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New York City Hotels: 19440 Reviews - 30016 Photos
Orlando Hotels: 3817 Reviews - 5653 Photos
Las Vegas Hotels: 9739 Reviews - 15989 Photos
Cancún Hotels: 2472 Reviews - 3744 Photos
Playa del Carmen Hotels: 851 Reviews - 1561 Photos
Key West Hotels: 2416 Reviews - 3687 Photos
New Orleans Hotels: 4850 Reviews - 7054 Photos
San Francisco Hotels: 10931 Reviews - 18554 Photos
Honolulu Hotels: 2390 Reviews - 4494 Photos
Miami Beach Hotels: 1281 Reviews - 2078 Photos
Panama City Beach Hotels: 211 Reviews - 261 Photos
Los Angeles Hotels: 5185 Reviews - 8166 Photos
Toronto Hotels: 5144 Reviews - 8447 Photos
Chicago Hotels: 6853 Reviews - 11495 Photos
Fort Lauderdale Hotels: 777 Reviews - 1368 Photos

North America Local Customs

House near Canyon Road, Santa Fe

by goodfish

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House near Canyon Road, Santa Fe
by goodfish
Art Gallery, Canyon Road, Santa Fe
by goodfish
glam
by machomikemd
Bears
by Jim_Eliason
Bears
by Jim_Eliason

Most Viewed Local Customs in North America

76.

Tipping New York City

40 Reviews Dont worry about tipping when you visit NY, I have read the forum posts of people panicking and confused, if you get a taxi agree a price inc tip, usually about 10 or 12 %, in diners again usually 10...

See All 521 Local Customs in New York City

77.

Tipping / Money Matters Las Vegas

46 Reviews like the handgun and the bullet which are inseparable. the modern casino invention of the paper voucher to print your winnings at the slot machines and then you can encash it to it's partner, the...

See All 179 Local Customs in Las Vegas

78.

Drinking New Orleans

25 Reviews One of the first things I was told when I arrived in New Orleans was the recommendation to be careful with “hurricane” cocktails, because their sweet taste is deceiving, and there is more alcohol in...

See All 212 Local Customs in New Orleans

79.

S.F. Nicknames / Pride San Francisco

14 Reviews When you refer to San Francisco as Frisco or San Fran, you're marking yourself as an outsider. No one here calls it that, and those abbreviations grate on our ears. We say San Francisco or The...

See All 335 Local Customs in San Francisco

80.

Tipping Orlando

14 Reviews tipping at restaurants and bars is an american custom. by law in the united states servers only receive 1/2 of the minimum wage so to make a living they depend on tips. servers basically are outside...

See All 107 Local Customs in Orlando

81.

Eating & Drinking Chicago

25 Reviews Beginning on Thanksgiving Day, and continuing until Christmas Day, there is an old world outdoor German Winter Market in Daley Plaza. It's so much fun, I go there every year, and am always bringing...

See All 161 Local Customs in Chicago

82.

Tipping Toronto

13 Reviews Think. Don't listen to ignorant people about tipping. 10% is an insult at a sit down restaurant. Remember, 15% is an average standard tip all over the world, and included in EVERY bill in most...

See All 190 Local Customs in Toronto

83.

Tipping / Taxes / Restaurants Los Angeles

14 Reviews When you are in Los Angeles, either in the city of L.A. or in another part of the county, you'll see several restuarants. On the window of establishments, you will see a letter- either an "A", "B" or...

See All 121 Local Customs in Los Angeles

84.

Sunset festival Key West

9 Reviews To see the sunset at it's best, you need to be at Mallory Square, where hundreds of tourists gather every night to enjoy the view. Together with the marvellous spectacle, local performers, musicians,...

See All 82 Local Customs in Key West

85.

Drugs & alcohol Vancouver

5 Reviews A clever new nickname for Vancouver that I just heard recently. Let me dispel the rumours somewhat. Yes the laws towards marijuana are somewhat less strict here (and everyelse in Canada) than other...

See All 127 Local Customs in Vancouver

86.

Bilinguism Montreal

34 Reviews I was somewhat worried about communicating in Montreal, especially as most of the signs are in French, but I didn't have a problem at all. We didn't run into anyone who didn't speak english....

See All 224 Local Customs in Montreal

87.

Speaking Bostonian Boston

18 Reviews Visitors from outside of New England are often confounded by local pronunciations, especially of Massachusetts cities and towns. Here’s a guide that’ll help you sound like a local: City:...

See All 126 Local Customs in Boston

88.

Tipping Cancún

12 Reviews Re: ".. don't tip taxi drivers in Cancun. Of course you should tip them! Just like you would in any other country." This is very wrong. Whilst tipping may be expected in Cancun it is not universal...

See All 48 Local Customs in Cancún

89.

Dress Code San Diego

5 Reviews San Diego is quite the beach culture. These peops are raised on the wet sand and they're not so friendly to outsiders. You stick out like a sore thumb if you're wearing elastic trunks while drinking...

