Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Emergencies
Call
&
911
for fire,
ambulance, or the police. This is a free
call from pay phones. For the state police,
call
&
617/523-1212.
Dialing 911 on a
cellphone connects you to the state
police; the Boston police direct emer-
gency number is
&
617/343-4911.
Gasoline (Petrol)
At press time, in the
U.S., the cost of gasoline (also known as
gas, but never petrol), is abnormally high.
You'll pay at least $4, and possibly much
more, per gallon. The posted price
includes taxes. One U.S. gallon equals 3.8
liters or .85 imperial gallons. Fill-up loca-
tions are known as gas or service stations.
Holidays
Banks, government offices,
post offices, and many stores, restaurants,
and museums are closed on the following
legal national holidays: January 1 (New
Year's Day), the third Monday in January
(Martin Luther King, Jr., Day), the third
Monday in February (Presidents' Day),
the last Monday in May (Memorial Day),
July 4 (Independence Day), the first
Monday in September (Labor Day), the
second Monday in October (Columbus
Day), November 11 (Veterans' Day/
Armistice Day), the fourth Thursday in
November (Thanksgiving Day), and
December 25 (Christmas). The Tuesday
after the first Monday in November is
Election Day, a federal government holi-
day in presidential-election years (held
every 4 years, and next in 2008). In Massa-
chusetts, state offices close for
Patriots
Day
on the third Monday in April, and
Suffolk County offices (including Boston
City Hall and the public libraries) close
on March 17 for
Evacuation Day.
For more information on holidays,
see “Calendar of Events,” in Chapter 3
(p. 26).
Hospitals
Massachusetts General
Hospital,
55 Fruit St. (
&
617/726-
2000;
www.massgeneral.org), and
Tufts
Medical Center,
800 Washington St.
(
&
617/636-5000;
www.tufts-nemc.
org), are closest to downtown.
At the Harvard Medical Area on the
Boston-Brookline border are
Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center,
330 Brook-
line Ave. (
&
617/667-7000;
www.
bidmc.harvard.edu);
Brigham and
Women's Hospital,
75 Francis St.
(
&
617/732-5500;
www.brighamand
womens.org); and
Children's Hospital
Boston,
300 Longwood Ave. (
&
617/
355-6000;
www.childrenshospital.org).
In Cambridge are
Mount Auburn
Hospital,
330 Mount Auburn St. (
&
617/
492-3500;
www.mountauburn.caregroup.
org), and
Cambridge Hospital,
1493
Cambridge St. (
&
617/655-1000;
www.
challiance.org/cambridge/index.shtml).
For more information, see “Health,”
p. 44.
Hotlines
AIDS Hotline
(
&
800/235-
2331),
Poison Control Center
(
&
800/
682-9211),
Rape Crisis
(
&
877/627-
7700 or 617/492-7273),
Samaritans Sui-
cide Prevention
(
&
617/247-0220),
Samariteens
(
&
800/252-8336 or 617/
247-8050).
Insurance
Medical Insurance
Al-
though it's not required of travelers,
health insurance is highly recommended.
Most health insurance policies cover you
if you get sick away from home—but
check your coverage before you leave.
International visitors to the U.S.
should note that unlike many European
countries, the United States does not usu-
ally offer free or low-cost medical care to
its citizens or visitors. Doctors and hospi-
tals are expensive, and most require
advance payment or proof of coverage
before they render their services. Good
policies will cover the costs of an acci-
dent, repatriation, or death. Packages
such as
Europ Assistance's “Worldwide
Healthcare Plan”
are sold by European
automobile clubs and travel agencies at
attractive rates.
Worldwide Assistance
Services, Inc.
(
&
800/777-8710;
www.
worldwideassistance.com) is the agent for
Europ Assistance in the United States.
