Fast Facts

American Express-- The agency is represented in San Juan by Bithorn Travel, Av. Ashford 1035, Condado (tel. 787/723-9320). The office is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday from 9 to 11am.

Bus Information-- For information about bus routes in San Juan, call tel. 787/729-1512.

Camera & Film-- Cinefoto (tel. 787/753-7238), located in the Plaza Las Americas Shopping Mall in Hato Rey, offers a wide variety of photographic supplies. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 9pm.

Car Rentals-- If you want to reserve after you've arrived in Puerto Rico, call Avis (tel. 787/791-2500), Budget (tel. 787/791-3685), or Hertz (tel. 787/791-0840).

Currency Exchange-- The unit of currency is the U.S. dollar. Most banks provide currency exchange, and you can also exchange money at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.

Drugstores-- One of the most centrally located pharmacies is Puerto Rican Drug Co., Calle San Francisco 157 (tel. 787/725-2202), in Old San Juan. It's open daily from 7:30am to 9:30pm. Walgreens, Av. Ashford 1130, Condado (tel. 787/725-1510), is open 24 hours.

Emergencies-- In an emergency, dial tel. 911. Or call the local police (tel. 787/343-2020), fire department (tel. 787/343-2330), ambulance (tel. 787/343-2550), or medical assistance (tel. 787/754-2222).

Eyeglasses-- Services are available at Pearle Vision Express, Plaza Las Americas Shopping Mall (tel. 787/753-1033). Hours are Monday to Saturday from 9am to 9pm and Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

Hospitals-- Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital, Av. Ashford 1451 (tel. 787/721-2160), maintains a 24-hour emergency room.

Police-- Call tel. 787/727-7020 for the local police.

Post Office-- In San Juan, the General Post Office is at Av. Roosevelt 585 (tel. 787/622-1799). If you don't know your address in San Juan, you can ask that your mail be sent here "c/o General Delivery." This main branch is open Monday to Friday from 6am to 9pm, Saturday from 8am to 2pm. A letter from Puerto Rico to the U.S. mainland will arrive in about 4 days.

Restrooms-- Restrooms are not public facilities accessible from the street. It's necessary to enter a hotel lobby, cafe, or restaurant to gain access to a toilet. Fortunately, large-scale hotels are familiar with this situation, and someone looking for a restroom usually isn't challenged during his or her pursuit.

Safety-- At night, exercise extreme caution when walking along the back streets of San Juan, and don't venture onto the unguarded public stretches of the Condado and Isla Verde beaches at night. All these areas are favorite targets for muggings.

Salons-- Most of San Juan's large resort hotels, including the Condado Plaza, the Marriott, and the Wyndham Old San Juan, maintain hair salons.

Telephone/Fax-- Many public telephones are available at World Service Telephone (AT&T), Pier 1, Old San Juan (tel. 787/721-2520). To send a fax, go to Eagle Print, 1229 F. D. Roosevelt Blvd., Puerto Nuevo (tel. 787/782-7830).