American Express-- For travel arrangements, traveler's checks, currency exchange, and other member services, visit the city's sole American Express office at Václavské nám. 56 (Wenceslas Sq.), Praha 1 (tel. 222-800-237). It's open daily from 9am to 7pm.

Area Code-- Since the change of the Czech telephone system in 2002, the area codes for each city have been combined with the local numbers. Local phone numbers now consist of 9 digits, which must be dialed from anyplace within the Czech Republic.

Babysitters-- If your hotel can't recommend a sitter, phone Agentura Domestica, Lidická 7, Praha 5 (tel. 257-316-150; www.domestica.cz), a company that provides various services, including babysitting. Make reservations in advance. The fee is 100Kc ($3.55) per hour.

Bookstores-- The largest English-language bookshops are The Globe, Pstrossova 6, Praha 1 (tel. 224-934-203; www.globebookstore.cz); Big Ben Bookshop, Malá Stupartská 5, Praha 1 (tel. 224-826-565); and U Knihomola, Mánesova 79, Praha 2 (tel. 222-729-348).

Business Hours-- Most banks are open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 6pm. Business offices are generally open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. Pubs are usually open daily from 11am to midnight. Most restaurants open for lunch from noon to 3pm and for dinner from 6 to 11pm; only a few stay open later. Stores are typically open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am to 1pm, but those in the tourist center keep longer hours and are open Sunday as well. Note: Some small food shops that keep long hours charge up to 20% more for all their goods after 8pm or so.

Currency Exchange-- Banks generally offer the best exchange rates, but American Express is competitive and doesn't charge commission for cashing traveler's checks, regardless of the issuer. Don't hesitate to use a credit card; card exchange rates often work to the traveler's advantage. There's an American Express office in Prague .

Komercní banka has three convenient Praha 1 locations with ATMs that accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express: Na Príkope 33, Národní 32, and Václavské nám. 42 (tel. 222-432-111, central switchboard for all branches). The exchange offices are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm, but the ATMs are accessible 24 hours.

Zivnostenská banka, Na Príkope 20, Praha 1 (tel. 224-121-111), has an exchange office open Monday to Friday from 10am to 9pm and Saturday from 3 to 7pm.

Chequepoint keeps the longest hours but offers the worst exchange rates. Central Prague locations are 28. ríjna 13 and Staromestské nám. 21 (both open 24 hr.); Staromestské nám. 27 (open daily 8am-11:30pm); and Václavské nám. 32 (open daily 8am-11pm).

Doctors/Dentists-- If you need a doctor or dentist and your condition isn't life-threatening, you can visit the Polyclinic at Národní, Národní 9, Praha 1 (tel. 222-075-120) during walk-in hours from 8am to 5pm. Dr. Stránský is an Ivy League-trained, straight-talking physician, born to a celebrated Czech émigré family who came back to reclaim property on National Boulevard. He turned part of the block into a Western-standard health center that acts as a clinic of record for the U.S. Embassy. You'll be asked to show proof of insurance or to pay up front. The First Medical Clinic of Prague Ltd., Vysehradská 35, Praha 2 (tel. 224-918-201), provides 24-hour emergency care (tel. 603-555-006) as well as EKGs, diagnostics, ophthalmology, house calls, and referrals to specialists. Normal walk-in hours are Monday to Saturday from 7am to 7pm.

For emergency medical aid, call the Foreigners' Medical Clinic, Na Homolce Hospital, Roentgenova 2, Praha 5 (tel. 257-272-146, or 257-272-191 after hours).

Electricity-- Czech appliances operate on 220 volts and plug into two-pronged outlets that differ from those in America and the United Kingdom. Appliances designed for the U.S. or U.K. markets must use an adapter and a transformer (sometimes incorrectly called a converter). Don't attempt to plug an American appliance directly into a European electrical outlet without a transformer; you'll ruin your appliance and possibly start a fire.