See All 124 Local Customs in San Diego

90.

Seattle Weather Seattle

13 Reviews They say it rains a lot in Seattle! That's so true! We got used to it already except that our drivers don't. So be careful driving! So, when you come to Seattle, choose the right season then you...

See All 121 Local Customs in Seattle

91.

Talking Hawaiian Honolulu

10 Reviews Ok so this tip isn't exactly about how to speak "Hawaiian" itself, but more like what to expect when hearing locals talk. I myself DON'T speak "pidgin", but i know enough words to be able to...

See All 82 Local Customs in Honolulu

92.

Philly Facts Philadelphia

14 Reviews I know Philly has a bit of a rough-around-the edges, blue collar reputation, but as long as you're not an opposing team at a professional sporting event, the locals are really friendly! They don't...

See All 68 Local Customs in Philadelphia

93.

Beaches/South Beach/Art Deco District Miami

17 Reviews For an entire week in January, Miami's Art deco festival celebrates it's design inspiration. Includes historic walks, jazz music, plenty of artwork and dining. Auctions, memorabilia and unique items...

See All 57 Local Customs in Miami

94.

Driving / Roads Houston

9 Reviews Having lived in houston most of my life, you are not going to be shot if you cut someone off or honk. I honk at people all the time, no one has ever waved a gun at me. this is apparently a common...

See All 37 Local Customs in Houston

95.

Tipping Puerto Vallarta

7 Reviews Even when "all gratuities included" at a resort (and I laugh), think twice about not tipping. If you like waiting 10-20 minutes to be noticed for a drink that's fine.. but tipping 1.00usd a round gets...

See All 47 Local Customs in Puerto Vallarta

96.

Native Animals Playa del Carmen

3 Reviews We've seen the large band of coatis on both of our trips to Riu Tequila, in 2009 they were hanging out near the pool and near some of the rooms near the pool waiting for someone to take pity on them...

See All 18 Local Customs in Playa del Carmen

97.

Tejano Culture and Music San Antonio

4 Reviews One of the unique things about San Antonio is the wedding culture of the town. On several occasions, we ran into wedding parties getting their bridal pictures taken in various city locations. Obvious...

See All 43 Local Customs in San Antonio

98.

Local food and drinks Quebec

26 Reviews Through our trip to the provences of Quebec and New Brunswick we would stop at a restaurant and see the mysterious word "Poutine" on the menu. Finally I was brave enough to ask, "What the heck IS...

See All 86 Local Customs in Quebec

99.

Internet Cafe Fort Lauderdale

2 Reviews Internet Acess is very important when we travel. Princess has an internet Cafe as well as many areas aboard the ship with wireless access. Internet plan pricing: $0.75 a minute (no plan) Plan 1: $175...

See All 21 Local Customs in Fort Lauderdale

100.

Neighborhoods Atlanta

18 Reviews A common concern expressed by several VT members and verified by my time walking around in certain areas needs to be addressed. There are some VERY bad neighborhoods in Atlanta. Do NOT walk alone,...

See All 50 Local Customs in Atlanta

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Keeping Your Skin Supple &...

by Krystynn

Keeping Your Skin Supple & Radiant...I used to have major skin problems due to the dry air inflight (especially on the 747 aircraft). After some experimenting (don't we all?), I found that drinking lots of fruit juice...and of course, water.... really helps. While water is good for flushing the system, the juice seems to help retain the moisture. Though I don't need the extra calories of fruit juice, I try to drink at least one liter on a long flight. :-) I also drown my face with Prescriptives' 'Vibrant' face cream. It is one of the best in the market. Of course the best in the market right now is La Mer Cream (one SMALL jar can cost you US$500). O.K., if you like me are not dating someone like Donald Trump or Bill Gates, try the Prescriptives 'Vibrant' cream. I don't care even if Prince Charming might possibly be sitting in the next seat on the plane...I'd still put on my 'Vibrant'...

Are you interested to read...

by Krystynn

Are you interested to read your emails directly from your own internet provider back home whilst you're on the road?I learned about a wonderfully simple e-mail service for travelers and have been using it for the past 2 years! It has NEVER failed me so far... Thatweb.com allows you to retrieve all of your e-mail messages directly from your own internet provider at home. And the best part of it all is that you don't even need to set up an account with Thatweb.com prior to your leaving home. And what's more.... it’s FREE. If you haven't already heard about this, I can't think of a better time than now to check it out. Thatweb.comHow did I come to know about this site?Simple. One of my best friends (now residing in Hongkong) is a good friend of the creator of this site. Below: Postcards from Miami!

