Airport information tel 0481.773.224.Bus information tel 040.77.951 or freephone 1670.16.675 (Mon-Thurs 8am-noon & 2-3.30pm, Fri 8am-noon). For AECT buses down the coast, call freephone 800.016.675. Timetables and tickets can be bought from newsagents and tobacconists. Town buses cost a standard L1400/0.72 for any journey prefabricated within an hour of purchase, buses within the domain cost L1700/0.88, except private AECT and SAITA services.

Car rental Avis, Piazza della Libertà (tel 040.421.521); Europcar, Via Mazzini 1 (tel 040.367.944); Maggiore, at the train station (tel 040.421.323).

Club Alpino Italiano Via Donota 2 (tel 040.630.464).

Consulates UK, Vicolo delle Ville 16 (Tues & Fri 9am-12.30pm; tel 040.302.884); US Consular Agent, Via Roma 15 (Mon-Fri 10am-noon; tel 040.660.177).

Festivals and events During the summer there are programmes of musical events at the castle of San Giusto, and the Verdi opera house (tel 040.672.2500) has a summer season, performing mostly operetta. The Festa dell’Unità runs from end of July to mid-August - check the timetable in Il Piccolo , Trieste’s regular paper, which should also have details of the festivals in the Carso villages .

Hospital Ospedale Maggiore, Piazza dell’Ospedale (tel 040.399.1111); in an emergency, dial 118.

Internet access Sportnet , Piazza Squero Vecchio, just west of Piazza Unita (Mon-Sat 9am-1pm & 3.30-7.30pm); Caffè Internet , Viale XX Settembre (Mon-Sat).

Police The Questura is on Via Teatro Romano (tel 040.379.0111).

Post office The main post office is in Piazza Vittorio Veneto (Mon-Sat 8am-7.30pm).

Taxis at train station tel 040.418.822; Radio Taxi tel 040.307.730.

Telephones Telecom Italia, Piazza Tommaseo 4b (8am-10pm) or at the train station (8am-10pm).

Train information tel 147.888.088.

Travel agent Agemar, Piazza Duca degli Abruzzi 1a (tel 040.363.222) - for ferry tickets to Grado and Ligano, Pirano (Slovenia), Brioni and Rovigno (Croatia).