Embassies-- The U.S. Embassy, Trziste 15, Praha 1 (tel. 257-530-663), is open Monday to Friday from 8 to 11:30am and 2:30 to 4pm. The Canadian Embassy, Mickiewiczova 6, Praha 6 (tel. 272-101-811), is open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to noon and 2 to 4pm. The U.K. Embassy, Thunovská 14, Praha 1 (tel. 257-402-111), is open Monday to Friday from 9am to noon. You can visit the Australian Honorary Consul, Klimentská 10, Praha 1 (tel. 251-018-350) Monday to Thursday from 8:30am to 5pm and Friday from 8:30am to 2pm. The Irish Embassy is at Trziste 13, Praha 1 (tel. 257-530-061) and is open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 12:30pm and 2:30 to 4:30pm. The New Zealand Honorary Consul is located at Dykova 19, Praha 10 (tel. 222-514-672).

Emergencies-- You can reach Prague's police at tel. 158 and fire services by dialing tel. 150 from any phone. To call an ambulance, dial tel. 155.

Hospitals-- Particularly welcoming to foreigners is Nemocnice Na Homolce, Roentgenova 2, Praha 5 (tel. 257-272-146, or 257-272-191 after hours). The English-speaking doctors can also make house calls. See "Doctors/Dentists," above, for more information. In an emergency, dial tel. 155 for an ambulance.

Internet Access-- One of Prague's trendiest places is the Globe, Pstrossova 6, Praha 1 (tel. 224-916-264; www.globebookstore.cz), a cafe cum bookstore that provides Internet access. You can browse for 1.30Kc per minute. Its new location is open daily from 10am until midnight.

Check your e-mail and surf at very centrally located new Internet cafe Inetpoint.cz, Jungmannova 32, Praha 1 (tel. 296-245-962). It is open daily 10am to 10pm and the connection charge is 25Kc (90¢) per 15 minutes. The Internet Café u Pavlánských, near the funicular train at Újezd 31 in Malá Strana, Praha 1, has about a half dozen PCs in a pleasant setting for 80Kc ($2.80) per hour; it also is open daily from 10am to 10pm. Another place to access the Internet is Cyber Cafe-Jáma at V jáme 7, Praha 1 (tel. 224-222-383).

Language-- Berlitz has a comprehensive phrase book in Czech. A clever illustrated Web tutorial is found at www.czechprimer.org. See appendix B for basic phrases and vocabulary as well as menu terms.

Laundry/Dry Cleaning-- Laundry Kings, Dejvická 16, Praha 6 (tel. 233-343-743), and at Eliásova 4, Praha 6 (tel. 233-323-894), was Prague's first American-style, coin-operated, self-service Laundromat. Each load costs about 60Kc ($2.15), depending on how much drying power you need. An attendant can do your wash for an additional 50Kc ($1.80), but the service takes at least 24 hours. Laundry Kings is open Monday to Friday from 6am to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 10pm.

Laundryland, Londýnská 71, Praha 2 (tel. 222-516-692), offers dry cleaning as well as laundry service and charges about the same as Laundry Kings. Located 2 blocks from the Námestí Míru metro station and close to the I. P. Pavlova metro station, it's open daily from 8am to 10pm.

Liquor Laws-- There's no minimum drinking age in the Czech Republic. Alcohol can legally be sold at any hour, and pubs and clubs can stay open 24 hours.

Luggage Storage/Lockers-- The Ruzyne Airport Luggage Storage Office never closes and charges 60Kc ($2.15) per item per day. Left-luggage offices are also available at the main train stations, Hlavní nádrazí and Nádrazí Holesovice. Both charge Kc (55¢) per bag per day and are technically open 24 hours, but if your train is departing late at night, check to make sure someone will be around. Luggage lockers are available in all of Prague's train stations, but they're not secure and should be avoided.

Finally, you can often leave luggage at a fancy, well-located hotel even if you're not a guest. At an average cost of 50Kc ($1.80) per item, your bags can afford a stay at the Hotel Paríz (tel. 222-195-195) even if you can't.

Mail-- Post offices are plentiful and are normally open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. At press time, the post office was negotiating a postage hike, so check with your hotel for current rates. Mailboxes are orange and are usually attached to the sides of buildings. If you're sending mail overseas, make sure it's marked "Par Avion" so it doesn't go by surface. If you mail your letters at a post office, the clerk will add this stamp for you. Mail can take up to 10 days to reach its destination.

