American Express Represented by Ecuadorean Tours, Amazonas 329 and Jorge Washington (tel 560488); the Amex office is reached by taking the lift around the corner from the main office entrance.

Banks and exchange Most facilities are in the new town, with a concentration on and around Amazonas; banks here all change dollars travellers' cheques, including: Banco de Guayaquil (with a Visa and MasterCard ATM), on the corner of Amazonas and Veintimilla, and on Reina Victoria and Colon; Banco del Pacifico (with a MasterCard ATM), on Amazonas between Veintimilla and Carrion, and on the corner with Roca; Citibank, Reina Victoria and Patria; and Filanbanco (with a Visa and Amex ATM), on Amazonas and Robles. In the old town, there's Filanbanco (with an ATM) on Sucre, between Guayaquil and Venezuela. Casas de cambio in the new town include: Casa Paz, Amazonas 370 and Robles; Multicambio, Amazonas and Santa Maria, and Roca 720; and VasCambio, in the Hotel Alameda Real , Amazonas and Roca. In the old town there's Casa Paz, Sucre and Garcia Moreno; and Multicambio, Venezuela 689.

British Council Amazonas N26-146 and La Nina (tel 540225). A wide selection of English-language newspapers and magazines, and a good cafe.

Buses Most regional and national buses leave from the main bus terminal, best reached by taxi (around $2): insist on being taken to the main drop-off point inside the grounds. Ticket offices are on the lower-ground level of the terminal. Note that the buses themselves are reached through a metal turnstile (about $0.1), and once through, you can't come back into the main hall. Buses operated by companies with terminals in the new town often call at the main terminal about half an hour after leaving their own. Of these, Flota Imbabura go to Guayaquil, Tulcan, Cuenca and Manta; Panamericana Internacional go to Guayaquil, Machala, Huaquillas, Cuenca, Esmeraldas, Loja, Manta and Tulcan; and Transportes Ecuador go to Guayaquil. Panamericana Internacional buses to Colombia stop at Ipiales, Popayan, Ibague and Bogota (around $80). Rutas de America buses to Peru stop at Piura ($30) and Tumbes ($25). If you want to go with one of the new-town companies, it's best to buy your ticket the day before you plan to travel.

Camera equipment and film Numerous film shops and processing labs on Amazonas, include: Difoto, Amazonas 893 and Wilson (Kodak); Ecuador Laboratorios Fotograficos, Amazonas 888 and Wilson (Kodak; can develop and print in 1hr); Fotogermana, cnr of Amazonas and Calama (sells Fuji slide film and does passport photos); Fujifilm, Amazonas 1429 and Colon, (a good choice of Fuji slide film); Kis Color, Amazonas 1238 and Calama (also sells cameras, tripods and other equipment).

Camera repairs Luis Mendez at International Color, Amazonas 503 and Roca ( aranhac@usa.net ).

Car rental All the main car rental companies have offices just outside the international terminal of the airport, which is the best place to compare prices. Some also have downtown offices. Companies include: Avis, at the airport (tel 440270); Budget, corner of Colon and Amazonas (tel 237026, fax 562705) and at the airport (tel 240763); Ecuacars, Colon 1280 and Amazonas (tel 523673), and at the airport (tel 247298); Expo, at the airport (tel 433127); Hertz, Hotel Oro Verde , 12 de Octubre 1820 and Cordero (tel 569130), and at the airport (tel 254258); Localiza, 6 de Diciembre 1570 and Wilson (tel 505986), and at the airport (tel 09/701323).

Climbing and snorkelling gear Altamontana, Jorge Washington 425 and 6 de Diciembre (tel 558380, altamont@netzone.com.ec ), are very strong on climbing equipment, sales and rental; Andisimo, 9 de Octubre 479 and Roca (tel 223030), sales and rental; Camping Cotopaxi, Colon 942 and Reina Victoria (tel 521626), lots of camping gear; Equipos Cotopaxi, 6 de Diciembre and Patria (tel 517626); Los Alpes, Reina Victoria 2345 and Baquedano, (tel 232362), sales and rentals; The Explorer, Reina Victoria 928 and Joaquin Pinto (tel 550911), sales and rentals. If you want to hire snorkelling gear for a trip to the Galapagos, try Golondrina Turismo, Juan Leon Mera 639 and Carrion (tel 528570), who charge $15 per week for mask, fins and snorkel.

Courier services DHL, Colon 1333 and Foch (tel 556118), and at Eloy Alfaro and de los Juncos (tel 485100); Ecuatoriana Express, La Pinta and Rabida (tel 528139); EMS, Reina Victoria 325 and Lizardo Garcia (tel 543468).

Dancing lessons Salsa, merengue and cumbia lessons are available for around $5 an hour at Son Latino Dancing School, Amazonas 232 and 18 de Septiembre (tel 507315); and Ritmo Tropical, Edificio Santa Rosa, office 108, 10 de Agosto 1792 and Jorge Washington (tel 227051). The British Council also offers free salsa classes on their "Latin nights", held a couple of times a month.

