Fast Facts

American Express -- The office is at 69 George St. at Frederick Street (tel. 0131/718-2505; bus: 13, 19, or 41). It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5:30pm and Saturday from 9am to 5pm; on Wednesday, the office opens at 9:30am.

Business Hours -- In Edinburgh, banks are usually open Monday through Friday from 9 or 9:30am to 4 or 5pm, with some branches sometimes shutting early on 1 day a week and opening late on another. Shops are generally open Monday through Saturday from 9 or 10am to 6pm; on Thursday, retail stores are open late to 8pm. Food supermarkets generally keep later hours. Many shops are now open on Sunday, as well. In general, business hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, though some offices will close early on Friday.

Currency Exchange -- Many banks in Old and New towns will exchange currency. Post offices run bureaux de change as does the Edinburgh Information Office. Major hotels will also exchange currency but charge a premium for the service. ATMs in the city center are linked to major banking systems such as Cirrus, and you may be able to draw money directly from your bank account at home.

Dentists -- If you have a dental emergency, go to the Edinburgh Dental Institute, 39 Lauriston Place (tel. 0131/536-4900; bus: 35), open Monday through Friday from 9am to 3pm. Alternatively, call the National Health Service Helpline (tel. 0800/224-488).

Doctors -- You can seek help from the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, 1 Lauriston Place (tel. 0131/536-1000; bus: 35). The emergency department is open 24 hours.

Embassies & Consulates -- All embassies are in London. There's a U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh at 3 Regent Terrace (tel. 0131/556-8315), open Monday through Friday from 1 to 4pm. All other nationals have to use London to conduct their business: The Canadian High Commission is at MacDonald House, 1 Grosvenor Sq., London W1K 4AB (tel. 0207/258-6600), open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm. The Australian High Commission is at the Strand, London WC2B 4LI (tel. 0207/379-4334), open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 3:30pm. The New Zealand High Commission is at New Zealand House, 80 Haymarket at Pall Mall, London SW1Y 4TQ (tel. 0207/930-8422), open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. The Irish Embassy is at 17 Grosvenor Place, London SW1X 7HR (tel. 0207/235-2171), open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 1pm and 2:15 to 5pm.

Emergencies -- Call tel. 999 in an emergency to summon the police, an ambulance, or firefighters.

Hot Lines -- Edinburgh and Lothian Woman's Aid is at tel. 0131/229-1419. Lothian Gay & Lesbian Switchboard (tel. 0131/556-4049) offers advice from 7:30pm to 10pm daily; the Lesbian Line is tel. 0131/557-0751. The Rape Crisis Centre is at tel. 0141/331-1990.

Internet Access -- EasyInternet Cafe at 58 Rose St., between Frederick and Hanover streets (www.easyeverything.com; bus: 42), is open daily from 7:30am to 10:30pm. It has some 448 terminals.

Laundry & Dry Cleaning -- For your dry-cleaning needs, the most central service is probably at Johnson's Cleaners, 23 Frederick St. (tel. 0131/225-8095; bus: 13, 19, or 42), which is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5:30pm and Saturday from 8:30am to 4pm.

Luggage Storage & Lockers -- Given the tenor of the times, left luggage can prove problematic if an alert is on. Generally speaking, you can store luggage in lockers at Waverley Station.

Newspapers -- Published since 1817, The Scotsman is a quality daily newspaper with a national and international perspective, while its sister publication, the Evening News, concentrates more on local affairs. For comprehensive arts and entertainment listings and reviews of local shows, buy the List magazine, which is published every other Thursday -- and weekly during the Festival. Metro, a free daily (Mon-Fri) available on buses and in train stations, also gives listings of daily events.

Pharmacies -- There are no 24-hour drugstores (called chemists or pharmacies) in Edinburgh. The one with probably the longest hours is the branch of Boots at 48 Shandwick Place, west of Princes Street (tel. 0131/225-6757; bus: 12 or 25). It is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 8pm, Saturday from 8am to 6pm, and Sunday from 10:30am to 4:30pm.

Post Office -- The Edinburgh Branch Post Office, St. James Centre, is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5:30pm. For general postal information and customer service, call tel. 0845/722-3344.

Restrooms -- These are found at rail stations, terminals, restaurants, hotels, pubs, and department stores. Public toilets, often marked WC, are located at strategic corners and squares throughout the city. They're safe and clean but likely to be closed late in the evening.

Safety -- Edinburgh is generally thought to be safer than Glasgow -- in fact, it's one of Europe's safest capitals for a visitor to stroll. But that doesn't mean crimes, especially muggings, don't occur. They do, largely because of Edinburgh's problems with drug abuse.

Weather -- For weather forecasts and severe road-condition warnings, call the Met Office tel. 0870/900-0100. An advisor will offer forecasts for the entire region and beyond.