Safety situation

Transport

Bus transport is the cheapest way in United States. Nevertheless, using such way of transport, you must be careful. owing to frequent pickpockets and possible assaults in the neighbourhood of bus stops.

Car leasing is bound with the ownership of credit card or advance payment, as well as at presentation of international driving licence. Anyway, you can order, by phone or by means of internet service, rent a car before you leave for the USA. To most popular and known car-leasing companies belong those of Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Alamo, Budger, Enterprise, Thrifty, etc. Some of their branches are situated also in European countries. The prices are stipulated according to lease-length and vehicle class, with a possibility of various reductions. Nevertheless, you would be obliged to understand fully the text of the contract, and read carefully before you sign it, owing to possible limitation regarding miles, or transfer limitations in some states.

As a supplementary item of leasing price, it is vehicle security and responsability security, regarding health of persons, this is recommandable to be concluded. The surcharges make usually USD 5 daily for another driver and for a driver younger than 25 years of age. The orientative unit prices of leased personal motor vehicles (Economy or Compact) move around USD 200 per a week.

Some bridges, tunnels or frequented highways´sections are charged with toll.

If you intend to buy second-hand motor vehicle, you are advised to inform in advance for the conditions of registration and getting of registration plate. The drive without registration number could be judged as traffic offence and could be punished by penalty. The driver of non-marked car could be seized and put into jail.

The unit price of petrol is moving from USD 3,50 up to USD 4,50 per one gallon (i.e. 3,8 litres), in dependence on the locality.

Boarding

Boarding in restaurants is rather expensive but you can buy ready meals within scope of wide price scale. The refreshment, including warm meals, could be obtained at some petrol stations. The price level of foodstuffs is comparable with those in European countries.

Accommodation

The accommodation in camping places is possible and usual. Dense nest of KOA campings(Campers of America) is recommended - web site: www.koa.com. These campings are equipped with a shop, washing machines, also with swimming pool or playing ground. You can use the KOA membership, authorized to 10% reduction.Wide nest of different hotels, motels categories (of low and middle stage) is existing. So called reduction coupons are useful which are available at petrol stations or in tourist information centres or in internet.

However, in tourist areas and big aglomerations of USA, the tourists from abroad could be victims of robbery attacks. So, we wish to recommend you to avoid the enter into unknown quarters, especially after dusk.

In general, the American towns suffer from higher criminal level as the European ones.

Americam specialities

The teenagers are allowed to buy cigarettes since 18 years of age, and they are allowed to buy and drink alcohol drinks since 21 years of age. It is standard procedure that the service staff will ask you to present your identity card. The consumption of alcohol in public is strictly prohibited for all categories of age. Moreover, the alcoholic drinks are not permitted to be consumed in public nor transported in an open vessel. The same is valid for transport by motor vehicle. Anyway, who will be presented in public in drunk state, he will be in conflict with a law. The same problems could occur for persons (men or women) who will be dressed in clothings, revealing parts of body which would be covered. Even in such case, the police could be called for. The men are recommended, not to use bathing-drawers with small breeches. The sun -burning as well as bathing without bathing-drawers in public accessible places could be taken for law violation.

Owing to rather high criminality and frequent menacing of policemen, the American police is using generally harder methods as usual. Despite European habits, the police is using lighting signals or load speaker, in order to stop the vehicle. The police car stops always behind detained vehicle. It is absolutely necessary, without any other signs of resistance, to do exactly everything what the policeman requires. That means: remain to be sitting and let both hands put on wheel, so that the policeman could see well it. This manner is an important supposition for calm checking procedure. Attention: if you try to look for your documents in breast pocket, this could be taken for weapon´s looking. Whatever resistance, even verbal one, could be taken for spoiling of official act and, as a result, a penalty or arrest of suspected person could follow. In general, common used principle is valid: you are obliged to subject, without any resistance, to policeman´s abortion, and to claim eventually later. In general, the following process is effected: the person, suspected from criminal act is seized, and the judge decides consequently about sentence: guilty or non-guilty

Within past couple of years, cases of police violence against foreigners.were noted in USA. The citizens are recommended, provided they get into trouble by imprisonment upon suspiction, to contact the respective Consolate of the Embassy. Even in case of standard knowledge of English, we wish to recommend that arrested person would consistently insist upon presence of interpreter during examination or proceeding. Apart of this, each uniformed policeman or INS employee is obliged to prove his identity.

Health care is on comparatively high level but is is rather expensive from financial point of view. So, you are emphatically recommended to close, before you leave, the respective health policy for urgent medical interventions at least to the amount of USD 50 000. The United States are quite well equipped for stay and movement of handicapped persons.

Consumption value added tax (VAT) of 3-12% is added to all prices of goods and services, including accommodation, except basic (fundamental) foodstuffs and medicines (Attention: the price indication is stated without VAT!)

The tips are expected, presenting for service in restaurants (15-20% from total price), using taxi transport (similar level), in hotels and at the airports (for staff securing luggage transfer - 1 USD for each piece of luggage) and the tips are also given to chamber-maid, in case of longer stay in hotel.

The United States have different feeding electric tension in the nest - 110/60 Hz, so, the plug -contacts and bolts of electric devices are different from those used in Europe. Nevertheless, you can buy in special shops a tension transformator as well as lengthener for contact plug of European type.

Internet connection in USA is standard and instant matter, and its use is, especially in public libraries, free of charge.

Time difference between Europe and east coast of USA (New York, Washington, Miami) makes six hours, whereas the difference between Europe and west coast of USA (Los Angeles, San Francisco) makes nine hours.