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Spain Travel Tips, Holiday Information and Tourist Information.If your planning a holiday to Spain then spare a couple of minutes to read the following travel information on Spain as it may help you find a few helpful tips to make your holiday more enjoyable. If you are looking for holiday accommodation in Spain then search Apartment and Villa Rentals for apartments and villas to rent, plus many more holiday rentals in Spain. If you have a holiday home to rent in Spain then you can advertise it on Apartment and Villa Rentals. When people think of Spain what first comes to mind? Bullfights, crowded beaches and flamenco dancers. Spain is a diverse country that is truly spectacular. Visit a prehistoric cave and travel through the history of Spain with the ancient cave paintings. Roman ruins, Gothic cathedrals, Moorish palaces and crumbling castles well as some very modern architecture. Spain is made up of separate regions that remain diverse in their language, cuisine, culture and art. They include: Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Basque Country, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla La Mancha, Castilla León, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra and Valencia. Each region has different areas of interest. Whatever people are looking for in a holiday they will find a holiday full of action, adventure, beaches, golf, traditional places to visit and night life round every corner. Locals love to mingle in the tourist areas and you can find some fantastic tapas bars set just off the main streets.
Many parts of Spain are open for business all year round but the ideal months to visit Spain are between May and September (plus April and October in the south). Most of the time you can rely on good weather, this does though bring in huge amounts of foreign tourists along with Spainish holiday makers from further north. Summer is high season for coastal and interior regions in Spain. Tourism on the Iberian Peninsula reaches its height in August; the coastal regions overflow while inland cities empty out, leaving closed offices, restaurants, and lodgings. The Peninsula plays host to some thirty million tourists a year - almost one for every resident - and all the main beach and mountain resorts are packed in July and August, as are the major sights. So, as a general rule, always make reservations if you plan to travel in those months. Travelling to Spain in the low season has many advantages, one of the main one obviously is lighter crowds and lower prices. Reservation is rarely needed for hostels and hotels but then for similar prices you could take advantage of an apartment or villa privately owned for rent giving you more independence to enjoy your holiday home from home. However, keep in mind that, during these months, many smaller seaside spots are ghost towns, and tourist offices and sights cut their hours nearly everywhere. This favourable to many tourists as you can get to the places that you want to see without the crowd, enjoying Spain at your pace. To search for property to rent direct from the owner save Apartment and Villa Rentals (www.apartmentandvillarentals.com) as a favourite on your desk top.
Standard current in Spain is 220 volts but in older places you could find the old 115 volt supply. These 2 systems use plugs with two round pins. You can purchase travel adaptors to convert plugs from other countries. Most of the appliances in Spain are not earthed and it is not uncommon to find electric sockets in bathrooms and near water supplies, it goes without saying that extreme care should be taken. During storms in rural areas supply is often interrupted.
The number is 112 for emergencies, this is for the police, fire brigade and ambulance services. This number works throughout Spain. Non emergencies you need to dial 091 or 092 for the local police. The fire brigade for non emergencies is 080 and the ambulance is 061 for non emergencies. The police are very much present on the roads and do sometimes stop cars for a routine check, with this in mind please remember that when driving here you must always have your Passport and Drivers Licence with you at all times. Emergency consular services can be found for most countries in Spain. Here are the contact numbers for the main embassies of Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States in Spain. Some have a message service after hours – leave a message and the duty officer will return your call. (+34) 91 587 22 40 (Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 1:30 pm) After hours emergency: (+34) 91 587 22 00 (+34) 91 353 66 00 (+34) 91 524 97 00 (Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm) After hours emergency: (+34) 91 700 82 00 (Monday - Friday, 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm) After hours emergency: (+34) 606 987 626 (Monday - Friday, 8:00 pm - 8:00 am; Friday - Monday, 8:00 pm - 8:00 am) Madrid: (+34) 91 423 32 50 Barcelona (consulate): (+34) 93 412 72 36 Málaga (consulate): (+34) 95 222 33 46 24/7 emergency number (you can call collect from any country): (+1) 613 996 8885 (+34) 91 436 40 93 (+34) 91 523 02 26 South African Embassy in Madrid (+34) 91 436 37 80 Credit Card Theft To report lost or stolen credit cards in Spain, you can call the following numbers: American Express 902 37 56 37 Diner’s Club 902 40 11 12 Discover (U.S. number for calls from outside the U.S.): (+1) 801-902-3100 JCB Toll free number: 900 314 027 Mastercard 900 971 231 Visa 900 99 11 24
The chemist is identified with a green cross on a white background. At the chemists you can get advise on various health problems and they will suggest the appropriate treatment that suits your needs. If they feel that you should seek medical advise they will normally recommend a local surgery to visit.
