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Directory A-Z
Accommodation
Seasons
What constitutes low or high season depends on where and when you’re looking. Most of the year is high season in Barcelona or Madrid, especially during trade fairs that you’re unlikely to know about. August can be dead in the cities, but high season along the coast.
Winter is high season in the ski resorts of the Pyrenees and low season along the coast (indeed, many coastal towns seem to shut down between November and Easter).
Weekends are high season for boutique hotels and casas rurales (rural homes), but low season for business hotels (which often offer generous specials) in Madrid and Barcelona.
PRACTICALITIES
Weights & Measures The metric system is used.
Smoking Banned in all enclosed public spaces.
Newspapers The three main newspapers are the centre-left El País (www.elpais.com), centre-right El Mundo (www.elmundo.es) and right-wing ABC (www.abc.es); the widely available International New York Times includes an eight-page supplement of articles from El País translated into English, or check out www.elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html.
Radio Radio Nacional de España (RNE) has Radio 1, with general interest and current-affairs programs; Radio 5, with sport and entertainment; and Radio 3 (Radio d’Espop). Stations covering current affairs include the left-leaning Cadena Ser and the right-wing COPE. The most popular commercial pop and rock stations are 40 Principales, Kiss FM, Cadena 100 and Onda Cero.
TV National channels are the state-run Televisión Española (TVE1 and La 2) and the independent Antena 3, Tele 5, Cuatro and La Sexta. Regional governments run local stations, such as Madrid’s Telemadrid, Catalonia’s TV-3 and Canal 33 (both in Catalan), Galicia’s TVG, the Basque Country’s ETB-1 and ETB-2, Valencia’s Canal 9 and Andalucía’s Canal Sur.
Reservations
Reserving a room is always recommended in the high season. Finding a place to stay without booking ahead in July and August along the coast can be difficult and many places require a minimum stay of at least two nights during high season. Always check out hotel websites for discounts.
Although there’s usually no need to book ahead for a room in the low or shoulder seasons (Barcelona is a notable exception), booking ahead is usually a good idea, if for no other reason than to avoid a wearisome search for a room. Most places will ask for a credit-card number or will hold the room for you until 6pm unless you have provided credit-card details as security or you have let them know that you’ll be arriving later.
Online booking services such as Airbnb (www.airbnb.com) offer a range of accommodation types, from apartments and houses to private rooms in somebody’s house.
Prices
Accommodation in Spain can be outrageously good value by European standards. All deals are off, however, during big festivals, when prices skyrocket – sometimes quadrupling (or more) during major events such as Pamplona’s San Fermín festival.
At the lower end of the budget category there are dorm beds (from around €12 per person) in hostels or private rooms with shared bathrooms in the corridor. If you’re willing to pay a few euros more, there are many budget places, usually hostales, with good, comfortable rooms and private bathrooms. In relatively untouristed or rural areas, the prices of some boutique or other hotels can sometimes drop into the budget category, especially during low season.
Spain’s midrange hotels are generally excellent; you should always have your own private bathroom, and breakfast is sometimes included in the room price. Boutique hotels, including many that occupy artistically converted historical buildings, largely fall into this category and are almost always excellent choices.
Top-end hotels range from stunning, character-filled temples to good taste to reliably luxurious international chains.
And a final word about terminology. An habitación doble (double room) is frequently just that: a room with two beds (which you can often shove together). If you want to be sure of a double bed (cama matrimonial), ask for it!
Accommodation Types
Hotels
Spain’s hoteles run the gamut of quality, from straightforward roadside places, bland but clean, through to charming boutique gems and on to super-luxurious hotels. Even in the cheapest hotels, rooms are likely to have an attached bathroom and there will probably be a restaurant or, at the very least, a breakfast room.
Among the more tempting hotels for those with a little fiscal room to manoeuvre are the 90 or so paradores (
%902 547979; www.parador.es), a state-funded chain of hotels in often stunning locations, among them towering castles and former medieval convents. Similarly, you can find beautiful hotels in restored country homes and old city mansions, and these are not always particularly expensive.
A raft of cutting-edge, hip design hotels with cool staff and a New York feel can be found in the big cities and major resort areas. At the top end you may pay more for a room with a view – especially sea views or with a balcón (balcony) – and will often have the option of a suite.
Many places have rooms for three, four or more people where the per-person cost is lower than in a single or double, which is good news for families.
Many of the agencies listed under Apartments, Villas & Casas Rurales also have a full portfolio of hotels.
BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE
For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet authors, check out http://lonelyplanet.com/hotels/. You’ll find independent reviews, as well as recommendations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can book online.
Camas, Fondas & Hospedajes
At the budget end of the market, places listing accommodation use all sorts of overlapping names to describe themselves. In broad terms, the cheapest are usually places just advertising camas (beds), fondas (traditionally a basic eatery and inn combined, though one of these functions is now often missing) and casas de huéspedes or hospedajes (guesthouses).
Most of these places will be bare and basic. Bathrooms are likely to be shared, although if you’re lucky you may get an in-room lavabo (washbasin). In winter you may need to ask for extra blankets.
Pensiones
A pensión is usually a small step up from the camas, fondas and hospedajes in standard and price. Some cheap establishments forget to provide soap, toilet paper or towels. Don’t hesitate to ask for these necessities. On the other hand, many are charming, family-run places with clean rooms and willing service.
Hostales
Hostales are a step up from pensiones and operate as simple, small hotels – you’ll find them everywhere across the country and the better ones can be bright and spotless, with rooms boasting full en-suite bathrooms – baño privado, most often with a ducha (shower) rather than bathtub, and usually a TV, air-conditioning and/or heating.
Hostels
Spain has more than 350 hostels. These are often the cheapest places for lone travellers, but two people can usually get a better double room elsewhere for a similar price.
