Spain Hotels and Resorts

OVERVIEW

Mediterranean beaches, sangria in the sun and paella by the plateful. Southern Spain has long been a popular place, but tourists are increasingly turning to the fascinations of another Spain, far removed from the high-rise developments lining the Costa del Sol.

Spain is a treasure chest of unforgettable scenery. Separating Spain from France, the snow-capped Pyrenees, as well as having breathtaking views, offer resorts like La Molina and Panticosa with plenty of opportunities for skiing. In the north, the winding rivers and lush, green forests of Galicia present a picture not usually associated with Spain, and in complete contrast to the Moorish-influenced south, Galician culture traces its routes to a Celtic origin. Everywhere are reminders of Spain’s rich and varied past, from the Alhambra in Granada to Don Quixote’s windmills in La Mancha.

Old mixes with new in cities such as Toledo, Barcelona, Salamanca and the capital, Madrid, as celebrated museums, galleries and Baroque churches rub shoulders with blaring bars and thumping discos.

What will never change is the Spaniards’ passion for partying. Snack on tapas as you skip from bar to bar, before heading off to enjoy Spain’s infamous nightlife. Then revitalise the senses – Spain’s cultural heritage brims with flamenco, painting, opera, literature, sport, bullfighting and flamboyant, colorful fiestas.

Bargains abound amid intense airline competition, so there has never been a better time to visit Spain. Just soak up the atmosphere – you won’t be disappointed.

Geography
Spain shares the Iberian peninsula with Portugal and is bordered to the north by the Pyrenees, which separate Spain from France. The Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera), 193km (120 miles) southeast of Barcelona, and the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa are part of Spain, as are the tiny enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla on the north African mainland. With the exception of Switzerland, mainland Spain is the highest and most mountainous country in Europe, with an average height of 610m (2000ft). The Pyrenees stretch roughly 400km (249 miles) from the Basque Country in the west to the Mediterranean Sea; at times the peaks rise to over 1524m (5000ft), the highest point being 3404m (11,169ft). The main physical feature of Spain is the vast central plateau, or Meseta, divided by several chains of sierras. The higher northern area includes Castille and León, the southern section comprises Castile/La Mancha and Extremadura. In the south the plateau drops abruptly at the Sierra Morena, beyond which lies the valley of Guadalquivir. Southeast of Granada is the Sierra Nevada, part of the Betic Cordillera, which runs parallel to the Mediterranean, rising to 3481m (11,420ft) and the highest point on the Spanish peninsula (the Pico del Teide on Tenerife in the Canaries is the highest peak in Spain). The Mediterranean coastal area reaches from the French frontier in the northeast down to the Straits of Gibraltar, the narrow strip of water linking the Mediterranean with the Atlantic and separating Spain from North Africa.

Social Conventions
Spanish life has undergone rapid change in recent years and many of the stricter religious customs are giving way to more modern ways, particularly in the cities and among women.
Nonetheless, many old customs, manners and traditions have not faded and hospitality, chivalry and courtesy remain important. Handshaking is the customary form of greeting. Normal social courtesies should be observed when visiting someone’s home. If invited to a private home, a small gift is appreciated. Flowers are only sent for special celebrations. Conservative casual wear is widely acceptable. Some hotels and restaurants encourage men to wear jackets. A black tie is only necessary for very formal occasions and is usually specified if required. Outside resorts, scanty beachwear should be confined to beach or poolside. Smoking is widely accepted. The evening meal is taken late, generally 2100-2200. The Spanish have two family names; in conversation only the first should be used.

Tipping
Service charges and taxes are usually included in hotel bills, however in addition, a tip should be left for the chambermaid and porters should be tipped per bag. It is also customary to leave a tip for the waiter. Restaurants often include service in the bill so a tip is discretionary. In cafes and bars, it is 5 to 10 per cent. Tip taxis 10 to 15 per cent when metered.

