Fast Facts

American Express -- American Express services are available through Atlas Travel Agency at Zrinjevac 17, 10000 Zagreb (tel. 01/481-39-33; fax 01/487-30-49). There is also an American Express office at Lastovska 23, tel. 01/612-44-22.

ATMs & Currency Exchange -- There are numerous ATMs (Bankomats) in central Zagreb where you can withdraw cash using American Express, Diners Club, Maestro/MasterCard, Cirrus, and Visa. Just be sure the ATM you use is embedded in a building and not free-standing, as the latter have been the sites of fraud in some European cities. You can change money or traveler's checks at most banks, exchange offices, and travel agencies, but you'll be charged a 1.5% or greater fee. Bank hours vary, but most are open from 8am to 7pm weekdays and 8am to noon Saturday. The exchange fee is even higher at hotels. A-Tours at the main bus station (tel. 01/600-86-66) is the exchange office with the longest hours. It is open from 6am to 10pm every day.

Business Hours -- Most banks open at 9am and stay open until 7pm or later Monday to Saturday. The airport branch of Zagrebacka Bank is open on Sunday, too. Offices generally are open from 8am to 5pm; some have Saturday hours, usually until 1pm. Store hours vary, with many closing from 2 to 5pm or some other interval during the day, but as a general rule, smaller stores open at 9am, close 8pm Monday to Saturday, and are closed all day Sunday. Stores in larger malls are open 7 days a week, but some don't reopen after the weekend until 2pm on Monday so employees can restock shelves.

Dentists & Doctors -- Dental Emergency at Perkovceva 3 (tel. 01/482-84-88) is open 24/7 and takes walk-ins. For medical emergencies, try the Emergency Center at Draskoviceva 19 near the Sheraton. It's open 24 hours. KB Dubrava at Avenija Gojka Suska 6 (tel. 01/290-24-44) makes house calls to most parts of town.

Embassies & Consulates -- The U.S. Embassy is at Thomasa Jeffersona ulica 2 (tel. 01/661-22-00; www.usembassy.hr).

The Canadian Embassy is at Prilaz Gjure Dezelica 4 (tel. 01/488-12-00).

The United Kingdom Embassy is at I. Lucica 4 (tel. 01/600-91-00; www.britishembassy.gov.uk/croatia).

The Irish Consulate is at Turninina 3 (tel. 01/667-44-55).

The Australian Embassy is at Centar Kaptol, Nova Ves 11/III (tel. 01/489-12-00).

The New Zealand Consulate is at Trg S. Radica 3 (tel. 01/615-13-82).

Emergencies -- For police dial tel. 92; for an ambulance, tel. 94; and to report a fire, tel. 93. For road assistance, dial tel. 987; for the Croatian Auto Club, dial tel. 01/464-08-00.

Internet Access -- Croatia has embraced computer technology in a big way, and Internet access is easy to find. Almost all hotels have Internet access in their business centers, but if you are staying someplace that isn't wired, you still can keep in touch. Sublink Cybercafe is close to Trg Jelacic at Nikole Tesle 12 (tel. 01/481-13-29). You can e-mail, print, copy, or scan for.25kn per minute. Sip smoothies at Cyberfunk and get 15 minutes of surfing free. Otherwise it's .25kn per minute (Masarykova 26; tel. 01/639-90-70). Open 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Mail -- You can mail letters at any yellow Posta box, but if you need to buy stamps or send a package, the Central Post Office is at Jurisiceva 13 near the Jadran Hotel (tel. 01/481-10-90). Hours are 7am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm Saturday. The post office will tell you that it takes roughly 2 weeks for regular mail to reach the U.S. from Croatia. Our experience is that mail to the U.S. takes 4 weeks or more. A letter home will cost 8kn per 50gr and a postcard 3.50kn. If you are in a hurry, go to FedEx at Buzinski prilaz 36a near the airport (tel. 01/669-50-00; www.fedex.com). It's open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday.

Newspapers & Magazines -- Very few news kiosks sell English-language newspapers, and those that do sell out quickly. The International Herald Tribune is the easiest to find and costs 20kn. Many hotels print faxed copies of U.S. and other English-language newspapers for their guests for a fee. Algoritam at Gajeva 1 (tel. 01/481-86-72), on the ground floor of the Hotel Dubrovnik, has an extensive selection of English-language magazines and books. Hours are 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday; 8am to 3pm Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Parking -- Croatia is way ahead of the curve when it comes to public parking. There are three parking zones in Zagreb, each with its own rate. When you find a space, you can pay at one of the boxes installed on most corners and display your ticket on the dashboard. Or, you can send an SMS text message to a number displayed on the parking box. Punch your license plate number into your cellphone and you'll get an SMS confirmation. When your time is almost up, you'll get another text asking if you want to add more time or move your car. If you get caught not paying at all, the fine is 250kn; expired time rates a 150kn fine. Note: If you don't have a phone with a domestic SIM card, you'll have to dial the international code first.

Pharmacies -- Need an aspirin? In Zagreb (and all of Croatia) you'll have to go to a pharmacy (ljekarna) to buy some. No drugs of any kind are sold anywhere except at a pharmacy. There are several 24-hour ljekarna in Zagreb. Two are at Trg Jelacic (tel. 01/481-61-54) and at Ilica 301 (tel. 01/375-03-21).

Safety -- Zagreb enjoys relatively low crime rates, though there have been some reports that car thefts are on the rise. It's perfectly safe to ride public transportation at night and to walk through high-traffic areas. The police presence on Zagreb streets is subtle and you'll rarely see a uniformed officer, but they're there. Exercise the same precautions you'd take in any big city.

Telephone -- To call Zagreb from the United States, dial the international prefix 011, then Croatia's country code, 385; and then Zagreb's city code, 1. Then dial the actual phone number.

To call the U.S. from Zagreb, dial the international prefix 00, then the U.S. country code, 1; then the area code and number. Other country codes are as follows: Canada, 1; the United Kingdom, 44; Ireland, 353; Australia, 61; New Zealand, 64.

To call from one city code to another within Croatia: Dial the Croatian city code, including the zero, followed by the phone number.

To make a local call, simply dial the phone number. No codes necessary. Local calls cost about 5kn per minute.

To use a prepaid phone card, call the service, key in the code on the back of the card, and call the number. It's a good idea to have a prepaid phone card with you for emergencies because most pay phones don't take money and you'll need a card to use them. You can buy prepaid cards in denominations of 50, 100, 200, and 500 units at most newspaper kiosks, at post offices, and at some tobacconists. Calls are based on unit-per-minute rates, and the farther away you call, the more each unit costs and the faster you use up your units. You can also buy prepaid cards at Nexcom, Zavrtnica 17 (tel. 01/606-03-33); or at Voicecom, Ilica 109 (tel. 01/376-01-23; www.voicecom.hr). Free 0800 access.

To use a mobile phone, you can buy a SIM card for 400kn to 600kn from VIP (tel. 091) or T-Mobile (tel. 098). Pay-as-you-go SIM cards are available at news kiosks in smaller denominations. If you have a GSM-equipped phone, it will register and readjust to a carrier in Zagreb provided you have activated its international capabilities with your service provider in the U.S. To call the U.S., hold down the zero key until a plus sign appears in the display. Then dial 1 plus the area code and number. Be aware that you will pay for roaming charges besides the call, which are extremely expensive because the call has to bounce from Croatia to the U.S., and back to Croatia again.

Toilets -- There are no free-standing public toilets in Zagreb. On the other hand, most toilets in restaurants, hotels, and stores are well kept and free, and you usually don't have to be a customer to use them.