America is a large country and daily almost a million arrive here. Destination wise it is the second most visited country in the world after France. When so many converge here it is but natural that this country will forever be on the move. Change is perennial and that is also the constant factor here. The Americans are a proud but friendly race. Eighty percent are immigrants of European descent and this vast country, third in the world area wise, has a relative low density of population. Yet it has a certain set of values that frown upon any sort of transgression. The particular set of etiquettes and taboos imbibed in their culture have been carried down to this day embracing one and all who ultimately settle down here. So prepare yourself with the following guidelines and settle for a smooth and satisfying trip.

• Check the dollar rate against your own currency and according to the length of stay and areas you are visiting opt for a Foreign Travel card. This is a prepaid foreign currency card, chip based with storage of encrypted and confidential information. It is very useful and convenient as it can be enchased easily without having to deal with middlemen and moneychangers. Furthermore, you can have it loaded as many times and as much as you want. As compared to debit/credit cards it saves on joining/annual fees and the hassle of credit limits. Etc. Carrying loose cash is also not advisable considering the risks involved.
• For your travel to America you should latch your baggage with TSA (Transportation Security Administration) locks as a master key for these locks are available with the TSA officials. When you are returning and the TSA finds different locks they will without information to you break the locks to continue with their security checks. You will not be able to claim any damage or loss thereof.
• Obtaining a visa is no guarantee that you can enter the U.S. At the port of entry your first encounter is with the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. He is the door in your way that allows you to step in or keep you out. All your documents, therefore, should be kept ready and shown to him to check the veracity of your claim for a legitimate entry into the U.S. Once he is convinced of your genuineness and your financial viability for your stay, then only will he give permission to enter the country.
• If there is a pre-existing disease and you are carrying medicines for yourself then it is necessary to have prescriptions for them unless they are over the counter ones. Spectacles are a very costly affair in the U.S. and bringing along two extra pairs is a precaution to safeguard your eyes and your pockets. Same is applicable for contact lenses (quantity depends on the usage) except that the disposables can be bought cheaper in this country.
• Tipping is a very common practice in America. For services rendered, whether in a bar, hotel, restaurant, cab, etc, a ten to twenty per cent of the bill is considered for a tip, unless of course the service charge is included in the bill. It’s best to keep a number of one dollar bills and coins handy else if against a bill of eleven dollars you hand over fifteen, the balance may be construed as a tip and therefore not returned.
• The Americans use the old British measuring system of inches, feet, yards, miles and gallons and not the logical metric system. Also for electricity, instead of using the general 220 volts at 50 cycles, electricity is here at 110 volts at 60 cycles. Even the television and video recording standard is NTSC instead of the PAL system.
• This huge country from the east to the west has been divided into six different time zones. Which every year have a Day Saving Time taking place. In other words, every fall time is officially moved backward by one hour and in the spring again for one hour it’s moved forward. The time zones are:
• Eastern Standard Time
• Central Standard Time
• Mountain Standard Time
• Pacific Standard Time
• Alaskan Time Zone
• Hawaiian Time Zone
• Etiquettes play a very important and vital role here as they will decide whether you are acceptable to the American society or not. Everything you do and say is observed minutely and you have to be extremely careful if you wish to interact with the locals. Habits like staring, spitting, burping, breaking wind, touching, talking loudly on your mobile, drunkenness, etc are abhorrent and a BIG NO. Punctuality is important and saying hello to strangers is a welcome gesture. Have an eye contact with the person you are shaking hands with and unless very familiar or close, do not hug or embrace.
• Here, in America, baseball is the game that is followed with great fervor, like cricket in India. Basketball is also a very loved sport but its baseball that rules the roost. So don’t mention cricket as it is unheard of and unacceptable.
• The end of summer sales in July, August, Thanksgiving in November with its pre- Christmas sales, the 26th December to mid January after Christmas sales are periods in which you get very good bargains with good quality items. In addition you should always keep a lookout for discount stores and malls where they have special bargains to offer every now and then.