The hostel experience in Spain varies widely. Some hostels are only moderate value, lacking in privacy, often heavily booked by school groups, and with night-time curfews and no cooking facilities (although if there’s nowhere to cook there’s usually a cafeteria). Others, however, are conveniently located, open 24 hours and composed mainly of small dorms, often with a private bathroom. An increasing number have rooms adapted for people with disabilities. Some even occupy fine historic buildings.
Prices at hostels often depend on the season, and vary from about €15 to €30. In some hostels the price includes breakfast. A few hostels require you to rent sheets (around €2 to €5 for your stay) if you don’t have your own or a sleeping bag.
Keep in mind that some of Spain’s hostels are geared towards Spain’s youth market: the Red Española de Albergues Juveniles (www.reaj.com) require you to have an HI card or a membership card from your home country’s youth hostel association, though you can obtain an HI card in Spain at most hostels.
Generally more appealing for foreign travellers are hostel-style places not connected with HI or REAJ. These have individual rooms as well as the more typical dormitory options. A good resource for seeking out hostels, affiliated or otherwise, is Hostel World (www.hostelworld.com).
Finally, you will sometimes find independent albergues offering basic dormitory accommodation for around €10 to €20, usually in villages in areas that attract plenty of Spanish walkers and climbers. These are not specifically youth hostels – although the clientele tends to be under 35. They’re a kind of halfway house between a youth hostel and a refugio. Some will rent you sheets for a couple of euros, if you need them.
Refugios
Refugios (hostels) for walkers and climbers are liberally scattered around most of the popular mountain areas (especially the Pyrenees), except in Andalucía, which has only a handful. They’re mostly run by mountaineering and walking organisations.
Accommodation, usually bunks squeezed into a dorm, is often on a first-come, first-served basis, although for some refugios you can book ahead. In busy seasons (July and August in most areas) they can fill up quickly, and you should try to book in advance or arrive by mid-afternoon to be sure of a place. Prices per person range from nothing to €15 or more a night.
Many refugios have a bar and offer meals (dinner typically costs €10 to €16), as well as a cooking area (but no cooking equipment). Blankets are usually provided, but you’ll have to bring any other sheets or sleeping bag (or rent it at the refugio). Bring a torch too.
The Pyrenees are particularly well served with refugios; check out the following:
Albergues & Refugios de Aragón (www.alberguesyrefugiosdearagon.com) To make reservations in refugios and albergues.
Catalan Pyrenees Several organisations are worth checking out for info and bookings: the Federació d’Entitats Excursionistes da Catalunya (FEEC; www.feec.cat), the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya (CEC; http://cec.cat) and La Central de Refugis (www.lacentralderefugis.com).
SLEEPING PRICE RANGES
The following price ranges refer to a double room with private bathroom:
€ less than €65
€€ from €65 to €140
€€€ more than €140
The price ranges for Madrid and Barcelona are inevitably higher:
€ less than €75
€€ from €75 to €200
€€€ more than €200
Apartments, Villas & Casas Rurales
Throughout Spain you can rent self-catering apartments and houses from one night upwards. Villas and houses are widely available on the main holiday coasts and in popular country areas.
A simple one-bedroom apartment in a coastal resort for two or three people might cost as little as €40 per night, although more often you’ll be looking at nearly twice that much, and prices jump even further in high season.
More luxurious options with a swimming pool might come in at anything between €200 and €400 for four people.
Rural tourism has become immensely popular, with accommodation available in many new and often charming casas rurales.
These are usually comfortably renovated village houses or farmhouses with a handful of rooms – check whether you’re renting a room or the whole house (which is more common) for casas rurales.
They often go by other names, such as cases de pagès in Catalonia, casas de aldea in Asturias, posadas and casonas in Cantabria and so on. Some just provide rooms, while others offer meals or self-catering accommodation.
Lower-end prices typically hover around €30/50 for a single/double per night, but classy boutique establishments can easily charge €100 or more for a double. Many are rented out by the week.
Agencies include the following:
Associació Agroturisme Balear (www.rusticbooking.com)
Casas Cantabricas (www.casas.co.uk)
Cases Rurals de Catalunya (www.casesrurals.com)
Escapada Rural (www.escapadarural.com)
Fincas 4 You (www.fincas4you.com)
Owners Direct (www.ownersdirect.co.uk)
Ruralka (www.ruralka.com)
Rustic Rent (www.rusticrent.com)
Rusticae (www.rusticae.es)
Secret Places (www.secretplaces.com)
Top Rural (www.toprural.com)
Traum Ferienwohnungen (www.traum-ferienwohnungen.de)
Villas 4 You (www.villas4you.co.uk)
Vintage (vintagetravel.co.uk)
Camping & Caravan Parks
Spain has around 1000 officially graded campings (camping grounds). Some of these are well located in woodland or near beaches or rivers, but others are on the outskirts of towns or along highways. Few of them are near city centres, and camping isn’t particularly convenient if you’re relying on public transport.
Tourist offices can always direct you to the nearest camping ground. Camping grounds are officially rated as 1st class (1ªC), 2nd class (2ªC) or 3rd class (3ªC). There are also some that are not officially graded, usually equivalent to 3rd class.
Facilities generally range from reasonable to very good, although any camping ground can be crowded and noisy at busy times (especially July and August). Even a 3rd-class camping ground is likely to have hot showers, electrical hook-ups and a cafe. The best ones have heated swimming pools, supermarkets, restaurants, laundry service, children’s playgrounds and tennis courts.
Camping grounds usually charge per person, per tent and per vehicle – typically €5 to €10 for each. Children usually pay less than adults.
Many camping grounds close from around October to Easter. You occasionally come across a zona de acampada or área de acampada, a country camping ground with minimal facilities (maybe just tap water or a couple of barbecues), little or no supervision and little or no charge.
If it’s in an environmentally protected area, you may need to obtain permission from the local environmental authority to camp there. With certain exceptions – such as many beaches and environmentally protected areas and a few municipalities that ban it – it is legal to camp outside camping grounds (but not within 1km of official ones).
