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General Tourism Information
Entry Requirements--Passports/Visas
Travelers can enter Spain after showing a valid passport or, where applicable, an ID card which proves his or her identity and corresponds to international agreements and reciprocity. Citizens from Andorra, Austria, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Switzerland as well as all those who belong to the EEC are only required to present their ID card. The citizens of Denmark are an exception. Depending on the length of stay, citizens of certain countries are obliged to get a visa. In case of doubt, it is advisable to check with the Spanish consulates. In addition, those who wish to enter the country by car need only the so-called 'Green Card' which covers accident insurance. This card is not required of citizens from Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Austria or any member state of the EEC.
When to Go/Climate:
The tourist season runs from Easter to mid-October. The best months for sightseeing are May, June, September and early October, when the weather is usually pleasant and sunny without being unbearably hot. While temperatures fluctuate throughout the country, the average daytime temperatures for Madrid range from 47 degrees in January to 87 degrees in July.
Pets
To bring pets into Spain, visitors must present at customs certificates of origin and good health in keeping with international norms on such matters, and signed by officially recognized veterinarians in the respective country of origin. The date and nature of the vaccines administered to the animal, especially anti-rabies vaccine, must appear on the certificate. Many Spanish hotels permit dogs and cats under specific conditions. The entrance of dogs and cats in restaurants is usually prohibited, as is the case with many business establishments.
Currency and Currency Exchange
The monetary unit is the Euro. In addition most hotels, restaurants
and a large number of shops accept the most usual international
credit cards and travelers checks. Visa is the most popularly accepted
credit card, followed by MasterCard, which is called EuroCard in
Spain.
All banks have foreign currency exchange departments, a service which is also available in most hotels and in many travel agencies.
Banks are open to the public from 9:00am until 2:00pm without a break, except Saturdays when they are open from 9:00am until 12:30pm. Some branches are open in the afternoon. During the months of June to September, banks remain closed on Saturdays.
Tips
Tips are quite a tradition in Spain. Although today practically all establishments include a service charge, it is still the custom to leave something as a tip. This practice is usual in almost all bars and restaurants and extends to the bellboys or errand boys in hotels, the ushers in cinemas and theaters and though less ever day, taxi drivers. But is not obligatory in any of these cases and no one will object if the tip is omitted.
Clothing
As regards clothing, there are no specific rules in Spain. Excepting certain areas, very warm clothes are not necessary. Perhaps because going out at night is a widespread tradition, it is not a Spanish habit to dress up for dinner at a restaurant or for the theater, but this would naturally depend on the atmosphere and circumstances in every case.
Opening/Closing Times
Shops are usually open from 9:00 or 9:30am until 1:30pm and again from 4:30 or 5:00pm until 8:00 or 8:30pm. They tend to close for a day and a half every week, which is usually Saturday afternoon and Sunday, but there are many shops which only close on Sunday. In tourist areas, the shops stay open until 10:00 or 11:00pm in the summer months and are open seven days a week.
Opening times for drug stores are usually set by each town or city council, but these shops are usually open from 9:30am until 2:00pm and then from 4:30pm until 8:00pm. Outside of these times, there are establishments on special duty which remain open beyond the established schedule. Every drug store has a list of all those on special duty at any given moment with indications as to which is the nearest. The list is also published every day in the newspaper.
Post Offices are usually open weekdays from 9:00am until 2:00pm, but this can vary; check locally.
Museums and church opening times vary. Most are open in the morning, and most close one day a week, often Monday.
Languages
Castilian Spanish throughout the country: Catalan, Valencian, Basque (Euskera) and Galician in those respective Autonomous Communities.
Electricity
220 volts AC |
Useful links for travelers to Spain
Tourist Board of Spain: http://www.spain.info
Information on Granada: http://granadainfo.com/granadabasic.htm
Explore Seville: http://www.exploreseville.com
Barcelona Travel Guide: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/barcelona
Madrid Travel Guide: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/madrid
| One caveat: We have written our property reference pages to be as concise as possible. Therefore, if an amenity is NOT listed, chances are it is not offered by the property. Though we attempt to be as accurate as possible and ask each property to recheck the information that they have provided, breakdowns in communications can occasionally occur. For that reason, Barclay International Group cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies contained in the information. If you do uncover mistakes in our information, please bring them to our attention so we may correct them as soon as possible. Also, rates occasionally change mid-season due to currency fluctuations and so forth; we cannot guarantee rates until actual bookings are placed. Consider the rates contained in our rate sheets to be approximate rate guidelines, rather than figures carved in stone. We have included links to country and city information in our pages. While we will attempt to verify these links on a regular basis, we would certainly appreciate it if anyone discovering a non-operational link brings this information to our attention. Thank you. |
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