Tourist traps Museum restaurants, though convenient, tend to be overpriced and serve meals more filling than tasty. Museum gift shops, on the other hand, present a range of merchandise, some perfect mementoes to take home, and some perfect rip-offs.

Tipping etiquette Tip taxi drivers and bar tenders 15%. Tip waiters 20%, unless service is merely satisfactory, in which case 15% will do it. Tip bellboys, doormen, skycaps, and porters $1 per bag. Don't forget hotel chamber staff, for whom you should leave $2 or $3 for each day of your stay.

Internet cafés Many hotels in Washington provide free internet access, so check there first. Otherwise, head to the Dupont Circle neighbourhood, which has two cyber cafés: Cyberstop Café (1513 17th St NW) and Kramerbooks and Afterwords (1517 Connecticut Ave NW). The Cyberstop Café has about 10 computers and charges use by the half hour; Kramerbooks has just one computer but internet access is free.

Gifts to buy As noted above, you may have to paw through museum gift shops to find them, but museum stores do purvey certain 'only in Washington' items that make excellent presents. For example, Smithsonianshops sell a silver-plated wine coaster modelled after one used by George Washington in the 1700s. The National Gallery of Art's treasures include a game for children, Art Lotto, whose 45 picture cards display images from the gallery's collection. Union Station offers many gift shops, though one merits special mention: Made in America, where you can buy White House guest towels and baseball caps embossed with government agency's logos.