Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Local phone card
Center
A public phone booth
Right
Credit card
Banking and Communications
!
The US Dollar
&
Cell Phones
Cook Foreign Exchange
at Luis Muñoz Marín
International Airport and
the Caribbean Foreign
Exchange in Old San Juan
are reliable.
d
Thomas
Cook Foreign Exchange:
Map U2; Luis Muñoz Marín
International Airport; 787
791 1960 • Caribbean
Foreign Exchange: Map U6;
Calle Tetuán 201B, Old San
Juan; 787 722 8222
%
Credit Cards
The US dollar ($) is
the local currency, some-
times referred to as the
peso
or
dolar
by locals.
The dollar is divided into
100 cents (
centavos
or
chavitos
to locals), with
coins in denominations
of 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50
cents, and notes of 1, 2,
5, 10, 20, 50, and 100
dollars in circulation.
@
Foreign
AT&T Mobility and
Claro (the wireless arm
of the Puerto Rico
Telephone Company)
offer cellular services
throughout the island.
However, don't count on
your cell phone working
in some of the relatively
remote locations.
*
Post Offices
The US Postal Service
extends to Puerto Rico,
where US rates apply
and service is speedy
and efficient. Every town
has a post office. Check
with the reception staff
of your hotel to see if
they can forward your
mail to the post office.
(
Internet
Currencies
Some tourist entities
may accept payment in
Canadian dollars and
Euros, although these
are the exception. Major
foreign currencies can be
exchanged on the island
at banks,
casas de
cambios
(see below)
, and
hotel reception desks.
Major credit cards are
widely accepted in hotels,
restaurants, and tourist-
oriented stores, but not
in
colmados (see p112)
and other out-of-the-way
stores. Credit cards can
be used for cash advances
at banks, though you may
be charged a commission.
You can also use them at
ATMs, so carry your
personal identification
number (PIN) before
leaving for your trip.
Many of the larger
hotels provide a compli-
mentary Internet service,
while others charge a fee.
An increasing number of
hotels have a WiFi
service. Internet cafés
are widely available and
charge reasonable rates.
£
Banks and ATMs
Puerto Rico has many
US- and foreign-owned,
as well as local, banks.
Most will change foreign
currencies at the official
rate. Opening hours are
typically 9am-3:30pm
Monday to Friday. Major
banks, such as Banco
Popular, Banco de San
Juan, and Citibank, oper-
ate ATMs that accept
MasterCard and Visa.
$
Casas de Cambio
^
Telephones
Puerto Rico has an
efficient telephone sys-
tem. Public phones are
ubiquitous and prepaid
phone cards are easily
available. Calls from hotels
can be expensive. To call
the island from North
America, dial 1, then 787
and the local number;
from the UK, dial 00
for international access,
followed by 01, then 787
and the local number. All
phone numbers within
Puerto Rico have a 3-digit
area code, either 787 or
939. So dial all 10 digits
for calls within the island.
)
Television
and Radio
Most hotels include cable
TV in room rates, with
international channels
such as CNN and the
BBC, along with local
Spanish-language ones.
Premium channels may
be available on a pay-
per-view basis. Qué Pasa
TV, available in metro
area hotels, broadcasts
tourist information.
Most radio stations
are Spanish language.
These currency
exchange bureaus are
relatively few. They offer
more or less the same
rate as banks, usually
cash traveler's checks,
and have longer hours
than banks. The Thomas
107
Sign up for DK's email newsletter on
traveldk.com
