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travelling internationally is that American duty free is nowhere near
as developed a concept as it is in, say, Europe. Many smaller
international airports have little more than a cart selling a few
varieties of whiskey, cigarettes, and some perfume. Larger airports
have larger stores, but they tend to specialize in alcohol, cigarettes,
and cosmetics. Duty-free goods must be purchased in the airport
shop, but they are not handed over to the passengers. Instead, they
are delivered to them when they are actually boarding the plane.
Americans usually refer to luggage as baggage, and the place
where you buy your tickets is a ticket counter.
HOTELS
Hotels in the United States are similar to those around the
world. There are, however, a few differences to be aware of.
The word "concierge" is used only in large, expensive hotels;
the usual term for the place that you check in is the front desk.. A
bellhop is the person who will carry your bags to your room for
you, and the bell station is where you can ask the bell captain to
call a taxi for you, and where you can leave your luggage if it is
too early to check in, or if you have checked out, but still need to
store your bags for a short time. I
American hotels usually have separate smoking and non
smoking rooms, so tell the desk clerk if you have a preference
when you check in. Some hotels are smoke-free, so be sure to ask
before you book a room.
Rooms are called singles (with one bed), doubles (with two
beds), and suites (with more than one room). Any bed is usually a
double bed - big enough for two people to sleep in - and families of
four often rent just one double room. You can often get a camp bed
for an extra person - called a cot - put in a room for a small extra
charge.
Private bathrooms are nearly always in the rooms, unless it is a
very cheap hotel. This is not called an "en-suite" bathroom; the
idea that one would not have a bathroom in the room is so foreign
to Americans that there is not a special term for this. You don't
have to ask "is there a private bathroom in the room?"