General: Spain > Reviews (15)

Its that time of year when the hot weather is near , the football season has come to an end :O( , the nation is going exam crazy & Tim Henman will yet again let his fans down at Wimbledon , - The latter for me signals summer is close & so a vacation to sunny Spain is not far away.

Many of you may be planning to visit Spain this summer , whether it be mainland or the surrounding islands or at least thought about visiting Spain for the first time but wasn`t quite sure what to expect. Then I hope the following information will come in useful to frequent visitors & to first time visitors.

So for all you SANGRIA holiday makers ….. listen up!

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Accomodation
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One of the great delights of travelling to Spain is that you can enjoy such a wide range of accommodation , all of it thoroughly attractive and that goes for the price as well. Hotels vary from old fashioned to ultra modern & from simple to very sophisticated. Guest houses (called hostales or pensiones) are often small family-run hotels.

Hotels are normally divided into 5 classes from one star to five stars ~ I can gladly say that I have stayed in 2 star hotels & found the facilities and rooms to be of a high standard , customer satisfaction I must say. A word of caution though , not all hotels have restaurants , so beware of this when choosing a hotel for yourself this summer ~ The Spanish term for a hotel without restaurant is “ Residencia” . Apartment hotels consist of flats (pisos) , bungalows , chalets & they provide normal hotel services & that goes for restaurant. The guesthouses are known as “ hostales” & slightly smaller in scale is “pensiones” ~ these are normally one to three stars.

Note: Accommodation prices will vary throughout Spain ~ charges vary according to localities & seasons.

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Transport
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Rail trains link to all main Spanish cities/towns with good , fast & reliable service. In addition there are coastwise connection rail links to summer resorts such as CostaBrava , Costa Del Sol ,Costa Dorada , Costa Blanca , basically your typical tourist attractions. Prices vary but a trip from Alicante to Madrid by train will cost around 9 Mil Pts (have yet to get used to euro) that’s about £48.00 give or take.

Another mode of transport which is very common in Spain is the coach - There are coach services link to all towns , surrounding villages & most if not all coastal resorts. You will find that a trip by coach , although in hot conditions can be quite enjoyable as there are many breathtaking places & many hidden towns that offer so much. Places that can only be stumbled across if travelling by road ~ A really nice way to explore different parts of Spain. The town transport , other big cities & all larger resorts have their normal buses , underground (el metro) , trams that operate within the cities/towns radius.

The taxis fare vary , but one thing for sure , they are far cheaper than UK taxis - “LIBRE” indicates a taxi that is for hire & at night this is further high-lighted by a green light , all taxis have meters , so your able to monitor the charge as you travel to your destination.

Care Hire , an array of national organizations such as Hertz & Avis offices can be found at airports , resorts , main cities etc……& finally if your not happy with any of the above you always the option of getting around by hiring a scooter/moped ~ this can be hired easily & cheaply in most Spanish resorts.

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Restaurants
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I find that Spain are a bit funny when it comes to mealtimes : So mealtimes need a special note. Breakfast is served in most hotels/bars/cafes etc from 7 or 7.30a.m or even earlier. Lunch is never ready before 2.00pm & believe it or not that seems to apply to the whole country , for some reason everybody in Spain seems to eat at the same time. So your looking lunch from 2.00pm onwards. You will find that all the restaurants are at their most busiest between these times.

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Dinner ,( this again applies to the whole of the country ) is normally served between 9.00pm onwards. So when travelling to Spain take this into consideration.

Spain offer a mixture of British , Spanish & international dishes BUT if you want to enjoy the really typically Spanish food you will have to find suitable restaurants - dishes such as “paella” mainly found in the Valencia region or the “fabadas” of the north spicy bean dishes that can include almost every sort of poultry , meat etc & the well known fish dishes of Catalonia. So I stress when going on holiday ask around for a good Spanish serving food restaurant , your best bet is to ask the locals. They are not easy to find even though you are in Spain. (thats the restaurants btw not the locals lol )

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Shopping
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Buying souvenirs , presents , and things for yourself is normally very enjoyable experience & that goes throughout Spain ~ Customer service is first class ~ Shop assistants are always friendly & eager to please , their helpfulness can at times be over the top but that is the way they are. Oh & yes , before I forget , christmas has not come early when going shopping in Spain , 99% of shops tend to wrap most items you buy , either with brown plain paper or with more of a fancy wrapping ... another Spanish habit I`m afraid , can be a wee bit annoying if your in a hurry.

