Currency in San Francisco
Notes in United States
American banknotes (bills) often confuse visitors: they're all the same size and the same colour. Be especially careful not to hand over too much cash, and always check your change carefully. Be careful not to accept incomplete or severely torn notes, as they can be refused; small rips are usually not a problem. Bills come in denominations of 1, 2 (rare), 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars.
Coins in United States
Coins come in 1 (penny), 5 (nickel), 10 (dime), 25 (quarter) cent and 50 cent denominations; there is also a dollar coin.
Preferred Form of Payment in San Francisco
If you can't use your credit card in the US then you probably can't use it anywhere. ATMs are hard to miss, well networked and offer an even cheaper option if your card is set up to use them. Otherwise travellers cheques are almost as good as cash; you'll save yourself hassle and expense if they are in US dollars.
Changing Your Money in San Francisco
Major credit and debit cards, including the Visa Cash Passport Card, are widely accepted. You can also access your bank account using US ATMs which are ubiquitous. Travellers cheques are easily converted to cash at any bank. You'll probably need to take your passport along to prove your identity.
Money Tips
If you camp or stay in hostels, catch buses and cook your own food, you could feasibly explore the country on around 50 USD a day. Staying in motels and eating at modest cafes will mean you'll hit the 100 USD mark, and enjoying the convenience of a rental car will push your daily budget up to 150 USD.
Using a Telephone in San Francisco
The Pacific Bell Smart Yellow Pages, commonly known as the 'yellow pages', is the comprehensive telephone directory, organised alphabetically by subject. Hotel rooms generally come equipped with a phone book (if yours doesn't, ask at the front desk for one), and tattered and abused copies can sometimes be found at phone booths.
When dialling another area code, the code must be preceded by a 1. For example, to dial an Oakland number from San Francisco, start with 1-510.
Local calls from a pay phone usually start at 0.35 USD. Be aware that there are 'non-local' calls even within the same area code, and costs jump dramatically when you call to another area code. Hotel telephones will often have heavy surcharges.
Using a Mobile Phone in San Francisco
In the USA cell phones use GSM 1900 or CDMA 800, operating on different frequencies from systems in other countries. The only foreign phones that will work in the USA are tri-band models, operating on GSM 1900 as well as other frequencies. If you have a GSM tri-band phone, check with your service provider about using it in the USA, but be aware that calls will be more expensive than using your home network (because of the US service provider's charges). Your mobile phone number stays the same, and callers at home will be connected to your phone automatically.
You may be able to take the SIM card from your home phone, install it in a rented mobile phone that's compatible with the US systems, and use the rental phone as if it were your own phone - same number, same billing basis. Ask your mobile phone company about using your SIM card for global (or international) roaming. You can rent a phone for about 45 USD per week, but rates vary.
Phone shops in the USA will allow you to rent a GSM 1900 compatible phone with a set amount of prepaid call time. Pricing plans are complex, but generally this is an expensive option. T-Mobile is one US company that provides this service.
Doing Business in San Francisco
All the major hotels, and many smaller ones, operate business centres providing web, fax and phone access and helpful assistants. Most are open to the public for a fee. The Turpen Aviation Museum (tel: 650 821 9911) located in the International Terminal of San Francisco International Airport, is available for functions of up to 250 guests, with catering and equipment available. The Airport Travel Agency (tel: 650 877 0422), also in the International Terminal, provides fax and photocopying services.
The Financial District starts in the east at
Justin Herman Plaza and runs west as far
as Kearny St, then southward to Market St
where it runs eastward back to Justin Herman.
It reaches as far north as the Transamerica
Pyramid. It's roughly bordered
on the north by the California St cable car
line.
Media in San Francisco
By US standards, the media in San Francisco is subdued. The city's chief newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, goes for quantity over quality and many people prefer the New York Times, which is sold in newspaper vending boxes all over town. Nearly a hundred Bay Area radio stations keep the city tuned offbeat, but local television is surprising only for its lack of San Francisco-style creative flair.
