Fast Facts

American Express -- Clark Tours (tel. 502/2412-4700; www.clarktours.com.gt) is the official representative of American Express Travel Services in Guatemala. Their main offices are in Guatemala City at Clark Plaza, 7a Av. 14-76, Zona 9. They also have desks at the downtown Westin and Marriott hotels. To report lost or stolen Amex traveler's checks within Guatemala, call the local number above, or call tel. 801/964-6665 collect in the U.S.

Area Codes -- There are no regional area codes in Guatemala. Most phone numbers are eight digits. However, there are some anomalies. Some toll-free or public service numbers may be three-, four-, or six-digit numbers.

ATM Networks -- Guatemala has a well-developed network of ATMs. Just about every bank branch in the country, particularly in the major cities, towns, and tourist destinations, has an ATM or two. While many of Guatemala's ATMs will work fine with five- and six-digit PINs, some will only accept four-digit PINs. Before traveling, it's wise to change your PIN to avoid any unexpected hassles in getting access to quick cash.

Business Hours -- Banks are usually open Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm, although many have begun to offer extended hours. Offices are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm (many close for 1 hr. at lunch). Stores are generally open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm (many close for 1 hr. at lunch). Stores in modern malls generally stay open until 8 or 9pm and don't close for lunch. Most bars are open until 1 or 2am.

Cameras & Film -- While I recommend bringing as much film as you foresee needing, and then waiting until you return home to develop it, if you'd rather not wait, your best bet is to head to one of the many branches of Quick Photo (tel. 502/2368-0600) or Fuji Film (tel. 502/2420-3900), both of which offer 1-hour developing service, as well as digital printing services, and carry a wide range of films, camera accessories, and replacement parts. Although your chances of having any serious repair work done are slim, you can head to one of the many branches of the chains mentioned above. Some of these have technicians on hand and carry a limited range of replacement and repair parts.

Drugstores -- A drugstore or pharmacy is called a farmacia in Spanish. In Guatemala, they are also sometimes called droguería. Drugstores are relatively common throughout the country, although not necessarily well stocked. Those at hospitals and major clinics are often open 24 hours.

Electricity -- Guatemala uses standard U.S.-style two- and three-prong electric outlets with 110-volt AC current.

Embassies & Consulates -- All major consulates and embassies, where present, are in Guatemala City. Canada, 13a Calle 8-44, Zona 10 (tel. 502/2363-4348; www.guatemala.gc.ca); United Kingdom, Avenida de la Reforma and 16a Calle, Torre Internacional, Zona 10 (tel. 502/2367-5425; embassy@intelnett.com); and the United States, Av. de la Reforma 7-01, Zona 10 (tel. 502/2326-4000; www.usembassy.state.gov/guatemala).

Emergencies -- In case of any emergency, dial tel. 1500 from anywhere in Guatemala. This will connect you to Asistur, which will have a bilingual operator, who in turn can put you in contact with the police, fire department, or ambulance service, as necessary. Alternately, you can dial tel. 110 for the National Police; and tel. 125 for the Red Cross (Cruz Roja, in Spanish). Moreover, tel. 911 works as an emergency number from most phones in Guatemala.

Etiquette & Customs -- There are no overarching etiquette or customs concerns for visitors to Guatemala, though it is very important to respect the predominant Maya culture.

Appropriate Attire: In business situations, a suit or dressy women's clothing is appropriate. In all other situations, casual clothing is the norm. Tourists should be very careful about wearing traditional Maya garb. Many pieces of Maya dress carry specific gender, social, and cultural significance. If not a downright offense, it is seen as somewhat ridiculous when foreign men don an exclusively female piece of clothing. Women travelers run a similar risk.

Avoiding Offense: Guatemala's Maya population is relatively reserved and private. Most Maya are very wary of having their photographs taken, and it is considered impolite and even aggressive to do so without asking permission first. In many tourist destinations, local Maya will readily allow themselves to be photographed for a fee of a few quetzales. The Global Etiquette Guide To Mexico and Latin America (Wiley Publishing, Inc.) has a short section on Guatemala.

