Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
290
20008 ( & 202/328-4800; www .nz
embassy.com). N ew Z ealand consulates
are in Los Angeles and New York.
The embassy of the United K ingdom
is at 3100 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Wash-
ington, DC 20008 ( & 202/588-6500;
www.britainusa.com). O ther B ritish con-
sulates ar e in A tlanta, Boston, Chicago,
Houston, Los Angeles, N ew York, S an
Francisco, and S eattle. I n S an F rancisco,
the consulate is at 1 Sansome St., Ste. 850
( & 415/617-1300 ).
EMERGENCIES D ial 911 for police,
fire, or medical emergencies.
HOLIDAYS Banks, go vernment offices,
post offices, and many stor es, restaurants,
and museums ar e closed on the follo wing
legal national holidays: J anuary 1 (N ew
Year's Day), the thir d Monday in J anuary
(Martin Luther King, Jr ., Day), the thir d
Monday in F ebruary (P residents' D ay),
the last Monday in May (Memorial Day),
July 4 (Independence Day), the first Mon-
day in September (Labor Day), the second
Monday in O ctober (Columbus D ay),
November 11 ( Veterans' D ay/Armistice
Day), the four th Thursday in N ovember
(Thanksgiving D ay), and D ecember 25
(Christmas). The Tuesday after the first
Monday in N ovember is E lection D ay, a
federal go vernment holiday in pr esiden-
tial-election years (held every 4 years, and
next in 2012).
HOSPITALS San F rancisco G eneral
Hospital, 1001 Potrero Ave. ( & 415/206-
8000 ), accepts uninsur ed emergency
patients, but the wait can be br utally long
and uncomfortable. If you have insurance,
head to California Pacific Medical Cen-
ter at 2333 B uchanan S t. at S acramento
Street ( & 415/600-6000 ).
HOTLINES The follo wing hotlines ar e
available in San Francisco: Poison Control
Center ( & 800/876-4766), Rape C risis
Center ( & 415/647-7273), and Family
Service Agency ( & 415/474-7310).
INFORMATION The San F rancisco
Visitor I nformation Center is in the
lower level of H allidie Plaza, 900 M arket
St., at P owell S treet ( & 415/391-2000;
www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com).
INTERNET A CCESS P erhaps because
everyone already has a computer here, San
Francisco has few Internet cafes. The clos-
est one to Union Square is Cafe.com, 120
Mason St. near Eddy Street ( & 415/433-
4001 ), open daily. Other options, without
the ambience, include Copy Central, 110
Sutter St. at Montgomery Street ( & 415/
392-6470 ), and FedEx K inko's, 1967
Market S t., near G ough ( & 415/252-
0864 ). I f y ou ar e staying in the M arina,
the closest FedEx Kinko's is on 3225 F ill-
more St. near Lombard Street ( & 415/441-
2995 ). The Main Library, 100 Larkin St.
at M cAllister S treet ( & 415/557-4400 ),
also has a number of terminals you can use
for free. If you have your own computer,
several places offer wireless Internet access,
including some hotel lobbies and cafes like
the G rove, with locations on Chestnut
Street and Fillmore Street (see chapter 5).
INSURANCE Although it's not required
of trav elers, health insurance is highly
recommended. M ost health insurance
policies co ver y ou if y ou get sick away
from home—but verify that you're covered
before y ou depar t, par ticularly if y ou're
insured by an HMO.
International visitors should note that
unlike many other countries, the U nited
States does not usually offer free or low-cost
medical care to its citizens or visitors. Doc-
tors and hospitals ar e expensiv e, and in
most cases will require advance payment or
proof of co verage befor e they r ender their
services. G ood policies will co ver the
costs of an accident, r epatriation, or death.
Packages such as Europ A ssistance's
“Worldwide H ealthcare P lan” ar e sold
by E uropean automobile clubs and trav el
agencies at attractiv e rates. Worldwide
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