American Express--For your mail or banking needs, you can go to the American Express office at the corner of Marqués de Cubas and Plaza de las Cortés, 2, across the street from the Palace Hotel (tel. 91-322-55-00 or 91-322-54-24; metro: Gran Vía). Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm and Saturday 9am to noon.

Baby-Sitters--Most major hotels can arrange for baby-sitters, called canguros (literally, kangaroos) or niñeras. Usually the concierge keeps a list of reliable nursemaids and will contact them for you provided you give adequate notice. Rates vary considerably but are usually fairly reasonable. Although many baby-sitters in Madrid speak English, don't count on it. You may also want to contact La Casa de la Abuela (tel. 91-574-30-94). Located in the prestigious Barrio Salamanca, this "grandmother's house" is basically a children's hotel and offers child care combined with creative exercises and workshops in a child-friendly environment. It is open year-round and prices vary.

Car Rentals--Should you want to rent a car while in Madrid, you have several choices. In addition to its office at Barajas Airport (tel. 91-393-72-22), Avis has a main office in the city center at Gran Vía, 60 (tel. 91-305-48-55). Hertz, too, has an office at Barajas Airport (tel. 91-393-72-28), and another in the heart of Madrid in the Edificio España, Gran Vía, 88 (tel. 91-542-58-05). Budget maintains its headquarters at Gran Vía, 49 (tel. 91-393-72-16). It's known in Spain as Inter-rent.

Currency Exchange--The currency exchange at Chamartín railway station (metro: Chamartín) is open 24 hours and gives the best rates in the capital. If you exchange money at a bank, ask about the minimum commission charged.

Many banks in Spain still charge a 1% to 2% commission with a minimum charge of 500 pesetas. However, branches of Banco Central Hispano charge no commission. Branches of El Corte Inglés, the department store chain, offer currency exchange facilities at various rates. You get the worst rates at street kiosks such as Chequepoint, Exact Change, and Cambios-Uno. Although they're handy and charge no commission, their rates are very low. Naturally, American Express offices offer the best rates on their own checks. ATMs are plentiful in Madrid.

Dentists--For an English-speaking dentist, contact the U.S. Embassy, Serrano, 75 (tel. 91-587-22-00); it maintains a list of dentists who have offered their services to Americans abroad. For dental services, also consult Unidad Médica Anglo-Americana, Conde de Arandá, 1 (tel. 91-435-18-23). Office hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday 10am to 1pm, and there is a 24-hour answering service.

Doctors--For an English-speaking doctor, contact the U.S. Embassy, Serrano, 75 (tel. 91-587-22-00).

Drugstores--For a late-night pharmacy, dial tel. 098 or look in the daily newspaper under Farmacias de Guardia to learn which drugstores are open after 8pm. Another way to find one is to go to any pharmacy, which, even if closed, will always post a list of nearby pharmacies that are open late that day. Madrid contains hundreds of pharmacies, but one of the most central is Farmacia Gayoso, Arenal 2 (tel. 91-521-28-60; metro: Puerta del Sol). It is open Monday to Saturday, 24 hours a day.

Embassies & Consulates--If you lose your passport, fall seriously ill, get into legal trouble, or have some other serious problem, your embassy or consulate will probably have the means to provide assistance. These are the Madrid addresses and hours: The U.S. Embassy, at calle Serrano, 75 (tel. 91-587-22-00; metro: Núñez de Balboa), is open Monday to Friday 9:30am to noon and 3 to 5pm. The Canadian Embassy, Núñez de Balboa, 35 (tel. 91-423-32-50; metro: Velázquez), is open Monday to Friday 9am to 12:30pm. The U.K. Embassy, calle Fernando el Santo, 16 (tel. 91-319-02-00; metro: Colón), is open Monday to Friday 9am to 2pm and 3:30 to 6pm. The Republic of Ireland Embassy is at Claudio Coello, 73 (tel. 91-576-35-00; metro: Serrano); it's open Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm. The Australian Embassy, Plaza Diego de Ordas 3, Edificio Santa Engracia 120 (tel. 91-441-93-00; metro: Rios Rosas), is open Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 1:30pm and 2:30 to 5pm, and Friday from 8:30am to 2pm. The New Zealand Embassy is at Plaza de la Lealtad, 2 (tel. 91-523-02-26; metro: Banco de España); it's open Monday to Friday 9am to 1:30pm and 2:30 to 5:30pm.

Hospitals/Clinics--Unidad Médica Anglo-Americana, Conde de Arandá, 1 (tel. 91-435-18-23; metro: Usera), is not a hospital but a private outpatient clinic, offering the services of various specialists. This is not an emergency clinic, although someone on the staff is always available. The daily hours are 9am to 8pm. For a real medical emergency, call tel. 112 for an ambulance.

Internet Access--Head for Net Café, San Bernardo, 81 (tel. 91-595-09-99; e-mail: netcafe@netcafe.es), open daily 11am to 2am, if you've just gotta check your e-mail.

