Airlines -- Most international airline offices are located on Janpath, Connaught Place, and Barakhamba Road. Jet Airways is located at Jetair House, 13 Community Centre, Yusuf Sarai; you can get in touch with them on their 24-hour reservation number: tel. 011/3989-3333. Other useful airline numbers: Jetlite (tel. 011/2567-5879 or 1800-22-3020); Kingfisher Airlines (tel. 1600/180-0101); Spice Jet (tel. 1600/180-3333 or 98-7180-3333). Indian Airlines is still the best connected airline, though not our preferred choice; it's located at Safdarjung Airport (tel. 011/2462-2220) and is open 24 hours; for general inquiries call tel. 1800/180-1407 from your mobile. You could also contact the Airport (tel. 011/2566-1000 or 2560-2000).

Ambulance -- For an ambulance call either tel. 102, or East West Rescue at tel. 011/2469-9229, -0429, or -3738.

American Express -- The office is located at A-1 Hamilton House, A-Block Connaught Place (tel. 011/3988-0030).

Area Code -- The area code for Delhi is 011.

ATMs -- There are hundreds of ATMs in the city; ask your hotel which is the closest. Alternatively, head for Connaught Place, where (among others) HSBC, Standard Chartered, and Citibank ATMs offer 24-hour cash machines that take Visa and MasterCard.

Banks -- Hours are normally Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm, Saturday 10am to noon, though many banks are also open 9am to 5pm. It's quickest to use 24-hour ATMs.

Bookstores -- The best are in Khan Market -- try Bahri & Sons (tel. 011/2469-4610; www.booksatbahri.com), or Full Circle (tel. 011/2465-5641; www.atfullcircle.com). If you're looking for something downtown, Bookworm (29 B-Block Connaught Place; tel. 011/2332-2260) is excellent, and will often obtain a book you want within 24 hours even if it's not in stock. In Jor Bagh. Om bookshop also has a huge collection and many branches in prime locations (E-77 South Ex Part I, tel. 011/2465-3792; and 45 Basant Lok, Vasant Vihar, tel. 011/2614-3530 are the two main outlets).

Car Hires -- For upmarket cars and other travel arrangements, the best operator is Banyan Tours and Travels (tel. 0124/456-3800; www.banyantours.com); while their rates may be higher than others, their service is impeccable. Another operator to try is Tallis & Company (877 Udyog Vihar, Phase V, Gurgaon; tel. 0124/400-4458; www.tallisandco.com).

Currency Exchange -- The international airport has 24-hour currency exchange but no facilities to let you draw money on your credit cards, so bring foreign notes or traveler's checks if you intend to catch a taxi from here. Thomas Cook is located at the airport (open 24/7) and at The Imperial hotel (Mon-Sat).

Directory Assistance -- To get numbers texted to your mobile phone (or e-mailed to you), call Just Dial (tel. 011/6999-9999).

Doctors & Dentists -- All hotels listed here have doctors on call. The hotels are also your best bet for finding a reputable dentist.

Drugstores -- There are numerous 24-hour drugstores throughout the city. Best to ask your hotel to arrange a delivery or pickup.

Embassies & Consulates -- U.S.: Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri (tel. 011/2419-8000; Mon-Fri 8:30am-1pm and 2-5:30pm). U.K: Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri (tel. 011/2419-2100; Mon-Fri 9am-1pm and 2-4pm). Australia: 1/50-G Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri (tel. 011/4139-9900; Mon-Fri 8:30am-1pm and 2-5pm). Canada: 7/8 Shanti Path Chanakyapuri (tel. 011/4178-2000). New Zealand: 50-N Nyaya Marg (tel. 011/2688-3170).

Emergencies -- For police call tel. 100; for local stations ask your hotel or call the Government of India Tourist Office. For complaints about taxi or auto-rickshaw drivers, dial tel. 011/2301-0101 or 011/4340-0400. For any tourism-related emergencies, call the Tourism Hotline (tel. 011/2336-5358).

Hospitals -- All India Institute of Medicinal Sciences (tel. 011/2658-8500), on Ansari Nagar, has a 24-hour trauma unit. Alternatively, head for Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (Baba Khadak Singh Marg; tel. 011/2336-5933 or -5525) or, farther afield, is Apollo Hospital on the Delhi-Mathura Road (tel. 011/2682-5858 or -5801); both have 24-hour emergency service.

Internet Access -- Numerous outlets are located all over the city and charge Rs 25 to Rs 75 per hour.

Mobile Phones -- You can buy prepaid cellphone cards almost anywhere in Delhi; however, the procedure has been severely complicated by various anti-terrorism laws that will require you to supply ID photos and copies of your passport and visa, and possibly proof of residence. Call pricing options also vary considerably according to network and package purchased. Best to ask your hotel about the best (and simplest) rental scheme, or call Matrix at tel. 011/2680-0000 (www.matrix.in); they promise to deliver a phone to you within 2 hours.

Newspapers & Magazines -- Indian Express, Hindustan Times, and The Times of India are good national dailies that provide the lowdown on (largely) the political scene. Outlook and India Today are weekly news magazines that cover a range of issues; of the two, Outlook is more populist and interesting to read. Time Out New Delhi (Rs 50) is a superb source of (sometimes sycophantic) information about every conceivable activity in town, with good accounts of new establishments and entertainment events; you can access most of it on www.timeoutdelhi.net. It's considerably better than First City, a reasonable monthly magazine carrying comprehensive reviews and listings. Delhi Diary is a city guide published weekly, and The Delhi City Complete Guide and Magazine (Rs 20) is published every 2 weeks; both are available at hotels and tourism offices and include events listings. You can also check out the latter's website at www.thedelhicity.com. A good Web-based source of information on Delhi is www.gocityguides.com for general advice as well as what's on the cards for the month, but reviews are even less critical than Time Out. For travel further afield, Outlook Traveller (www.outlooktraveller.com) is a top-quality locally produced travel magazine.

Post Office -- Try the post office at Parliament Street (tel. 011/2336-4111) or the GPO at Gol Khana, 5 minutes from Connaught Place. But best to ask your hotel to mail items.

Restrooms -- Avoid free public restrooms but in emergencies, you can use the Pay & Use facilities (Rs 2) or independently managed Sulabh Shauchalya ("shauchalya" means toilets), which are slightly better maintained.

Safety -- Delhi, like the rest of India, is relatively safe, though the city has seen an increase in crime. It's unwise for women to travel alone at night.

Weather -- Delhi's summers are notoriously unbearable; October/November to February are the best times to go.

Yoga & Meditation -- Sivananda Yoga Sevashram (tel. 98/1132-8067; www.yogayogini.com), Studio Abhyas (tel. 011/2696-2757; http://abhyastrust.org), Sri Aurobindo Ashram (tel. 011/2652-4807), Tushita Meditation Centre (tel. 011/2651-3400; www.tushita.info) -- all offer short- and long-term classes.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.