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Banks and ATMs

Bank opening hours are Monday-Friday from 0930 to between 1600 and 1700. Some larger branches may also be open later on Thursdays and on Saturday mornings. You can withdraw cash from selected banks and ATMs (or cashpoints as they are called in Britain) with your credit/debit card. Visa card holders can use the Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland and TSB ATMs; Access/MasterCard holders can use the Royal Bank and Clydesdale; Amex card holders can use the Bank of Scotland.

Bicycle hire

Bike Trax, 7-11 Lochrin Pl, T 228 6633, http://www.biketrax.co.uk £15 for full day, £10 for half day. Very friendly and helpful and will recommend local routes. Scottish Cycle Safaris. £15 per day.

Car hire

Arnold Clark, Lochrin Pl, Tollcross, T 228 4747. Avis, 100 Dalry Rd, T 337 6363. Century Car Rental, 1 Murrayburn Rd, T 455 7314. Condor Self Drive, 45 Lochrin Pl, T 229 6333, sales@condorselfdrive.com Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Block B, Unit 15, Sighthill Shopping Centre, T 442 4440. Ford Rent-A-Car, 12 Annandale St, T 557 0000. Gran Turismo, 31 Woodburn Terr, T 466 3447, http://www.granturismo.demon.co.uk Melville's Hire Drive, 9 Clifton Terr, T 337 5333, enquiries@melvilles.co.uk The main companies are also at the airport.

Dentists

Edinburgh Dental Institute, Level 7, Lauriston Building, Lauriston Pl, T 536 4931. Mon-Fri 0900-1500. Free walk-in emergency treatment though you still need to book an appointment. If it's not an emergency but you need to see a dentist, look in the Yellow Pages or call the Primary Care department (see under Doctors).

Disabled

Full details of disabled access on public transport from Traveline, T 0800-232323. For more information, contact Disability Scotland, Princes House, 5 Shandwick Pl, EH2 4RG, T 229 8632. The Lothian Coalition for Disabled People, T 475 2360, F 475 2392, publishes Access in Lothian, which they will send out on request. Artlink, 13a Spittal St, EH3 9DY, T 229 3555, gives telephone advice on access to arts venues throughout the city and provides an escort service for people with disabilities.

Doctors

If you need to see a doctor look in the Yellow Pages, or call the Primary Care department, T 536 9000.

Electricity

The current in Britain is 240V AC. Plugs have three square pins and adapters are widely available.

Embassies and consulates

Australia, 7 George St, T 624 3333. Canada, 30 Lothian Rd, T 220 4333. France, 11 Randolph Terr, T 225 7954. Germany, 16 Eglinton Cres, T 337 2323. Italy, 32 Melville St, T 226 3631. Netherlands, 53 George St, T 220 3226. Spain, 63 North Castle St, T 220 3226. Sweden, 22 Hanover St, T 220 6050. USA, 3 Regent Terr, T 556 8315.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire brigade and ambulance, T 999. Rape crisis centre, T 556 9437.

Genealogical research

Scottish Genealogy Society Library & Family History Centre, 15 Victoria Terr, T 220 3677. Tue and Thu 1030-1730, Wed 1030-2030, Sat 1000-1700. Scottish Roots Ancestral Research Service, 16 Forth St, T 477 8214. Mon-Fri 0900-1700 by appointment.

Hospitals

Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 1 Lauriston Place, T 536 1000. Edinburgh's 24-hour walk-in accident and emergency department.

Internet/email

Easy Everything, Hanover Buildings, 58 Rose St, T 220 3580. Open 24 hours and the cheapest in town at £1 per hour at peak times. Web 13, 13 Bread St, T 229 8883. Mon-Fri 0800-2000, Sat 0800-1800, Sun 1200-1800. There’s also a cybercafé at 98 Victoria St. Daily 1000-2300.

