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The chief tourist season in LA is in July and August when the beaches are fairly pleasant though inland areas can get uncomfortably hot and smoggy. Another good time to visit Los Angeles is in winter, which brings less smog, smaller crowds, and plummetting hotel prices.

LA has a moderate climate with low humidity and cool evenings, even in summer. Rain is most likely from January to March. Summers are sunny and pleasant.

Californians dress casually, but LA can be chilly in winter, and even in summer you’ll need a jacket or sweater in the evenings, especially near the coast. Sunglasses and hats are must-haves, and are easily available anywhere in LA.

Los Angeles is huge and offers a wide variety of accomodations. Santa Monica is the most visitor-friendly of the beach towns. Beverly Hills is for the wealthy, while downtown and Pasadena are great places to stay for culture-vultures and architecture fans. Urban types should opt for the hip and happening Hollywood or West Hollywood.

Most US insurance is effective throughout the country, but those with foreign insurance coverage should take out comprehensive travel insurance before arriving in the US. Most insurance plans include luggage theft or loss, but what is most crucial is that they should cover medical emergencies.

Citizens of the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and several other countries – mostly European – need a valid machine-readable passport to visit the US for a period of up to 90 days. If you arrive by air or sea, you must present a round-trip ticket. Nationals of all other countries require a visa. Regulations may change, so check with a US consulate or the US State Department’s websites.

The US has 115-120V current, rather than the 220V current used in other countries. Plugs are of the two-prong variety. Appliances that are not compatible with this electrical system require a transformer and/or an adapter.

Unlike most other nations, the US does not use the metric system. Weight is measured in ounces, pounds, and tons; distances in inches, feet, yards, and miles; and temperature in Fahrenheit. Carry a pocket converter or conversion chart for convenience.

LA is in the Pacific Time Zone, which is eight hours behind GMT – when it’s midnight in LA it’s 3am the next day in New York, 8am in the UK, 9am in Central Europe, and 6pm in Australia and New Zealand.

If traveling with children, book into child-friendly accommodations – at many hotels kids can stay for free in their parents’ room (see Family Hotels & Motels). If you need someone to watch over the tots, ask the concierge. Most attractions and museums discount admission for children, though age requirements may vary.