Travel guide

Picking the US as a travel destination is rather easy. Everyone has his or her own ideas about the land of opportunity, and all of them come true. Anyone who wants to discover the world within one week flies to New York, makes a visit to Miss Liberty, enjoys the view of the skyscrapers from the top of the Empire State Building, despairs of the wide choice of top-rate museums and finally makes a culinary trip around the world.

Other big-city fans are drawn to San Francisco, whose Chinatown offers an impression of Asia. The highway labyrinth of Los Angeles requires nerves of steel from all those who want to follow the trail of Hollywood stars or explore Disneyland.

In the area around New Orleans, the birth place of jazz, you will find a combination of laisser-faire and a nostalgic view on American history. The plantation mansions on the Mississippi provide the flair of the American South. In Las Vegas, the city of gamblers, free drinks at the black jack table will make you forget both the time and the place.

Tourists who come to the US for the first time are usually always drawn toward the south-west. You will never forget those tacky but beautiful sunsets or the exhausting but fascinating hike down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. People with small children choose Florida. The beaches of Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale or the Keys are especially popular The amusement parks around Orlando do not only offer a great time to kids. Adults who plan their trips well - not within the peak times - will enjoy those amusement parks just as much.

As different as the travel destinations within the US may be, there's one thing they all have in common. Tourist infrastructure is excellent, you can find accommodation in all price ranges everywhere and despite all those fast food stereotypes, the "fusion food," which is the combination of Asian, Indian, Latin American and European food, is a real treat.

Whatever you decide to do for your vacation in the US this year - have a nice and unforgettable time!

Packing for your trip to the US

No food in your checked-in luggage
Do not pack too many things
Shoes go on top of everything else in your suitcase
Personal items in transparent plastic bags
Do not pile up books and magazines in the suitcase, but rather spread them out
No film material in your checked-in luggage / x-rays
Do not gift-wrap any presents
Do not carry scissors, pocket knives or sharp instruments in your carry-on luggage

Diplomatic missions in the US

Germany:
Embassy, 4645 Reservoir Rd., Washington, D.C. 20007-1998, Tel. 202/2 98 81 41, Fax 202/2 98 42 49, 202/3 33 26 53.

Switzerland:
Embassy, 2900 Cathedral Ave., NW, Washington D.C. 20008, Tel. 202/7 45 79 00, Fax 202/3 87 25 64.

Austria:
Embassy, 3524 International Court, NW, Washington D. C. 20008, Tel. 202/8 95 67 10, Fax 202/8 95 67 50

Finances:

Current exchange rate:

1 Dollar = 0.83 Euro
1 Euro = 1.21 Dollar

Coins:

Penny (1 cent), Nickel (5 cents), Dime (10 cents), Quarter (25 cents), Half Dollar (50 cents), Dollar Coin (1 US Dollar, very rare).

Interesting for collectors are the different quarters with a motif of one of the 50 states on the back. Since 1999, five new quarters are being released each year, in the order in which the US states joined the Union. The last quarters will be Alaska and Hawaii in 2008.

Bank notes:

1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 US Dollar. Careful: all bank notes look very much alike. The 50s and 100s are often being closely inspected. Better pay larger sums with credit card or traveler checks. Traveler checks are being used just like cash, and in addition, they are insured against theft.

Sales tax:

This is the tax (value added tax, hotel tax) included in the least amount of prices. This tax varies depending on state and city (for souvenir shopping, you can count on an average of 7-8%). If you are, for example, in New York, you will have to pay a city tax on top of that, so taxes will be 10-15% in total. Hotel taxes can be 8-15% in many cities. One of the "cheapest" states is Florida. A few years ago, taxes were cut by one percent due to protests by the population, and in addition you don't pay any taxes on basic foodstuffs. Some states have special regulations that are rather favorable for tourists. Louisiana: In New Orleans, Louisiana, tourists do not have to pay taxes on anything they buy if they show their passport. They will be reimbursed for sales tax at the airport if they present all receipts. Delaware: no taxes on dinner for anyone.

Credit cards:

Credit cards (usually Mastercard and Visa) are the common means of payment in most hotels, many restaurants and stores. You will also pay the deposit for a rental car or trailer via credit card. With a credit card plus PIN code, you can draw money from an ATM (=Automated Teller Machine). Machines with a Cirrus-symbol also accept ec cash cards with PIN code.

Emergency calls:

911 is the nationwide emergency number, it will connect you with the police, emergency doctor or fire department. If your car breaks down, contact American Automobile association (AAA), they have a free hotline under 1/800/2 22 43 57.

Opening hours:

Opening hours vary greatly between big cities and rural areas. Stores and offices: usually Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5pm. Supermarkets are open Saturday as well, in big cities or arterial roads often until 9pm or even 24/7. Shopping malls and factory outlets are sometimes open Sunday between 12:30pm and 5pm. Banks: usually Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, in big cities also Saturday between 9am and 2pm. Post office: usually between 8:30am and 4:30pm, in small towns sometimes lunch break between 1pm and 2pm. In big cities also Saturday between 9am and 12 noon. Museums: usually closed on Monday.

Line voltage:

110 Volts, 60 Hz - you need a special adapter (best buy that at home already). Plugs are flat and not round as those on Germany. In case you buy any devices in the US you should make sure that line voltage can be switched.

Going out:

In the restaurants: wait to be seated! The waiter will come to you and show you to your table. Usually you will not pay the waiter but at the cash register. Don't forget to leave an appropriate tip on the table, even if you pay via credit card at the cash register.

Alcohol:

The nationwide legal age is 21. Drinking in public is a difficult thing everywhere in the country, sometimes it is prohibited and sometimes allowed. Often, beer or wine bottles are wrapped in a brown paper bag and not taken out for drinking. But please note: most owners of a liquor store do not tolerate drinking in front of their store (not even out of a brown paper bag), they can get into serious trouble because of that. Laws vary greatly depending on the state. In certain states, alcohol is not being sold on weekends.

Stamps:

It is advisable to buy a large supply of stamps at a post office. The stamp machines in hotels and stores require quarters and usually only have stamps for letters inside the US. In small towns you would have to look for a post office that might be hard to find or happens to be closed.