Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [258]
Family Travel If you have enough trouble getting your kids out of the house in the morning, dragging them thousands of miles away may seem like an insurmountable challenge. But family travel can be immensely rewarding, giving you new ways of seeing the world through smaller pairs of eyes.
To make things easier for families vacationing in San Francisco, I’ve included two family-friendly sidebars that highlight the best hotels and attractions for parents and kids.
Recommended family travel websites include Family Travel Forum (www.familytravelforum.com), a comprehensive site that offers customized trip planning; Family Travel Network (www.familytravelnetwork.com), an online magazine providing travel tips; and TravelWithYourKids.com (www.travelwithyourkids.com), a comprehensive site written by parents for parents offering sound advice for long-distance and international travel with children.
To locate accommodations, restaurants, and attractions that are particularly kid friendly, see the “Kids” icon throughout this guide.
Health If you worry about getting sick away from home, you may want to consider medical travel insurance. (See www.frommers.com/planning for detailed information.) In most cases, however, your existing health plan will provide all the coverage you need, but be sure to carry your identification card in your wallet.
If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before your departure. Pack prescription medications in your carry-on luggage, and carry them in their original containers, with pharmacy labels—otherwise they won’t make it through airport security. Visitors from outside the U.S. should carry generic names of prescription drugs. For U.S. travelers, most reliable healthcare plans provide coverage if you get sick away from home. Foreign visitors may have to pay all medical costs upfront and be reimbursed later.
Hospitals Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, 900 Hyde St., between Bush and Pine streets on Nob Hill ( 866/240-2087 or 415/353-6000; www.saintfrancismemorial.org), provides emergency service 24 hours a day; no appointment is necessary. The hospital also operates a physician-referral service ( 800/333-1355 or 415/353-6566).
Insurance For information on traveler’s insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and medical insurance while traveling, please visit www.frommers.com/planning.
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 ( 415/861-FOOD [3663]; www.brainwash.com); Quetzal, 1234 Polk St., at Bush Street ( 415/673-4181); Copy Central, 110 Sutter St., at Montgomery Street ( 415/392-6470; www.copycentral.com); FedEx Office, 1967 Market St., near Gough Street ( 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.
Legal Aid While driving, if you are pulled over for a minor infraction (such as speeding), never attempt to pay the fine directly to a police officer; this could be construed as attempted bribery, a much more serious crime. Pay fines by mail, or directly into the hands of the clerk of the court. If accused of a more serious offense, say and do nothing before consulting a lawyer. In the U.S., the burden is on the state to prove a person’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and everyone