American Express -- The office (Chodna 51; (tel. 22/581-51-00) is open weekdays 9am to 7pm and Saturday 10am to 3pm.
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.
Camera Repair -- Adam Bieniek (Al. Jerozolimskie 113/115; tel. 22/629-99-59) can handle repair work for most camera models. The shop is on the second floor, and the staircase is by the kebab stall. It's open on weekdays from 9am to 6pm.
Car Rental -- At the airport, you'll find global chains such as Avis (tel. 22/650-48-72; www.avis.pl), Budget (tel. 22/650-40-62; www.budget.pl), and Hertz (tel. 22/650-28-96; www.hertz.com.pl). Joka (Okopowa 47; tel. 22/636-63-93; www.joka.com.pl) offers cars with GPS. For luxury cars, contact LimoInvest (Pisudskiego 11, Józefów; tel. 722/233-355 or 22/252-07-25; www.limoinvest.pl).
Currency Exchange -- Most banks and some hotels have currency exchange counters. The airport and train station also have kantor (currency exchange) booths, but you'll find better rates in the city's malls and streets. A 24-hour kantor is at Piekna 11 (tel. 22/625-14-25).
Doctors & Dentists -- The LIM Medical Center (al. Jerozolimskie 65/79; tel. 22/458-70-00; www.cmlim.pl) has several facilities in the city. A centrally located option is in the Marriott Hotel tower and staffs a full range of English-speaking doctors and specialists. For dentists, the Austria-Dent-Center (Zelazna 54; tel. 022/654-21-16; www.austriadent.pl) is highly recommended.
Drugstores -- Independent "apteka" are everywhere. Apteka Grabowskiego (Al. Jerozolimskie 54; tel. 22/825-69-86), at the Central Station, is open 24 hours. So is Apteka Beata at Al. Solidarnosci 149 (entrance from Al. Jana Pawa; tel. 22/620-08-18). Super Pharm is a chain found in most malls.
Embassies -- U.S.: Al. Ujazdowskie 29/31, tel. 22/625-14-01; Canada: Matejki 1/5, tel. 22/584-31-00; U.K.: Kawalerii 12, tel. 22/311-00-00.
Emergencies -- In an emergency, dial the following numbers: police tel. 997, fire tel. 998, ambulance tel. 999. The general emergency number if using a cellphone is tel. 112.
Internet Access -- If you have a laptop, Wi-Fi access is complimentary in many cafes and restaurants. Nearly all hotels either have Wi-Fi or Internet terminals. Internet cafes around town charge about 6 z per hour. Arena 2 at pl. Konstytucji 5 (tel. 22/629-07-76) is a smoke-free 24-hour facility. At the centrally located British Council (Al. Jerozolimskie 59; tel. 22/695-59-00; www.britishcouncil.org), there are three terminals that you can use at no charge. The British Council is open weekdays from 8:30am to 9pm and on Saturdays from 8:30am to 1:30pm.
Laundry -- Laundry chains with same-day service, such as 5 à Sec (www.5asec.pl), can be found in most malls, including Zote Tarasy and Arkadia.
Maps -- City and regional maps are widely available in bookshops, roadside kiosks, and petrol stations. One of the most popular brands is Copernicus.
Newspapers & Magazines -- Local news in English is carried in the Warsaw Voice, available in bookshops such as Empik and the American Bookstore. The Warsaw Business Journal is a weekly publication on market news. The New Poland Express is a weekly electronic publication you can subscribe to on www.newpolandexpress.pl.
Post Offices -- The Central Post Office is at Swietokrzyska 31/33 (tel. 22/505-33-29; www.poczta-polska.pl), and it is open 24 hours. There is also a post office at the Central Station on the ground floor.
Safety -- Violent crime is relatively rare, but theft is a serious problem. Don't leave valuables in cars overnight. Watch your pockets and purses carefully. If you're traveling with a bike, don't leave it outside unattended (even if it's firmly locked). Many hotels and pensions will allow you to take your bicycle in with you to your room.
Telephones & Fax -- The area code for Warsaw is 22. To call long distance within Poland, dial the area code, plus the number. When dialing the 5-digit information lines (including for taxis), drop the 22 prefix if you are calling from a Polish landline. However, to call from a Polish cellphone, the 22 prefix is required.
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.