Signs usually indicate where wild camping is not allowed. If in doubt, you can always check with tourist offices. You’ll need permission to camp on private land.
Useful websites:
Campings Online (www.campingsonline.com/espana) Booking service.
Campinguía (www.campinguia.com) Comments (mostly in Spanish) and links.
Guía Camping (www.guiacampingfecc.com) Online version of the annual Guía Camping (€15), which is available in bookshops around the country.
Monasteries
An offbeat possibility is staying in a monastery. In spite of the expropriations of the 19th century and a sometimes rough run in the 20th, numerous monastic orders have survived across the country.
Some offer rooms to outsiders – often fairly austere monks’ or nuns’ cells.
Monastery accommodation is generally a single-sex arrangement, and the idea in quite a few is to seek refuge from the outside world and indulge in quiet contemplation and meditation. On occasion, where the religious order continues ancient tradition by working on farmland, orchards and/or vineyards, you may have the opportunity (or there may be the expectation) to work, too.
Useful resources include the following:
Alojamientos en Monasterios (www.alojamientomonasterios.com)
Alojamientos Monásticos de España A guidebook to Spain’s monasteries by Javier de Sagastizabal and José Antonio Egaña, although it’s in desperate need of an update (the latest edition dates to 2003).
Customs Regulations
Duty-free allowances for travellers entering Spain from outside the EU include 2L of wine (or 1L of wine and 1L of spirits), and 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.
There are no restrictions on the import of duty-paid items into Spain from other EU countries for personal use. You can buy VAT-free articles at airport shops when travelling between EU countries.
Discount Cards
At museums, never hesitate to ask if there are discounts for students, young people, children, families or seniors.
Seniors Reduced prices for people over 60, 63 or 65 (depending on the place) at various museums and attractions (sometimes restricted to EU citizens) and occasionally on transport.
Student cards Discounts (usually half the normal fee) for students. You will need some kind of identification (eg an International Student Identity Card; www.isic.org) to prove student status. Not accepted everywhere.
Youth cards Travel, sights and youth-hostel discounts with the European Youth Card (www.eyca.org), known as Carné Joven in Spain.
Electricity
Spain uses the two-pin continental plugs in use elsewhere in Europe. In Gibraltar, both these and the three-square-pin plugs from the UK are used, though the latter is more common.
Embassies & Consulates
The embassies are located in Madrid. Some countries also maintain consulates in major cities, particularly in Barcelona.
Australian Embassy (%91 353 66 00; www.spain.embassy.gov.au; 24th fl, Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, Madrid)
Canadian Embassy (%91 382 84 00; www.canadainternational.gc.ca/spain-espagne; Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, Madrid)
Canadian Consulate (%93 270 36 14; www.canadainternational.gc.ca; Plaça de Catalunya 9, Barcelona; 
h9am-12.30pm Mon-Fri; 
mCatalunya)
Canadian Consulate (%95 222 33 46; Plaza de la Malagueta 2, Málaga; h10am-1pm Mon-Fri)
Dutch Embassy (%91 353 75 00; www.paisesbajosmundial.nl/paises/espana; Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, Madrid)
French Embassy (%91 423 89 00; www.ambafrance-es.org; Calle de Salustiano Olózaga 9, Madrid; mRetiro)
French Consulate (%93 270 30 00; www.barcelone.consulfrance.org; Ronda de la Universitat 22bis, Barcelona; h9am-1pm Mon-Fri; mCatalunya) Further consulates in Bilbao and Seville.
German Embassy (%91 557 90 00; www.spanien.diplo.de; Calle de Fortuny 8; mRubén Darío)
German Consulate (%93 292 10 00; www.spanien.diplo.de; Torre Mapfre, Calle de Marina 16-18, Barcelona; h8.30am-noon & 2-3.30pm Mon-Thu, 8.30am-noon Fri; mCiutadella Vila Olímpica) Further consulates in Málaga and Palma de Mallorca.
Irish Embassy (%91 436 40 93; www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/Spain; Paseo de la Castellana 46, Madrid; mRubén Darío)
Japanese Embassy (%91 590 76 00; www.es.emb-japan.go.jp; Calle de Serrano 109; mGregorio Marañon)
Moroccan Embassy (%91 563 10 90; www.embajada-marruecos.es; Calle de Serrano 179, Madrid; mSanto Domingo) Further consulates-general in Algeciras, Almería, Bilbao, Seville, Tarragona and Valencia.
New Zealand Embassy (%91 523 02 26; www.mfat.govt.nz; 3rd fl, Calle de Pinar 7, Madrid; mGregorio Marañon)
UK Embassy (%91 714 63 00; www.gov.uk/government/world/spain; Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, Madrid)
UK Consulate (%93 366 62 00; www.gov.uk; Avinguda Diagonal 477, Barcelona; h8.30am-1.30pm Mon-Fri; mHospital Clínic) Further consulates in Alicante, Bilbao, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca and Málaga.
US Embassy (%91 587 22 00; https://es.usembassy.gov/es; Calle de Serrano 75, Madrid; mNuñez de Balboa)
US Consulate (%93 280 22 27; www.usembassy.gov/spain; Passeig de la Reina Elisenda de Montcada 23, Barcelona; h9am-1pm Mon-Fri; 
dFGC Reina Elisenda) Consular agencies in A Coruña, Fuengirola, Palma de Mallorca, Seville and Valencia.
Health
Spain has an excellent health-care system.
Availability & Cost of Health Care
If you need an ambulance, call 061 or the general emergency number 112. For emergency treatment, go straight to the urgencias (casualty) section of the nearest hospital.
Farmacias offer valuable advice and sell over-the-counter medication. In Spain, a system of farmacias de guardia (duty pharmacies) operates so that each district has one open all the time.
When a pharmacy is closed, it posts the name of the nearest open one on the door.
Medical costs are lower in Spain than in many other European countries, but can still mount quickly if you are uninsured. Costs if you attend casualty range from nothing (in some regions) to around €80.
