Spain Travel Guide

Social Conventions

Spanish life has undergone rapid change in recent decades and stricter religious customs have been superseded by more modern ways, particularly in the cities and among women. In spite of this, traditions remain strong; hospitality, chivalry and courtesy thrive. Handshaking is the customary form of greeting between men, while women (outside of a business context) are greeted with a fleeting kiss to either cheek (left then right).

Normal social courtesies should be observed when visiting someone's home, and a small gift is always appreciated. In bars and restaurants, one person normally pays for each round or meal, unless there are a lot of people. Conservative casual wear is widely acceptable. Outside resorts, scanty beachwear should be confined to beach or poolside.

Spaniards eat late; lunch around 1400-1530; the evening meal 2100-2300. The Spanish have two family names; the maternal surname follows the paternal, but is rarely used outside a formal context. Smoking is banned in offices, shops, schools, hospitals, cultural centers and on public transport. Bars and restaurants must declare whether they permit or prohibit smoking. The vast majority have opted for the former, though large restaurants are obliged by law to have a substantial non-smoking section.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

The national airline is IBERIA (IB) (www.iberia.com).

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Spain boasts over 30 international airports, run by AENA (Aeropuertos Espanoles y Navegación Aérea). Their excellent website (www.aena.es) has comprehensive transport and service information.

Madrid (MAD) (Barajas) is 13km (8 miles) northeast of the city. Terminal 4 is separate from the rest of the airport and connected by bus and metro. To/from the airport: Bus and underground services depart to the city regularly. Taxi service is available. Facilities: Restaurants and bars, bank, several car hire offices, hotel reservation and tourist information desks, and duty-free shop.

Barcelona (BCN) (el Prat) is 3km (2 miles) southwest of the city. To/from the airport: Bus and rail services to the city depart regularly. Taxi service to the city is available (journey time - 30 minutes). Facilities: A bank, restaurant, bar, several car hire companies, hotel reservation and tourist information desks and duty-free shops.

Alicante (ALC) (Altet) is 12km (7 miles) southwest of the city. To/from the airport: Bus service runs to the city regularly. A taxi service is available to the city. There is a taxi connection between Alicante and Valencia Airport. Facilities: Duty-free shop, bank, bureau de change, car hire, tourist information and restaurant.

Málaga (AGP) is 10km (6 miles) southwest of the city. To/from the airport: Buses run regularly throughout the day; a convenient train service zips you into the center or to nearby resort towns like Torremolinos. A taxi service to the city is available. Facilities: Duty-free shop, bank/bureau de change, restaurant and car hire.

Valencia (VLC) (Manises) is 8km (5 miles) west of the city. To/from the airport: An aero bus takes passengers into the city. Other buses travel to the city frequently throughout the day. Taxis also run. Facilities: Several car hire firms, bank/bureau de change, restaurant, bar and duty-free shop.

Getting There By Water

Main ports: Algeciras (www.apba.es), Bilbao (www.bilbaoport.es), Barcelona (www.apb.es), Santander (www.puertosantander.es), Valencia (www.valenciaport.com).

Brittany Ferries (tel: 0871 244 0744, in the UK; www.brittany-ferries.co.uk) operates a service to Santander (on the north coast) from Plymouth and Portsmouth (journey time - 20 to 24 hours). P&O European Ferries (tel: 0871 6 645 645, in the UK; www.poferries.com) operates a service from Portsmouth to Bilbao (journey time - 35 hours).

Getting There By Rail

The quickest route by train from the UK is through the Channel Tunnel with connections from Paris to Spain. Eurostar operates direct high-speed trains from London to Paris (Gare du Nord). For further information and reservations, contact Eurostar (tel: 0870 160 6600, in the UK; www.eurostar.com); or Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; www.raileurope.co.uk).

There are direct train services to Madrid and Barcelona from France and Portugal, as well as Barcelona-Zürich and Barcelona-Milan. Border connections link with the French TGV (high-velocity route) and the rest of the high-velocity routes in Europe. Motorail services run between Paris and Madrid. For more information, contact the Spanish Rail service (tel: (020) 7725 7063; www.spanish-rail.co.uk) or Renfe (www.renfe.es).

Rail Passes

InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Eurailpass: For non-European residents. Options include a comprehensive Global Pass with practically unlimited travel in 18 European countries, the more limited Select Pass and Regional pass, or the single-country National Pass. For more details, contact The Eurail Group (www.eurail.com).

Getting There By Road

The main route from the UK is via France. The main motorways to Spain from France are via Bordeaux or Toulouse to San Sebastián (northern Spain) and via Marseille or Toulouse to Barcelona (eastern Spain).