International Travel:

Note
For information on travel to and within the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, see the respective sections.
There is a continuing threat in Spain from both domestic and international terrorism. 192 people died and over 1400 were injured following bomb attacks on three trains in Madrid in March 2004. A group purporting to represent Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility. ETA, the Basque terrorist group, continues to threaten further attacks, including against the tourism industry. However, most visits to Spain are trouble-free.

Air
Spain’s national airline is IBERIA (IB) (website: www.iberia.com). Many airlines operate to Spain, including an increasing number of low-cost airlines from the UK.

Approximate flight times
From Barcelona to London is two hours; from Ibiza is two hours 20 minutes; from Madrid is two hours 15 minutes and from Málaga is two hours 40 minutes. From Madrid to Los Angeles is 13 hours; to New York is seven hours 25 minutes; to Sydney is 30 hours.

International airports
Spain boasts over 30 international airports. Information on the major airports follows; information on any of the others can be obtained from AENA (Aeropuertos Espanoles y Navegación Aérea) Calle Arturo Soria 109, Madrid 28043 (tel: (90) 240 4704 (customer service line); website: www.aena.es), which is the organization responsible for running all of the Spanish airports.
Madrid (MAD) (Barajas) is 15km (9 miles) northeast of the city. A bus service departs to the city around every 10 to 30 minutes (0700-2400) and underground services run every four to seven minutes (0600-0130). Taxi service is available. Airport facilities include restaurants and bars, bank, several car hire offices, hotel reservation and tourist information desks, and outgoing duty free shop.
Barcelona (BCN) (del Prat) is 12km (7 miles) southwest of the city. Bus service to the city departs Mon-Fri every 15 minutes, Sat every 30 mins and Sun every 20 mins (0600-2400). Rail service is every 30 minutes (0645-2340). Taxi service to the city is available, costing about &Euro;18 (travel time - 30 minutes). Airport facilities include 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. Bus service runs to the city (0655-2310) every 10 to 40 minutes, costing &Euro;1. A taxi service is available to the city, costing about &Euro;12. There is a taxi connection between Alicante and Valencia Airport. Airport facilities include a duty free shop, bank, bureau de change, car hire, tourist information and restaurant.
Bilbao (BIO) (Sondika) is 10km (6 miles) north of the city. Bus and taxi services to the city are available (travel time - 30 minutes) and cost about &Euro;1. Airport facilities include a restaurant, duty free shop, tourist information desk and car hire.
Málaga (AGP) is 10km (6 miles) southwest of the city. Buses run every 10 to 30 minutes (travel time - 20 minutes). Train service runs every 30 minutes and cost about &Euro;1. Taxi service to the city is available, costing &Euro;12. Airport facilities include duty free shop, bank/bureau de change, restaurant and car hire.
Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) is 10km (6 miles) northeast of the city. Buses and taxis are available to the city center (travel time - 10 to 15 minutes). Airport facilities include bar, banks, car hire and shops.
Seville (SVQ) is 8km (5 miles) from the city. Taxis and buses are available to the city center (travel time - 20 to 30 minutes).
Valencia (VLC) (Manises) is 8km (5 miles) west of the city. Taxis and buses (0600-2300, every 15 minutes) are available to the city center (travel time - 60 minutes (bus), 30 minutes (taxi). Airport facilities include several car hire firms, bank/bureau de change, restaurant, bar and duty free shop.

Departure tax
None.

Sea
Brittany Ferries (tel: (08703) 665 333; website: www.brittany-ferries.com) operates a service to Santander (on the north coast) from Plymouth (travel time – 18 hours), twice-weekly. P&O European Ferries (tel: (08705) 202020; website: www.poportsmouth.com) operates a twice-weekly service from Portsmouth to Bilbao (travel time – 35 hours).