Internet Access -- Internet cafes are very common in all the major cities and tourist destinations around Guatemala. Rates run between Q3 and Q15 (40¢-$2/20p-£1.05) per hour.

Language -- Spanish is the official language of Guatemala. English is spoken at most tourist hotels, restaurants, and attractions. Outside of the tourist orbit, English is not widely spoken, and some rudimentary Spanish will go a long way. Some 23 Mayan dialects are also widely spoken around the country. In many rural areas, many residents speak their local dialect as their primary language, and a certain segment of the population may speak little or no Spanish.

Laundry -- Most folks rely on their hotel's laundry and dry cleaning services, although these can be expensive. The more popular tourist destinations have self-service and full-service laundromats as an alternative.

Liquor Laws -- The legal drinking age is 18, although it's almost never enforced. Liquor, everything from beer to hard spirits, is sold in specific liquor stores, as well as at most supermarkets and even convenience stores.

Lost & Found -- Be sure to tell 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 number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two. To report a lost or stolen American Express card from inside Guatemala, you can call tel. 0800/012-3211, or call collect to tel. 336/393-1111 in the U.S.; for MasterCard, tel. 800/999-1480, or call collect to tel. 636/722-7111 in the U.S.; for Visa, tel. 800/999-0115, or call collect to tel. 410/581-9994 in the U.S.; and for Diners Club, call tel. 502/2338-6801, or call collect to tel. 303/799-1504.

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).

Identity theft and fraud are potential complications of losing your wallet, especially if you've lost your driver's license along with your cash and credit cards. Notify the major credit-reporting bureaus immediately; placing a fraud alert on your records may protect you against liability for criminal activity. The three major U.S. credit-reporting agencies are Equifax (tel. 800/766-0008; www.equifax.com), Experian (tel. 888/397-3742; www.experian.com), and TransUnion (tel. 800/680-7289; www.transunion.com). Finally, if you've lost all forms of photo ID, call your airline and explain the situation; they might allow you to board the plane if you have a copy of your passport or birth certificate and a copy of the police report you've filed.

Mail -- A post office is called correo in Spanish. Most towns have a main correo, usually right near the central square. In addition, most hotels will post letters and post cards for you. It costs around Q5 (65¢/35p) to send a letter to the U.S. or Europe. Postcards to the same destinations cost Q3 (40¢/20p). However, it's best to send anything of any value via an established international courier service. DHL, 12a Calle 5-12, Zona 10 (tel. 502/2234-1704; www.dhl.com) and UPS, 12a Calle 5-53, Zona 10 (tel. 502/2231-2421; www.ups.com), both have offices in Guatemala City, with nationwide coverage for pickup and delivery. DHL also has offices in Antigua and Panajachel. Beware: Despite what you may be told, packages sent overnight to U.S. addresses tend to take 3 to 4 days to reach their destination.

Maps -- INGUAT (Guatemalan Tourism Commission; tel. 502/2421-2854; www.visitguatemala.com) will provide you with a pretty acceptable map that has the entire country on one side, and Guatemala City and Antigua on the other. The map is free, and you can pick one up at their booth at the airport, or by visiting their downtown office at 7a Av. 1-17, Zona 4.

Newspapers & Magazines -- La Prensa Libre is the country's most highly regarded daily newspaper, with an outstanding investigative reporting staff. The lower-brow Nuestro Diario has the highest circulation. There are several other daily papers, including Siglo XXI. There are currently no English-language newspapers. The free, monthly Revue Magazine (www.revuemag.com) is the most valuable locally produced information source, with museum, art gallery, and theater listings. It is widely available at hotels and other tourist haunts around the country.

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

For Residents of Canada: 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).

For Residents of the United Kingdom: To pick up an application for a standard 10-year passport (5-year passport for children under 16), visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency, contact the United Kingdom Passport Service at tel. 0870/521-0410, or search its website at www.ukpa.gov.uk.

For Residents of Ireland: You can 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 €12 3-year passport. You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork (tel. 021/272-525), or at most main post offices.

