Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Appendix:
Fast Facts, Toll-Free
Numbers & Websites
1 Fast Facts: Boston
American Express
Offices are at 1
State St., opposite the Old State House
(
&
617/723-8400
); 170 Federal St.,
Financial District (
&
617/439-4400
);
432 Stuart St., Back Bay (
&
617/236-
1331
); and 39 John F. Kennedy St., Har-
vard Square, Cambridge (
&
Babysitters
Many hotels maintain
lists of babysitters; check at the front desk
or with the concierge. Local agencies
aren't a cost-effective option; most charge
a steep annual fee on top of the daily
referral charge and the sitter's hourly wage
and expenses. If you're in town on busi-
ness, ask whether the company you're vis-
iting has a corporate membership in an
agency.
Business Hours
Offices are usually
open weekdays from 9am to 5 or 6pm.
Banks are open weekdays from 9am to
4pm or later and sometimes on Saturday
morning; most offer 24-hour access to
automated teller machines (ATMs).
Stores typically open between 9 and
10am and close at between 6pm (neigh-
borhood shops) and 9pm (mall and shop-
ping center locations) from Monday
through Saturday. Sunday hours for
shops that have them are usually noon to
5 or 6pm.
Car Rentals
See “Toll-Free Numbers
& Websites,” p. 292.
Drinking Laws
The legal age for pur-
chase and consumption of alcoholic bev-
erages is 21. Proof of age is required and
often requested at bars, nightclubs, and
restaurants, particularly near college cam-
puses (in the Boston area, that's every-
where), so it's always a good idea to bring
ID when you go out. At sporting events,
everyone buying alcohol must show ID.
Liquor stores and a few supermarkets and
617/868-
2600
).
Area Codes
Boston proper,
617
and
857;
immediate suburbs,
781
and
339;
northern and western suburbs,
978
and
351;
southern suburbs,
508
and
774.
Note:
To make a local call, you must dial
the 3-digit area code and the 7-digit
number.
ATM
Networks/Cashpoints
See
“Money & Costs,” p. 43.
Automobile Organizations
Motor
clubs will supply maps, suggested routes,
guidebooks, accident and bail-bond
insurance, and emergency road service.
The
American Automobile Association
(AAA)
is the major auto club in the
United States. If you belong to a motor
club in your home country, inquire about
AAA reciprocity before you leave. You
may be able to join AAA even if you're not
a member of a reciprocal club; to inquire,
call AAA (
&
800/222-4357;
www.aaa.
com). AAA is actually an organization of
regional motor clubs, so look under “AAA
Automobile Club” in the White Pages of
the telephone directory. AAA has a
nationwide emergency road service tele-
phone number (
&
800/AAA-HELP).