Rail
There are direct trains between Madrid–Paris and Madrid–Lisbon, as well as Barcelona–Paris, Barcelona– Zürich or Milan and Barcelona–Geneva. These services are called Estrella, Talgo or Train-Hotel. On other international services to and from Spain, a change of train is necessary. However, work on the AVE (high-velocity train) route between Madrid and Barcelona is expected to be completed in 2006, after which the French border connection is expected to be fully operational in 2010 and it will be possible to connect 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) 7224 0345; e-mail: enquiries@spanish-rail.co.uk; website: www.spanish-rail.co.uk). Traveling from the UK, the quickest way is to travel by Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel to Paris (travel time – three hours) with a connection to Spain. For further information and reservations contact Eurostar (tel: (0870) 600 0792 (travel agents) or (08705) 186 186 (public; within the UK) or (+44 1233) 617 575 (public; outside the UK only); website: www.eurostar.com); or Rail Europe (tel: (08705) 848 848). Travel agents can obtain refunds for unused tickets from Eurostar For Agents, 2nd Floor, Kent House, 81 Station Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PD, UK. Complaints and comments may be sent to Eurostar Customer Relations, Eurostar House, Waterloo Station, London SE1 8SE, UK (tel: (020) 7928 5163; e-mail: new.comments@eurostar.co.uk).

Road
The main route from the UK is via France. The main motorways to Spain from France are via Bordeaux or Toulouse to Bilbao (northern Spain) and via Marseille or Toulouse to Barcelona (eastern Spain). A number of coach operators offer services to Spain. In the UK, Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves more than 20 destinations in Spain. For further information, contact Eurolines, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1, UK (tel: (08705) 143 219; website: www.eurolines.com or www.nationalexpress.com).
For information on documentation and traffic regulations, see Travel – Internal section.

The following items may be imported into Spain without incurring customs duty by passengers aged 17 years or older arriving from countries outside the EU:
200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos 50 cigars or 250g tobacco (300 cigarettes, 150 cigarillos, 70 cigars and 400g of tobacco for EU nationals); 1l of spirits if exceeding 22 per cent volume or 2l of alcoholic beverage not exceeding 22 per cent volume and 2l of wine (1.5l exceeding 22 per cent and 3l of up to 22 per cent and 5l of wine for EU nationals); 250ml eau de toilette and 50g of perfume; 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; gifts up to the value of approximately &Euro;37.26.

Abolition of duty free goods within the EU
On June 30 1999, the sale of duty free alcohol and tobacco at airports and at sea was abolished in all of the original 15 EU member states. Of the 10 new member states that joined the EU on May 1 2004, these rules already apply to Cyprus and Malta. There are transitional rules in place for visitors returning to one of the original 15 EU countries from one of the other new EU countries. But for the original 15, plus Cyprus and Malta, there are now no limits imposed on importing tobacco and alcohol products from one EU country to another (with the exceptions of Denmark, Finland and Sweden, where limits are imposed). Travelers should note that they may be required to prove at customs that the goods purchased are for personal use only.

Internal Travel:

Air
Domestic flights are run by IBERIA (IB) (website: www.iberia.com), Air Europa (website: www.air-europa.com), Binter (website: www.bintercanarias.es) and Spanair (website: www.spanair.com). Scheduled flights connect all main towns as well as to the Balearic and Canary Islands and enclaves in North Africa. Air taxis are available at most airports. Reservations should be made well in advance.

Sea
There are regular hydrofoil and car and passenger ferry sailings from Algeciras to Tangier and Ceuta (North African enclave); Málaga and Almeria to Melilla (North African enclave); Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante to the Balearic Islands; and Cádiz to the Canary Islands. There are also inter-island services, including a catamaran service linking Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, which takes three hours and runs twice a day. For further information, contact Trasmediterránea c/o Southern Ferries (tel: (020) 7491 4968; fax: (020) 7491 3502).

Rail
The state-owned company RENFE (website: www.renfe.es) operates a railway network connecting all the regions on the Iberian peninsula. It is mainly a radial network, with connections between Madrid and all the major cities. There are also some transversal services connecting the northwest coast with the Mediterranean coast, as well as services from the French border down the Mediterranean coast. Principal trains are air conditioned, and many have restaurant or buffet service. Reservations for passenger services in Spain may be made in the UK through the Spanish Rail service (see above), European Rail Travel (tel: (020) 7387 0444; fax: (020) 7387 0888; e-mail: sales@europeanrail.com; website: www.europeanrail.com), Freedom Rail (tel: (0870) 757 9898; fax: (01253) 595 151; e-mail: sales@freedomrail.com; website: www.freedomrail.com) and Ultima Travel (tel: (0151) 339 6171; fax: (0151) 339 9199).

