Fast Facts

American Express -- Representing American Express in The Bahamas is Destinations, 303 Shirley St. (between Charlotte and Parliament sts.), Nassau (tel. 242/322-2931; www.destinations.com.bs). Hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. The travel department is also open Saturday 9am to 1pm. If you present a personal check and an Amex card, you can buy traveler's checks here.

Area Code -- The area code for The Bahamas is 242.

Business Hours -- In Nassau, Cable Beach, and Freeport/Lucaya, commercial banking hours are 9:30am to 3pm Monday to Thursday, 9:30am to 5pm on Friday. Hours are likely to vary widely in the Out Islands. Ask at your hotel. Most government offices are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, and most shops are open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

Drinking Laws -- Liquor is sold in liquor stores and various convenience stores; it's readily available at all hours, though not sold on Sundays. The legal drinking age is 18.

Drug Laws -- Importing, possessing, or dealing unlawful drugs, including marijuana, is a serious offense in The Bahamas, with heavy penalties. Customs officers may at their discretion conduct body searches for drugs or other contraband goods.

Drugstores -- Nassau and Freeport are amply supplied with pharmacies. However, if you're traveling in the Out Islands, it is best to carry your prescribed medication with you, since pharmacies are harder to find.

Electricity -- Electricity is normally 120 volts, 60 cycles, AC. American appliances are fully compatible; British or European appliances will need both converters and adapters.

Embassies & Consulates -- The U.S. Embassy is on 42 Queen St., P.O. Box N-8197, Nassau (tel. 242/322-1181), and the Canadian consulate is on Shirley Street Shopping Plaza, Nassau (tel. 242/393-2123). The British High Commission is in Kingston, Jamaica, at 28 Trafalgar Rd. (tel. 876/510-0700).

Emergencies -- Throughout most of The Bahamas, the number to call for a medical, dental, or hospital emergency is tel. 911. To call the police anywhere in The Bahamas, dial tel. 919. In the Out Islands, the number is tel. 919. To report a fire, however, call tel. 411.

Gasoline (Petrol) -- Gasoline is plentiful on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama Island (Freeport/Lucaya), but be prepared to pay almost twice the price you would in the U.S. In the Out Islands, stations are not plentiful, so plan accordingly. Also, watch out for those Sunday closings. Some islands are small, but others such as Eleuthera and Andros are very spread out with few stations.

Holidays Public holidays observed in The Bahamas are New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Whitmonday (7 weeks after Easter), Labour Day (the first Friday in June), Independence Day (July 10), Emancipation Day (the first Monday in August), Discovery Day (Oct 12), Christmas, and Boxing Day (the day after Christmas). When a holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday, stores and offices are usually closed on the following Monday too.

Hospitals -- In Nassau, Princess Margaret Hospital (tel. 242/322-2861), and in Freeport, Rand Memorial (tel. 242/352-6735).

Insurance -- Medical Insurance -- For travel overseas, most U.S. health plans (including Medicare and Medicaid) do not provide coverage, and the ones that do often require you to pay for services upfront and reimburse you only after you return home.

As a safety net, you may want to buy travel medical insurance, particularly if you're traveling to a remote or high-risk area where emergency evacuation might be necessary. If you require additional medical insurance, try MEDEX Assistance (tel. 410/453-6300; www.medexassist.com) or Travel Assistance International (tel. 800/821-2828; www.travelassistance.com; for general information on services, call the company's Worldwide Assistance Services, Inc., at tel. 800/777-8710).

Canadians should check with their provincial health plan offices or call Health Canada (tel. 866/225-0709; www.hc-sc.gc.ca) to find out the extent of their coverage and what documentation and receipts they must take home in case they are treated overseas.

Travelers from the U.K. should carry their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which replaced the E111 form as proof of entitlement to free or reduced-cost medical treatment abroad (tel. 0845/606-2030; www.ehic.org.uk). Note, however, that the EHIC only covers "necessary medical treatment."

Travel Insurance -- The cost of travel insurance varies widely depending on the destination, cost, and length of your trip, your age and health, and the type of trip you're taking, but expect to pay between 5% and 8% of the cost of the vacation. You can get estimates from various providers through Insuremytrip.com (tel. 800/487-4722). Enter your trip's cost and dates, your age, and other information to get prices from more than a dozen companies.

