Books and newspapers There's a foreign-language bookshop (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9.30am-1.30pm), outside the Vazov Library on ul. Vaptsarov. A stall on the pl. Tsentralen sells foreign newspapers.

Buses Seats on international buses can be booked through MATPU, immediately behind the Hotel Trimontium Princess at ul. Krali Marko 11 (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 9am-noon; tel 032/632633), or at a couple of agencies at the Yug bus station: Hebros Bus (daily 7.30am-7.30pm; tel 032/626916 or 264576), is an agent for Eurolines, and sells tickets for western European destination as well as Greece and Turkey; Yaman (daily 8am-5pm; tel 032/631968) books seats on services to various Turkish cities.

Car rental Available at the Novotel , ul. Zlatyu Boyadzhiev 2 (tel 032/934444), and Maritza , ul. Tsar Boris III Obedinitel (tel 032/952727), hotels.

Car repairs Opel, north of the river at bul. Vasil Aprilov 158 tel 032/940898.

Consulates Greece, Preslav 10 tel 032/232003 or 225366; Turkey, Filip Makedonski 10 tel 032/632309, fax 624839.

Dentists bul. Ruski 102 tel 032/453042.

Emergencies Ambulance tel 150; police tel 032/630774 or 230122.

Filling stations out along the Svilengrad and Sofia highways.

Football Plovdiv has two first-division teams: Botev and Lokomotiv. Botev, currently the city's premier outfit, play at the Hristo Botev stadium east of the centre on bul. Iztochen (trolleybus #3 from the station), and have a hard core of supporters, known as the "Canaries Ultras", with a reputation for violence, some of them linked to far-right groups. The Lokomotiv stadium is farther south off bul. Sankt Peterburg, and best reached by taxi.

Internet Fantasy, Knyaz AleksandA?r I 31; Stratus, Knyaz AleksandA?r I 26; Royal, ul. Naiden Gerov 6.

Pharmacies Dzhumayata, at ul. SA?borna 3, behind the Dzhumaya mosque, is open 24 hours a day.

Post office pl. Tsentralen 1 (Mon-Sat 7am-7pm & Sun 7-11am).

Telephones At the post office on pl. Tsentralen 1 (daily 6am-11pm).

Train tickets Domestic and international bookings from BDZh/Rila, Nezavisimost 29 (Mon-Fri 8.30am-noon & 1-5pm).

Websites and are two of the more useful sites.