Spain

1. Did you know that Spain is the home to some of the finest art galleries in the world. The Prado in Madrid has few rivals, and there are outstanding art museums in Bilbao, Seville, Barcelona, Valencia, and Cordoba. Make it to these places.

2. For your information, most towns and villages have tourist offices (oficina de turismo) that supply maps and basic information. The travel agency TIVE, with offices in major cities throughout Spain, specializes on discounted tickets and travel arrangements.

3. English isn't widely spoken. Spaniards are friendly people- tolerant and easy going. Very easy to get along with… you'll get fond of them.

4. Respect Spanish customs regulations. Check Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice before traveling.

5. The New Spaniards by John Hooper is a fascinating summary of the modern Spanish society and culture. Reading one would surely benefit you.

6. ATM's accept a wide variety of cards in Spain. Spain is an affordable country. If you spend your money carefully, there will be no strain on your money belt.

7. Banks are open on weekdays from 8.30am to 2pm, Saturday to 1.00pm. They generally give better exchange rates than currency exchange offices.

8. Arrest for drunken behaviour can lead to prison sentences.

9. Take care of your belongings at all times. Leave your tickets and passport in a safe place. Bring enough money with you for your stay and return. Money transfers can take a little time to arrange and if you miss your return charter flight you may need to buy another ticket.

10. Take comprehensive travel insurance, which provides for medical repatriation in the event of an illness, as well as for unexpected losses, e.g. luggage and credit cards.

11. Take particular care if you are driving. Traffic fines are heavy and must be paid on the spot. As a pedestrian, you should take care particularly when crossing or walking along unlit roads at night.

12. Following the withdrawal of duty free facilities within the European Union, customs authorities in all member countries have introduced guidance levels for the importation of tobacco, alcohol and other products purchased by visitors for their own use.

13. If you make a purchase more than the amount specified by the Customs, you must be able to satisfy Customs Officers at both the points of departure and arrival that the goods are for their personal use.

14. It is a requirement that you must be able to show some form of identity if requested to do so by, for example the police. It is permissible to carry photocopies of the relevant pages of passports to avoid losing the original, which should be kept in a safe place.

15. You can expect a trouble-free holiday, with the possible hitch being robbery. Pickpocketing and handbag snatching are common in some of the larger Spanish cities and towns. Passports, credit cards, travel tickets and money should not be carried together in handbags or pockets.

16. You should be wary of approaches by strangers either asking for directions or asking for help of any kind. These approaches are sometimes ploys to distract attention while accomplices make off with valuables or possessions.

17. You should take particular care when driving as regulations are different Take care particularly when crossing, or walking along, unlit roads at night.

 

If you are curious to know about the popular bull-fighting… Bullfighting is enjoying resurgence despite continued pressure from international animal rights activists. It is considered as a complex activity that is an art form.

Contacts-Spain

 

TIME ZONE

Mainland Spain and Balearics GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 during the summer)

TELEPHONE SERVICES

Country Code: 34
IDD: International Direct Dialling is available
Outgoing Code: 07

EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Dial 112
Additional local numbers:-Police - 091; Fire / Ambulance (Bomberas) - 085

LOCAL TOURIST INFORMATION

Direccion General de Turespaña; Jose Lázaro Galdiano 6; 28036 Madrid;
Spain Tel: (1) 343 3500 Fax: (1) 343 3446.

PASSPORT INFORMATION

Valid passport required by all except: Nationals of EU countries with valid national ID cards and nationals of Austria; Belgium; France; Luxembourg; The Netherlands and Portugal whose passports expired less than 5 years. Nationals of Germany and the UK with passports expired less than 1 year. Nationals of Andorra; Iceland; Liechtenstein; Malta; Monaco; Netherland Antilles and Switzerland holding valid national ID cards or expired passports (maximum 5 years). Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure. It is advisable to have a return ticket. If you have no return ticket you may be asked for sufficient proof of funds to finance your stay.

VISA INFORMATION

Required by all except Nationals of Aruba; Bolivia; Bonaire; Colombia; Costa Rica; Croatia; Curacao; Ecuador; El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Kenya; Malaysia; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Singapore; Suriname and Venezuela for up to 3 months. Nationals who do not require a visa to visit a country which is a signatory to the Schengen agreement.

PROHIBITED ITEMS

Narcotics and firearms.

AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX

Not present.

HEALTH MATTERS

Typhoid, Malaria, Yellow Fever.

FOOD AND DRINK

Water is considered drinkable; normal precautions should be observed with food.

CURRENCY

Peseta (Pta) Exchange: Any banks and most travel agencies.
NOTE: Import and export of local currency is subject to the amount of declaration if the amount exceeds Pta 1000000 and the amount exported must not exceed the amount declared on arrival. All major credit cards are accepted. Travelers cheques in Sterling pounds can be easily exchanged.
ATM availability: Over 35 000 locations.

MONEY WIRING SERVICES

MoneyGram: 900 96 1218. Western Union: (95) 205 0219

CREDIT CARD EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Amex: +44 1273 696933
Diners Club: (43) (1) 5474000
Spain Visa: 900 95 1125

TRAVELERS CHEQUES EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Spain Thomas Cook: 900 99 4403

BANKING HOURS

0900 - 1400 Mon. to Fri; 0900 - 1300 Sat (except during the summer).

COST OF LIVING

Similar prices to other Western European countries.

LANGUAGES

Spanish (Castillan); Catalan; Galician and Basque.

WEATHER

Varies from Temperate in the North to hot and dry in the South. The best months are from April to Oct although it can be excessively hot between July and August except at the coastal regions. The central plateau can be extremely cold during the winter.

RELIGIONS

Roman Catholic is the majority.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

2000: Jan 01; 06. Apr 01; 21-24. May 01. June 22; 24. July 25. Aug 15. Oct 12. Nov 01. Dec 01; 08; 25.
2001: Jan 01; 06. Apr 13-16. May 01. Aug 15. Oct 12. Nov 01. Dec 06; 08; 25. .

POST

5 days. All facilities are available at main post offices.

RADIO FREQUENCIES

BBC: 15.58 12.09 9.410 6.195 VOA: 9.760 6.040 5.995.

WOMEN IN SOCIETY

Spanish women retain traditional values in rural areas; but many of the formerly strict religious and social customs are becoming slightly more relaxed; particularly in urban and tourist regions. Spain is one of the safest countries for women to travel in.

TRANSPORT

RAIL: Most cities are well served. It is mainly a radial service with connections between Madrid and all the major cities. The Spanish rail system is one of the cheapest in Europe. Discounts and special concessions can be found.
ROAD: Motorways are well maintained and connect North and South. Trunk roads between major cities are general well maintained.
BUS: Services run between towns and are cheap and efficient.
CAR HIRE: all major companies have agencies.