U.K. citizens and their families who make more than one trip abroad per year may find that an annual travel insurance policy works out cheaper. Check www.moneysupermarket.com (tel. 0845/345-5708), which compares prices across a wide range of providers for single- and multi-trip policies.

Most big travel agents offer their own insurance and will probably try to sell you their package when you book a holiday. Think before you sign. Britain's Consumers' Association recommends that you insist on seeing the policy and reading the fine print before buying. The Association of British Insurers (tel. 020/7600-3333; www.abi.org.uk) gives advice by phone and publishes Holiday Insurance, a free guide to policy provisions and prices. You might also shop around for better deals: Try Columbus Direct (tel. 0870/033-9988; www.columbusdirect.net).

Trip Cancellation Insurance -- Trip-cancellation insurance will help retrieve your money if you have to back out of a trip or depart early, or if your travel supplier goes bankrupt. Trip cancellation traditionally covers such events as sickness, natural disasters, and State Department advisories. The latest news in trip-cancellation insurance is the availability of expanded hurricane coverage and the "any-reason" cancellation coverage -- which costs more but covers cancellations made for any reason. You won't get back 100% of your prepaid trip cost, but you'll be refunded a substantial portion. TravelSafe (tel. 888/885-7233; www.travelsafe.com) offers both types of coverage. Expedia also offers any-reason cancellation coverage for its air-hotel packages. For details, contact one of the following recommended insurers: Access America (tel. 866/807-3982; www.accessamerica.com), AIG Travel Guard (tel. 800/826-4919; www.travelguard.com), Travel Insured International (tel. 800/243-3174; www.travelinsured.com), and Travelex Insurance Services (tel. 888/457-4602; www.travelex-insurance.com).

Internet Access -- Internet access is limited on the islands, but it's available at Cybercafe, in the Mall at Marathon in Nassau (tel. 242/394-6254), or in Freeport at CyberClub at Seventeen Center (tel. 242/351-4560). Web access is increasingly common at hotels; even in the Out Islands, you can usually access the Web. But if this issue is especially important to you, check with specific accommodations before booking.

Language -- In The Bahamas, locals speak English, but sometimes with a marked accent that provides the clue to their ancestry -- African, Irish, or Scottish, for example.

Lost & Found -- Be sure to notify all of your credit card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen and file a report at the nearest police precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two. Visa's U.S. emergency number is tel. 800/847-2911. American Express cardholders and traveler's check holders should call tel. 800/221-7282. MasterCard holders should call tel. 800/307-7309. For other credit cards, call the toll-free number directory at tel. 800/555-1212.

If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks and American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you via Western Union (tel. 800/325-6000; www.westernunion.com).

Mail -- You'll need Bahamian (not U.S.) postage stamps to send postcards and letters. Most of the kiosks selling postcards also sell the stamps you'll need to mail them, so you probably won't need to visit the post office. Sending a postcard or an airmail letter (up to 1/2 oz. in weight) from The Bahamas to anywhere outside its borders (including the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.) costs 65? (35p), with another charge for each additional half-ounce of weight.

Mail to and from the Out Islands is sometimes slow. Airmail may go by air to Nassau and by boat to its final destination. If a resort has a U.S. or Nassau address, it is preferable to use it.

Newspapers & Magazines -- Three newspapers are circulated in Nassau and Freeport: the Nassau Guardian, the Tribune, and the Freeport News. Circulation in the Out Islands is limited and likely to be slow. You can find such papers as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Miami Herald, London's Times, and the Daily Telegraph at newsstands in your hotel and elsewhere in Nassau.

Passports -- For U.S. residents: Whether you're applying in person or by mail, you can download passport applications from the U.S. Department of State website at http://travel.state.gov. To find your regional passport office, check the U.S. Department of State website or call the toll-free number of the National Passport Information Center (tel. 877/487-2778) for automated information.

For Canada residents: Passport applications are available at travel agencies throughout Canada or from the central Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca). Note: Canadian children who travel must have their own passport. However, if you hold a valid Canadian passport issued before December 11, 2001, that bears the name of your child, the passport remains valid for you and your child until it expires.

For Ireland residents: Apply for a 10-year passport at the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh). Those under age 18 and over 65 must apply for a 3-year passport. You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork (tel. 021/494-4700), or at most main post offices.

