Money

Like other large American cities, Boston can be an expensive destination. At the high end, it's nearly as costly as New York. The average hotel room rate is lower, but still nearly $200 -- and that average includes deep off-season discounts. At the thrifty end, an abundance of reasonably priced establishments cater to the area's large student population. Dining options, from hole-in-the-wall noodle joints to internationally acclaimed special-occasion restaurants, are particularly diverse.

If you're visiting Boston from overseas, exchange enough petty cash to cover airport incidentals, tipping, and transportation to your hotel before you leave home, or withdraw money upon arrival at an airport ATM. My favorite international travelers swear by the universal currency converter at www.xe.com/ucc.

ATMs

Don't worry about being caught without cash in the Boston area: ATMs (also known as "cash machines" or "cashpoints") are everywhere, even in some subway stations. Throughout eastern Massachusetts, even the smallest towns usually have at least one ATM. The Cirrus (tel. 800/424-7787; www.mastercard.com) and PLUS (tel. 800/843-7587; www.visa.com) networks span the globe. The NYCE network (www.nyce.net) operates primarily in the eastern United States. NYCE administers the SUM network (www.sum-atm.com), which waives fees for customers of member banks using most ATMs belonging to other members. Look at the back of your bank card to see which network you're on, then call or check online for ATM locations in the Boston area.

Be sure you know your personal identification number (PIN) and your daily withdrawal limit before you depart. If you have a 5- or 6-digit PIN, ask whether it will work; you may need to change it to a 4-digit number. Also keep in mind that most banks impose a fee every time you use your card at a different bank's ATM. Domestic fees are climbing -- some institutions charge $3 -- and an international transaction may cost you $5 or more. On top of that, the bank from which you withdraw cash may charge its own fee. As a rule, ATMs in convenience stores, which cater to middle-of-the-night impulse buyers, charge the steepest fees. At Massachusetts ATMs, a message should appear -- onscreen or on a sticker near the keypad -- to warn you that you're about to be charged. To compare banks' ATM fees within the U.S., use www.bankrate.com. Visitors from outside the U.S. should also find out whether their bank assesses a 1% to 3% fee on charges incurred abroad.

Credit Cards & Debit Cards

Credit cards are the most widely used form of payment in the United States: Visa (Barclaycard in Britain), MasterCard (EuroCard in Europe, Access in Britain, Chargex in Canada), American Express, Diners Club, and Discover. Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted, Diners Club the least. You can withdraw cash advances from your credit cards at banks or ATMs (provided you know your PIN), but high fees make this a pricey way to get cash.

Traveling with at least one major credit card is highly recommended, but I'd suggest you carry at least one emergency back-up. You must have a credit card to rent a car, and hotels and airlines usually require an imprint as a deposit against expenses.

Debit cards look like credit cards, complete with Visa or MasterCard logo, but they draw money directly from your checking account. Stores and restaurants that accept credit cards generally accept debit cards, and some stores and most U.S. post offices enable you to receive "cash back" on your debit-card purchases as well. If you don't keep a large checking balance, be aware that most banks "freeze" a portion of your account when you initiate a purchase without a definite total, such as a car rental or tank of gas.

Traveler's Checks

Credit cards and debit cards are more often used, but traveler's checks are widely accepted in the U.S. In tourist-friendly Boston, you won't have much trouble using traveler's checks at any business. International visitors should make sure that they're denominated in U.S. dollars; foreign-currency checks are often difficult to exchange.

You can buy traveler's checks at most banks. Be sure to keep a copy of their serial numbers separate from the checks in the event that they are stolen or lost. You'll get a refund faster if you know the numbers.

Prepaid traveler's check cards, such as the American Express Travelers Cheque Card, are reloadable cards that work much like debit cards but aren't linked to your checking account.

American Currency

The most common bills are the $1 (a "buck"), $5, $10, and $20 denominations. There are also $2 bills (seldom encountered), $50 bills, and $100 bills (the last two are usually not welcome as payment for small purchases).

Coins come in seven denominations: 1¢ (1 cent, or a penny); 5¢ (5 cents, or a nickel); 10¢ (10 cents, or a dime); 25¢ (25 cents, or a quarter); 50¢ (50 cents, or a half dollar); the gold-colored Sacagawea coin, worth $1; and the rare silver dollar.