And now, here's something for...

by Krystynn

And now, here's something for the BUDGET CONSCIOUS traveler.... I picked up this tip when I was staying at the YMCA in Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon).How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs...Do you know that bed bugs HATE lavender oil? In Yangon some years ago, I was so afraid of being bitten by bed bugs at the local YMCA hostel, I tried using a few drops of lavender oil on the mattresses of our beds to scatter the bed bugs. It seems the little biters hate the smell and will flee!! It prevents bites... and lulled me to sleep. So, if you are staying in a hostel, dorm etc, try to bring a little bottle of lavender oil. I always get mine from The Body Shop costing not more than US$3. You must be wondering why I brought this up. Well, many years ago, I stayed at a supposedly good five-star hotel in SanFran. They had bed bugs and God-knows what other insects on their bed - hidden to the naked eye! I...

Have you ever realized that...

by Krystynn

Have you ever realized that your body is an absolutely wonderful machine with its own built-in cooling system? Yeah, me too. I didn't realize it until I got into 'trouble' not too long ago. These days, I'm a self-confessed health nut. Your body system depends on keeping a fluid balance within your body. So when the temperature rises, your body's 'air conditioning' mechanism switches to the 'on' mode and sweat glands begin to excrete fluids and salts. Simply put, these evaporate on the skin's surface and voila! You begin cooling off. Ah, however, problems can arise when your body becomes too hot and/ or you don't have enough fluids to keep your cooling system running at optimum power. So whether you're spending your summer holiday in North America or planning a winter trip to the tropics, it always helps to keep the following basic beat-the-heat tips in mind. Get your pen and paper...

Internet Cafes Wherever you...

by Krystynn

Internet Cafes Wherever you travel in the world today, you will not be far from a cyber port. And this same rule applies when you visit North America. The Internet Cafes Guide offer world maps to help you locate the Internet Cafe nearest you. Yahoo.com also offers a comprehensive listing. CYBERCAFE.COM

North America broadcasts their...

by smallone

North America broadcasts their television programs all over the world. However, what you see on tv isn't always the way it really is. We're really just like any other modernized country. We have shopping malls, teenagers who hang out, pets and hobbies just like everyone else. North America is incredibly culturally diverse; unless you don't speak English well, you really can't make any cultural faux pas.

When eating at a resturant,...

by serenaloco

When eating at a resturant, remember that in the US, waiters live off what they are tipped, so be nice and tip 12-15% it's not included.Some people are ignorant here and stupidity can be rampant but we're not all like that.

Alaskans in general are some...

by karmaman2002

Alaskans in general are some of the worldliest people in America. Most people have come here from somewhere else, and almost everyone has travelled extensively. Thus, any photos of other places you can bring will be welcomed. Also, bring a guitar, there are thousands of musicians in our state.

People here carry guns in...

by russ45

People here carry guns in their cars. be careful about giving people the bird ( holding hand with only middle finger pointing up wards, others folded to palm of hand. A jesture that means well you can guess what it is. You can stay in the left lane on the interstates here. People aren't polite like in Europe. The Europeans stay in right lane and only use left lane to pass. YES becareful when using turn signal to pass people here will speed up to cut you off from passing on 2 lane road and try to get you to run in to the car in the on coming lane. Or on a 4 lane road they will speed up to keep you from passing them and they will try to cut you off. So use care when first driving here in the USA. When coming up to a traffic lite becareful people here drive through on red lites, so slow down and look both ways whenyou have a green light.

Tipping at diners etc, we...

by albert_barke

Tipping at diners etc, we always gave a minimum of 10%'You Have a Good Day Now' is the best loved phrase you will always want to remember, we did.The American people are so polite but very, very, loud andvoicefull, Great !!!

Top 3 Hotels in North America

Casablanca Hotel New York City

1 Review and 1901 Opinions This is a Hotel /Bed and Breakfast. It is a oasis in the middle of Times Square. It is quiet inside...

Hotels in New York City

Argonaut Hotel - A Kimpton Hotel San Francisco

4 Reviews and 1844 Opinions There's no doubt this hotel, provides a level of luxury and convenience, that many travellers will...

Hotels in San Francisco

Four Seasons Las Vegas Las Vegas

8 Reviews and 1181 Opinions Definitely one of the best hotels in Las Vegas where I found everything what I want. The hotel is at...

Hotels in Las Vegas

76,975 Hotels in North America

Explore the World

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Reviews and photos of North America attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for North America sightseeing.

Experience North America

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Local Customs: Cities in North America

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Questions and Answers

Q: Are there, like in many European countries, limits for the amount of cash you can legally bring with you in and out of the...

A: For Canada, if you bring in more than $10,000 CAD (or equivalent in other currency) you will need to declare it to customs but there is no limit. There is a box on the...

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North America Members Meetings

Mar 16, 2012: St Patrick's Weekend Meet.
Aug 11, 2012: 2012 VT Seattle Meet: Bremerton and Return
Aug 11, 2012: 2012 VT Seattle Meet: Opening Registration
Aug 11, 2012: 2012 VT Seattle Meet: Ferry Trip to Bremerton

see all North America member meetings

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