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Most banks are open from Monday through Friday, usually from 9am or 10am to 6pm, though a few branches also do business on Saturday until 1pm or 2pm. Branches of Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Washington Mutual can be found all across LA.

Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are found at almost all banks and are open 24 hours a day. Most are equipped to handle transactions using bank and credit cards linked to one of the worldwide networks, such as Star, Plus, or Cirrus. A small fee is usually required.

A credit card is a very common form of payment in the US, with nearly universal acceptance of MasterCard and Visa and, to a lesser extent, American Express and JCB. Cash advances from ATMs using credit cards mostly start accruing interest immediately.

Traveler’s checks in US dollars are widely accepted in restaurants, supermarkets, banks, and stores; personal checks on an out-of-state (outside California) or foreign account are not. Practically all banks cash traveler’s checks for a fee; American Express offices encash their company-issued checks for free. Bring a passport or some form of ID.

Public telephones can be found on city streets throughout LA, as well as in gas stations, libraries, shopping malls, beaches, and many other places. Phones only accept coins, which can be a hassle when making long-distance calls. Many pay phones accept incoming calls as well.

Prepaid phone cards eliminate the need for coins at pay phones and may also help save on calls placed from hotels. Available in many supermarkets, gas stations, and electronics stores in amounts starting at $5, they require you to dial a toll-free access number before making your call. Read the small print as some of the less respectable ones come with extra charges on top of the per minute rate.

General post office hours are 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm Saturday, though timings may vary slightly from branch to branch. For specifics and branch locations, call 800-275-8777. Stamps are easily available in supermarkets too.

Postage for letters sent within the US costs 37 cents for the first ounce and 23 cents for each additional ounce; a postcard stamp is 23 cents. One-ounce airmail letters cost 80 cents and postcards 70 cents.

The US Postal Service (USPS) offers overnight service within the US, and global two- to three-day delivery. FedEx and UPS are the dominant private courier services.

Many hotels now have free data port connections for laptop Net access. Computer terminals are available, mostly in upscale hotels. Wireless terminals that allow you to go online through the in-room TV are also common. Libraries or Internet cafés also offer access to the Internet.