Travel Tips

With a state this large, there's lots to know. We've got the basics for you here: driving safety; Massachusetts holidays; sales, hotel and meal taxes; and applicable state laws.

Driving Safety

• The speed limit on most major highways in Massachusetts is 55 mph/88 km; some sections are 65 mph/104 km.
• While most non-U.S. driver's licenses are acceptable, it's best to bring an international driver's license.
• State law requires all vehicle occupants to wear seat belts.
• When entering a rotary intersection, yield to any vehicle already in the rotary.
• A right turn on red at a traffic signal is permitted after coming to a full stop and yielding to pedestrians and other traffic, unless a "No Turn on Red" sign is posted.
• To ensure your safety and that of others on the road, Massachusetts strictly enforces its drunk driving law.

Emergency Assistance

• Fire, Police, Ambulance: 911
• State police: (508) 820-2300, *SP from a wireless phone in eastern Massachusetts, MSP in western Massachusetts.

Highway Assistance

• HELP (Highway Emergency Locator Patrol) vans and tow trucks patrol major highways throughout the state, offering free roadside assistance. Twenty-two routes are covered during commuting hours in the Boston, Worcester and Springfield areas.

Traffic Information

• SmarTraveler provides information about road conditions, travel times and speeds, and construction projects in Eastern Massachusetts. Phone: (617) 374-1234

Massachusetts Holidays

Massachusetts celebrates the following national, state and local holidays. Banks and municipal buildings will be closed on many of these dates. Contact individual businesses for information about holiday schedules.

Massachusetts Public Holidays:

• January 1 - New Year's Day
• Third Monday in January - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Third Monday in February - Presidents' Day
• March 17 (Boston only) - Evacuation Day
• Third Monday in April - Patriots' Day
• Last Monday in May - Memorial Day
• June 17 (Boston only) - Bunker Hill Day
• July 4 - Independence Day
• First Monday in September - Labor Day
• Second Monday in October - Columbus Day
• November 11 - Veterans Day
• Fourth Thursday in November - Thanksgiving
• December 25 - Christmas Day

State and Local Taxes

Five percent sales tax applies to all items except non-restaurant food and clothing under $175.
Hotel room charges are subject to state tax of 5.7 percent (8.45 percent in Boston, Cambridge, Worcester, Chicopee, Springfield and West Springfield), and up to 4 percent local tax.
Five percent state tax applies to restaurant and take-out meals.
A $10 surcharge applies to vehicle rental contracts in Boston; a 5 percent surcharge applies to Boston land- and water-based tours, cruises and tourist venues.

State Laws

• All vehicle occupants must wear safety belts. Children must be properly secured in child safety seats until they are age eight, unless they are more than 57 inches in height.
• Bicycle safety: All bicycle riders are urged to wear helmets. State law requires that children under 12 must wear a bicycle helmet; that child passengers between one and four years old or 40 pounds or under in weight be carried in an approved baby seat; and that no child under the age of one ride as a passenger on a bicycle.
• Vehicles from either direction must stop and remain stopped while the front and rear lights of school buses are flashing, except when approaching from the opposite direction on a divided highway.
• Massachusetts recognizes official disability placards, stickers and plates from other states for parking for persons with disabilities.
• The legal drinking age in Massachusetts is 21. A Massachusetts driver's license, Massachusetts liquor ID, passport or military ID are required for alcohol purchases.
• The unlicensed or unauthorized carrying of firearms is subject to a minimum compulsory jail sentence of one year. To obtain a Massachusetts gun license, call (617) 660-4780.

Time Zones

Massachusetts is in the Eastern Time Zone, five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. From the first Saturday in March until the first Saturday in November, Massachusetts observes Daylight Savings Time, and clocks are turned ahead one hour.

Tipping for Services

For meals, the recommended gratuity is 15 to 20 percent of your meal/bar bill. Some restaurants automatically add a gratuity for large groups. Other tips: 15 percent for a taxi; $1 to $1.50 per bag for airport porters and hotel staff.

Weather & Climate

Summers vary from comfortable 70s F (low 20s C) to the 90s F (up to 35C). The fall season ranges from 50F to 70F (0-20C). Winter temperatures usually hover around freezing and sometimes lower. Annual rainfall is between 40 and 48 inches.

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