For Australia residents: Pick up an application from your local post office or any branch of Passports Australia, but you must schedule an interview at the passport office to present your application materials. Call the Australian Passport Information Service at tel. 131-232 or visit the government website at www.smarttraveler.gov.au.

For New Zealand residents: Pick up a passport application at any New Zealand Passports Office or download it from their website. Contact the Passports Office at tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100, or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.

Police Dial tel. 919.

Taxes -- A 6% to 12% tax is imposed on hotel bills; otherwise, there is no sales tax in The Bahamas.

Telephones -- Though some of the Out Islands are still difficult to reach by phone, direct long-distance dialing is available between North America and Nassau, Grand Bahama, the Abacos, Andros, the Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Spanish Wells, the Exumas, and Stella Maris on Long Island.

To call The Bahamas:

1. Dial the international access code: 011 from the U.S.; 00 from the U.K., Ireland, or New Zealand; or 0011 from Australia.

2. Dial the country code: 242.

3. Dial the seven-digit local number.

To make international calls from The Bahamas: First dial 00 and then the country code (U.S. or Canada 1, U.K. 44, Ireland 353, Australia 61, New Zealand 64). Next, dial the area code and number. For example, if you wanted to call the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., you would dial 00-1-202-588-7800.

For local calls within The Bahamas: Simply dial the seven-digit number. To call from one island to another within The Bahamas, dial 1-242 and then the seven-digit number.

For directory assistance: Dial tel. 916 if you're looking for a number inside The Bahamas, 0 for numbers to all other countries.

For operator assistance: To reach an international or domestic operator within The Bahamas, dial tel. 0.

Toll-free numbers: Numbers beginning with 881 within The Bahamas are toll-free. However, calling a normally toll-free number within the U.S. (that is, one beginning with 800, 866, 887, or 888) usually involves a charge if made from The Bahamas. In fact, it usually costs the same as an overseas call unless the merchant has made arrangements with local telephone authorities. Note: Major airlines generally maintain toll-free 800, 866, 887, or 888 provisions for calls made to them within The Bahamas. If you dial what you think is a toll-free phone number and it ends up costing the long-distance rate, an automated recording will inform you of this fact. In some cases, the recording will suggest a local toll-free alternative -- usually one beginning with 881.

To reach the major international services of AT&T, dial tel. 800/CALL-ATT (225-5288), or head for any phone with AT&T or USA Direct marked on the side of the booth. Picking up the handset will connect you with an AT&T operator. These phones are often positioned beside cruise-ship docks for disembarking passengers.

MCI can be reached at tel. 800/888-8000.

Note that the old coin-operated phones are still prevalent in The Bahamas and do still swallow coins. Those old phones, however, are gradually being replaced by phones that use calling cards (debit cards) that come in denominations of US$5, US$10, US$20, and US$50. They can be bought from any office of BATELCO (Bahamas Telephone Co.). BATELCO's main branch is on Kennedy Drive, Nassau (tel. 242/302-7008), although a popular local branch lies in the heart of Nassau, on East Street off Bay Street.

Time Zone -- Eastern Standard Time is used throughout The Bahamas, and daylight saving time is observed in the summer.

Tipping -- Many establishments add a service charge, but it's customary to leave something extra if service has been especially fine. If you're not sure whether service has been included in your bill, don't be shy -- ask.

Bellboys and porters, at least in the expensive hotels, expect a tip of US$1 to US$2 (50p-£1) per bag. It's also customary to tip your maid at least US$2 (£1) per day -- more if she or he has performed special services such as getting a shirt or blouse laundered. Most service personnel, including taxi drivers, waiters, and the like, expect 15% (20% in deluxe restaurants).

Useful Phone Numbers -- Sources of information include:

U.S. Dept. of State Travel Advisory: tel. 202/647-5225 (manned 24 hr.)

U.S. Passport Agency: tel. 202/647-0518

U.S. Centers for Disease Control International Traveler's Hotline: tel. 404/332-4559

Water -- Technically, tap water is drinkable throughout The Bahamas. But we almost always opt for bottled. Resorts tend to filter and chlorinate tap water more aggressively than other establishments; elsewhere, bottled water is available at stores and supermarkets, and tastes better than that from a tap. On many of the Out Islands, rainfall is the main source of water -- drink bottled water there.