Banks and exchange Bank of China, Zhongshan Dadao, Hankou (Mon-Sat 8.30am-4.30pm, Sun 9am-noon). Some larger hotels have foreign-exchange facilities, and might allow you to change travellers' cheques even if you're not staying there.

Bookshops There's a huge bookstore with some English titles - including abridged texts of Chinese classics such as Dream of Red Mansions - near the Jianghan Lu junction on Zhongshan Dadao, Hankou. Stalls on Hangkong Lu also have the odd foreign-language item, including city maps, and the post office here stocks the China Daily.

Buses Wuhan's biggest and busiest long-distance bus station is on Jiefang Dadao in Hankou, handling departures to destinations all over the province and China. Those in Wuchang and Hanyang are more limited, but with additional useful services south and east at least as far as Nanchang, Changsha and Hefei. Sleeper and standard buses leave from all stations and, with so much traffic, there's seldom any problem getting a seat wherever you're heading.

English corner Every Friday at 7pm, in the Internet cafA© on Floor 2 of the Mingcheng Plaza, Zhongshan Dadao, Hankou.

Ferries The Yangzi ferry terminal is on Yanjiang Dadao, Hankou; booking office open daily 9am-noon & 2-5pm. Bigger hotels can also make reservations. For prices and departures from Wuhan to Shanghai and Chongqing, see the "Yangzi River Cruises" box.

Hospitals These are everywhere - the Tongji, west of the Jiefang Dadao-Qingnian Lu crossroads in Hankou, is considered Wuhan's best. Another good one is the hospital attached to the Hubei Traditional Medicine College, just north of She Shan, Wuchang.

Internet Try either the very public terminals at the telecom headquarters opposite the Lao Tongcheng restaurant on Zhongshan Dadao, Hankou (A?10 an hour), or the Internet cafA© on Floor 2 of the Mingcheng Plaza, about 1km farther west (A?15).

Left luggage There are lockers at the bus and train stations open from around 5am to 9pm.

Markets and shopping Coin and stamp collectors congregate outside the post office on Hangkong Lu, Hankou; for larger "antique" souvenirs, try the shops at the Hubei Provincial Museum, Wuchang. Hankou's old concession area, north of Zhongshan Dadao, has the liveliest market activity, mostly revolving around fruit and vegetables. Like most Chinese cities, Hankou is a very good place to buy clothes - try the new Galaxy Plaza, halfway along Zhongshan Dadao, or numerous smaller shops nearby.

Pharmacies In addition to smaller places elsewhere, Hankou's Hangkong Lu has a string of pharmacies stocking traditional and modern medicines next door to the Tongji Medical University.

Post and telecommunications The main post offices, with IDD phones, are on Zhongshan Dadao and at the junction of Hangkong Lu and Qingnian Lu, Hankou (daily 8am-6pm). There is no GPO as such, so ensure that poste restante mail addresses use the street name and "Hankou", or it could end up anywhere in the city.

PSB Corner of Shengli Jie and Yanjiang Dadao, Hankou (tel 85866666).

Telephone The telephone code for Wuhan is 027.

Trains Wuhan's two main stations are at Hankou and Wuchang. Though some services pass through both, Hankou is seen as the city's main station; generally, use Hankou for northern destinations and Wuchang if you're heading south. The huge amount of rail traffic passing through town means that you've a better than normal chance of securing a berth if you try at least two days in advance; there's a special sleeper reservation booth inside the Hankou terminal. You can only buy onward tickets at the station the service departs from.

Travel agents CITS, set back from the road on Floor 7 of a 1980s-style office block on Taibei Lu, Hankou (tel 85784100, fax 85784089). Very informed, English-speaking agency geared up to organizing Three Gorges cruises, and trips to Shennongjia and Wudang Shan, but will also provide fairly accurate information on how to do things yourself. Check out the latest on Mulan Shan, a newly opened scenic area in northeastern Hubei, reputedly the birthplace of Fa Mulan, heroine of Chinese legend and Disney animation. Ask for James Lin.