AIRPORT INFORMATION tel 32 31 32 31; information on arrivals and departures is also shown on teletext on DR1.

ATMS Nearly all ATMs in Copenhagen take Visa, Mastercard and Maestro-marked bankcards.

BANKS AND EXCHANGE Exchange bureaux offer better rates for changing money than banks. Central bureaux include American Express, 3rd floor, 7a NA?rregade (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-2pm); Forex, Vesterbrogade 28 (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm) and Central Station (daily 8am-9pm); The Change Group, Nyhavn 35 (daily 10am-6pm) and Frederiksberggade 5 (Mon-Thurs 9am-8pm, Fri & Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 10am-6pm). In an emergency there are a number of 24hr currency-exchange machines, though rates are poor. Machines can be found at: Arbejdernes Landsbank, Vesterbrogade 5; Den Danske Bank, Central Station; Jyske Bank, Vesterbrogade 9; Unibank, Axelborg Torv 35 and RA?dhuspladsen.

CAR PARKING A pay-and-display system operates on the city's streets, with rates varying depending on which colour-coded zone you are in. Stretching out from the city centre, the zones are red (20kr per hour), yellow (12kr), green (9kr), blue (5kr) and white (free). Each pay-and-display meter has a map on it detailing the extent of each zone. "STOPFORBUD" means no stopping, whilst "PAKERING FORBUDT" means no parking unless a time limit is displayed. It's usually easy to find street parking space, but note that your car will be towed away if you overstay or park where you shouldn't. Downtown car parks are thin on the ground: there's a handy one at the Statoil petrol station on Israel Plads, (12kr for 1hr, 65kr per day), and another attached to the Q8 station near Vesterport Station at Nyropsgade 42 (7-10kr per hour, 55kr per day).

CAR RENTAL Avis, Kampmannsgade 1 (tel 33 15 22 99); Europcar, GyldenlA?vesgade 17 (tel 33 11 62 00); Hertz, Ved Vesterport (tel 33 17 90 20).

CREDIT CARDS Strangely for a Western European capital, the chance to flex your plastic is limited. Supermarkets, many bars, cafA©s, smaller shops and some restaurants don't accept either Visa or Mastercard - many only take the local Dankort card.

DENTIST TandlA¦gevagten, Oslo Plads 14 (tel 35 38 02 51). Open for emergencies (Mon-Fri 8-9.30pm, Sat & Sun 10am-noon). Be prepared to pay at least 150kr on the spot.

DISABLED VISITORS Provision for disabled visitors throughout Denmark is excellent, and public transport and most museums and many hotels are wheelchair accessible. The Danish Tourist Board, Vesterbrogade 6d (tel 33 11 14 15) publish a free and full list of accessible places throughout Copenhagen.

ELECTRICITY The Danish electricity supply runs at 220-240V, 50Hz AC; sockets generally require a two-pin plug. Visitors from the UK will need an adaptor; visitors from outside the EU may need a transformer.

EMAIL AND INTERNET ACCESS There are a few good Internet cafA©s around the centre of Copenhagen (most include free coffee in their rates): Cyber Space Net CafA©, Jagtvej 55, NA?rrebro (open 24hr; 10-15kr per hour; tel 35 83 11 45); Drop Zone, Frederiksborggade 41, Frederiksborg (Mon-Fri noon-midnight, Sat & Sun noon-8am; 20kr per hour; tel 33 93 68 88); GameStation A˜st, Strandboulevarden 151, A˜sterbro (daily noon-midnight, Fri & Sat until 8am; 35kr per hour; tel 35 43 97 96); GameStation Vest, Vesterbrogade 115, Vesterbro (daily noon-midnight, Fri & Sat until 8am; 35kr per hour; tel 33 25 97 96); NetPoint Royal, inside the SAS Royal Hotel, Hammerichsgade 3, Indre By (Mon-Fri 9am-10pm; 20kr per hour; tel 70 22 10 08). There's a free Internet service at the Use It office on RA?dhusstrA¦de and at Hovedbiblioteket, Krystalgade 15-17 (Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-2pm) - you'll need to book in advance for both.

EMBASSIES Australia, Strandboulevarden 122 (tel 39 29 20 77); Canada, Kristen Bernikows Gade 1 (tel 33 48 32 00); Finland, Skt AnnA¦ Plads 24 (tel 33 13 42 14); Germany, Stockholmsgade 57 (tel 35 45 99 00); Ireland, A˜stbanegade 21 (tel 35 42 32 33); New Zealand, c/o the UK embassy; Norway, Amaliegade 39 (tel 33 14 01 24); Sweden, Skt AnnA¦ Plads 15a (tel 33 36 03 70); UK, Kastelsvej 40 (tel 35 44 52 00); USA, Dag HammerskjA¶lds AllA© 24 (tel 35 55 31 44).

EMERGENCIES tel 112 for police, fire or ambulance. There are police stations at Halmtorvet 20 (tel 33 25 14 48) and Store Kongensgade 100 (tel 33 93 14 48), as well as Central Station.

