Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Embassies & Consulates
British and Australian consulates are maintained in Denver, but they can't replace lost passports. For all other
countries the nearest options would be in Washington, DC or San Francisco.
Entering the Country
If you have a non-US passport, you must complete an arrival/departure record (form I-94) before you reach the
immigration desk. It's usually handed out on the plane along with the customs declaration. On arrival most visit-
ors will have their photo taken and electronic fingerprints made of each index finger; the process takes less than a
minute.
No matter what your visa says, US immigration officers have absolute authority to refuse admission to the USA
or impose conditions on admission. They will ask about your plans and whether you have sufficient funds; it's a
good idea to list an itinerary, produce an onward or round-trip ticket and have at least one major credit card.
Money
Foreign-currency traveler's checks can only be cashed in banks in the gateway towns, so do yourself a favor and
bring US-dollar checks. They are by far the easiest to change and many businesses will simply accept them as
cash. The front desks of all park accommodations exchange foreign currency cash 9am to 5pm weekdays.
Passports & Visas
Most visitors from Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore can enter the US for stays of 90
days or less on a visa waiver program (VWP).
To qualify for this, your passport must meet one of the following conditions: it was issued before October 26,
2005, but is 'machine readable'; it was issued on or after October 26, 2005, and includes a digital photo as well as
being machine readable; or it was issued on or after October 26, 2006, and contains a digital photo and 'biometric
data,' such as digital iris scans and fingerprints.
As of January 2009, citizens of the 27 countries in the VWP need to register with the government online (
ht-
tps://esta.cbp.dhs.gov
)
three days before their visit. The registration is valid for two years.
For more details see the
US State Department
(
www.travel.state.gov
).
Practicalities
»
Electricity
Voltage in the USA is AC 110V. You'll need an AC adapter and prob-
ably a voltage converter to run most non-US electronics.
»
Measurements
The US uses the imperial system; ie miles, yards, pints and quarts.
A US gallon is slightly larger than an imperial gallon and the US ton is slightly heav-
ier than a metric tonne.
»
Media
Jackson Hole News and Guide
(
www.jhnewsandguide.com
)
,
Bozeman Daily
Chronicle
(
www.bozemandailychronicle.com
)
and
USA Today
are available inside
the parks.
Telephone
To dial interstate (long distance) dial
1 followed by the state code: Montana
406 or Wyoming
307. To
call abroad dial the international code
011.
