Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
take swipe cards, or can't take signature cards that don't have PINs. In the interim
between traditional swipe credit cards and those with an embedded computer chip,
here's what you can do to protect yourself: Get a 4-digit PIN from your credit card's issu-
ing bank before leaving home.
Traveler's Checks
You can buy traveler's checks, which are widely accepted in Ber-
muda, at most banks. The most popular traveler's checks are offered by
American
Express
(
&
800/528-4800
or 800/221-7282 for cardholders);
Visa
(
&
888/713-3424
);
and
MasterCard
(
&
800/223-9920
).
If you carry traveler's checks, keep a record of their serial numbers separate from your
checks in the event that they are stolen or lost. You'll get a refund faster if you know the
numbers.
Another option is the new prepaid traveler's check cards, reloadable cards that work
much like debit cards but aren't linked to your checking account. The
American Express
Travelers Cheque Card,
for example, requires a minimum deposit, sets a maximum bal-
ance, and has a one-time issuance fee of $15. You can withdraw money from an ATM (for
a fee of $2.50 per transaction, not including bank fees), and the funds can be purchased
in dollars, euros, or pounds. If you lose the card, your available funds will be refunded
within 24 hours.
THE VALUE OF THE BERMUDA DOLLAR VS. OTHER POPULAR
CURRENCIES
The U.S. dollar and the Bermuda dollar are considered interchangeable:
10
US$
Can$
UK £
Euro (€)
Aus$
NZ$
$1
C$1.50
90p
€1.35
A$1.60
NZ$2.00
For help with currency conversions, tip calculations, and more, download Frommer's
convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to www.frommers.com/go/mobile
and click on the Travel Tools icon.
Newspapers & Magazines
Bermuda has one daily newspaper, the
Royal Gazette.
There are two competitors providing alternative versions of the news, including the
Ber-
muda Sun,
which is issued every Wednesday and Friday, and the
Mid-Ocean News,
which
is published every Friday. Major U.S. newspapers, including the
New York Times
and
USA
Today,
and magazines such as
Time
and
Newsweek,
are delivered to Bermuda on the day
of their publication on the mainland.
This Week in Bermuda
is a weekly guide for tourists.
For your media fix, go to the Washington Mall Magazines stand on Reid Street in Ham-
ilton. They carry major U.S. newspapers and magazines.
Passports
Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, passports have been strictly
required to get out of and back into your respective country. Another acceptable docu-
ment is the
U.S. Passport Card,
which is a newer, limited-use travel document that fits
into your wallet and costs less than a U.S. passport. But it is only valid by land and sea,
not air travel.
Bermuda Immigration authorities require
U.S. citizens
to have at least one of the fol-
lowing items in their possession: a birth certificate (or a certified copy of it accompanied
by a photo ID), a U.S. naturalization certificate, a valid passport, a U.S. Alien Registration
card, or a U.S. reentry permit. Go with the passport, because you will need it to reenter
the U.S.
Bermuda Immigration authorities require visitors from
Canada,
the
United Kingdom,
and
Europe
to show a valid passport. All visitors must have a return or onward ticket in
addition to their valid passport or original birth certificate.