Eurolines (tel: 08717 818181, from the UK; www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services to Spain. Passes: Travelers can book a 15- or 30-day pass.

Duty Free

Overview

Spain is within the European Union. If you are traveling from the UK, you are entitled to buy fragance, skincare, cosmetics, Champagne, wine, selected spirits, fashion accessories, gifts and souvenirs - all at tax-free equivalent prices. There are no longer any allowance restrictions on these tax-free items.

The Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla are treated as being outside of the EU for the duty-free section. If you are arriving from a non-EU country, the following goods may be imported into Spain by persons over 17 years of age without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco (300 cigarettes, 150 cigarillos, 70 cigars and 400g of tobacco for EU nationals).
• 1L of spirits if exceeding 22% volume or 2L of alcoholic beverage not exceeding 22% volume and 2L of other wine (1.5L exceeding 22% and 3L of up to 22% and 5L of wine for EU nationals).
• 250mL eau de toilette and 50g of perfume (375mL eau de toilette and 75g perfume for EU nationals).
• 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract (1000g of coffee and 4000g of coffee extract for EU nationals).
• 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract (200g tea or 80g tea extract for EU nationals).
• Gifts up to the value of approximately €37.26 (no limit for EU nationals).

Note: The Canary Islands are not part of the EU.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

Most major provincial cities have an airport served by the national airline Iberia (IB; www.iberia.com) or subsidiaries. Other airlines flying domestic routes include Air Europa (UX; www.aireuropa.com), Spanair (JK; www.spanair.com), and the budget operator Vueling (VY; www.vueling.com).

Getting Around By Water

The main domestic sea routes run from Barcelona, Denia, and Valencia to the Balearic Islands, from Cádiz to the Canary Islands, and from Algeciras, Almería, and Málaga to the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Trasmediterranea (www.trasmediterranea.es) is one of the principal operators, while the websites www.directferries.es and www.aferries.es cover all routes.

Getting Around By Rail

Spain's high-speed rail network is rapidly expanding, making this a convenient, though far from cheap, way to explore the country. Nearly all train services are operated by RENFE (tel: 902 240 202; www.renfe.es); you can check timetables and buy tickets via their website.

Rail Passes

Students can purchase the InterRail pass (www.interrailnet.com) from travel agents, but it's not valid on high-speed trains. An international student or young-person's card grants a discount, and if you're over 60 you can purchase a Tarjeta Dorada for a small fee, granting a substantial saving on all rail services.

Normal fares vary according to the type of service. First class is preferente, which costs around 30% more. It's worth buying tickets in advance for long-distance services.

Getting Around By Road

Traffic drives on the right. Motorways (autopistas, numbered with ‘A' ) are well-maintained and form a comprehensive network across the whole country. Tolls are in operation on some sections and can be paid in cash or by card. Trunk roads (rutas nacionales, numbered with ‘N') between major cities are generally fast and well-maintained. Rural roads are of differing quality.

Coach/Bus: Intercity bus services are the staple transport of Spain, and are fast and cheap. Departures are generally from a central terminal at which the operators will have individual booths selling tickets. Most places have a bus link of some kind, even the more remote villages. The biggest operator is Alsa (tel: 902 422 242; www.alsa.es).

Car hire: All major car hire companies are represented in major cities, resorts and airports. Drivers must be over 21 to hire a car.

Regulations: Seat belts must be worn. Spare bulbs, red hazard triangles and a reflective vest or jacket must be kept in all vehicles. Parking laws are rigorously enforced. The speed limit for motorways is 120kph (80mph); in built-up areas the limit is 50kph (30mph); for other roads it is 90kph (56mph) or 100kph (62mph). The legal limit for drink driving is 0,5 grams of alcohol per liter of blood and penalties are severe.

Emergency breakdown service: Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE) (tel: 902 300 505; www.race.es).

Documentation: Most foreign licenses including Canadian, EU and US are accepted. Minimum third Party insurance is compulsory; carry a copy of your policy and registration document if bringing your own car.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

Traffic in Spanish cities is normally heavy, and urban driving takes some time to adjust to. City public transport facilities are generally good. Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Sevilla and Valencia have metros as well as buses; work on the first two lines of the Málaga metro is well underway. Other towns and resorts are well served by local buses. Metered taxis are available in all major towns and cities.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Madrid to other major cities and towns in Spain.

	Air	Road	Rail
Barcelona	1.00	6.00	3.00
Canary Is.	2.30	-	-
Servilla	1.00	5.30	2.30
Palma	1.10	4.30*	3.00*

* Plus five to seven hours by ferry (three hours by catamaran).