US telephones are run by a large number of local companies, many of which were spun off from the previous Bell System monopoly - the successor to which is the nationwide AT&T network.

Public telephones usually work, and in cities at any rate can be found everywhere - on street corners, in train and bus stations, hotel lobbies, bars and restaurants. They take 25A?, 10A? and 5A? coins. The cost of a local call from a public phone is usually 25A? - when necessary, a voice comes on the line telling you to pay more.

Some numbers covered by the same area code are considered so far apart that calls between them count as non-local (zone calls). These cost much more and sometimes require you to dial 1 before the seven-digit number. Pricier still are long-distance calls (to a different area code, again with the 1 in front), for which you'll need plenty of change. Non-local calls and long-distance calls are much less expensive if made between 6pm and 8am - the cheapest rates are 11pm-8am - and calls from private phones are always much cheaper than those from public phones. Detailed rates are listed at the front of the telephone directory (the White Pages , a copious source of information on many matters).

Making telephone calls from hotel rooms is usually more expensive than from a pay phone, though some budget hotels offer free local calls from rooms - ask when you check in. An increasing number of phones accept credit cards , while anyone who holds a credit card issued by an American bank can obtain an AT&T calling card (information at 1-800/225-5288).