Launderettes

Sundial laundrettes offer coin-operated or service washes, full laundry service, ironing, dry cleaning and alterations. They have several branches at: 7 East London St, T 556 2743, next to the Lost Sock Diner; 84 Dalry Rd, T 538 7002; and 17 Roseneath St, T 229 2137. Tarvit Laundrette, 7 Tarvit St, T 229 6382.

Left luggage

At the airport and Waverley train station (daily 0700-2300. £4.50 per item for up to 24 hours).

Libraries

Central Library, George IV Bridge, T 225 5884. Mon-Fri 0900-2100, Sat 0900-1300. Excellent Scottish and local reference sections. National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, T 226 4531, enquiries@nls.uk Mon-Fri 0930-2030, Sat 0930-1300. Superb copyright library, for research purposes only. Reference facilities at the

Lost property

Property found and handed in to the police (including property found in taxis) is sent to the Police HQ at Fettes Av, T 311 3131. Mon-Fri 0900-1700. There are lost property departments at Edinburgh Airport, T 333 1000, and Waverley train station, T 550 2711. Lothian Buses have a lost property department at Shrub Place, T 554 4494. Mon-Fri 1000-1330.

Media

One of the two main ‘quality’ Scottish dailies is The Scotsman, which is based in Edinburgh and is very useful during the Festival. The city’s evening paper is the Evening News. To find out what’s on and where consult The List, a lively fortnightly listings magazine telling you everything you need to know about events in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The local commercial radio station is Radio Forth (97.3FM) which is good for traffic reports.

Pharmacies (late night)

Boots, 48 Shandwick Pl, T 225 6757. Mon-Sat 0800-2100, Sun 1000-1700. In an emergency outside these times go to The Royal Infirmary.

Police

The police information centre is at 188 High St, T 226 6966. Daily 1000-2200.

Post offices

The central post office is at 8-10 St James Centre. Mon 0900-1730, Tue-Fri 0830-1730, Sat 0830-1800. There's also a main office at 7 Hope Street. Other post offices are open Monday-Friday 0900 to 1730 and Saturday 0900 to 1230 or 1300. Smaller sub-post offices are closed for an hour at lunch (1300-1400).

Public holidays

New Year's Day and 2 January, Good Friday and Easter Monday, May Day (the first Monday in May), Victoria Day (the last Monday in May), Autumn holiday (mid-September), 25 and 26 December (Christmas Day and Boxing Day). Banks are closed during these holidays and sights and shops may be affected to varying degrees.

Taxi firms

Capital Castle Taxis, T 228 2555. Central Radio Taxis, T 229 2468. City Cabs, T 228 1211. Edinburgh Taxis, T 228 8989. Radio Cabs, T 225 9000.

Telephone

Most public payphones are operated by British Telecom (BT) and take either coins (10p, 20p, 50p and £1), credit cards or phonecards, which are available at newsagents and post offices displaying the BT logo and come in denominations of £2, £3, £5 and £10. Note that 20p is the minimum charge for a payphone.

Transport enquiries

Lothian Buses, Waverley Bridge Ticket Centre, T 554 4494. Easter-Oct Mon-Sat 0800-1800, Sun 0900-1630; Nov-Easter Tue-Sat 0900-1630. Also at 27 Hanover St, T 555 6363 (enquiries, 24 hours). Mon-Sat 0830-1800. Both offices sell travel cards and maps. Waverley Bridge also deals with bus tours. First Edinburgh, T 663 9233, http://www.firstedinburgh.co.uk Mon-Fri 0830-1700. Traveline, 2 Cockburn St, T 0800-232323 (local calls), or T 225 3858 (national calls). Mon-Fri 0830-2000. Public transport information service.

Travel agents

STA Travel, 27 Forrest Rd, T 226 7747. Edinburgh Travel Centre, 196 Rose St, T 226 2019; 92 South Clerk St, T 667 9488; and 3 Bristo Square, T 668 2221.

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