Fast Facts

American Express -- The office at bd. du Souverain 100, 1000 Bruxelles (tel. 02/676-21-11; Métro: Horrmann-Debroux), is open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 5:30pm. Call ahead before visiting, because it has limited services for visitors. It does not cash traveler's checks, for instance, but should be able to replace lost cards.

ATMs -- You'll find many ATMs around town, identified by BANCONTACT and MISTER CASH signs. A convenient bank with an ATM is CBC, Grand-Place 5 (tel. 02/547-12-11; Métro: Gare Centrale), open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Babysitters -- Many hotels can provide reliable babysitting services. A student babysitting roster is maintained by U.L.B. Service, "Jobs," av. P. Héger 22, 1000 Bruxelles (tel. 02/650-21-71).

Currency Exchange -- Travelex, with offices at both Brussels Midi (tel. 02/556-36-00) and Nord (tel. 02/203-89-00) rail stations, has fair rates.

Doctors & Dentists -- For doctors, call Médi Garde (tel. 02/479-18-18) or SOS Médecins (tel. 02/513-02-02) and ask for an English-speaking doctor. For emergency dental care, call tel. 02/426-10-26.

Emergencies -- For police assistance, call tel. 101. For an ambulance or the fire department, call tel. 100.

Hospital -- Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, av. Hippocrate 10 (tel. 02/764-11-11; www.saintluc.be; Métro: Alma), has an emergency department.

Internet Access -- Dotspot, rue du Lombard 83 (tel. 02/513-61-03; Métro: Bourse), is open daily from 11am to 9pm; access is 2€ ($3.20) an hour.

Laundry & Dry Cleaning -- Laundry chain Ipsomat has a branch at rue Blaes 193 (tel. 02/512-61-71; Métro: Louise). For dry cleaning, try Pressing No. 1, rue Antoine Dansaert 58 (tel. 02/512-86-22; Métro: Ste-Catherine).

Lost & Found -- The baggage office (tel. 02/753-68-20) in the Arrivals hall of Brussels National Airport can help if you have lost luggage or other property in the airport. The bigger rail stations have lost-property offices as well; call tel. 02/555-25-25 if you lose something on a train. Property lost on the Métro, tram, or bus may be recovered from STIB, av. de la Toison d'Or 15 (tel. 02/515-23-94). If you lose something on the street, try the local police station; many Belgians are honest enough to hand in property they've found.

Mail -- Most post offices are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. The office at Centre Monnaie, bd. Anspach 1 (tel. 02/226-97-00; Métro: De Brouckère), is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm, and Saturday from 10:30am to 4:30pm. The office at Gare du Midi, av. Fonsny 1E/F (tel. 02/538-33-98; Métro: Gare du Midi), is open 24 hours.

Pharmacies -- A centrally located pharmacy is Grande Pharmacie de Brouckère, Passage du Nord 10-12 (tel. 02/218-05-07; Métro: De Brouckère).

Police -- In an emergency, call tel. 101. In nonurgent situations, go to Brussels Central Police Station, rue du Marché au Charbon 30 (tel. 02/279-79-79; Métro: Bourse), just off the Grand-Place. Many Brussels police officers have a poorly developed sense of public service, and a surly and unconcerned attitude to visitors' problems is not uncommon, even at this office where tourists in difficulty often end up. Many officers speak English.

Toilets -- Should you have a toilet emergency in Brussels, the best place to find relief is the Métropole hotel.

Safety -- Brussels is generally safe, but there is a growing trend of pickpocketing, theft from and of cars, and muggings in places such as Métro station foot tunnels. Don't overestimate the risk, but take sensible precautions, particularly in obvious circumstances such as on crowded Métro trains and when withdrawing cash from an ATM at night.