Staying Connected

Mobile Phones

Just because your cellphone works at home doesn't mean it'll work everywhere in the U.S. (thanks to our nation's fragmented cellphone system). It's a good bet that your phone will work in major cities, but take a look at your wireless company's coverage map on its website before heading out; T-Mobile, Sprint, and Nextel are particularly weak in rural areas. If you need to stay in touch at a destination where you know your phone won't work, rent a phone that does from InTouch USA (tel. 800/872-7626; www.intouchglobal.com) or a rental car location, but be aware that you'll pay $1 a minute or more for airtime.

If you're not from the U.S., you'll be appalled at the poor reach of our GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) wireless network, which is used by much of the rest of the world. Your phone will probably work in most major U.S. cities; it definitely won't work in many rural areas. To see where GSM phones work in the U.S., check out www.t-mobile.com/coverage/national_popup.asp. And you may or may not be able to send SMS (text messaging) home.

Telephones

Many convenience groceries and packaging services sell prepaid calling cards in denominations up to $50. Many public pay phones at airports now accept American Express, MasterCard, and Visa. Local calls made from most pay phones cost either 25¢ or 35¢. Most long-distance and international calls can be dialed directly from any phone. To make calls within the United States and to Canada, dial 1 followed by the area code and the seven-digit number. For other international calls, dial 011 followed by the country code, city code, and the number you are calling.

Calls to area codes 800, 888, 877, and 866 are toll-free. However, calls to area codes 700 and 900 (chat lines, bulletin boards, "dating" services, and so on) can be expensive -- charges of 95¢ to $3 or more per minute. Some numbers have minimum charges that can run $15 or more.

For reversed-charge or collect calls, and for person-to-person calls, dial the number 0 then the area code and number; an operator will come on the line, and you should specify whether you are calling collect, person-to-person, or both. If your operator-assisted call is international, ask for the overseas operator.

For directory assistance ("Information"), dial 411 for local numbers and national numbers in the U.S. and Canada. For dedicated long-distance information, dial 1, then the appropriate area code plus 555-1212.

Internet & Wi-Fi

San Francisco is totally wired. You'll find that many cafes have wireless access, as do many hotels. Check www.wififreespot.com for a huge list of free Wi-Fi hot spots -- including every Peet's coffee shop, Panera, or McDonald's -- or stop by one of the following locations around town: Brainwash, 1122 Folsom St., between Seventh and Eighth streets (tel. 415/861-FOOD [3663]; www.brainwash.com); Quetzal, 1234 Polk St., at Bush Street (tel. 415/673-4181); Copy Central, 110 Sutter St., at Montgomery Street (tel. 415/392-6470; www.copycentral.com); FedEx Office, 1967 Market St., near Gough Street (tel. 415/252-0864; www.fedex.com/office). To find a comprehensive list of public Wi-Fi hot spots in San Francisco, go to www.jiwire.com; its Hotspot Finder holds the world's largest directory of public wireless hot spots. To find a list of cybercafes in San Francisco log onto www.cybercaptive.com and www.cybercafe.com.

Wherever you go, bring a connection kit of the right power and phone adapters, and a spare Ethernet network cable -- or find out whether your hotel supplies them to guests.