For Residents of Australia: You can 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.passports.gov.au.

For Residents of New Zealand: You can 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.

Pets -- If you want to bring your pet to Guatemala, you should first consult the Guatemalan embassy or consulate in your country. You will need to have a certified proof from a recognized veterinarian that your pet is free from all communicable diseases and current with all required vaccines. This proof must then be verified and approved by the Guatemalan authorities.

Police -- You can contact the Policía Nacional (National Police) by dialing tel. 110 from any telephone in the country. The tourist police (POLITUR) is a small, specialized division of the larger police force, created to patrol specific tourist areas and specially trained to deal with tourists. Dial tel. 502/5561-2073 to contact the tourism police. In the case of emergency, tel. 911 will work from most phones. You can also call tel. 1500. This will connect you to Asistur, which will have a bilingual operator who in turn can put you in contact with the police, fire department, or ambulance service, as necessary.

Restrooms -- Public restrooms are hard to come by in Guatemala. You must usually count on the generosity of some hotel or restaurant, or duck into a museum or other attraction. Although it's rare that a tourist would be denied the use of the facilities, you should always ask first.

Smoking -- While not as bad as most of Europe, a large number of Guatemalans smoke, and public smoking regulations and smoke-free zones have yet to take hold. Restaurants are required by law to have nonsmoking areas, but enforcement is often lax, air circulation poor, and the separation almost nonexistent. Bars, discos, and clubs, on the whole, are often very smoke-filled in Guatemala.

Taxes -- There is a Q225 ($30/£16) tax that must be paid upon departure. Sometimes this is included in your airline ticket price. Be sure to check in advance. If not, you will have to pay the fee in cash at the airport. There is an additional airport security fee of Q20 ($2.65/£1.40). A 12% IVA (value added) tax is tacked on to the purchase of all goods and services. An additional 10% tax, on top of the 12% IVA, is added to all hotel rooms and lodgings.

Telephones -- To call Guatemala: If you're calling Guatemala from the United States:

1. Dial the international access code: 011.

2. Dial the country code 502.

3. Dial the number. The whole number you'd dial for a number in Guatemala would be 011-502-XXXX-XXXX.

To make international calls: To make international calls from Guatemala, 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 want to call the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., dial 00-1-202-588-7800.

For directory assistance: Dial tel. 2333-1524 if you're looking for a number inside Guatemala, and dial tel. 147-120 for numbers to all other countries.

For operator assistance: If you need operator assistance in making a call, dial tel. 147-120 if you're trying to make an international call, and tel. 147-110 if you want to call a number in Guatemala.

Toll-free numbers: There's no hard and fast rule about toll-free numbers in Guatemala. Numbers beginning with 0800 and 800 are almost always toll-free. However, some toll-free numbers are anomalies. Three-, four- and six-digit phone numbers are also often toll-free. Calling a 1-800 number in the U.S. from Guatemala is not toll-free. In fact, it costs the same as an overseas call.

Time Zone -- Guatemala is 6 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time, which is equivalent to Central Standard Time in the United States. It observed daylight saving time for the first time in 2006. It remains to be seen whether the country will continue to observe it. Daylight saving time is observed by setting clocks ahead 1 hour from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

Tipping -- While there is a 12% IVA tax on all goods and services, none of this counts as a tip. In restaurants, a minimum tip of 10% is common and expected. Tip more if the service was exemplary. Taxi drivers do not expect, and are rarely given, a tip. Porters and bellmen should receive a Q3.75 to Q7.5 (50¢-$1/25p-50p) tip per bag.

Useful Phone Numbers -- 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 Hot Line (tel. 404/332-4559).

For directory assistance, call tel. 2333-1524; for an international operator and directory assistance, call tel. 147-120. To dial a direct international call, dial tel. 00 + the country code + the area code + the phone number. To get the current time, dial tel. 2333-1526.

Water -- Drink only bottled water within Guatemala City and be especially careful to do so when traveling outside the capital, as water-borne diseases are very common in this country.