Fast Facts

Area Codes -- The area code for New Orleans is 504.

Business Hours -- Most stores are open 10am to 6pm; bars can stay open until the wee hours, and restaurants' hours vary depending on the types of meals they serve. Expect breakfast to start around 8am, lunch around 11am, and dinner at 6pm.

Drinking Laws -- The legal age for purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages is 21; proof of age is required and often requested at bars, nightclubs, and restaurants, so bring ID when you go out (but don't be surprised if people much younger take a seat next to you at the bar). Alcoholic beverages are available round-the-clock, 7 days a week. Bars can stay open all night in New Orleans, and liquor is sold in grocery and liquor stores. You're allowed to drink on the street but not from a glass or bottle. Bars will provide a plastic "go cup" that you can transfer your drink to as you leave (and some have walk-up windows for quick and easy refills).

A warning: Although the police may look the other way if they see a pedestrian who's had a few too many (as long as he or she is not bothering anyone), there is zero tolerance for intoxication behind the wheel. Don't even think about driving (car, motorcycle, or bicycle) while intoxicated. Further, do not carry open containers of alcohol in your car or any public area that isn't zoned for alcohol consumption. The police can fine you on the spot.

Electricity -- Like Canada, the United States uses 110 to 120 volts AC (60 cycles), compared to 220 to 240 volts AC (50 cycles) in most of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Downward converters that change 220-240 volts to 110-120 volts are difficult to find in the United States, so bring one with you.

Embassies & Consulates -- All embassies are in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. Some consulates are in major U.S. cities (including a few in New Orleans), and most nations have a mission to the United Nations in New York City. If your country isn't listed below, call for directory information in Washington, D.C. (tel. 202/555-1212), or check www.embassy.org/embassies.

Australia: 1601 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (tel. 202/797-3000; www.australia.visahq.com). Consulates are in New York, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Canada: 501 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001 (tel. 202/682-1740; www.canadianembassy.org). Other Canadian consulates are in Buffalo (New York), Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle.

Ireland: 2234 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202/462-3939; www.embassyofireland.org). Irish consulates are in Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and other cities. See website for complete listing.

New Zealand: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202/328-4800; www.nzembassy.com). New Zealand consulates are in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle.

United Kingdom: 3100 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202/588-6500; http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk). Other British consulates are in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Emergencies -- For fire, ambulance, and police, dial tel. 911 from any phone. This is a free call from pay phones. Calls from land lines will route to the local emergency dispatch center. From mobile phones, immediately tell the operator your location and the nature of the emergency.

Hospitals -- In an emergency, dial tel. 911 from any phone to summon paramedics. For nonemergency injuries or illnesses, call or go to the emergency room at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center, 2700 Napoleon Ave. (tel. 504/899-9311), or the Tulane University Medical Center, 1415 Tulane Ave. (tel. 504/588-5800).

Insurance -- Travel insurance is a good idea if you think for some reason you may be cancelling your trip. It's cheaper than the cost of a no-penalty ticket and it gives you the safety net if something comes up, enabling you to cancel or postpone your trip and still recover the costs.

For information on traveler's insurance, trip-cancellation insurance, and medical insurance while traveling, please visit www.frommers.com/planning.

Language -- English is spoken everywhere, while French, Cajun French, and Spanish are heard occasionally in New Orleans.

Legal Aid -- If you are pulled over by the police for a minor infraction (such as speeding), never attempt to pay the fine directly to an officer; this could be construed as attempted bribery, a much more serious crime. Pay fines by mail, or directly into the hands of the clerk of the court. If accused of a more serious offense, say and do nothing before consulting a lawyer. Here in the U.S., the burden is on the state to prove a person's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and everyone has the right to remain silent, whether he or she is suspected of a crime or actually arrested. Once arrested, a person can make one telephone call to a party of his or her choice. The international visitor should call his or her embassy or consulate.

Mail -- At press time, domestic postage rates were 28¢ for a postcard and 44¢ for a letter. For international mail, a first-class letter of up to 1 ounce costs 98¢ (75¢ to Canada and 79¢ to Mexico); a first-class postcard costs the same as a letter. For more information go to www.usps.com.

If you aren't sure what your address will be in the United States, mail can be sent to you, in your name, c/o General Delivery at the main post office of the city or region where you expect to be. (Call tel. 800/275-8777 for information on the nearest post office.) The addressee must pick up mail in person and produce proof of identity (driver's license, passport, and so on). Most post offices will hold mail for up to 1 month, and are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, and Saturday from 9am to 3pm.

Always include ZIP codes when mailing items in the U.S. If you don't know the ZIP code, visit www.usps.com/zip4.

Newspapers & Magazines -- To find out what's going on around town, pick up a copy of the daily Times-Picayune (www.nola.com) and an Offbeat (www.offbeat.com) or Where Y'at, two monthly entertainment guides with live music, art gallery, and special event listings. Both can usually be found in hotels and clubs, and get scarce toward the end of the month. Gambit Weekly (www.bestofneworleans.com), which comes out every Sunday, is the city's free alternative paper and has a good mix of news and entertainment information.

