Practical Information for visiting Salisbury

A car is essential. The Eastern Shore has almost no public transport and everything is spread across farmland.

Distances: Ocean City is about 45 minutes east, Assateague around an hour, the Bay Bridge and Annapolis about an hour and three quarters north-west, and Baltimore and Washington DC roughly two and a half to three hours.

Summer traffic on the routes to the beach is heavy on Friday and Sunday afternoons, and the coastal roads back up for miles.

Walking and cycling work downtown and along the riverwalk; the flat terrain makes the peninsula good cycling country away from the main roads.

Getting here: Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport has commuter services; most visitors drive.

Coverage for mobile networks is good in the town and along the main routes with 4G and 5G, and thinner in the marsh and on the bay-side islands.

US prepaid SIMs and eSIMs are easy to arrange; check roaming charges before arriving.

Wi-Fi is free in hotels, cafes, the library and across the university campus.

On Assateague and in the marsh communities signal is patchy; download maps before going.

Payment is almost entirely by card, though some crab houses and farm stands prefer cash.

Power is 120 volts on flat two- and three-pin sockets.

Salisbury is a small city with crime concentrated in a few areas and little that affects visitors, and the real hazards are coastal and biological.

• Mosquitoes and biting flies are the peninsula’s signature nuisance. Greenhead flies on the marsh in July and August bite hard and are not deterred by ordinary repellent; the marsh mosquitoes are relentless at dusk.
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• Ticks are abundant and Lyme disease is present; check thoroughly after any walk in grass or woods.
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• Assateague ponies bite and kick, and injuries to visitors happen every year. Stay the required distance away and do not feed them.
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• Ocean swimming: rip currents on the Atlantic beaches; swim near a lifeguard.
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• Some downtown and north-side streets are best avoided late at night.
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• Hurricanes and flooding from June to November.

American healthcare is extremely expensive for visitors and comprehensive travel insurance is essential.

Salisbury has the regional hospital for the lower Eastern Shore, which is the main facility for a wide rural area; anything highly specialised goes to Baltimore.

Urgent care clinics are far cheaper and quicker than an emergency room for minor problems.

Ticks and Lyme disease are the most likely local health problem for anyone walking outdoors; the peninsula has a high incidence.

Insect bites: greenhead flies and marsh mosquitoes in summer, which repellent only partly addresses — cover up instead.

Heat and humidity in July and August.

No vaccinations are required beyond routine cover.

Tap water is safe; it comes from shallow aquifers and is monitored closely.

Emergency number: 911 for police, fire and ambulance.

Medical. TidalHealth Peninsula Regional in Salisbury is the area’s main hospital and has an emergency department; urgent care is the cheaper option for minor problems. Carry your insurance details.

Hurricanes and nor’easters: Maryland issues evacuation instructions for the coastal areas, and the low-lying routes flood before the storm arrives. Leave early rather than late.

On the beaches, lifeguards operate in season only and at designated stretches; Assateague has limited cover.

Severe weather alerts are pushed to mobile phones; tornado warnings occur with tropical systems.

Reporting theft: through the city police or the county sheriff.

Consular representation is in Washington DC or Baltimore.