Dentists Reliable English-speaking dentists include Dr Alfonso Arcos Barona, 2nd floor, Edificio Rosania, Republica de El Salvador 525 (tel 457268) and Dr Victor Penaherrera, Amazonas 44-30 and Vilalengua (tel 255934).

Doctors Recommended general doctors include Dr Martin Domski Zumarraga, Complejo Medico La Salud, Republica 754 and Eloy Alfaro (tel 553206, or at home on tel 332792) and Dr Alvaro Davalos Perez, La Colina 202 and San Ignacio (tel 500268, or at home on 09/739694). Dr Stephen Arthur Contag at the Edifico Metropoli, is a gynecologist (tel 267972, or at home on 540754), and Dr Ramiro Velasco and German nurse Karin Behnert specialize in sports injuries and back pain at Reumototal, Acuna 107 and Inglaterra (tel 224084 and 09/470896). All these doctors are English-speaking.

Embassies and consulates Argentina, Amazonas 477 and Robles (tel 562292); Brazil, Edificio Espana, Amazonas 1429 and Colon (tel 563086); Canada, 6 de Diciembre 2816 and Paul Rivet (tel 506162); Colombia, Edificio Arist, Colon 1133 and Amazonas (tel 228926); Ireland, Antonio de Ulloa 2651 and Rumipamba (tel 451577); Peru, Republica de El Salvador 495 (tel 468389); UK, Citiplaza building, 14th floor, Naciones Unidas and Republica de El Salvador (tel 970800, britemq@impsat.net.ec ); US, 12 de Octubre and Patria (tel 562890, www.usis.org.ec ).

Emergencies Police and ambulance tel 911, fire tel 102

Gyms   Hotel Hilton Colon offers 15-day passes ($20) for the use of their gym, pool, sauna and steam room.

Hospitals The best in Quito is the Hospital Metropolitano, Av Mariana de Jesus and Av Occidental (emergency and ambulance tel 265020). Also recommended are Clinica Pichincha (tel 562408), Veintimilla 1259, and Clinica Vozandes, Villalengua 02-37 and 10 de Agosto (tel 262142).

Laundry Lavanderias Industriales, San Javier N26-54 (tel 527551), and Super Lavado, Pinto E6-32 and Reina Victoria (tel 502987), are both good, inexpensive and offer free pick-up from and delivery to your hotel. Vicmar, on Calama between Reina Victoria and Diego de Almagro are also consistently reliable. Most places charge around $0.6 per kilo.

Maps Topographic maps (1:25,000 and 1:50,000) are produced by the Instituto Geografico Militar ( igm@mil.ec ) and are sold for about $2 at their two information offices: at Venezuela 573 and Sucre, next door to the Casa Museo de Sucre in the old town (Tues-Sat 8.30am-4.30pm), and up on the hill overlooking the Parque El Ejido at Senierges and Paz y Mino.

Optician Opticum Katz, 6 de Diciembre 4455 and Av Portugal (tel 432252).

Pharmacies Farmacio C y F, Jorge Washington 416 and Juan Leon Mera (24hr, but ring the doorbell if it looks shut). Pharmacies on Amazonas include: Farmacia Doral, Amazonas 244 and Jorge Washington; and Farmacia Amazonas, Amazonas and Foch.

Police Jefatura Provincial de la Policia de Pichincha, Roca 582, on the corner with Juan Leon Mera (tel 550770). They're open daily (24hr).

Post offices The main office is at Eloy Alfaro 354 and 9 de Octubre. The most convenient new-town branch is on the corner of Reina Victoria and Colon, in the Edificio Torres de Almagro ; the old-town branch is at Guayaquil 935 and Espejo. Hours for all branches are Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat & Sun 8am-noon.

Telephones The Andinatel telephone office is on the corner of Colon and 9 de Octubre. You can buy Porta and Bell South phonecards from shops displaying their signs. Many Internet cafes offer very cheap Internet phone calls .

Trains A service operates erratically out of Quito to Riobamba ($16), but at the time of writing has been temporarily suspended. When running, it goes via Machachi, Lasso, Latacunga, Ambato and La Urbina. A tourist train also goes to the edge of Parque Nacional Cotopaxi ($20 round trip; reservations must be made in advance). You can find up-to-the-minute news on which services are running at South American Explorers , or on their web site www.samexplo.org .

Travel agents For flights and so on, IATA-registered travel agents include: Delgado Travel, Amazonas 1227 (tel 520229); Ecuadorian Tours, Amazonas 329 and Jorge Washington (tel 560488); Polimundo, Amazonas 2374 and Eloy Alfaro (tel 509619); Turismundial, Amazonas 657 and Ramirez Davalos (tel 506050).

Visas and passports To register your visa on arrival in Ecuador, go to Extranjeria (tel 549080), corner of Paez and Carrion. To validate it and receive your censo , go to Migracion, opposite El Jardin mall on Amazonas, by Parque La Carolina (tel 454122). To extend your tourist visa go to Migracion at Isla Seymour and Rio Coca (tel 247510) . Many places on Amazonas, including Novedades Ebenezer at Amazonas 523 and Roca, next to Filanbanco can make laminated copies of your passport should you prefer to leave the original in your hotel safe - look for signs reading " plastificaccion ".