Packing -- What to pack depends largely on what you plan to do while visiting New Orleans. But comfortable walking shoes are a must year-round. A compact umbrella will often be put to use, as will other raingear during the wetter months and a sun hat for much of the year. A light sweater or jacket is needed even in the hottest weather, when the indoor air can get frigid. Casual wear is the daytime norm, but cocktail wear is appropriate in nicer restaurants, and some of the old-liners require jackets for gentlemen. 

Police -- Dial tel. 911 for emergencies. This is a free call from pay phones. Calls from land lines will route to the local law emergency dispatch agency. From mobile phones, immediately tell the operator your location and the nature of the emergency.

Smoking -- Technically, smoking is not allowed in most public places, with some exceptions, such as free-standing bars. Restaurants are nonsmoking (though many bars serve some food, and thus smoking is allowed), thus often the nearest courtyard or street becomes an impromptu smoking section. Hotel lobbies are nonsmoking, but guest rooms can be designated as smoking or nonsmoking (be sure to make your preference clear when reserving a room; some hotels are entirely smoke-free). Historically, nightclubs have been smokers' havens, but there's a growing trend toward nonsmoking clubs (visit www.letsbetotallyclear.org for a list of them). While recent attempts to tighten smoking restrictions have failed, renewed efforts are likely, so this situation is in flux.

Taxes -- The United States has no value-added tax (VAT) or other indirect tax at the national level. Every state, county, and city may levy its own local tax on all purchases, including hotel and restaurant checks and airline tickets. These taxes will not appear on price tags. The sales tax in New Orleans is 9%. Add 4% tax to hotel bills, for a total of 13%. There is also a nightly tax of 50¢ to $2 based on the number of rooms a hotel has.

On the upside, international travelers who purchase goods in Louisiana to take to their home countries can often get the sales tax refunded in full. When you make your purchase, keep your receipt and also request a "tax back" voucher (you'll be asked to show your passport). Before you leave the state, bring your receipts and vouchers to the Refund Center at the Riverwalk Mall or New Orleans Airport (near American Airlines ticketing). You'll be rebated in cash up to US$500 (larger rebates are mailed; visit www.louisianataxfree.com for instructions and more information). Not all stores participate, so ask first.

Also, many original works of art purchased in New Orleans are tax-exempt. Do inquire, as this applies in designated cultural districts only.

Time -- New Orleans is in the Central Time Zone (CST), which is 1 hour earlier than Eastern Standard Time and 5 hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time. The continental United States is divided into four time zones: Eastern Standard Time (EST), Central Standard Time (CST), Mountain Standard Time (MST), and Pacific Standard Time (PST). Alaska and Hawaii have their own zones. When it's 9am in Los Angeles (PST), it's 7am in Honolulu (HST),10am in Denver (MST), 11am in New Orleans and Chicago (CST), noon in New York City (EST), 5pm in London (GMT), and 2am the next day in Sydney.

Daylight saving time (summer time) is in effect from 1am on the second Sunday in March to 1am on the first Sunday in November, except in Arizona, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Daylight saving time moves the clock 1 hour ahead of standard time.

For help with time translations, and more, download our convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to www.frommers.com/go/mobile and click on the Travel Tools icon.

Tipping -- Tips are a very important part of certain workers' income, and the standard way of showing appreciation for services provided (it's certainly not compulsory if the service is poor!). In hotels, tip bellhops at least $1 per bag ($2-$3 if you have a lot of luggage) and tip the chamber staff $1 to $2 per day (more if you've been extra messy). Tip the doorman or concierge if he or she has provided you with some specific service (for example, calling a cab for you or obtaining tickets or reservations). Tip the valet-parking attendant $1 every time you get your car.

In restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, tip service staff and bartenders 15% to 20% of the check, tip checkroom attendants $1 per garment, and tip valet-parking attendants $1-$2 per vehicle. Some restaurants will automatically add a tip to the bill for larger parties (typically 18% for six or more guests, but this can vary). Check your bill or ask your server if gratuity has been included in your bill.

As for other service personnel, tip cab drivers 15% of the fare, tip skycaps at airports at least $1 per bag ($2-$3 if you have a lot of luggage), and tip hairdressers and barbers 15% to 20%.

For help with tip calculations, currency conversions, and more, download our convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to www.frommers.com/go/mobile and click on the Travel Tools icon.

Toilets -- You won't find public toilets or "restrooms" on the streets in most U.S. cities but they can be found in hotel lobbies, bars, restaurants, museums, department stores, railway and bus stations, and service stations. Large hotels and fast-food restaurants are often the best bet for clean facilities. Restaurants and bars may reserve their restrooms for patrons.

Tours -- Festival Tours International offers group trips to the Jazz & Heritage Festival, with an optional side trip to Cajun Country. The New Orleans Cooking Experience offers half-day and 3-day trips with on-site bed-and-breakfast lodging and hands-on classes by master chefs.

Water -- Tap water is safe to drink in New Orleans, although bottled water is still popular. There are no indications that the water supply has been tainted as a result of either Hurricane Katrina or the Deepwater oil spill.