HEALTH tel 112 for medical emergencies. The local emergency department is at Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9 (tel 35 45 35 45), with free treatment for EU and Scandinavian nationals, though citizens of other countries are unlikely to have to pay. If you need a doctor, call 33 93 63 00 (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm) and you'll be given the name of one in your area; outside these hours, call 38 88 60 41, unless you're in Christianshavn, in which case call tel 32 84 00 41. Doctors' fees range from 120kr to 350kr, to be paid in cash. If you're a UK national and you have an E111 form, you can claim back doctors' fees and charges for medicine from the local health department. You'll need to produce the relevant receipts and your E111 - they're available from any UK post office, where you should get your copy stamped and validated before travel.

LATE-OPENING SHOPS The supermarket at Central Station is open daily from 8am until midnight.

LAUNDRY Central places to do washing include: Alaska Vask & Rens, Borgergade 2; MA?ntvask, Istedgade 29; Quickvask, Istedgade 45; and Vasketeria, Dronningensgade 42. An average load costs about 40kr.

LEFT LUGGAGE The DSB Garderobe office downstairs in Central Station stores luggage for 20kr per item per day and has lockers for 25-35kr per day. There are also lockers (same price) in the InterRail Centre in Central Station and at Use It, RA?dhusstrA¦de 13.

LIBRARIES Hovedbiblioteket, Krystalgade 15-17, (Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-2pm), is the main city library and stocks some English-language books, magazines and newspapers. Huset, RA?dhusstrA¦de 13, also has a very well-stocked reading room, with international magazines and newspapers.

LOST PROPERTY The police department's lost property office is at Slotherrensvej 113, VanlA?se (tel 38 74 88 22). For items lost on a bus, contact the bus information line (tel 36 13 14 15); lost on a train, the DSB office at Central Station (tel 33 16 21 10); lost on a plane, contact Kastrup Airport (tel 32 31 32 31).

NEWSPAPERS AND NEWS IN ENGLISH Overseas newspapers are sold at the Magasin du Nord department store, the stall on the eastern side of RA?dhuspladsen, and some newsagents along StrA?get. Also check any of the newsagents in Central Station, which stock a large range of foreign newspapers and magazines. News in English is broadcast on Radio Denmark 1062MHz medium wave (Mon-Fri at 8.40am, 11am, 5.10pm & 10pm). The BBC World Service can be picked up on short wave 6195KHz, 9410KHz and 12,095KHz; you may also be able to pick up BBC Radio 4 on long wave 198Mhz.

PHARMACIES Steno Apotek, Vesterbrogade 6C (tel 33 14 82 66) and SA?nderbro Apotek, Amagerbrogade 158 (tel 32 58 01 40) are open 24 hours.

POST OFFICES The main office is at Tietgensgade 35-39, right behind Central Station (Mon-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 10am-1pm) and there's another office inside Central Station (Mon-Fri 8am-10pm, Sat 9am-4pm, Sun 10am-4pm). Poste restante not addressed to a named post office is sent automatically to the main office. Postal rates for items up to 20g are 4.50kr to EU countries, 5.50kr elsewhere; items up to 100g cost 13kr to EU countries, 18kr elsewhere. To send a telegram, phone 122 (information 168).

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS New Year's Day; Maundy Thursday; Good Friday; Easter Sunday; Easter Monday; Common Prayer Day (fourth Friday after Easter); Ascension Day (fifth Thursday after Easter); Whit Sunday and Whit Monday (seven weeks after Easter); Constitution Day (June 5); Christmas (December 24-26). Most shops and businesses are closed on these days, and transport services are reduced.

TAX A luxury tax, MOMS, of 25 percent is added to many goods. Non-EU citizens can claim a refund at the airport provided you fill out the correct form at the point of purchase.

TELEPHONES There are plentiful well-maintained public telephone boxes throughout the city. Coin-operated phones require two 1kr coins to make a connection; phonecards can be bought from post offices in 20kr, 50kr and 100kr denominations. If you take your UK mobile phone you can choose one of four local Danish networks. Telia are currently the cheapest (roughly 22p/min to the UK and 15p/min to call within Copenhagen - similar to charges from phone boxes). Before you travel you will need to contact your UK network provider to have any international blocks removed. Most importantly, remember that for any call you receive whilst on a foreign network you will be charged at about A?1 a minute.

TIME Denmark is one hour ahead of GMT, six hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time, and nine ahead of US Pacific Standard Time.

TRAVEL AGENTS KILROY Travels, Skindergade 28 (tel 33 11 00 44), have good general information on travelling around Denmark, the rest of Scandinavia and Europe. DFDS Seaways, Skt AnnA¦ Plads 30 (tel 33 42 33 42) provide information on various car ferry services from Denmark, whilst the DSB Rejsebureau at the Central Station (tel 33 14 11 26) has information on train services.