Fast Facts

American Express -- The local representative is Destinations, 303 Shirley St., between Charlotte and Parliament streets, Nassau (tel. 242/322-2931). Hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

ATMs -- Major banks with ATMs in Nassau include the Royal Bank of Canada (tel. 242/322-8700), Bank of Nova Scotia (tel. 242/356-1517), and The First Caribbean Bank (formerly known as Barclays; tel. 242/356-8000). However, some accept cards only in the Cirrus network (tel. 800/424-7787), while others take only PLUS (tel. 800/843-7587). ATMs at both the Paradise Island and Cable Beach casinos dispense quick cash. Be alert to the fact that whereas ATM machines within large hotels and casinos tend to dispense U.S. dollars, ATM machines within banks and at the airport dispense Bahamian dollars. Since both U.S. and Bahamian currencies are readily accepted anywhere, it's not a crucial issue, but it's a good idea to read the information on the individual ATM machine before proceeding with your transaction.

Babysitting -- Hotel staff can help you hire an experienced sitter. Expect to pay around $10 to $15 (£5.30-£7.95) an hour, plus $3 (£1.60) an hour for each additional child.

Dentist -- Try the dental department of the Princess Margaret Hospital on Sands Road (tel. 242/322-2861).

Doctor -- For the best service, use a staff member of the Princess Margaret Hospital on Sands Road (tel. 242/322-2861).

Drugstores -- Try Lowes Pharmacy, Palm Dale, in downtown Nassau (tel. 242/322-8594), open Monday to Saturday 8am to 6:30pm. They also maintain three branches in the Harbour Bay Shopping Center (tel. 242/393-4813), open Monday to Saturday 8am to 8:30pm and Sunday 9am to 5pm; in the Town Center Mall (tel. 242/325-6482), open Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 8pm; and an additional outlet on Soldier Road (tel. 242/394-6312), which is open Monday to Saturday 8am to 8pm. Nassau has no late-night pharmacies.

Emergencies -- For any major emergency, call tel. either 911 or 919.

Eyeglass Repair -- The Optique Shoppe, 22 Parliament St. at the corner of Shirley Street (tel. 242/322-3910), is convenient to the center of Nassau. Hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and on Saturday 9am to noon.

Hospitals -- The government-operated Princess Margaret Hospital on Sands Road (tel. 242/322-2861) is one of the major hospitals in The Bahamas. The privately owned Doctors Hospital, 1 Collins Ave. (tel. 242/322-8411), is the most modern private health care facility in the region.

Hot Lines -- For information about help or assistance of any kind, call tel. 242/326-HELP.

Internet Access -- Check out Cyberjack at the Mall on Marathon Road (tel. 242/394-6254). Here you can get online from your own laptop or log on to one of their computers. The cost is 15¢ (8p) per minute. Most of the larger hotels also offer guests Internet access for a fee. Payable by credit card, the fee can in some cases be as high as 50¢ (25p) per minute of use, which can add up quickly if you're an addictive web-surfer.

Laundry & Dry Cleaning -- Superwash (tel. 242/323-4018), at the corner of Nassau Street and Boyd Road, offers coin-operated machines; it's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Drop-off service is available for a small additional fee. In the same building is the New Oriental Dry Cleaner (tel. 242/323-7249).

Newspapers & Magazines -- The Tribune Daily and the Nassau Guardian, both published in the morning, are the country's two competing daily newspapers. At your hotel and visitor information stations, you can find various helpful magazines, brochures, and booklets.

Photographic Needs -- The largest camera store in Nassau is John Bull (tel. 242/302-2800), on Bay Street 3 blocks west of Rawson Square. It maintains four additional branches scattered at heavily visited tourist sites across New Providence and Paradise Island. Each of these outlets also sells perfume, watches, and jewelry.

Police -- Dial tel. 911 or 919.

Post Office -- The Nassau General Post Office, at the top of Parliament Street on East Hill Street (tel. 242/322-3344), is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and on Saturday 8:30am to 12:30pm. Note that you can buy stamps from most postcard kiosks. A postcard sent airmail to the U.S. or Canada costs 50¢ (25p); a letter to the same destinations costs 65¢ (35p) per half-ounce.

Safety -- Avoid walking along lonely side streets in downtown Nassau at night, where there are sometimes robberies and muggings. (Because the local government is particularly punitive against crimes against tourists, most visitors from outside The Bahamas are never affected, but it's probably better to be safe than sorry.) Cable Beach and Paradise Island tend to be safer than downtown Nassau after dark.

Taxes -- There is no sales tax on any purchases made within The Bahamas, though there is a 12% hotel tax. Although it isn't immediately obvious, since the fee is automatically included in the price of any airline or cruise ship ticket, visitors leaving The Bahamas each pay a $20 (£11) departure tax.