Seattle 101 - A Guide for Travelers and Tourists
Internet Access
Free internet access is available at many Seattle Public Library branches, including the downtown Central Library. The downtown Central Library has Internet Express computers that can be used for 15 minutes at a time. You may also be able to reserve a computer for up to an hour, however you will need a Library card or one-day guest pass to do so, and the library suggests that their one-hour use computers be reserved up to a week in advance. The library also offers an area where you can bring in your own laptop (be sure to bring your own network plug as well) and hook up to the internet, without time restrictions. Call the library at 206-386-4636, send them an email, or visit their web site for more information.
There are a number of public centers, including our libraries, that offer a Community Technology Center. Check out this list to see all of the Community Technology Centers in the Seattle area. Many of these centers offer free internet access. It is best to check out the list, then call the center to find out what they have to offer.
Internet cafes are fairly inexpensive ways to buy for longer times for internet use, and you can drink coffee while you surf, too! They generally run about $6/hour for internet use, and there are a few that offer internet use with the purchase of a beverage or food item.
Or you may just stay in your hotel room when you need to access the internet -- most hotels offer dial-up connections these days, and some have even moved to Broadband or DSL for faster connections for their guests.
Wi-Fi Access
WiFi (short for "Wireless Fidelity") is basically an internet connection pumped out via radio waves. You can use it with your laptop, and an increasing number of other internet communication devices, without plugging into a physical outlet. In order to use WiFi services, your laptop or PDA must be set up and enabled to do so, and you have to be within the vicinity of an access point to the WiFi service, called a hotspot. In order to use a WiFi service, you may also need to obtain settings information about the service which you will use to set up your laptop to use the WiFi service.
All places that have Wi Fi support the original WiFi standard data transfer rate of 802.11b. This allows for wireless connections with speeds of up to 11 megabits per second. This is quite fast. There is a newer, even faster rate of 802.11g that is five times faster than the 802.11b standard. Providers that support the faster rate promote themselves as "having 11 G".
Your laptop will need a new piece of hardware called a WiFi Card that will fit into an existing slot on your device.
An important WiFi usage concept is whether or not a WiFi provider is using what is known as WEP encryption. If a provider is using WEP encryption, when you arrive at the venue there will be -- either by talking to someone who works there or noting the information posted on a public sign -- a way of finding out what is called the WEP key, which will need to be added to your laptop's WiFi setup in order to access the provider's WiFi network. It works like a password. Providers that do not not use WEP, often called No WEP in WiFi lingo, do not use the WEP key, so, as long as your laptop is set up to use WiFi properly, you should be able to just walk in, sit down, power up and use their WiFi network to go online.
The Seattle Public Library, along with its wired workstations, offers WiFi access for your laptop.
It is beyond our technical scope to help you set up WiFi on your laptop or PDA -- check out the below web sites for more information about WiFi and how to use it. We also list links to web sites about places in Seattle that offer WiFi services. Happy wireless surfing!
Post Office and Shipping
United States mailboxes are blue with a red-and-white stripe and are labeled U.S. MAIL. If your mail is addressed to a U.S. destination, don't forget to add the five-digit zip code after the two-letter abbreviation of the state to which the mail is addressed.
Domestic postage rates are 23 cents for a postcard and 37 cents for a letter. International mail rates vary. For example, a 1-ounce first-class letter to Europe or Asia costs 80 cents (60 cents to Canada and Mexico); a first-class postcard to Europe or Asia costs 70 cents (50 cents to Canada and Mexico).
Most hotels will mail out cards and letters for their guests, so ask at your hotel's guest services or front desk if they can do this. This may be easier than looking for a US mailbox while you are out sightseeing.
Telegram, Fax and Business Services
Most hotels have fax machines available for guest use. Some hotels charge extra for this service, others don't, so if this is important, find out when you make your reservation. A less expensive way to send and receive faxes may be at local business service stores.
Western Union is one of the largest and most reliable telegram and money transfer services in the world, with offices in many locations. They even have an internet telegram service now.
Telephones, Mobiles and Cells
Cities and regions within the United States are assigned three-digit area codes. The area code in the downtown Seattle and City of Seattle is 206. There are several other area codes used in Washington State. Check out this list to find out area codes of various parts of Washington State. This is important for making calls locally. If you are inside Seattle, you do not need to dial 206 before making a call. However, if you travel over to Bremerton, which is in the 360 area code, then in Bremerton you will need to dial 206 to make a phone call to Seattle.
Local phone numbers in the United States are seven digits long, and listed in the form NNN-NNNN.
Hotels, restaurants and phone booths have two different colored phone number books available. The white paged phone books contain alphabetical listings of all phone numbers, while the yellow paged phone books contain listings of businesses and services by category, e.g. restaurants, hotels, etc. If you need help finding a particular number, call 411, which is the directory information service in the U.S.
An important phone number is 911 for all emergency situation calls -- police, fire or medical. 911 is free to dial on all pay phones.
In the United States, calls to area codes 800, 888, 877, and 866 are toll-free. However, calls to numbers in area codes 700 and 900 can be very expensive.
Most long distance and international calls can be dialed directly from any phone. For 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 telephone number of the person you are calling.
Local calls made from public pay phones cost 50 cents. Pay phones usually only accept nickels, dimes or quarters, or phone cards.
Here are a few highlights for saving money, time and sanity when you need telephone service as you travel:
- In-room phones at hotels and credit card phone booths charge higher rates -- check before you dial and pay!
- Pre-paid phone cards offer great deals for travelers.
- Courtesy phones and hotel guest service desks may be better bets for local calls to get taxi cabs, make restaurant reservations and other local services.
- If you use a mobile or cell phone, check with your phone provider to make sure you will have service in the country you are traveling to.
- If you are travelling to a remote location that does not have cell phone service, you may need to consider getting a satellite phone.
- Making a phone call using your laptop or PDA can be a cheap way to make phone calls while travelling.
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