Planning Your Trip to Chicago - Chicago - page 19

Aside from formal cybercafes, most youth hostels and public
libraries offer Internet access, and though hotel business centers
are accessible to guests, they can be expensive.
WITH YOUR OWN COMPUTER
In downtown Chicago, both Starbucks and the sandwich chain Così
have numerous locations with Wi-Fi access. In the southern part of
the Loop, the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State St.
( & 312/747-4300 ), also has wireless access. Wireless hotspots in Lin-
coln Park include Panera Bread, 616 W. Diversey Pkwy. ( & 773/
528-4556 ), and Argo Tea, 958 W. Armitage Ave. ( & 773/388-

1880 ).

7 Tips on Accommodations
SURFING FOR HOTELS
In addition to the online travel booking sites Travelocity, Expedia,
Orbitz, Priceline, and Hotwire, you can book hotels through
Hotels.com, Quikbook (www.quikbook.com), and Travelaxe
(www.travelaxe.net).
HotelChatter.com is a daily webzine offering smart coverage and
critiques of hotels worldwide. Go to TripAdvisor.com or Hotel
Shark.com for helpful independent consumer reviews of hotels and
resort properties.
It's a good idea to get a confirmation number and make a print-
out of any online booking transaction.

FAST FACTS: Chicago

Area Codes The 312 area code applies to the Loop and the
neighborhoods closest to it. The code for the rest of the city is
773. Suburban area codes are 847 (north), 708 (west and
southwest), and 630 (far west). You must dial “1” plus the
area code for all telephone numbers, even if you are making
a call within the same area code.
Babysitters Many of the top hotels work with American
ChildCare Service ( & 312/644-7300; www.americanchildcare.
com), a state-licensed and insured babysitting service that can
match you with a sitter.
Currency The most common bills are the $1 (a “buck”), $5,
$10, and $20 denominations. There are also $2 bills (seldom