Blind citizens in Spain also use white walking sticks. Drivers that are exempt from using seat-belts need to carry at all times a translation in Spanish of their exemption certificate validated by the Spanish Consulate in the UK. The orange badge scheme that you may use at home is not recognised in Spain. However, holders of the EU document (blue, depicting a photograph of the authorised person ) will be entitled to the same parking provisions as local residents, provided that the relevant autonomous governments adhere to the EU regulations on this matter. The only two regions where implementation of the EU ruling is still under study are Madrid and Murcia. Public telephones for the disabled are available in capital towns and popular summer resorts throughout Spain. The Spanish railway (RENFE) provide wheelchairs at main city frontier stations. The AVE high speed trains between Madrid & Sevilla offer facilities for wheelchair users.
Opening times for most shops throughout Spain are from 9.30am to 2pm then from 5pm to 8pm Monday to Saturday. During the hours of 2pm – 5pm the shops are normally closed for the famous Spanish "siesta". On Saturdays many small shops are only open to 2pm. Major shopping malls (usually with a cinema), department stores and supermarkets stay open without a break from 10am to 9pm or in some cases until 10pm.
The following is a list of Spain national holidays. Spain does however have many more holidays but most are regional and the dates below may change for various regions. 1 Jan New Year's Day. 6 Jan* Epiphany. 19 Mar* San Jose. 9 Apr* Maundy Thursday. 10 Apr Good Friday. 1 May Labour Day. 15 Aug Assumption. 12 Oct National Day. 1 Nov All Saints' Day. 6 Dec Constitution Day. 8 Dec Immaculate Conception. 25 Dec Christmas Day.
In Spain you could walk into one café and the local Spaniard will speak to you like he has spend most of his time in somewhere like London. On the other hand go next door and you may find that you need to get your trusted phrase book out. The best way to blend in is to have your handbook with you and try to say a few words in Spanish, you will notice that you get treated very well on most occasions. If this fails waving of the hands and pointing at what you want has been known to get the desired results. The Spanish usually greet and say goodbye to strangers in public places such as shops, bus stops and cafés. Shaking hands when introduced is very common and women usually kiss on both cheeks when they meet. It is quite common for the Spanish to omit please and thank you from their vocabulary. Treat the Spanish with respect and you will receive the same. Please respect their customs.
Opening times for the post office (Correos) are usually from 9am - 2pm Monday to Friday and 9am -1pm Saturday. As in most post offices you will find long queues at the stamp counter but they can also be bought from tobacconists. Post boxes are painted bright yellow although you may see a red one which is for express mail.
The local currency is Euros. Any foreign currency can be changed at banks, exchange stalls and even at a currency exchange machine that you will see in some main streets. Many people these days simply bring credit cards or cash cards from back home and use the machine like you would normally, once you have clicked on English the commands are very similar to what you are used too. You will be given local currency normally at your banks exchange rate. (various fees may apply, check with your bank prior to this) The above facilities are usually better than using a hotel reception as rates vary quite a lot. Banks are open 9am to 2pm Monday to Friday and Saturday 9am to 1pm. Most banks have English speaking staff and all can cope with International transactions.
In Spain the tax is known as IVA and varies between 7% and 33% depending on the item bought. Food, wine and basic requirements are taxed at 7%, most other goods and services are charged at 16% and unfortunately luxury items such as jewellery and cigarettes attract 33% tax. Hotels have a special 7% rate.
EU citizens, as well as those from Norway and Iceland, can visit Spain for up to ninety days with just their national identity card or passport. UK citizens do not need work permits at all in Spain as they are members of the EU. However, EU nationals wishing to stay longer than ninety days need to apply for a permiso de residencia (EU residence permit) in Spain. A temporary residency permit is valid for up to a year, and you'll need an extension after that (valid for up to five years). You’ll be able to make your applications need at the “Oficina de Extranjeros” in the main cities or at the police station nearest to where you'll be taking up residency. Keep in mind, however, that visa requirements do change and it is always advisable to check the current situation before leaving home. A Visa is required by all except the following countries for stays of up to 90 days: Nationals EU countries, Australia, Canada, Japan and US. Nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Korea (Rep. of), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela. Transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding valid onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport (except nationals of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka who always require a transit visa). To stay longer , EU nationals (and citizens of Norway and Iceland) can apply for a permiso de residencia (EU residence permit) once in Spain. This Spain travel information was believed to be accurate at the time of print, always check with appropriate sources prior to travelling. Apartment and Villa Rentals also have holiday accommodation in Spain. |