San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is 14 miles south of the city. Travel time to the centre during rush hour is about 40 minutes; at other times it’s about 20 to 25 minutes.
GETTING INTO TOWN FROM AIRPORT
BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit, the San Francisco metro, www.bart.gov) began running from the airport to the city in June 2003. This new route avoids traffic and costs about $6 each way, depending on exactly where you’re going. Trains leave approximately every 20 minutes.
Taxis from the airport to the city centre cost $30 to $35, plus tip (this should be around 10% of the fare).
Airport buses leave from outside the baggage-claim area every 30 minutes from 5.35 a.m. to 9.05 p.m. They stop at several Union Square-area hotels, including the Grand Hyatt, San Francisco Hilton, and Palace. No reservations are needed. For the return trip, the buses pick up at hotels as early as 5.30 a.m. Make a reservation 24 hours in advance if possible. the cost per person is $13 single, $22 return; children under 12 are free.
Social English
Complete the dialogue with one word in each space.
Excuse me, don’t I kn________ you?
No, I don’t th__________ so.
I’m su_______ I know you. Weren’t you in London last year, studying English?
Yes. Wait a minute! Yes, now I re________ . You’re David!
That’s ri________. And you’re Ana!
Wow! What are you do_________ here?
I’m st________ again. Still trying to improve my English! And you?
I’m on ho_________. Actually, I’m looking for somewhere to buy some stamps.
I know wh_______ the Post Office is. I’ll walk with you if you like.
Are you sure? That’s very ki______ of you.
HOTEL
Lead-in
Read the
text and translate it into Russian.
At the hotel.
When you are through with the customs you go to the hotel. The desk-clerk will ask you to register. He will give you an arrival card which all guests are asked to fill in. The receptionist enters your name and permanent address in the register.
When you are through with the formalities, you will get the key to your room. The guests are reminded to leave their keys at the desk when going out.
You will find rooms with and without bath, single rooms, double rooms, triple rooms, cheap dormitory beds. At the hotel you may get various services. You can have your meals served in your room. All the hotels have a special laundry service for their guests. In the lobby there are a lot of offices: a booking-office, post and telegraph offices, an information desk. Besides there are a newsstand, a book-stall, a kiosk selling picture post cards and souvenirs.
In the same building there are also restaurants, bars, cafeterias, beauty parlours, gyms, indoor and outdoor swimming-pools.
Many hotels have such facilities as Internet access, baggage lockers, sauna, Satellite TV, Internet café and others. In top hotels all bedrooms are air conditioned with television and video-channel, hair-drier and minibar.
When you are ready to check out, you tell the desk-clerk to get your bill ready.
If you are travelling by car, you can get accommodation in a highway motel.