Page 287 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Southwest USA & National Parks

PR A C TIC AL INFORM A TION  285

Cell Phones and Several private international DIRECTORY
Internet Access
delivery services offer swift,
The most prevalent cell phone next-day delivery for overseas AT&T
service providers are AT&T, mail, the best known being Tel (800) 331-0500.
Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. FedEx, UPS, and DHL. DHL
Any modern cell phone will All the major cities have a Tel (800) 225-5345.
be able to connect to a local main post office as well as FedEx
network as long as “roaming” several local offices. In addition, Tel (800) 463-3339.
has been activated on your there are post offices in air-
phone. However, it is essential ports, grocery stores, and UPS
to check with your home drugstores. If you have the Tel (800) 742-5877.
provider what charges you correct value of postage
may incur in the US, not stamps, both letters and
only for making and parcels can be mailed conditions; they may also
receiving calls and in any one of the many contain discount vouchers for
texts, but, especially, for mailboxes dotted local attractions.
browsing the Internet around every town. Various radio stations offer
and downloading These are generally local news bulletins and
information. dark blue and have the weather forecasts. National
It is also possible to collection times posted Public Radio is a good source
rent or purchase a cheap on them. Any hotel will of commercial-free news and
cell phone while on also be happy to place entertainment, and is usually
vacation in the US; your mail in their out- located along the FM band.
prepaid cell phones can US mailbox going mailbox. It is also The US is famous for having
be bought for as little as possible to buy postage a multitude of TV channels,
$10, and 30 minutes of airtime stamps from convenience provided by the four networks
for an additional $10. stores, vending machines, – ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC – as
Almost every hotel provides and in most hotels. well as many cable channels
Wi-Fi access in its rooms, thus including magazine programs,
making it possible to use a Newspapers, Television, sitcoms, cartoons, and special
program such as Skype to make Spanish-language channels.
free calls. In Las Vegas the “resort and Radio Most hotel and motel rooms
fees” charged by the big hotels, The best-selling daily papers provide at least the network
of as much as $25 per day, country-wide are the Wall channels (which all have local
cover Wi-Fi among other Street Journal, New York Times, services), as well as PBS, the
amenities, but elsewhere Wi-Fi USA Today, and Los Angeles public subscription channel
is usually free. Most towns hold Times, which cover the country (with no commercials), and
at least one coffee shop offering as a whole. However, there Cable News Network (CNN).
a free Wi-Fi connection, while is a wide selection of local Other popular cable channels
shopping malls, university newspapers available at even include Home Box Office (HBO),
hangouts, and libraries also the smallest town in the which shows movies and
provide free or inexpensive region, and these are entertainment shows. Most
Internet access. invaluable for local information. daily newspapers provide
Visitor centers also often carry network program times, and
free papers detailing local hotel rooms are often equipped
Mail Services
news, events, and weather with local television schedules.
Within the US all regular mail is
the same “class” and generally
takes between one and five
days to arrive. The correct zip
(postal) code usually ensures
a swifter delivery.
International mail sent by air
can take between one to ten
business days to arrive, but
parcels that are sent by surface
mail may take as long as four to
six weeks. There are two special
parcel services run by the federal
mail: Priority Mail promises faster
delivery than regular mail, while
the Flat Rate envelopes and
boxes are charged a set amount
based on package size. Reading the paper over coffee in a Southwestern café

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