About USA

About USA - general information

The USA has the total area of 9, 36 mln. Square kilometers and spread from the Hawaii islands till Alaska on 5000 kilometers and from 2900 kilometers from Mexico till the Canadian border, and is washed by the two oceans: in the west – by the Pacific Ocean, which is cold on this place and in the east – by the warm Atlantic Ocean. Under the influence of these factors climatic conditions of different regions of the country substantially differ one from another. When there is snow in winter in the North, in Miami continues the beach season; San-Francisco is considered as the city of constant spring – the temperature is form 13 – 20 degrees above zero. The capital of the USA – is Washington D.C. The city is situated in the East, and was founded in 1790.

 

 

The difference in time between Kyiv and New York is 7 hours behind. The duration of a daytime is from 0 till 12 hours (a.m.  – ante meridiem), and after daytime – from 12 till 24 hours (p.m – post meridiem). Instead of 15.00 they usually write 3 p.m.

 

 

If you want to arrive in the USA you have to gain visa. When you have boarded the plain you will get a card to fill in for the American customs declaration and emigration card (I-94 form).

 

When you arrive in the USA and import more than 10.000 USD, the sum has to be into the declaration.

You have t remember, that it is forbidden to import any kind of food. One adult can import 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 2 kilos of tobacco, 1.1 l of alcohol.

The Emigration Officer will attach a white detached coupon fro the emigration card I-94, which you have to keep till the end of the trip: before the departure from the country it’s retrieved  by the customs department, this coupon is the prove that you have left the country.

If there is nothing in the luggage, what can arises the interest in the customs officers, you can use the “green corridor” (Nothing to Declare). But you have to give back the filled in declaration to the customs officers.

 The medical services in the USA are paid at once by cash or by credit card. It is advisable before the departure to buy the insurance in Ukraine. When you are planning a trip, you should give with you the recipes from your doctors, as many pills in the drug stores are sold only with the presence of the recipe. But it’s better to take all the necessary pills with you, as usually only the recipes written down by the local doctor arte accepted. . The drug store Kaufmann Pharmacy with the address Lexington Ave. /50th St. in New York works all the day round. Tel.: (212) 755-2266.

The national currency in the USA – is the American dollar. $ is put before the indicated sum ($ 234). The notes $1, $2 (is a rare case, and is considered to bring luck) $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, $1000 re in us. The coins can be 1 c, 5c (nikel), 10c (dime), 25c (quarter is used as counter in the coin box) 50 c (half-dollar) and rare case in the USA – 1 dollar.

If you want to travel to the USA you should have a credit card. You should have travel bills (American express) in the denomination of $20 or $50 – they are accepted in every market and in most restaurants and the change is given with cash. You should have $100 with small denominations. Check in your bank whether your credit card can be used in the USA. It will be necessary to book the room in the hotel, to rent a car etc. Euro checks in the USA are unknown. 

 To import any sum of money into the USA you can: by cash, travel checks and charge cards. You have to declare the sums which are over $10.000 only. It is done when you are on board of the plane fill in the form where you indicate your personal information, the purpose of the trip, the place where you will be living in the USA. Remember, that official people of the USA, as well as simple citizens usually use non-cash operations, and treat people who have a lot of cash with him very suspiciously. Be ready when in the café or in the a little market people will not accept $100 or $50 denomination. It is considered, that these denominations are usually faked.

 There can arise the problem with $2 denomination. It was released to the 200th -anniversary of the USA and in a limited drawing lot, and not all Americans know about it.

Markets usually work form Monday till Saturday form 9.30 till 18.00, huge trade markets – from 10.00 till 21.00, and on Sundays – from 12 till 17.00. In most states all the goods are taxed in the amount of 5-12 %, on the price tickets the prices of the goods are indicated without tax. This rule conserves also the services. Before Holidays almost all the goods organize SALE – bargain sale, during which the prices re much lower (about 25-50%). Sometimes there happen season bargain sales. When you buy something in private markets for cash, you can haggle over the price. Big trade markets are called MALL and occupy large territories.

 

There are a lot of coin boxes - as the Americans don’t imagine their life without communication. All cabins usually work and have their own telephone number, and your communicator can call you back. The price for the first 6 minutes within the city costs 25cents, and if you speak longer you will have to pay in addition 10-25 cents for every piece of time. The area code precedes all the telephone number in America. The code of the American hemisphere (the USA, Canada, Caribbean islands) – is 1, the code of Manhattan (New York) is 212, Los-Angeles – 213 or 310, Chicago – 312, Orlando – 407, Miami Beach – 305, San-Francisco – 415, Washington  - 202 etc. 

If you make a call for example form Miami to Orlando, then you have to dial 1 – area code and the number. All the numbers in the USA have 7 figures. By the international calls you have to dial 011-national code – the code of the city – the number itself. You will need a lot of coins to make an international call; it is better and more comfortable to use telephone cards. If you want to make a call, for example, to Nikolayev you will have to dial 011-38-0512 – and the telephone number. Plastic telephone cards cost $20, $10 and $50. Most prestigious companies in the USA have the so called free number, and when the client makes a call it is free, they usually begin with 800 or 888.

