Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET SICK
AWAY FROM HOME
Medical care in the Boston area is among
the best in the world. For U.S. travelers,
most reliable health-care plans provide
coverage if you get sick away from home.
International visitors will probably have
to pay on the spot and request reimburse-
ment later.
The closest hospitals to downtown are
Massachusetts General Hospital,
55
Fruit St. (
&
617/726-2000;
www.mass
general.org), and
Tufts Medical Center,
800 Washington St. (
&
617/636-5000;
www.tufts-nemc.org). In Cambridge,
equidistant from Harvard Square, are
Mount Auburn Hospital,
330 Mount
Auburn St. (
&
617/492-3500;
www.
mountauburn.caregroup.org), and
Cam-
bridge Hospital,
1493 Cambridge St.
(
&
617/655-1000;
www.challiance.
org/cambridge/index.shtml).
In January 2008, the state approved
the opening of nonemergency Minute-
Clinics at some Boston-area branches
of
CVS
(
&
800/746-7287;
Mon-Fri
8:30am-8pm; www.cvs.com). They deal
with ear infections, strep throat, and such,
but not with dire emergencies.
We list
additional emergency num-
bers
in the “Fast Facts” appendix, p. 286.
7 Safety
Boston and Cambridge are generally safe,
especially in the areas you're likely to visit.
Nevertheless, you should take the same
precautions you would in any other large
North American city. Stash wallets and
billfolds in your least accessible pocket,
don't wave your expensive camera or
biggest map around in a dicey-looking
neighborhood, and take off your head-
phones (or at least turn the volume way
down) when you're wandering around
alone. In general, trust your instincts—a
dark, deserted street is probably deserted
for a reason.
As in any city, stay out of parks
(including Boston Common, the Public
Garden, and the Esplanade) at night
unless you're in a crowd. Specific areas to
avoid at night include Boylston Street
between Tremont and Washington
streets, and Tremont Street from Stuart to
Boylston streets. Try not to walk alone
late at night in the Theater District or on
the side streets around North Station.
Public transportation in the areas you're
likely to visit is busy and safe, but service
stops between 12:30 and 1am.
8 Specialized Travel Resources
TRAVELERS WITH DISABILITIES
Boston, like all other U.S. cities, has taken
the required steps to provide access for
people with disabilities. Hotels must pro-
vide accessible rooms, and museums and
street curbs have ramps for wheelchairs.
Some smaller accommodations, including
most B&Bs, have not been retrofitted. In
older neighborhoods (notably Beacon
Hill and the North End), you'll find many
narrow streets, cobbled thoroughfares,
and brick sidewalks that can make getting
around difficult. In the construction areas
that dot the entire metropolitan area,
especially in downtown Boston, you may
have to negotiate uneven road surfaces
and pedestrian detours.
Newer stations on the Red, Blue, and
Orange lines of the
subway
are wheel-
chair accessible; the transit authority is
converting the Green Line (which uses
trolleys). Contact the
Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority
(
&
800/392-
6100
or 617/222-3200; www.mbta.com)
