Fast Facts

Airlines -- Jet Airways: tel. 080/2522-9873 or airport 080/2522-6576 and 080/4151-1111.

Area Code -- The area code for Bangalore is 080.

ATMs -- Visit the shop-intensive vicinity of M.G. Road.

Bookstores -- Strand Book Stall is at S113-114 Manipal Centre, Dickenson Road (tel. 080/2558-0000). Higginbothams is at 68 M.G. Rd. (tel. 080/2558- 6574). Sankar's Book Stall is at 15/2 Museum Rd. (tel. 080/2558-6867). The huge Landmark bookstore can be found at Forum Mall in Koramangala, far from downtown Bangalore.

Car Rentals -- Gullivers Tours & Travels is at B2-SPL Habitat, no. 138, Gangadhara Chetty Rd. (tel. 080/2558-0108 or -3213). Another reliable name is Srushti Travels (tel. 98-4503-2213).

Currency Exchange -- Exchange cash or get credit card advances from Wall Street Finances (3 House of Lords, St. Mark's Rd.; tel. 080/2221-4300 or 080/2227-8052; Mon-Fri 9:30am-6pm, Sat 9:30am-5pm) or from Standard Chartered (Raheja Towers, 26 M.G. Rd.; Mon-Fri 10:30am-5pm, Sat 10:30am-1:30pm). Alternatively, you can go to Thomas Cook (55 M.G. Rd.; tel. 080/2558-1337 or 080/2559-4168; Mon-Sat 9:30am-6pm) or American Express (180 Imperial Court, Cunningham Rd.; tel. 080/2220-0251).

Directory Assistance -- The number tel. 080/2222-2222 operates much like a talking Yellow Pages service, where you get free updated telephone numbers and addresses for various city establishments.

Drugstores -- Twenty-four-hour chemists include Cash Pharmacy (tel. 080/2212-6033), Manipal Hospital (tel. 080/2526-8901), and Mallya Hospital (Vittal Mallya Rd., south of Cubbon Park; tel. 080/2227-7979).

Emergencies -- Dial tel. 100 for police emergencies.

Hospital -- Both Manipal Hospital (98 Rustum Bagh, Airport Rd.; tel. 080/2526-8901 or -6447) and St. John's Medical College and Hospital (Sarjapur Rd.; tel. 080/2553-0724 or -2411) are decent options.

Internet Access -- Cybercafes abound in this IT-savvy city. You'll find a Sify i way on Residency Road (tel. 080/4121-3971 or 080/4112-4226; www.iway.com) and a Reliance Webworld on M.G. Road (tel. 080/3033-6666; www.relianceinfo.com); outlets of both are found all over the city.

Police -- Contact Cubbon Park Station at tel. 080/2294-2591, -2087, or 100.

Post Office -- As always, your best bet for sending mail is through your hotel. The GPO (tel. 080/2286-6772 or 080/2289-2036; Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10:30am-1pm) is, however, architecturally interesting. It's located at the intersection of Raj Bhavan and Ambedkar Road.

Railway -- For inquiries, dial tel. 131 or 132.

Taxis -- Call Gopinath Radio Call Taxi (tel. 080/2360-5555 or 080/2332-0152; 24 hr.); alternatively Spot City Taxi (tel. 080/4110-0000).