Tourist traps Even though Hollywood boulevard has had a $65 million dollar revamp with the completion of the Hollywood/Highland entertainment complex, you could easily skip many of the smaller shops and more commercial museums along the boulevard without impairing your Hollywood experience.

Tipping etiquette 20% for restaurants if the service is good, 15% if the service is average. Note that it is common in America to tip bar staff in bars/clubs around $1 per drink. Tipping taxi drivers is usually 10% and hotel bellboys and porters will appreciate a couple of dollars for helping with your luggage.

Internet cafésStarbucks coffee shops are all over Los Angeles and provide the quickest and easiest way to get online if you have Wi Fi or an airport card in your laptop. For more details see www.t-mobile.com/hotspot. Otherwise, Los Angeles is surprisingly low on internet cafés.

I C Cyber Café
3160 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010-1204
Tel: 213 252 2223

C & C Internet Café
7070 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028-7521
Tel: 323 462 8100

Gifts to buy Los Angeles does not have a quintessential product to take home, unlike other US cities such as Seattle and its coffee, Dallas and its cowboy hats. However there are plenty of opportunities to buy Hollywood memorabilia emblazoned on to everything from T- shirts to mugs along Hollywood Boulevard. Olvera Street, Downtown offers up more traditional Hispanic influenced gifts, and you can never go wrong with home treatments from any of the many beauty or spa stores along Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood or Third Street in Santa Monica.