Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
317
are located in major U.S. cities, and most
nations hav e a mission to the U nited
Nations in New York City. If your country
isn't listed belo w, call for dir ectory infor-
mation inWashington, D.C. (
&
202/555-
1212
) or check
separated while trav eling, pr oviding food
and/or shelter to people stranded without
cash, and even emotional counseling.
GASOLINE (PETROL)
At pr ess time,
in the U.S., the cost of gasoline (also
known as gas, but never petrol), is moder-
ate (about $2.50 per gallon). Taxes ar e
already included in the printed price. One
U.S. gallon equals 3.8 liters or .85 impe-
rial gallons.
HOLIDAYS
Banks, go vernment offices,
post offices, and many stor es, restaurants,
and museums ar e closed on the follo wing
legal national holidays: J anuary 1 (N ew
Year's Day), the thir d Monday in J anuary
(Martin Luther King, Jr ., Day), the thir d
Monday in F ebruary (P residents' D ay),
the last Monday in May (Memorial Day),
July 4 (Independence Day), the first Mon-
day in September (Labor Day), the second
Monday in O ctober (Columbus D ay),
November 11 ( Veterans' D ay/Armistice
Day), the four th Thursday in N ovember
(Thanksgiving D ay), and D ecember 25
(Christmas). The Tuesday after the first
Monday in N ovember is E lection D ay, a
federal go vernment holiday in pr esiden-
tial-election years (held every 4 years, and
next in 2012).
For mor e information on holidays see
“Los Angeles-Area Calendar of Events,” in
chapter 3.
HOSPITALS
The centrally located (and
world-famous)
Cedars-Sinai M edical
Center,
8700 B everly B lvd., Los Angeles
(
&
310/423-3277
), has a 24-hour emer-
gency room staffed b y some of the coun-
try's finest doctors.
INSURANCE
For information on trav-
eler's insurance, trip cancellation insur-
ance, and medical insurance while
www.embassy.org/
embassies
.
The embassy of
Australia
is at 1601
Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC
20036 (
&
202/797-3000;
usa.embassy .
gov/au).
The embassy of
Canada
is at 501 Penn-
sylvania A ve. NW , Washington, DC
20001 (
&
202/682-1740;
www.canadian
embassy.org). O ther Canadian consulates
are in B uffalo (N ew York), D etroit, Los
Angeles, New York, and Seattle.
The embassy of
Ireland
is at 2234 M as-
sachusetts A ve. NW , Washington, DC
20008 (
&
202/462-3939;
www.ireland
emb.org). I rish consulates ar e in Boston,
Chicago, N ew York, S an F rancisco, and
other cities. See website for complete listing.
The embassy of
New Zealand
is at 37
Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC
20008 (
&
202/328-4800;
www .nz
embassy.com). N ew Z ealand consulates
are in Los Angeles, S
12
alt Lake City , S an
Francisco, and Seattle.
The embassy of the
United K ingdom
is at 3100 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Wash-
ington, DC 20008 (
&
202/588-7800;
www.britainusa.com). O ther B ritish con-
sulates ar e in A tlanta, Boston, Chicago,
Cleveland, H ouston, Los Angeles, N
ew
York, San Francisco, and Seattle.
EMERGENCIES
Call
&
911
to report a
fire, call the police, or get an ambulance
anywhere in the U nited S tates. This is a
toll-free call (no coins are required at pub-
lic telephones).
If y ou encounter trav eler's pr oblems,
call the Los Angeles chapter of the
Trav-
eler's Aid S ociety
(
&
310/646-2270;
www.travelersaid.org), a nationwide, non-
profit, social ser vice organization that
helps trav elers in difficult straits. I ts ser-
vices might include r
traveling, please visit www.frommers.com/
planning.
INTERNET A CCESS
Los Angeles is
totally wir ed. You'll find that many cafes
have wir eless access, as do many hotels.
Check www.wifi411.com for a huge list of
euniting families
