Fast Facts

American Express -- There's no full-service American Express office in Bratislava, but some Amex services are offered through Agency Alex (Kuzmanyho 8; tel. 02/5941-2200).

Business Hours -- Stores and offices are generally open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. Banks are open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm. Some larger stores have limited Saturday hours, usually 9am to noon. Museums and other tourist attractions are often closed on Mondays.

Doctors & Dentists -- Phone tel. 155 in a medical emergency. In Bratislava, there's a doctor on call 24 hours at the Faculty Hospital (Ruzinovská 10; tel. 02/4443-2429). Private dental services are available at Kostková 54 (tel. 02/6286-0033).

Electricity -- Slovak outlets follow the Continental norm (220v, 50hz) with two round plugs. Most appliances that run on 110v will require a transformer.

Embassies -- U.S.: Hviezdoslavovo nám. 4, tel. 02/5443-0861; Canada: Mostová 2, tel. 02/5920-4031; U.K.: Panská 16, tel. 02/5998-2000.

Emergencies -- In an emergency, dial the following numbers: police tel. 158, fire tel. 150, ambulance tel. 155, road assistance tel. 154.

Internet Access -- Internet cafes are located throughout Bratislava and in all larger cities. Internet cafes generally charge 30 Sk ($1/55p) per half-hour of Internet use. Many better hotels now set aside at least one public computer for guests to use. A few hotels offer in-room dataports or wireless connections.

Laundry & Dry Cleaning -- At press time, there were no self-service laundries in Bratislava like you would find in Prague. Many hotels, particularly better properties, offer laundry service to guests (usually for a fee). Failing that, dry cleaners usually offer normal laundry services, but costs can add up quickly.

Luggage Storage & Lockers -- Railroad stations in large cities, including Bratislava's main station, have storage lockers or an attendant to watch luggage.

Mail -- The main post office is at Nám. SNP 35, just outside the main gate to the Old Town. The rate for mailing a postcard or first-class letter to the U.S. is 25 Sk (80¢/45p), and 22 Sk (70¢/40p) within Europe.

Safety -- Crime is generally low, but as everywhere use common sense.

Telephones & Fax -- Slovakia's country code is 421. To dial Slovakia from abroad, dial the international access code (011 in the U.S.), plus 421 and then the local Slovak area code (minus the zero). The area code for Bratislava is 02. Other commonly used area codes are: Trencín 032; Zilina 041; the High Tatras 052; Kosice 055. To call long distance within Slovakia, dial the area code (retaining the zero) plus the number. To dial abroad from Slovakia, dial 00 and then the country code and area code to where you are calling. A call to the U.S. or Canada would begin 00-1.

Time Zone -- Slovakia is in the Central European Time zone (CET), 1 hour ahead of GMT and 6 hours ahead of the eastern United States.

Tipping -- In restaurants, round up the bill 5% to 10% to reward good service. Bellhops, taxi drivers, and tour guides will also expect a small amount in return for services rendered. Around 50 Sk to 100 Sk ($1.70-$3/90p-£1.85) is usually enough in any circumstance.

Toilets -- You will find decent public toilets in cities and towns throughout Slovakia. Expect to pay 5 Sk to 10 Sk (15¢-30¢/10p-20p) to use the facilities.

Water -- Tap water is generally potable and there are no specific health concerns. If in doubt, buy bottled water, which is cheap and widely available.