Laundry & Dry Cleaning--Try a self-service facility, Lavandería Donoso Cortés, Donoso Cortés, 17 (tel. 91-446-96-90; metro: Quevedo); it's open Monday to Friday 9am to 2pm and 3:30 to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm. A good dry-cleaning service is provided by El Corte Inglés department store at calle Preciados, 3 (tel. 91-379-80-00; metro: Callao), where the staff speaks English.

Luggage Storage & Lockers--These can be found at both the Atocha and Chamartín railway terminals, as well as the major bus station at the Estación Sur de Autobuses, calle Méndez Alvaro (tel. 91-468-42-00; metro: Méndez Alvaro). Storage is also provided at the air terminal underneath the Plaza de Colón.

Newspapers & Magazines--The Paris-based International Herald Tribune is sold at most newsstands in the tourist districts, as is USA Today, plus the European editions of Time and Newsweek. Guía del Ocio, a small magazine sold in newsstands, contains entertainment listings and addresses, though in Spanish only.

Police--In an emergency, dial tel. 112.

Post Office--If you don't want to receive your mail at your hotel or the American Express office, direct it to Lista de Correos at the central post office in Madrid. To pick up mail, go to the window marked Lista, where you'll be asked to show your passport. Madrid's central office is in Palacio de Comunicaciones at Plaza de la Cibeles (tel. 91-396-20-00).

Radio & TV--On short-wave radio you can hear the Voice of America and the BBC daily. There is also an English-language radio program in Madrid called "Buenos Días" (Good Morning), which airs many useful hints for visitors; it's broadcast Monday to Friday 6 to 8am on 657 megahertz. Radio 80 broadcasts news in English Monday to Saturday 7 to 8am on 89 FM. Some TV programs are broadcast in English in the summer months. Many hotels--but regrettably not most of our budget ones--also bring in satellite TV programs in English.

Rest Rooms--Some public rest rooms are available, including those in the Parque del Retiro and on Plaza de Oriente across from the Palacio Real. Otherwise, you can always go into a bar or tasca, but you should order something. The major department stores, such as Galerías Preciados and El Corte Inglés, have good, clean rest rooms.

Safety--Because of an increasing crime rate in Madrid, the U.S. Embassy has warned visitors to leave valuables in a hotel safe or other secure place when going out. Your passport may be needed, however, as the police often stop foreigners for identification checks. The embassy advises against carrying purses and suggests that you keep valuables in front pockets and carry only enough cash for the day's needs. Be aware of those around you and keep a separate record of your passport number, traveler's check numbers, and credit-card numbers.

Purse snatching is common, and criminals often work in pairs, grabbing purses from pedestrians, cyclists, and even from cars. A popular scam involves one miscreant's smearing the back of the victim's clothing, perhaps with mustard, ice cream, or something worse. An accomplice then pretends to help clean up the mess, all the while picking the victim's pockets.

Every car can be a target, parked or just stopped at a light, so don't leave anything in sight in your vehicle. If a car is standing still, a thief may open the door or break a window in order to snatch a purse or package, even from under the seat. Place valuables in the trunk when you park and always assume that someone is watching to see whether you're putting something away for safekeeping. Keep the car locked while driving.

Taxes--There are no special city taxes for tourists, except for the VAT (value-added tax; known as IVA in Spain) levied nationwide on all goods and services, ranging from 7% to 33%. In Madrid the only city taxes are for home and car owners, which need not concern the casual visitor.

Telephone--If you don't speak Spanish, you'll find it easier to telephone from your hotel, but remember that this is often very expensive because hotels impose a surcharge on every operator-assisted call. In some cases this can be as high as 40% or more. On the street, phone booths (known as cabinas) have dialing instructions in English; you can make local calls by inserting a 25 peseta coin for 3 minutes. In Spain many smaller establishments, especially bars, discos, and a few low-cost restaurants, don't have phones. For long-distance calls, especially transatlantic ones, it may be best to go to the main telephone exchange, Locutorio Gran Vía, Gran Vía, 30; or Locutorio Recoletos, Paseo de Recoletos, 37-41. You may not be lucky enough to find an English-speaking operator, but you can fill out a simple form that will facilitate the placement of your call.

In 1998, all telephone numbers in Spain changed to a nine-digit system. Each number is now preceded by its provincial code for local, national, and international calls. For example, when calling to Madrid from Madrid or another province within Spain, telephone customers must dial 91-123-45-67.

To call Spain from another country, first dial the international long-distance code 011 plus the country code 34, followed by the 9-digit number. Hence, when calling Madrid from the United States, dial (011-34) 91-123-45-67.

To make an international call from Spain, you must dial 07, followed by the country code, the area code, and the telephone number.

When in Spain, the access number for an AT&T calling card is tel. 1-800-callATT. The access number for Sprint is tel. 800/888-0013.

More information is also available on the Teléfonica Web site at www.telefonica.es.