CAMPING/CAMPSITES
With its national parks, national forests and state parks, New England offers much for campers. For campsites and regulations, see the website of the state or the park that you intend to visit.

CAR RENTAL
New England is easy to explore by car. Major rental companies are represented at airports and in cities. A credit card is required as a surety, and although a full current licence is usually recognised, do check before you travel. No car is needed in Boston; start your rental when you leave the city. There may be restrictions for rentors under 25 years of age.
   Alamo Rent A Car
   Avis Rent A Car
   Budget Rent A Car
   Dollar Rent A Car
   Hertz Rent A Car
   Thrifty Car Rental

CASH MACHINES/CASHPOINTS (see ATMS)

CELL PHONES
If overseas visitors have their own cell phone/mobile phone it has to be a tri-band phone to function in the US. It might be better to consider renting during your visit. Many car rental companies now offer this option, working with companies such as Cellhire USA.

CHEMISTS
(see Pharmacies)

CHILDREN
New England is perfect for a family holiday. There’s plenty for all ages, from theme parks and ski resorts to beaches and museums, plus hotels, motels and restaurants that are child-friendly. Here’s a small selection of places where fun is always the dish of the day.

Connecticut
Bridgeport boasts Beardsley Zoo, with a New England farmyard and a rainforest with monkeys, and also the Barnum Museum, devoted to the circus and local hero PT Barnum. In Bristol, ride the historic Boulder Dash wooden roller coaster at Lake Compounce, America’s oldest amusement park. Outside Hartford, the New England Air Museum’s exhibits range from a 1909 monoplane to a 1970s Thunderbolt. And children love the new dinosaur trail at Nature’s Art, Montville, near New London.

Maine
At York’s Wild Kingdom, York Beach, you can ride a paddleboat or watch a Bengal tiger. Fans of cars head for Wells Auto Museum and Owl’s Head Transportation Museum, with over 100 planes and cars, many in working order. Kennebunkport’s Seashore Trolley Museum has 200 streetcars, plus a 4-mile trolley ride. At Saco, there’s watery fun at Aquaboggan Water Park and Funtown/Splashtown USA, while Portland’s Children’s Museum of Maine includes both science experiments and storytelling.

Massachusetts
Boston’s Museum of Science is the city’s No1 museum attraction, while the Children’s Museum has everything from climbing frames to a giant chess set. At Springfield, birthplace of basketball, shoot baskets at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Cool off at Water Wizz Water Park, Wareham and scream on thrill rides, including Superman and Batman rides, at Six Flags New England theme park, Agawam. In Battleship Cove, Fall River, man the guns aboard the massive battleship U.S.S. Massachusetts.

New Hampshire
Hampton Beach promises oceans of summer fun – sand castles, free concerts and fireworks. Ride the Yankee Cannonball at Salem’s Canobie Lake Park; at Lake Winnipesaukee, cool off at Surf Coaster USA and the Weir’s Beach Water Slide. The Old West lives at Six Gun City & Fort Splash Water Park, Jefferson; little ones love Story Land in Glen and Santa’s Village in Jefferson. The whole family enjoys the Whale’s Tale Water Park in Lincoln and Portsmouth’s Children’s Museum.

Rhode Island
In Providence, the Children’s Museum is very hands-on, while Roger Williams Park Zoo is rated as one of America’s Top 10, with 1,000 animals from rare snow leopards to elephants. In Portsmouth, the shapes at the Green Animals Topiary are clipped out of boxwood! Learn about industrial history at the 200-year-old, water-powered Slater Mill in Pawtucket, where cotton spinning started in North America. Not as old, but fun for little ones, is the 1879 Flying Horse Carousel at Watch Hill, near Westerly.

Vermont
Ski resorts are fun in summer! Ride America’s first and longest Alpine Slide in Bromley – all of 1,000 metres long! In Woodstock, Billings Farm and Museum recreates farm life of 100 years ago, while in Norwich, the Montshire Museum of Science makes learning fun. In Shelburne, make your own bear at the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, then roam the 45-acre Shelburne Museum, where the paddlewheel steamer Ticonderoga is a highlight. And it’s Christmas year-round at Santa’s Land in Putney.

CIGARETTES (see Smoking)

CLIMATE (see Weather)

CLOTHING SIZES (see Shopping)

COACHES (see Bus)

CONSULATES
If you are traveling from overseas, check the location of your nearest consulate ahead of time. Although all embassies are in Washington, DC, the following countries have consulates in Boston:

CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS
The major international credit cards (American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover) are widely accepted. Debit cards are not commonly used in the USA.

CRIME
(see Safety)

CRUISES
(see Boat Tours)

CURRENCY
Take travelers’ checks in US dollar, rather than foreign currency, and have a mixture of denominations. You can use them like dollars in shops and restaurants. Cash machines (ATMs) are an efficient way to get cash. Outside major cities, few banks are ready to exchange foreign currency. Exchange bureaux, usually in airports or city centers, tend to charge a high commission.

CUSTOMS & IMMIGRATION
Since September 11, 2001, security has been stepped up for anyone wanting to enter the USA. Go to www.dhs.gov/us-visit for full, up-to-date details of what is required.

CYCLING
Cycling is on the increase, with easy rental near trails dedicated to pedallers. Look for attractive packages offering cycling from inn to inn, or B&B to B&B, along quiet rural lanes. Mountain biking is also popular.