Time zone

Type of Climate: Temperatures and climate vary considerably across the United States. Below are some average temperatures in several U.S. Cities:
Chicago: -7°C in January, 20°C in June
San Francisco:12°C in January, 18°C in June
New York from 0°C in January, 22°C in June
For further information: U.S. Department of Commerce: Climate Analysis Branch National Weather Service Federal Emergency Management Agency - Disaster Information

Climate

Domestic Currency: American Dollar
ISO Code: USD
Possible Means of Payment: Credit cards can be utilised nearly everywhere. Traveller's cheques may be used; however, they are becoming less commonly accepted in retail locations and less popular.

To Find a Cash Machine Where You Need, Use the ATM locator

Official Language: There is not an official language at the national level; however, English is the official language of the majority of American states and the most commonly spoken language.
Other Languages Spoken: Spanish is the most commonly spoken language after English. While regionally concentrated in states such as Arizona, Texas, California, Florida and New Mexico, there are Spanish-speaking enclaves across the country. In communities with large immigrant populations, other languages are spoken, including Chinese, Japanese, Italian, German, Polish or Greek. Moreover, there are many languages spoken by Native American populations (Navajo, Cree, Cherokee, etc.).
Business Language: English

Police, Medical and Fire	911
Non-emergency municipal service number	311

Telephone Codes: To Make a Call From the United States, Dial 011
To Make a Call to in the United States, Dial +1
National Mobile Phone Operators: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, SBC, BellSouth, Sprint, Qwest

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