 

 

Plains: You will have to take a plain if you want to go to the USA from Ukraine. Nowadays many big Ukrainian and American cities are connected with airlines, as well as straight airlines. Not withstanding the fact that you will have to cross the Arctic Ocean, which is the quickest way from Kyiv to the USA, most airlines fly through the North Atlantic Ocean with the landing in the Shannon airport. By buying the ticket you will have to remember that there exist many reduced tariffs for students, for pensioners, family couples, for the tickets of “weekend day”, the tickets for charter flight, the payment of which is much lower. And if the distance of the flight is very big, then the reduced price will be also big. And remember that on most airlines it is forbidden to smoke.

Autos: The most wide-spread way of transport is an auto. If you want to rent a car you will need to possess the driving license and to be 21 years old. Usually the payment is executed by the credit card.

 

The main rules: it is forbidden to limit the speed, you have to give the way to passengers, you have to stop when you see a special sigh from the car of special designation (as for example fire-car) it is forbidden to leave open bottles with alcohol in the car. If you violate one of the rules, you can lose your driving license. The rent of the car for a week costs from $120.

 

 

Taxi: the taxi is usually ordered by the telephone or near the hotel, and it can be stopped by the hand. In the cities like New York or Los Angeles due to big distances a taxi can be very expensive. The taxi system is very developed in many American cities. It is easy to find a taxi; they are usually having a yellow color. The American taxi-driver has to have a license and a counter in the saloon, and he is obliged to give out a bill. And you will have to include tips there 10-15%. Any taxi driver who has a license is insured. That’s why you have to avoid taking the non-licensed taxi-driver the so called gypsy-taxi. These cars usually don’t have a counter and you are not guaranteed the insurance. To use a taxi is not always comfortable as most American taxi-drivers are emigrants who don’t know English or the knowledge is limited. It sometimes happens that the tourist knows the city even better than a taxi-driver.

Public transportation: Public transport in America is in a very good condition and is carefully looked after, notwithstanding the absolute automobilisazion. In big cities the public transport usually consists of a metro, a bus and suburban electric trains. Metropolitan in America has bad reputation because of the high rate of crime, dirt and ugliness. But metro is the quickest and most comfortable way of transport within the city. Million of Americans use the metro every day and avoid of being robbed. Of course you have to use precautionary measures: to hold your beg and personal things tight, don’t wear jewellery, avoid carriages with less light and don’t leg form the main mass of people. The same precautionary measures you have to use I suburb electric trains. It is cleaner and safer in the local buses. Usually these are modern and clean cars, and in most cases with conditioner. The prices for the public transport differ in different cities, but it is not very essential. In most cases the price is $1 and 25 cents. The peculiarity of the American transport is the transfer system. Together with the ticket you can buy transfer ticket for free of for a little sum of money. You can make a transfer and to get to the necessary place without buying a new ticket. In some cases there exist free bus routs and even metro stations and electric trains, where the boarding is free.

The net of restaurants, cafes and fast food establishments is highly developed in the USA, this include different cuisines from different countries: from a traditional hamburger to masterpieces of the French cooking masters.  The American cuisine is international: here you can find Chinese, Mexican, Cubin, Russian restaurants, you can also taste Moroccan dishes. The prices and the level of the servicing are also different: from $2- to $100 and higher (the drink is excluded) in the best restaurants 0f New York.

Don`t forget about the tips (near 15%), sometimes the restaurant include it into the bill. You can make an order from your hotel number in the nearest restaurant or to take the dishes which you haven’t tasted with you (they will bring you the so called Doggy Beg).

 

Also the establishments with “Swedish table” are also rather cheep. When you pay the entrance charge, you can take everything you want. This system of meal is wide spread in Las Vegas and Orlando. Not all the restaurants have the license for alcohol, and the usage of the alcohol is forbidden for the people who are under 21. In most restaurants there are the halls for smokers and non-smokers. Some hotels make in their room-numbers small mini kitchens, what helps the tourist to economy their money, as the food in the markets is very cheep.

 

You should take the clothes according to the season. But only summer clothes in New York will not be enough. In the museums, markets and other public places there are conditioners. It is better to have a light jumper not to catch a cold when the temperature will be low. 

In the USA there are very strict lows, which regulate the sell of the alcohol drinks. But from the state to the state these laws change. In New York alcohol is sold only in liquor stores, which are licensed. I the usual market you will be able to buy only beer. It is forbidden to sell alcohol to young people under 21. If you want to order a glass of wine (glass of vodka) make sure that the restaurant has the license for selling alcohol, and the note – licensed is the prove of it. The abbreviation BYOB says that in that place alcohol is not sold, but you can bring a bottle with you (Bring your Own Bottle) to drink at the table. 

You can drink alcohol in the street (including beer) in the case if it is in the package.

 

The airports in the USA can not guarantee the safety of the films, as 16 airports of the USA use the machines to locate bomb material. But the list of the cities is kept in top secret. That is why you have to take the film with you into the hand baggage.

 

 

 Usually the toilets are indicated by the tablets: : Rest Room, Ladies' Room or Men's Room. The toilets are always and everywhere free. You can enter any market, hotel or café.

 

 

 The Americans who work in the sphere of service usually have the salary which is equal to minimal wage. The client has to pay the service at once. The usual amount of tips in the USA is 15% from the total bill. The tips are left on the table after you have paid the bill. You have to pay the barmen for every order 50 cents. In the hotels for any order or service you pay $1-2 (taxi order, room cleaning etc). The taxi driver counts on 10% from the total sum.  Most foreigners don’t think it’s necessary to give tips, that’s why the Americans include tips into the bill.