Before you fly
Entry & visas
- Visa Waiver Program: citizens of ~40 countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days with an approved ESTA and an e-passport (chip).
- Apply for ESTA only at the official esta.cbp.dhs.gov (~$40.27) — avoid third-party sites that add markups. Apply at least 72 hours ahead; it's valid ~2 years.
- Not from a VWP country? You need a B-2 visitor visa ($185 fee) with an in-person interview — book months ahead.
- A proposed $250 'Visa Integrity Fee' is not yet being collected as of mid-2026 — and VWP/ESTA travelers are exempt. Confirm before you travel.
- Carry a passport valid for your whole stay (6+ months is safest).
Cash & cards
Money & tipping
- USD. Cards and contactless (Apple/Google Pay) work almost everywhere — carry a little cash for food trucks, markets and parking.
- Sales tax is added at checkout, not on the price tag — roughly 7.25%–10.75% depending on the city. The price you see is not the price you pay.
- Tipping is expected: 18–20% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 per drink at bars, ~10–20% for rideshare, $3–5/night for housekeeping.
- The counter 'tip screen' (15/20/25% on takeout) is optional — it's fine to choose No Tip for counter service.
- At an ATM or terminal, if asked to charge in your home currency vs. USD, always choose USD to avoid bad exchange-rate markups.
Stay connected
Phone & Wi-Fi
- Easiest is a travel eSIM (Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad) you install before landing — your phone must be unlocked.
- For a local number + lots of data, grab a US prepaid SIM (T-Mobile, AT&T, Mint, Visible) at the airport or a pharmacy; bring your passport.
- Free Wi-Fi is common at hotels, cafés, malls, libraries and airports — use a VPN for anything sensitive on public Wi-Fi.
The distances are real
Getting around
- 'Everything is far' — a short-looking trip can be 45–90 min by car, and traffic is heavy at rush hour (7–10am, 3–7pm). Budget extra time.
- LA Metro now takes contactless tap-to-pay (tap a card or phone, no TAP card) — $1.75 a ride with 2 hours of free transfers, capped at $5/day.
- Car-free works in dense pockets (DTLA, Santa Monica, downtown San Diego), but most of SoCal — beaches, theme parks, day trips — effectively needs a car.
- Driving on a foreign license is generally fine; an International Driving Permit isn't legally required but is recommended (and often asked for if your license isn't in English). Most rentals require age 25+.
- Uber and Lyft are everywhere and usually the simplest no-car option. At LAX, rideshare pickup is the off-terminal 'LAX-it' lot.
Stay safe
Safety & emergencies
- Emergency number is 911 (free from any phone).
- US healthcare is very expensive and there's no free care for visitors — buy travel medical insurance before you arrive. This is the most important item here.
- Normal big-city awareness: never leave valuables visible in a parked car (break-ins are the #1 tourist crime).
- Swim only at lifeguarded beaches. Caught in a rip current? Don't fight it — swim parallel to shore, then back in, and wave for the lifeguard.
- Earthquakes are usually brief: Drop, Cover, and Hold On; stay indoors away from windows. Pack sunscreen and water — inland summers top 100°F (38°C).
SoCal weather
What to pack
- A Mediterranean climate — mild, dry and sunny most of the year, with rain mostly in winter (Dec–Mar).
- Pack layers: days are warm but coastal evenings turn cool, even in summer.
- 'June Gloom' (May–June) brings gray coastal mornings that usually burn off to sun by afternoon — don't be fooled.
- Always bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, comfy walking shoes, a refillable water bottle and a swimsuit.
- Power is 120V, Type A/B plugs — bring an adapter (and a voltage converter for anything not rated 100–240V).
Good to know
Etiquette & practicalities
- Time zone is Pacific (UTC−7 in summer) — 3 hours behind New York.
- Drinking age is 21 and you'll be ID-checked regardless of age — always carry your passport. No open containers on most streets and beaches.
- Cannabis is legal for 21+ in licensed shops but illegal federally — never take it to airports, across state lines, or use it in public.
- Units are imperial: miles, mph, °F, pounds. Quick math: 70°F ≈ 21°C, 1 mile ≈ 1.6 km.
- English is primary; Spanish is very widely spoken. Google/Apple Translate do camera + offline translation — download your languages first.
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Fees and rules change — always confirm anything money-related (ESTA, visas) on the official .gov site before you travel. General info, not legal advice. Last updated June 2026.