Los Angeles

When you think about airports in Los Angeles you naturally consider Los Angeles International airport, which is the biggest and busiest airport in the city. However, Los Angeles is also served by a number of smaller airports which may be more convenient and less hectic than LAX. Two of these, Long Beach Airport & Bob Hope Airport (Burbank International) fall within the Los Angeles region and there are two more, LA/Ontario International Airport & Orange County's John Wayne Airport that lie just outside but can be considered as alternatives.

For more information on Los Angeles airports you can refer to their individual pages.

• Los Angeles International Airport
• Long Beach Airport
• Bob Hope Airport (Burbank International)
• John Wayne Airport

The legal drinking age in California is 21.

National Observed Holidays
• New Years Day - January 1st
• Martin Luther King Day - 3rd Monday in January
• Presidents Day - 3rd Monday in February
• Memorial Day - last Monday in May
• Independence Day - July 4th
• Labor Day - 1st Monday in September
• Columbus Day - 2nd Monday in October
• Veteran Day - November 11th
• Thanksgiving - 4th Thursday in November
• Christmas Day - December 25th

California State Holidays
Cesar Chavez Day - last Monday in March

Taxi’s are plentiful in Los Angeles but are not necessarily the cheapest alternative if you are travelling reasonable distances. You will find taxi’s lined up at taxi ranks outside airports, train stations, bus stations and larger hotels. If you are not in proximity of a taxi stand it is recommended to call for a taxi rather try to hail one down. Fares are calculated on both distance travelled and time to get to the destination. There are 9 taxi companies that operate in Los Angeles and all registered Taxi’s will display an official City of Los Angeles Taxicab Seal.

A list of companies and contact numbers can be found at The City of Los Angeles Taxi Services web site.

California observes Pacific Standard Time (PST) which is 8 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Daylight Savings Time is observed where clocks are moved forward 1 hour from the first Sunday in March & returned back on the first Sunday in November.

Tipping is customary throughout the United States, however it can be confusing as to what to tip in different circumstances. Services and businesses where you would generally be accustomed to tipping include restaurants, bars, taxi’s, hotels & porterage, hairdressers. The amount you tip will generally be based on the quality of service that you receive but there are some guides.

• Porters and other people who handle luggage generally get $1 per bag.
• In restaurants the tip is usually around %15 of the total bill. Note that when you calculate a tip, do not include any taxes. Anything over 20% would be reserved for outstanding service.
• Check your bill for a predetermined service charge as some establishments automatically add this. No tip is expected under this circumstance.
• Take away or pick up orders from chains or bakeries do not expect a tip to be provided, however some of these establishments will have a tip jar present on their counter.

There are a number of Visitor Information Centers located around Los Angeles.
• Hollywood – Los Angeles Visitors Information Center at Hollywood & Highland Center, 2nd Floor, 6801 Hollywood Boulevard
• Beverly Hills - Beverly Hills Visitor Center at 9400 South Santa Monica Boulevard
• Santa Monica - The Santa Monica Main Visitor Information Center at 2427 Main Street.
• Marina Del Rey - Marina del Rey Visitors Center at 4701 Admiralty Way
• Long Beach - Convention and Visitors Bureau at the Long Beach World Trade Center, 301 East Ocean Boulevard