Altitude Sickness
AIf you’re hiking at altitude, altitude sickness may be a risk. Lack of oxygen at high altitudes (over 2500m) affects most people to some extent.
ASymptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) usually develop during the first 24 hours at altitude but may be delayed by up to three weeks.
AMild symptoms include headache, lethargy, dizziness, difficulty sleeping and loss of appetite.
AAMS may become more severe without warning and can be fatal.
ASevere symptoms include breathlessness, a dry, irritative cough (which may progress to the production of pink, frothy sputum), severe headache, lack of coordination and balance, confusion, irrational behaviour, vomiting, drowsiness and unconsciousness.
ATreat mild symptoms by resting at the same altitude until recovery, usually for a day or two.
AParacetamol or aspirin can be taken for headaches.
AIf symptoms persist or become worse, immediate descent is necessary; even 500m can help.
ADrug treatments should never be used to avoid descent or to enable further ascent.
Bites & Stings
ABe wary of the hairy reddish-brown caterpillars of the pine processionary moth – touching the caterpillars’ hairs sets off a severely irritating skin reaction.
ASome Spanish centipedes have a very nasty but nonfatal sting.
AJellyfish, which have stinging tentacles, are an increasing problem at beaches along the Mediterranean coastline.
ALataste’s viper is the only venomous snake that is even relatively common in Spain. It has a triangular head, grows up to 75cm long, and is grey with a zigzag pattern. It lives in dry, rocky areas, away from humans. Its bite can be fatal and needs to be treated with a serum, which state clinics in major towns keep in stock.
Hypothermia
AThe weather in Spain’s mountains can be extremely changeable at any time of year.
AProper preparation will reduce the risks of getting hypothermia: always carry waterproof garments and warm layers, and inform others of your route.
AHypothermia starts with shivering, loss of judgment and clumsiness; unless warming occurs, the sufferer deteriorates into apathy, confusion and coma.
APrevent further heat loss by seeking shelter, wearing warm dry clothing, drinking hot sweet drinks and sharing body warmth.
Tap Water
Tap water is generally safe to drink in Spain, although there are exceptions (Ibiza among them). If you are in any doubt, ask, ¿Es potable el agua (del grifo)? (Is the (tap) water drinkable?).
Do not drink water from rivers or lakes as it may contain bacteria or viruses that can cause diarrhoea or vomiting.
Insurance
A travel-insurance policy to cover theft, loss, medical problems and cancellation or delays to your travel arrangements is a good idea.
Paying for your ticket with a credit card can often provide limited travel-accident insurance and you may be able to reclaim the payment if the operator doesn’t deliver.
Worldwide travel insurance is available at www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-insurance. You can buy, extend and claim online anytime – even if you’re already on the road.
Internet Access
Wi-fi is almost universally available at hotels, as well as in some cafes, restaurants and airports; usually (but not always) it’s free.
Connection speed often varies from room to room in hotels (and coverage is sometimes restricted to the hotel lobby), so always ask when you check in or make your reservation if you need a good connection.
Some tourist offices may have a list of wi-fi hot spots in their area.
Language Courses
Among the more popular places to learn Spanish are Barcelona, Granada, Madrid, Salamanca and Seville. In these places and elsewhere, Spanish universities offer good-value language courses.
The Escuela Oficial de Idiomas is a nationwide language institution where you can learn Spanish and other local languages. Classes can be large and busy but are generally fairly cheap. There are branches in many major cities.
Private language schools as well as universities cater for a wide range of levels, course lengths, times of year, intensity and special requirements. Many courses have a cultural component as well as language. University courses often last a semester, although some are as short as two weeks or as long as a year.
Private colleges can be more flexible. One with a good reputation is donQuijote (www.donquijote.com), with branches in Barcelona, Granada, Madrid, Salamanca and Valencia.
It’s also worth finding out whether your course will lead to any formal certificate of competence. The Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera (DELE) are recognised by Spain’s Ministry of Education.
Legal Matters
If you’re arrested, you will be allotted the free services of an abogado de oficio (duty solicitor), who may speak only Spanish. You’re also entitled to make a phone call. If you use this to contact your embassy or consulate, the staff will probably be able to do no more than refer you to a lawyer who speaks your language. If you end up in court, the authorities are obliged to provide a translator.
In theory, you are supposed to have your national ID card or passport with you at all times. If asked for it by the police, you are supposed to be able to produce it on the spot. In practice it is rarely an issue and many people choose to leave passports in hotel safes.
The Policía Local or Policía Municipal operates at a local level and deals with such issues as traffic infringements and minor crime.
The Policía Nacional (091) is the state police force, dealing with major crime and operating primarily in the cities.
The military-linked Guardia Civil (created in the 19th century to deal with banditry) is largely responsible for highway patrols, borders, security, major crime and terrorism. Several regions have their own police forces, such as the Mossos d’Esquadra in Catalonia and the Ertzaintza in the Basque Country.
Cannabis is legal but only for personal use and in very small quantities. Public consumption of any illicit drug is illegal.
Travellers entering Spain from Morocco should be prepared for drug searches, especially if you have a vehicle.
LGBTI Travellers
Spain has become perhaps the most gay-friendly country in southern Europe. Homosexuality is legal, and same-sex marriages were legalised in 2005 – the move was extremely popular but met with opposition from the country’s powerful Catholic Church.
In rural areas, lesbians and gay men generally keep a fairly low profile, but are quite open in the cities. Madrid, Barcelona, Sitges, Torremolinos and Ibiza have particularly lively scenes.
Sitges is a major destination on the international gay-party circuit; gays take a leading role in the wild Carnaval (www.carnavaldesitges.com; hFeb/Mar) there.
There are also gay parades, marches and events in several cities on and around the last Saturday in June, when Madrid’s gay and lesbian pride march (www.orgullolgtb.org; hJun) takes place.