The Main Post Office (Hlavní posta), Jindrisská 14, Praha 1 (tel. 221-131-111), a few steps from Václavské námestí, is open 24 hours. You can receive mail, marked "Poste Restante" and addressed to you, care of this post office. If you carry an American Express card or Amex traveler's checks, you would be wiser to receive mail care of American Express, Václavské nám. 56 (Wenceslas Sq.), Praha 1 (tel. 222-800-251).

Newspapers/Magazines-- The 1995 failure of Prognosis, Prague's first English-language newspaper, left the weekly Prague Post (www.praguepost.com) with a near lock on the local market, though it's being challenged for the business audience by the Prague Business Journal. Published each Wednesday, the Post is a quick read that usually offers a couple of interesting features, along with updated listings of sightseeing and entertainment happenings. The Prague Tribune (www.prague-tribune.cz) is a glossy monthly with an excellent mix of news, business, and cultural features.

Prehled, a monthly listings booklet, is probably the best entertainment publication, with details on theaters, galleries, concerts, clubs, films, and events around town. It's in Czech, but the listings aren't too difficult for non-Czechs to understand.

For gays and lesbians, the best information on happenings is in SOHO Review, a monthly magazine listing activities and events. It's in Czech but does run some English-language information and personal ads. The Prague Post also occasionally updates gay and lesbian offerings.

Newsstands are located inside most every metro station, and good-sized international magazine shops can be found in major hotels and on most busy shopping streets.

Pharmacies-- The most centrally located pharmacy (lékárna) is at Václavské nám. 8, Praha 1 (tel. 224-227-532), open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. The nearest emergency (24-hr.) pharmacy is at Palackého 5, Praha 1 (tel. 224-946-982). If you're in Praha 2, there's an emergency pharmacy on Belgická 37 (tel. 222-513-396).

Police-- In an emergency, dial tel. 158.

Radio-- You can hear English-language World News on the BBC World Service (101.1 FM). More than a dozen private stations compete with publicly owned news-talk Czech Radiozurnál (94.6 FM). Radio BONTON (99.7 FM) is a rock station that gives Czech bands lots of play. Radio Kiss (98 FM) is an Irish-owned station with a strictly pop-oriented play list. Radio 1 (91.9 FM) plays a world-class assortment of contemporary dance and trance music, mixed with some novelty songs. Radio Free Europe (1287 kHz AM) is an American-funded news-oriented station now based in Prague's Communist-era Parliament building.

Restrooms-- You'll find plenty of public restrooms. Toilets are located in every metro station and are staffed by cleaning personnel who usually charge users 3Kc (10¢) and dispense a precious few sheets of toilet paper. Restaurants and pubs around all the major sights are usually kind to nonpatrons who wish to use their facilities. Around the castle and elsewhere, public toilets are clearly marked with the letters WC. For comfort and cleanliness, try lobby-level lavatories in Prague's better-known hotels or the new restrooms in the Municipal House (Obecní dum), the Art Nouveau palace next to the Powder Tower in Old Town.

Safety-- In Prague's center you'll feel generally safer than in most Western cities, but always take common-sense precautions. Be aware of your immediate surroundings. Don't walk alone at night around Wenceslas Square -- one of the main areas for prostitution and where a lot of unexplainable loitering takes place. All visitors should be watchful of pickpockets in heavily touristed areas, especially on Charles Bridge, in Old Town Square, and in front of the main train station. Be especially wary on crowded buses, trams, and trains. Don't keep your wallet in a back pocket and don't flash a lot of cash or jewelry. Riding the metro or trams at night feels just as safe as during the day.

Taxes-- A 22% value-added tax (VAT) is built into the price of most goods and services rather than tacked on at the register. Most restaurants also include the VAT in the prices stated on their menus. If they don't, that fact should be stated somewhere on the menu. There are no VAT refunds for the Czech Republic.

Telephone/Fax-- For directory inquiries regarding phone numbers within the Czech Republic, dial tel. 1180. For information about services and rates abroad, call tel. 1181. Dial tones are continual high-pitched beeps that sound something like busy signals in America. After dialing a number from a pay phone, you might hear a series of very quick beeps that tell you the line is being connected. Busy signals sound like the dial tones, only quicker.

