Spain Travel Facts & Tips

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Captial City	Madrid

Dialing Code	(00) 34

Emergency Numbers	Ambulance 112 and 061, police 091 & fire 112

Weather	Since Spain is such a large country, its climate varies significantly depending on the region. Generally, you can expect a Mediterranean climate; hot, dry summers and mild, often with rainy winters. The vast central plateau (Meseta), has a more continental climate with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Mountains that surround the plateau have a higher rainfall and often heavy snowfalls in winter. The Basque Country, including Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia has a maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters. On the Mediterranean coast, the climate is moderate. Rain is rather rare and the heat haze (calina), is common during summer. Summers on the Atlantic coast by contrast are cooler and there can be rather heavy rainfall during winter. Inland, the summers are hot and there’s less rainfall. The Balearic islands have a maritime climate, with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers, with the Canary Islands being even warmer than the Balearic Islands. The coastal regions are generally fairly mild, but in arid areas such as Tenerife, can get very hot.

Tourist Board website	http://www.spain.info

Most Famous For	Bullfighting, paella, Don Quixote

Useful Phrases	hola (hello), adios (goodbye), gracias (thank you)

Accommodation	Hotel-style accommodation in large cities is interchangably referred to as hotel, hostal or pension. Don’t confuse a hostel with a hostal; a hostel is a backpacker-type of accommodation whereas a hostal is more like a guest house although generally cheaper than a hotel. A Casa Rural is the equivalent to a Bed and Breakfast or a Gītes in France. They generally are located in the countryside or in smaller towns. They vary in quality and price, depending on the region; in Galicia for example, they are controlled and inspected. A Parador ("inn") is a state-owned hotel in Spain. There are more than 100 of them, and they are all part of the chain of hotels founded by the Spanish King Alfonso XIII in 1928! Unique about the Paradores is their location and their history. You’d find most of them in historical buildings, castles (like La Alhambra), or haciendas. In most cases they serve breakfast and often you get the chance to get to know the regional cuisine while staying. Particularly in the capital, Madrid as wellas other large cities, there are plenty of hostels. You can get a bed in a shared room from €15 to €25 per night.

Business Hours	Banks are open Monday - Thursday 09.30-16.30, Friday 08.30-14.00 Saturday 08.30- 13.00. Shops' nornal opening hours are Monday- Saturday 09.30/10.00-14.00, then 17.00-20.00/20.30, although big stores do not close for lunch and some are also open on Sunday.

Visas	Citizens of EU countries, as well as those in Iceland, Norway and Switzerland do not need a visa. Citizens of Andorra, Anguilla, Argentina, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cayman Islands, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Falkland Islands, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR), Israel, Korea (Rep), Liechtenstein, Macau (SAR), Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, St Helena, San Marino, Singapore, Turks & Caicos Islands, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days.

Tipping	Service charges are generally not included in the bill, but tipping is common. Generally your tip would be 10-15% of the price, or you could simply leave the small change after paying with a note. Since VAT is not alway included in Spain, always check in the menu whether VAT (7%, IVA in Spanish) is or not before ordering!

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