Frequently Asked Questions

Climate
The beaches and cities along southern California's Pacific Coast enjoy a Mediterranean-type climate of sunny, warm summers and mild wet winters. The rainy season runs from November through March and usually produces no more than 12 inches of rainfall per year. Due to a stable marine layer, any type of precipitation is rare between May and October. The average annual humidity is 64.7 and the average year round temperature is 62 degrees. In summer, temperatures rarely exceed 85 degrees. In the morning and evening there are often strong ocean breezes. In summer, low clouds and fog along the coast give way to sunshine by early afternoon. Frost occurs in the area less than once every ten years .

Clothing
Casual wear is acceptable most of the time. Some establishments (nightclubs and bars) have a "no jeans, no running shoes" policy. Certain fine dining establishments within Newport Beach require men to wear jackets or blazers to dinner.

Credit Cards
Credit cards are widely accepted throughout the United States. ATMs or Bank machines can be found everywhere and debit cards are also widely used. If you are using a foreign card at a bank machine, your money will be disbursed in U.S. funds.

Currency
Financial institutions will provide a credible rate of exchange when switching your currency for U.S. dollars. A currency converter is available on the Fairmont website under the ¿Travel Tools¿ heading. It is also available when checking availability on Step 2 of the reservation process.

Electrical Current
110 Volts, 60 Cycles AC (same as Canada and Mexico)

Health Insurance
The United States has a very high quality of medical care. However, it is a private system and, as such, is very expensive by any standard. You should consider the purchase of your own health insurance a necessity. Even if you are covered by your home country's national health insurance system, your country will probably not pay all costs associated with health care in the U.S., so additional coverage is necessary.

Visitors taking medicine prescribed by a doctor should bring a copy of the prescription in case it needs to be renewed by a doctor in the U.S.

Liquor and Smoking Laws
In the United States, all states require that you be 21 years of age or older to purchase and/or consume alcoholic beverages. California has very strict legislation relating to smoking. Smoking is prohibited in all public spaces including shopping malls, bars and restaurants.

Public Holidays

Time Zones
California is located in the Pacific The continental United States has four time zones: Eastern, Central (1 hour behind Eastern), Mountain (2 hours behind Eastern), and Pacific (3 hours behind Eastern).

Tipping
Tips or service charges are not usually added to a bill in the U.S. The exception to this is when a large group of approximately eight or more are dining together in a restaurant, in which case the establishment may state in advance that a gratuity of 15% will automatically be added to the bill.

In general, a tip of 15% of the sub-total (before taxes) is given. This applies to waiters, waitresses, barbers and hairdressers, taxi drivers, etc. At hotels, airports and railway stations, bellhops, doormen, redcaps (porters), etc. are generally paid $1-2 per item of luggage.