There are two kinds of pay phones in normal use. The first accepts coins and the other operates exclusively with a phone card, available from post offices and news agents in denominations ranging from 50Kc to 500Kc ($1. 80-$18). The minimum cost of a local call is 4Kc (15¢). Coin-op phones have displays telling you the minimum price for your call, but they don't make change, so don't load more than you have to. You can add more coins as the display gets near zero. Phone-card telephones automatically deduct the price of your call from the card. These cards are especially handy if you want to call abroad, as you don't have to continuously chuck in the change. If you're calling the States, you'd better get a phone card with plenty of points, as calls run about 20Kc (55¢) per minute; calls to the United Kingdom cost 15Kc (40¢) per minute.

Long-distance phone charges are higher in the Czech Republic than they are in the United States, and hotels usually add their own surcharge, sometimes as hefty as 100% to 200%, of which you may be unaware until you're presented with the bill. Ask before placing a call from a hotel.

Even if you're not calling person-to-person, collect calls are charged with the hotel fees, making them pricey, too. Charging a long-distance call to your phone credit card from a public telephone is often the most economical way to phone home.

A fast, convenient way to call the United States from Europe is via services like AT&T USA Direct. This bypasses the foreign operator and automatically links you to an operator with your long-distance carrier in your home country. The access number in the Czech Republic for AT&T USA Direct is tel. 00-420-00101. For MCI CALL USA, dial tel. 00-420-00112, and for Sprint Global One, call tel. 00-420-87187. Canadians can connect with Canada Direct at tel. 00-420-00151, and Brits can connect with BT Direct at tel. 00-420-04401. From a pay phone in the Czech Republic, your local phone card will be debited only for a local call.

Telephone books are printed in two editions: A separate set of white pages contains alphabetical lists of household phone owners, while the yellow pages list businesses according to trade, with an alphabetical listing in more white pages up front. The yellow pages include an English-language index.

You can send faxes from the main post office (Hlavní posta), Jindrisská 14, Praha 1 (tel. 221-131-111). The fax office is open 24 hours and charges 30Kc ($1.05) per page, plus the price of the phone call. The best place to receive faxes is the American Express office, Václavské nám. 56 (Wenceslas Sq.), Praha 1 (tel. 222-800-251).

Television-- There are four national broadcast TV stations. CT1 and CT2 (channels 1 and 2) are public-service stations often with reruns of Communist-era teleplays and classical music broadcasts. TV Nova is a private commercial station launched by New York cosmetics scion Ronald Lauder, who is involved in a lengthy lawsuit demanding over $500 million after his Czech partner allegedly cut him out of the station. Nova is loaded with American sitcoms and serials, sensational newscasts, and Western movies all dubbed into Czech. Prima is the upstart nationwide commercial station trying to cut into Nova's dominance with the same tactics. If you're channel surfing after 10pm, note that both Prima and Nova (which you can find on various channels depending on how your TV is programmed) have very saucy shows often including full frontal nudity. All four stations are off the air sometime between midnight and 2am. Satellite channels at hotels and on cable include Eurosport, MTV, CNBC, CNN, and BBC World.

Time Zone-- Prague is on Continental Europe Time (CET), 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) from April to the end of October and 1 hour ahead from November to the end of March (in both cases 1 hr. ahead of London). It's usually 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time. Clocks here spring forward and fall back for daylight savings time, but the semi-annual rituals follow a slightly different schedule than in the States (about 3 weeks earlier).

Tipping-- Rules for tipping aren't as strict in the Czech Republic as they are in the United States. At most restaurants and pubs, locals just round the bill up to the nearest few koruny. When you're presented with good service at tablecloth places, a 10% tip is proper. Washroom and cloakroom attendants usually expect a couple of koruny, and porters at airports and train stations usually receive 25Kc (90¢) per bag. Taxi drivers should get about 10%, unless they've already ripped you off, in which case they should get a referral to the police. Check restaurant menus to see if service is included before you leave a tip.

Transport Information-- The Prague Information Service, near Wenceslas Square on Na Príkope 20, Praha 1 (tel. 12444; www.pis.cz), is open daily from 6am to 10pm and can help you get where you are going on local transport (while the travel agencies Cedok, E-Travel.cz, and AVE Travel are all good for intercity connections). Train and bus timetables can also be viewed at www.jizdnirady.cz or at www.idos.cz. All metro stations now have much better maps and explanations in English.