American Express-- The American Express office is at Av. Isidora Goyenechea 3621, Piso 10 (tel. 2/350-6855); open Monday through Friday from 9am to 2pm and 3:30 to 5pm. Twenty-four-hour customer service in the U.S. is at tel. 800/545-1171, although you will be charged for the call if you call from outside of the United States.

Banks-- Banks are usually open from 9am to 2pm Monday through Friday, closed on Saturday and Sunday. ATMs are referred to as "Redbancs" and can be identified by the maroon-and-white logo sticker. These machines accept Cirrus, PLUS, Visa, and MasterCard. Redbancs can also be found in most gas stations and pharmacies.

Business Hours-- Commercial offices close for a long lunch hour, which can vary from business to business. Generally, hours are Monday through Friday from 10am to 7pm, closing for lunch between 1 and 1:30pm and reopening between 2:30 and 3pm. Most stores are open from 10am to 2pm on Saturday and closed on Sunday.

Currency Exchange-- All major banks exchange currency, but most charge a commission that is higher than a money-exchange house called a casa de cambio. In downtown, there are numerous exchange houses on Agustinas between Ahumada and Bandera. In Providencia, exchange houses are around Avenida Pedro de Valdivia and Avenida Providencia. In Las Condes, there are a couple on El Bosque. Exchange houses are generally open Monday through Friday from 9am to 2pm and 4 to 6pm, Saturday from 9am to 1 or 2pm. Your hotel most likely will exchange dollars for you as well, but not at a good rate.

Emergencies-- For a police emergency, call tel. 133. For fire, call tel. 132. To call an ambulance, dial tel. 131.

Hospital-- The American Embassy can provide a list of medical specialists in Santiago. The best hospitals in Santiago are private: Clínica Las Condes, Lo Fontecilla 441 (tel. 2/210-4000); Clínica Alemana, Vitacura 5951 (tel. 2/212-9700); and Clínica Indisa, Av. Santa María 01810 (tel. 2/362-5555).

Internet Access-- Virtually every hotel and commercial center in Santiago has Internet access. In Providencia, try Cyber Café Internet, Pedro de Valdivia 037 (tel. 2/233-3083); in the downtown area, there are Internet cafes along Merced and Monjitas streets from where they meet to José Miguel de la Barra. Most telephone offices such as Entel and Telefónica also have Internet access.

Outdoor Equipment-- Parque Arauco mall has a North Face store; Alto los Condes mall, at Av. Kennedy and Padre Hurtado, (tel. 2/213-1223), has a Doite camping store; the Patagonia clothing store is at Helvecia 210 (tel. 2/335-1796), and there is a camping store next door. The best outdoor equipment and info can be found at La Cumbre, Apoquindo 5258 (tel. 2/220-9907; www.lacumbreonline.cl).

Pharmacies-- Pharmacies are ubiquitous in Santiago, such as Farmacias Ahumada, Farmacias Cruz Verde, and Farmacias Saldo, some with branches open 24 hours a day. Look for one around the corner from Ahumada and Huérfanos streets, along Avenida Providencia between Pedro de Valdivia and Suecia, or at El Bosque 164, in Las Condes. For deliveries or information, try Farmacias Ahumada at tel. 2/222-4000.

Post Office-- The main post office is on Plaza de Armas (Mon-Fri 8:30am-7pm, Sat 8:30am-1pm). There are other branches at Moneda 1155 in downtown and Av. 11 de Septiembre 2239 in Providencia.

Telephone-- Santiago's area code is 2; cellular numbers are prefixed by 09. The country code for Chile is 56. Tourists are offered cheaper rates from phone centers than from their hotels. The centers are predominately run by Entel (at Morandé between Huérfanos and Compañía) and Telefónica CTC Chile (found inside the Metro stations Universidad de Chile and Moneda, and in Providencia at the Mall Panorámico at Av. 11 de Septiembre 2155). Most phone centers have fax service and Internet access as well. Alternatively, you can buy a phone card at any telephone center location and at nearly every street kiosk.