Madrid also hosts the annual Les Gai Cine Mad (%915 930 540; www.lesgaicinemad.com; hlate Oct/early Nov) festival, a celebration of lesbian, gay and transsexual films.
Resources
In addition to the following resources, Barcelona’s tourist board publishes Barcelona: The Official Gay and Lesbian Tourist Guide biannually, while Madrid’s tourist office has useful information on its website (www.esmadrid.com/lgtb-madrid).
Chueca (www.chueca.com) Useful gay portal with extensive links.
GayBarcelona (www.gaybarcelona.com) News and views and an extensive listings section covering bars, saunas, shops and more in Barcelona and Sitges.
Gay Iberia (www.gayiberia.com) Gay guides to Barcelona, Madrid, Sitges and 26 other Spanish cities.
Gay Madrid 4 U (www.gaymadrid4u.com) A good overview of Madrid’s gay bars and nightclubs.
Gay Seville (www.patroc.com/seville) Gay guide to Andalucía’s capital.
NightTours.com (www.nighttours.com) A reasonably good guide to gay nightlife and other attractions in Madrid, Barcelona and 18 other Spanish locations.
Shangay (www.shangay.com) For news, upcoming events, reviews and contacts. It also publishes Shanguide, a Madrid-centric biweekly magazine jammed with listings (including saunas and hard-core clubs) and contact ads. Its companion publication Shangay Express is better for articles with a handful of listings and ads. They’re available in gay bookshops, and gay and gay-friendly bars.
Universo Gay (www.guia.universogay.com) A little bit of everything.
Organisations
Casal Lambda (MAP; %93 319 55 50; www.lambda.cat; Avinguda del Marquès d’Argentera 22; h5-9pm Mon-Sat; mBarceloneta) A gay and lesbian social, cultural and information centre in Barcelona’s La Ribera.
Colectivo de Gais y Lesbianas de Madrid (Cogam; %91 523 00 70, 91 522 45 17; www.cogam.es; Calle de la Puebla 9; h5-9pm Mon-Fri, 6-8pm Sat; mCallao, Gran Vía) Offers activities and has an information office and social centre.
Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gays, Transexuales & Bisexuales (%91 360 46 05; www.felgtb.org; 4th fl, Calle de las Infantas 40; h8am-8pm Mon-Thu, 8am-3.30pm Fri; mGran Vía) A national advocacy group, based in Madrid, that played a leading role in lobbying for the legalisation of gay marriage.
Fundación Triángulo (%91 593 05 40; www.fundaciontriangulo.org; 1st fl, Calle de Meléndez Valdés 52; h10am-2pm & 4-8pm Mon-Fri; mArgüelles) One of several sources of information on gay issues in Madrid.
Maps
Spain has some excellent maps if you’re driving around the country – many are available from petrol stations. Topographical and hiking maps are available from specialist stores.
Small-Scale Maps
Some of the best maps for travellers are by Michelin, which produces the 1:1,000,000 Spain Portugal map and six 1:400,000 regional maps covering the whole country. These are all pretty accurate and are updated regularly, even down to the state of minor country roads. Also good are the GeoCenter maps published by Germany’s RV Verlag.
Probably the best physical map of Spain is Península Ibérica, Baleares y Canarias published by the Centro Nacional de Información Geográfica (%91 597 95 14; www.cnig.es; Calle del General Ibáñez de Ibero 3; mGuzmán El Bueno), the publishing arm of the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (www.ign.es). Ask for it in good bookshops.
Walking Maps
Useful for hiking and exploring some areas (particularly in the Pyrenees) are Editorial Alpina’s Guía Cartográfica and Guía Excursionista y Turística series.
The series combines information booklets in Spanish (and sometimes Catalan) with detailed maps at scales ranging from 1:25,000 to 1:50,000. They are an indispensable tool for hikers (and some come in English and German), but they have their inaccuracies.
The Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya puts out some decent maps for hiking in the Catalan Pyrenees that are often better than their Editorial Alpina counterparts.
Remember that for hiking only, maps scaled at 1:25,000 are seriously useful. The CNIG (www.cnig.es) also covers most of the country in 1:25,000 sheets.
You can often pick up Editorial Alpina publications and CNIG maps at bookshops near trekking areas, and at specialist bookshops such as the following:
Altaïr (MAP; %93 342 71 71; www.altair.es; Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 616; h10am-8.30pm Mon-Sat; 
W; mCatalunya) In Barcelona.
De Viaje (MAP; %91 577 98 99; www.deviaje.com; Calle de Serrano 41; h10am-8.30pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am-2.30pm & 5-8pm Sat; mSerrano) In Madrid.
La Tienda Verde (%91 535 38 10; www.tiendaverde.es; Calle de Maudes 23; h10am-2pm & 5-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat; mCuatro Caminos) In Madrid.
Librería Desnivel (MAP; %91 429 12 81; www.libreriadesnivel.com; Plaza de Matute 6; h10am-8.30pm Mon-Fri, 11am-8pm Sat; mAntón Martín) In Madrid.
EATING PRICE RANGES
The following price brackets refer to a standard main dish:
€ less than €12
€€ from €12 to €20
€€€ more than €20
Money
The most convenient way to bring your money is in the form of a debit or credit card, with some extra cash in case of an emergency.
Many credit and debit cards can be used for withdrawing money from cajeros automáticos (ATMs) that display the relevant symbols such as Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus etc. There is usually a charge (around 1.5% to 2%) on ATM cash withdrawals abroad.
Cash
Most banks and building societies will exchange major foreign currencies and offer the best rates. Ask about commissions and take your passport.
Credit & Debit Cards
These can be used to pay for most purchases. You’ll often be asked to show your passport or some other form of identification. Among the most widely accepted are Visa, MasterCard, American Express (Amex), Cirrus, Maestro, Plus and JCB. Diners Club is less widely accepted.
If your card is lost, stolen or swallowed by an ATM, you can call the following (mostly freecall) telephone numbers to have an immediate stop put on its use: Amex (%900 814500), Diners Club (%902 401112), MasterCard (%900 971231) and Visa (%900 991124).
