USA, important visitor information

Weather
The North and East have a temperate continental climate with warm summers and cold winters while the South has a subtropical humid climate with easy winters and hot summers.

Dress Code
Dress is casual and informal. The more elegant hotels, clubs, and restaurants will require suits and ties for men and cocktail dresses for women.

Business Hours
On weekdays, offices are open from 9 am to 5 pm. Banks are open weekdays from 9 am to 3 pm and sometimes Saturday mornings. Stores open between 9 and 10 am and close by 6 pm Monday through Saturday. Stores in mall stay open until 9 pm on weekdays and weekends.

Dining
Restaurants in large cities offer a wide range of cuisine. For breakfast, choose from a range of pancakes, waffles, grits, and home fries. Fast food chains are prevalent in both the larger and smaller cities, serving pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. Note for European travelers that restaurants in some places do not serve beer, liquor, or wine.

The US prides itself on regional specialties ranging from Mexican and Spanish flavours down southwest, Tex-Mex in Texas, French and Creole in the Deep South, and lobsters and seafood chowder in New England. Diners are a popular service in the smaller cities, with simple food just served at the counter.

Smoking
Smoking is forbidden on city transport and often restricted or disallowed in public buildings. Most restaurants have smoking and non-smoking sections. In New York City and California, smoking is banned in every restaurant.

Currency
1 US dollar = 100 cents

Tipping
Often service charges are not included in bills, so tip waiters, taxi drivers, and hairdressers 15 to 20 percent of the total. Porters expect US $1 per bag.

Time Zone
There are six time zones in the US:

Eastern Standard Time : GMT - 5 (GMT - 4 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Central Standard Time : GMT - 6 (GMT - 5 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Mountain Standard Time : GMT - 7 (GMT - 6 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Pacific Standard Time : GMT - 8 (GMT - 7 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Alaska : GMT - 9 (GMT - 8 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Hawaii : GMT - 10

Language
English