Charleston, important visitor information

CLIMATE AND WEATHER
Charleston is fortunate to have a wonderful climate. With the flowers blossoming from March to May, one can easily say that the city has a wonderful springtime to look forward to. Because of the city's geographical location, being situated near the coastal area, the warmth brought about summertime is cooled down. Fall is relatively warm. Winter is not too long, starting during November and ending up in February. Minimum temperature is 3 ° C and maximum temperature in the city is 32 ° C.

TIME
Eastern Standard Time is GMT -5, and Pacific Standard Time is GMT -8, Alaska is GMT -9, and Hawaii GMT -10. All states comply with daylight saving time during summer, except for Indiana , Arizona and Hawaii .

ELECTRICITY
Common is 110 volts, 60 Hz and two, flat pin-type plugs. Three-pin plugs are also generally used. Adapters can be purchased in major airports for appliances without dual-voltage capabilities.

MONEY AND LANGUAGE
The US Dollar is the unit of currency. Foreign currencies are only exchanged in major banks. ATMS, credit cards and traveler's cheques are widely acknowledged. Banking hours are from 9am until 3pm , Monday to Friday. English is the official language.

HEALTH
Traveling to the United States has no health risks associated. Although medical expenses are costly, they are excellent. Emergencies are dealt with without advanced payment. A good medical insurance is imperative for treatment can be refused without proof of it.

TIPPING
Tipping on fast food and self-service restaurants is not necessary. Taxi drivers, bartenders, hairdressers and waiters on the other hand, expect a 15% tip.

SAFETY
A visit to the country is generally trouble free. Security has been heightened especially at airports due to increased threats from terrorist. Lighters are not allowed to be carried by travelers during any domestic or international flights. Basic precautions should be kept in mind to avoid car and street crimes in the city.

CUSTOMS
Laws differ in every state in the country. The rightful age to legally buy and consume alcohol is usually 21 years.

COMMUNICATIONS
Calling from the Finland requires an outgoing code of 011 followed by the relevant country code the person wishes to call. The international country dialing code for the United States is +1. The country has also a number of area codes, which are required to be dialed before the local number. Mobile communications is common in most of the places in the country but only tri-band phones can be used for cellular phones purchased out of the United States . Internet cafes too are widespread in towns and cities.

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