Moneychangers
You can exchange both cash and travellers cheques at cambio (exchange) offices. Generally they offer longer opening hours and quicker service than banks, but worse exchange rates and higher commissions.
Taxes & Refunds
AIn Spain, value-added tax (VAT) is known as IVA (ee-ba; impuesto sobre el valor añadido).
AHotel rooms and restaurant meals attract an additional 10% (usually included in the quoted price but always ask); most other items have 21% added.
Visitors are entitled to a refund of the 21% IVA on purchases costing more than €90.16 from any shop, if they are taking them out of the EU within three months. Ask the shop for a cash-back (or similar) refund form showing the price and IVA paid for each item, and identifying the vendor and purchaser. Present your IVA refund form to the customs booth for refunds at the airport, port or border when you leave the EU.
Post
Correos (%902 197197; www.correos.es), the Spanish postal system, is generally reliable, if a little slow at times.
Delivery times are erratic but ordinary mail to other Western European countries can take up to a week (although often as little as three days); to North America up to 10 days; and to Australia or New Zealand between 10 days and three weeks.
ASellos (stamps) are sold at most estancos (tobacconists; look for ‘Tabacos’ in yellow letters on a maroon background), as well as at post offices.
AA postcard or letter weighing up to 20g costs €1.25 from Spain to other European countries, and €1.35 to the rest of the world.
AFor a full list of prices for certificado (certified) and urgente (express post), go to www.correos.es and click on ‘Tarifas’.
Public Holidays
The two main periods when Spaniards go on holiday are Semana Santa (the week leading up to Easter Sunday) and July and August. At these times accommodation in resorts can be scarce and transport heavily booked, but other places are often half-empty.
There are at least 14 official holidays a year – some observed nationwide, some locally. When a holiday falls close to a weekend,
Spaniards like to make a puente (bridge), meaning they take the intervening day off too. Occasionally when some holidays fall close, they make an acueducto (aqueduct)! Here are the national holidays:
Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day) 1 January
Viernes Santo (Good Friday) March/April
Fiesta del Trabajo (Labour Day) 1 May
La Asunción (Feast of the Assumption) 15 August
Fiesta Nacional de España (National Day) 12 October
La Inmaculada Concepción (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) 8 December
Navidad (Christmas) 25 December
Regional governments set five holidays and local councils two more. Common dates include the following:
Epifanía (Epiphany) or Día de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings’ Day) 6 January
Jueves Santo (Good Thursday) March/April; not observed in Catalonia and Valencia.
Corpus Christi June; the Thursday after the eighth Sunday after Easter Sunday.
Día de Santiago Apóstol (Feast of St James the Apostle) 25 July
Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints Day) 1 November
Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day) 6 December
Safe Travel
Most visitors to Spain never feel remotely threatened, but enough have unpleasant experiences to warrant some care. The main thing to be wary of is petty theft (which may not seem so petty if your passport, cash, travellers cheques, credit card and camera go missing).
AIn cities, especially Madrid and Barcelona, stick to areas with plenty of people around and avoid deserted streets.
AKeep valuables concealed or locked away in your hotel room.
ATry not to look like a tourist (eg don’t consult maps in crowded tourist areas).
ABe wary of pickpockets in areas with plenty of other tourists.
Scams
There must be 50 ways to lose your wallet. As a rule, talented petty thieves work in groups and capitalise on distraction. Tricks usually involve a team of two or more (sometimes one of them an attractive woman to distract male victims). While one attracts your attention, the other empties your pockets.
More imaginative strikes include someone dropping a milk mixture onto the victim from a balcony. Immediately a concerned citizen comes up to help you brush off what you assume to be pigeon poo, and thus suitably occupied, you don’t notice the contents of your pockets slipping away.
Beware: not all thieves look like thieves. Watch out for an old classic: the ladies offering flowers for good luck. We don’t know how they do it, but if you get too involved in a friendly chat with these people, your pockets almost always wind up empty.
On some highways, especially the AP7 from the French border to Barcelona, bands of thieves occasionally operate. Beware of men trying to distract you in rest areas, and don’t stop along the highway if people driving alongside indicate you have a problem with the car. While one inspects the rear of the car with you, his pals will empty your vehicle.
Another trick has them puncturing tyres of cars stopped in rest areas, then following and ‘helping’ the victim when they stop to change the wheel. Hire cars and those with foreign plates are especially targeted. When you do call in at highway rest stops, try to park close to the buildings and leave nothing of value in view. If you do stop to change a tyre and find yourself getting unsolicited aid, make sure doors are all locked and don’t allow yourself to be distracted.
Even parking your car can be fraught. In some towns fairly dodgy self-appointed parking attendants operate in central areas where you may want to park. They will direct you frantically to a spot. If possible, ignore them and find your own. If unavoidable, you may well want to pay them some token not to scratch or otherwise damage your vehicle after you’ve walked away.
You definitely don’t want to leave anything visible in the car (or open the boot – trunk – if you intend to leave luggage or anything else in it) under these circumstances.
Theft
Theft is mostly a risk in tourist resorts, big cities and when you first arrive in a new city and may be off your guard. You are at your most vulnerable when dragging around luggage to or from your hotel. Barcelona, Madrid and Seville have the worst reputations for theft and, on very rare occasions, muggings.
Anything left lying on the beach can disappear in a flash when your back is turned. At night avoid dingy, empty city alleys and backstreets, or anywhere that just doesn’t feel 100% safe.
Report thefts to the national police – visit www.policia.es for a full list of comisarías (police stations) around the country. You are unlikely to recover your goods but you need to make a formal denuncia for insurance purposes.
To avoid endless queues at the comisaría, you can make the report by phone (902 102112) in various languages or online at www.policia.es (click on ‘denunciar por Internet’) although the instructions are in Spanish only. The following day you go to the station of your choice to pick up and sign the report, without queuing.
GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ADVICE
The following government websites offer travel advisory services and information for travellers:
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (www.smartraveller.gov.au)
Global Affairs Canada (www.voyage.gc.ca)
Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères (www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs)
Auswärtiges Amt, Länder und Reiseinformationen (www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/)
Italian Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (www.viaggiaresicuri.mae.aci.it)
Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken (www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ministerie-van-buitenlandse-zaken#ref-minbuza.nl)
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (www.safetravel.govt.nz)
UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice)
US Department of State (www.travel.state.gov)
Telephone
Local SIM cards can be used in European/Australian phones. Other phones must be set to roaming to work – be wary of roaming charges, although these should no longer apply if you have an EU phone.
Collect Calls
Placing una llamada a cobro revertido (an international collect call) is simple. Dial 99 00 followed by the code for the country you’re calling.
Mobile Phones
Spain uses GSM 900/1800, which is compatible with the rest of Europe and Australia but not with the North American system unless you have a GSM/GPRS-compatible phone (some AT&T and T-Mobile cell phones may work), or the system used in Japan. From those countries, you will need to travel with a tri-band or quadric-band phone.
You can buy SIM cards and prepaid time in Spain for your mobile phone, provided you own a GSM, dual- or tri-band cellular phone. This only works if your national phone hasn’t been code-blocked; check before leaving home.
All the Spanish mobile-phone companies (Telefónica’s MoviStar, Orange and Vodafone) offer prepagado (prepaid) accounts for mobiles. The SIM card costs from €10, to which you add some prepaid phone time. Phone outlets are scattered across the country. You can then top up in their shops or by buying cards in outlets, such as estancos (tobacconists) and newspaper kiosks.
Pepephone (www.pepephone.com) is another option.
If you’re from the EU, there is now EU-wide roaming so that call and data plans for mobile phones from any EU country should be valid in Spain without any extra roaming charges. If you’re from elsewhere, check with your mobile provider for information on roaming charges.
Phone Codes
Mobile (cell) phone numbers start with 6. Numbers starting with 900 are national toll-free numbers, while those starting with 901 to 905 come with varying costs. A common one is 902, which is a national standard rate number, but which can only be dialled from within Spain. In a similar category are numbers starting with 800, 803, 806 and 807.
International access code 00
Spain country code 34
There are no local area codes.
Phonecards
Cut-rate prepaid phonecards can be good value for international calls. They can be bought from estancos, small grocery stores, locutorios (private call centres) and newspaper kiosks in the main cities and tourist resorts.
If possible, try to compare rates. Many of the private operators offer better deals than those offered by Telefónica. Locutorios that specialise in cut-rate overseas calls have popped up all over the place in bigger cities.
Once widespread, but now almost non-existent, blue payphones are easy to use for international and domestic calls. They accept coins, tarjetas telefónicas (phonecards) issued by the national phone company Telefónica and, in some cases, various credit cards.
Time
Time zone Same as most of Western Europe (GMT/UTC plus one hour during winter and GMT/UTC plus two hours during the daylight-saving period).
Daylight saving From the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.
UK, Ireland, Portugal & Canary Islands One hour behind mainland Spain.
Morocco Morocco is on GMT/UTC year-round. From the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, subtract two hours from Spanish time to get Moroccan time; the rest of the year, subtract one hour.
USA Spanish time is USA Eastern Time plus six hours and USA Pacific Time plus nine hours.
Australia During the Australian winter (Spanish summer), subtract eight hours from Australian Eastern Standard Time to get Spanish time; during the Australian summer, subtract 10 hours. For most of October, it’s nine hours.
12- and 24-hour clock Although the 24-hour clock is used in most official situations, you’ll find people generally use the 12-hour clock in everyday conversation.
Toilets
Public toilets are rare to non-existent in Spain and it’s not really the done thing to go into a bar or cafe solely to use the toilet; ordering a quick coffee is a small price to pay for relieving the problem.
Otherwise you can usually get away with it in larger, crowded places where they can’t really keep track of who’s coming and going.
Another option in some larger cities is to visit the department stores of El Corte Inglés.
Tourist Information
All cities and many smaller towns have an oficina de turismo or oficina de información turística. In the country’s provincial capitals you will sometimes find more than one tourist office – one specialising in information on the city alone, the other carrying mostly provincial or regional information.
National and natural parks also often have their own visitor centres offering useful information.
Turespaña (www.spain.info) is the country’s national tourism body, and it operates branches around the world. Check the website for office locations.
Travellers with Disabilities
Spain is not overly accommodating for travellers with disabilities, but some things are slowly changing. For example, disabled access to some museums, official buildings and hotels represents a change in local thinking.
In major cities more is slowly being done to facilitate disabled access to public transport and taxis; in some cities, wheelchair-adapted taxis are called ‘Eurotaxis’.
Newly constructed hotels in most of Spain are required to have wheelchair-adapted rooms.
With older places, you will need to be a little bit wary of hotels that advertise and market themselves as being disabled-friendly, as this can mean as little as wide doors to rooms and bathrooms, or other token efforts.
Some tourist offices – notably those in Madrid and Barcelona – offer guided tours of the city for travellers with disabilities.
Inout Hostel (%93 280 09 85; www.inouthostel.com; Major del Rectoret 2; dm €22; 
iW
s; dFGC Baixador de Vallvidrera) 
S Worthy of a special mention is Barcelona’s Inout Hostel, which is completely accessible for those with disabilities, and nearly all the staff that work there have disabilities of one kind or another. The facilities and service are first-class.
Museo Tifológico (Museum for the Blind; %91 589 42 19; www.museo.once.es; Calle de la Coruña 18; h10am-2pm & 5-8pm Tue-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat, closed Aug; mEstrecho) 
F This attraction is specifically for people who are visually impaired. Run by the Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (National Organisation for the Blind, ONCE), its exhibits (all of which may be touched) include paintings, sculptures and tapestries, as well as more than 40 scale models of world monuments, including Madrid’s Palacio Real and Cibeles fountain, as well as La Alhambra in Granada and the aqueduct in Segovia. It also provides leaflets in Braille and audio guides to the museum.
ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES
Download Lonely Planet’s free Accessible Travel guides from http://lptravel.to/AccessibleTravel.
Organisations
Madrid Accesible (Accessible Madrid; www.esmadrid.com/madrid-accesible) Your first stop for more information on accessibility for travellers in Madrid should be the tourist section known as ‘Madrid Accesible’, where you can download a PDF of their excellent Guía de Turismo Accesible in English or Spanish. It has an exhaustive list of the city’s attractions and transport and a detailed assessment of their accessibility, as well as a list of accessible restaurants. Most tourist offices in Madrid have a mapa turístico accesible in Spanish, English and French
Accessible Travel & Leisure (%01452-729739; www.accessibletravel.co.uk) Claims to be the biggest UK travel agent dealing with travel for people with a disability, and encourages independent travel. Spain is one of the countries it covers in detail.
Barcelona Turisme (%93 285 38 34; www.barcelona-access.com) Website devoted to making Barcelona accessible for visitors with a disability.
ONCE (Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles; MAP; %91 532 50 00, 91 577 37 56; www.once.es; Calle de Prim 3; mChueca, Colón) The Spanish association for those who are blind. You may be able to get hold of guides in Braille to Madrid, although they’re not published every year.
Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (www.sath.org) A good resource, which gives advice on how to travel with a wheelchair, kidney disease, sight impairment or deafness.
Transport
Metro or tram lines, or stations built (or upgraded) since the late 1990s, generally have elevators for wheelchair access, but the older lines can be ill-equipped (including many of Madrid’s lines; check the map at www.metromadrid.es).
Even in stations with wheelchair access, not all platforms necessarily have functioning escalators or elevators.
The single-deck piso bajo (low floor) buses are now commonplace in most Spanish cities. They have no steps inside and in some cases have ramps that can be used by people in wheelchairs.
If you call any taxi company and ask for a ‘Eurotaxi’ you should be sent one adapted for wheelchair users.
Visas
Spain is one of 26 member countries of the Schengen Convention, under which 22 EU countries (all but Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the UK) plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland have abolished checks at common borders.
The visa situation for entering Spain is as follows:
Citizens or residents of EU & Schengen countries No visa required.
Citizens or residents of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand & the USA No visa required for tourist visits of up to 90 days out of every 180 days.
Other countries Check with a Spanish embassy or consulate.
To work or study in Spain A special visa may be required – contact a Spanish embassy or consulate before travel.
Extensions & Residence
Schengen visas cannot be extended. You can apply for no more than two visas in any 12-month period and they are not renewable once you are in Spain.
Nationals of EU countries, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland can enter and leave Spain at will and don’t need to apply for a tarjeta de residencia (residence card), although they are supposed to apply for residence papers.
People of other nationalities who want to stay in Spain longer than 90 days have to get a residence card, and for them it can be a drawn-out process, starting with an appropriate visa issued by a Spanish consulate in their country of residence. Start the process well in advance.
Volunteering
Volunteering possibilities in Spain:
Earthwatch Institute (www.earthwatch.org) Occasionally Spanish conservation projects appear on its program.
Go Abroad (www.goabroad.com) Dozens of different volunteering opportunities in Spain.
Sunseed Desert Technology (%950 52 57 70; www.sunseed.org.uk; Los Molinos del Río Agua) This UK-run project, developing sustainable ways to live in semi-arid environments, is based in the hamlet of Los Molinos del Río Agua in Almería.
Transitions Abroad (www.transitionsabroad.com) A good website to start your research.
Women Travellers
Travelling in Spain as a woman is as easy as travelling anywhere in the Western world.
That said, foreign women can attract unwanted male attention, especially when travelling solo and in small, remote places.
You should also be choosy about your accommodation. Bottom-end fleapits with all-male staff can be insalubrious locations to bed down for the night. Lone women should take care in city streets at night – stick with the crowds. Hitching for solo women travellers is never recommended.
Spanish men under about 40, who’ve grown up in the liberated post-Franco era, conform far less to old-fashioned sexual stereotypes, although you might notice that sexual stereotyping becomes a little more pronounced as you move from north to south in Spain, and from city to country.
Work
Nationals of EU countries, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland may freely work in Spain. If you are offered a contract, your employer will normally steer you through any bureaucracy.
Virtually everyone else is supposed to obtain a work permit from a Spanish consulate in their country of residence, and if they plan to stay more than 90 days, a residence visa. These procedures are well-nigh impossible unless you have a job contract lined up before you begin them.
You could look for casual work in fruit picking, harvesting or construction, but this is generally done with imported labour from Morocco and Eastern Europe, with pay and conditions that can often best be described as dire.
Translating and interpreting could be an option if you are fluent in Spanish and have a language in demand.
Language Teaching
Language-teaching qualifications are a big help when trying to find work as a teacher, and the more reputable places will require TEFL qualifications.
Sources of information on possible teaching work – in a school or as a private tutor – include foreign cultural centres such as the British Council and Alliance Française, foreign-language bookshops, universities and language schools. Many have noticeboards where you may find work opportunities or can advertise your own services.
Tourist Resorts
Summer work on the Mediterranean coasts is a possibility, especially if you arrive early in the season and are prepared to stay a while.
Check any local press in foreign languages, such as the Costa del Sol’s Sur in English (www.surinenglish.com), which lists ads for waiters, nannies, chefs, babysitters, cleaners and the like.
Yacht Crewing
It is possible to stumble upon work as crew on yachts and cruisers. The best ports at which to look include (in descending order) Palma de Mallorca, Gibraltar and Puerto Banús.
In summer the voyages tend to be restricted to the Mediterranean, but from about November to January, many boats head for the Caribbean.
Such work is usually unpaid and about the only way to find it is to ask around on the docks.