American Express A  Grand Hotel Europe , Mikhaylovskaya ul. 1/7 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; tel 812/329 6061).

Bookshop Angliya, nab. reki Fontanki 40 (Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat & Sun 11am-6pm; tel 812/279 8284).

Buses Eurolines desk at the Central Agency for Air Travel, Nevskiy pr. 7 (tel 812/311 8004).

Consulates Britain, pl. Proletarskoy diktatury 5 (tel 812/320 3200); Canada, Malodetskoselsky pr. 32 (tel 812/325 8448); USA, Furshtadtskaya ul. 15 (tel 812/275 1701).

Emergencies For medical assistance, try International Clinic, Dostoevskovo ul. 19/21 (tel 812/320 3870, www.icspb.com ); Euromed, Suvorovskiy pr. 60 (tel 812/327 0301, www.euromed.ru ); American Medical Service, Serpukhovskaya ul. 10 (24hr; tel 812/326 1730). All are recognized by international insurance companies.

Exchange All over town. Best ATM machine (24hr) at Sberbank, Dumskaya ul. 3. Bank transfers are widely available via Western Union.

Internet access Try Tertris Internet Cafe at Chernyakhovskovo 33 (tel 812/325 4877) or Westpost at Nevskiy pr. 86.

Left luggage Most bus and train stations have lockers and/or a 24hr left-luggage office, but you would be tempting fate to use them.

Pharmacy Petropharm, at Nevskiy pr. 22 (24hr; other branches at no. 50, 66 & 83). Homeopathic pharmacies, Nevskiy pr. 50 and Svechnoy per. 7/11.

Post office Pochtamskaya ul. 9 (Mon-Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 8am-6pm), just off St Isaac's Square. Express letter post: Westpost, Nevskiy pr. 86 (Mon-Fri 9.30am-8pm, Sat noon-6pm; tel 812/327 3092); Post International, Nevskiy pr. 20 (Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat noon-5pm; tel 812/318 4472). Letters can be sent abroad via Finnish post at the service desk of the Grand Hotel Europe .

Railway Tickets The Central Ticket Office is at Nab. kanala Griboedova 24; Nevskiy Prospekt metro. Foreigners use desks 1-3. To avoid queues try the Central Agency for Air Travel, Nevskiy pr. 7 (small commission payable).

Student Travel Sindbad Travel, 3-ya Sovetskaya ul. 28 (tel 095/327 8384).

Telephones The main communications centre is at International Telephone and Telegraph Office, Bolshaya Morskaya ul. 3-5 (daily 9am-9pm).