Discount Rail Travel
The Spanish rail system is one of the cheapest in Europe and various discounts are available. Travelers under 26 can purchase a RENFE Tarjeta Explorerail, which allows unlimited travel on all but some regionales and fast trains. It can be bought in Spain, or in the UK from selected travel agents, and is available for seven-, 15- and 30-day periods. Travelers can also enjoy savings by using any one of the European passes available, such as the Euro Domino Freedom Pass, which enables holders to make flexible travel arrangements. The pass is available in 19 European countries, but must be bought in the country of residence for which a valid passport or other form of ID has to be shown. In the UK, this pass is available from Rail Europe, 178 Piccadilly, London W1, UK (tel: (0870) 837 1371; e-mail: reservations@raileurope.co.uk; website: www.raileurope.co.uk). The tickets are valid for three, four, five, six, seven or eight days within one month. Also available from Rail Europe, the Inter-Rail Pass (website: www.inter-rail.co.uk) allows up to 50 per cent reductions for second-class rail travel in 28 countries; the pass is now also available for those aged over 26 (at a higher cost). The Rail Senior Plus card entitles senior citizens to 30 per cent discount on rail travel into and out of Spain, even during peak hours. This discount does not apply when only traveling internally. The card is available from most British Rail stations.
Note: Seat reservations are required on all intercity trains. This ruling applies to the passes and cards mentioned above.

High-Speed Trains
The Ave service averages 300kph and connects Madrid and Seville in two hours 15 minutes, with 12 services each way via Córdoba. Some services also stop at Ciudad Real and Puerto Llano (La Mancha). The stretch from Madrid to Lleida has been in operation for several years. Planned completion of the Madrid to Barcelona leg is due in 2006, and the high-speed border connection with France in 2010. Also, in 2010, the stretches from Cordoba to Malaga, Madrid to Valencia and Madrid to Valladolid should be ready. The Talgo 200 connects Madrid and Malaga thrice-daily in four hours 35 minutes. Holders of most of the cards and passes mentioned above qualify for discounts, albeit less substantial than the rates quoted above.

Tourist Trains
The Andalus Express and Transcantábrico offer a pleasant way of discovering their respective regions. There are also a number of privately-run narrow-gauge railways in Spain, located mainly in the north of Spain as well as the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands, which run at a leisurely pace through picturesque scenery. For more information on tourist trains, contact the Spanish National Tourist Office (see General Info section).

Road
There are more than 150,000km (95,000 miles) of roads. Motorways are well-maintained and connect Spain north–south. Tolls are in operation on some sections and have to be paid in Euros. Trunk roads between major cities are generally fast and well-maintained. Rural roads are of differing quality. Bus: There are bus lines which are efficient and cheap, operating between cities and towns. 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. Bus tickets cannot be bought in advance though seats may be reserved locally one or two days in advance. Car hire: All major car hire companies are represented in major cities. Motorcycles: No person under 18 may hire or ride a vehicle over 75cc. Crash helmets must be worn. Regulations: Traffic drives on the right. Side lights must be used at night in built-up areas. Spare bulbs and red hazard triangles must be kept in all vehicles. Traffic lights: two red lights mean ‘No Entry’. Parking laws are rigorously enforced. The speed limit for motorways is 120kph (80mph) in general, but for buses and lorries the limit is 100kph (60mph); in built-up areas the limit is 50kph (30mph); for other roads it is 90kph (56mph). Documentation: Most foreign licenses including Canadian, EU and US are accepted. Third Party insurance is compulsory, plus maybe a Green Card if bringing your own car (available from insurance company).

Urban
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 and Valencia have metros as well as buses. Pre-purchase multi-journey tickets are sold. Other towns and resorts are well served by local buses. Metered taxis are available in most major cities and a 2 to 3 per cent tip is customary.

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