The best buys include lace , woven goods such as rugs , table cloths & definetely all types of leatherware ( shoes , bags , jackets , belts , basically if its got leather on it then buy it :O) ) As well as gold/silver jewellery , ceramics , pianted fans etc . Prices in general are very reasonable indeed but a word of caution , prices can vary a fair amount from shop to shop so its worth looking round before you start making purchases.

For all you thinking of booking a summer holiday to one of the many Spanish tourist resorts this year then don`t be taken in my the night markets on offer , browse my all means but with caution.: You will come across a lot of these market stalls mainly owned by Africans , you will find that most if not all boast to sell real gold & genuine designer labels .....

I have NEWS for you , its all FAKE and so don`t be fooled by these people. Many have fallen , have tried to get their money back & all they do is simply play stupid and act as if they`ve never seen you before. Spain is flooded thoughout with these so called markets ( has been now for at least a decade ) but what they really are is a RIP OFF SCHEME ... & its mainly the tourist who are the victims , YOU & ME .... So when shopping this summer watch out for these market stalls & don`t give any money over until you are 100% sure you know what you are buying. ... Don`t say I didn`t warn you !

••Note•• ... Shop Opening Times & again this apples to the whole of Spain.

9.00am - 1.45pm ..... The whole country eats & sleeps the siesta after 2.00pm

Shops re-open at around 5.00pm until 10.00pm

Shops close on Sundays , national public holidays & on major festivals ~ Shops in major tourist resorts may at times open on Sundays.

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Bars & Nightspots
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I have to say this is one area that Spain has flourished in , the leading country in Europe when it comes to nightlife & partying not to mention the plentiful bars that flood the city/town streets. Spain is a country that knows how to enjoy themselves , it is very common to party into the early hours of the morning & so for all you first time visitors , brace yourself coz you will enjoy the ride & then come back for more ~ Vibrant , buzzing , energetic , amazing is how I would sum up the night life in Spain & I still haven`t mentioned the festival events ..... Need I say more :O)

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Climate & Clothes
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Temperatures in Spain are a good deal higher than in Britain but rain in Spain is not non-existent ...Most people get the impression that its always hot in Spain but that is not always the case. The country has its fair share of bad weather & its not the first time that Southern Spain has experienced a rain storm in mid-August. So its always wise to take a jumper or a warm jacket even in the summer months. We all like to travel light I know , but try to make room in that suitcase for a woolly cardigan/jumper etc ....Weather can be very unpredictable.

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Bullfights
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Everyone knows that bullfighting belongs to Spain & arguments rage outside Spain about its cruelty. I cannot deal with that arguemnt here as that is another issue , & a touchy one at that. Bullfighting in Spain developed its present form with the matador on foot only in the 18th century & it has since then become a strong characteristic part of Spanish life. Bullfighting at its best is a tremendously colourful display & produces amazing exibition of courage and skill on the part of the matador , the man who finally kills the bull. For those who have travelled mainland Spain , you may have noticed the numerable bull fighting rings throughout the country , it continues to appeal & now women are even showing interest.

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Facts at your fingertips:
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•Time• ~ Spain keeps Central European Time - 1 hour ahead of British time.

•Currency• ~ euro

•Tipping• ~ It is normal in Spain to leave a tip in most places although not necessary.

•Police• ~ Three types of police in the streets: Guardia Civil , Policia Local & Traffic Police

•Language• ~ Spanish speaking

•Postal Service• Also known as "Correos" , stamps in Spain are sold at kiosks & their letter boxes are painted in yellow.

•Telephone• ~ Call boxes are scarce in Spain & if you do find one its more likely to be faulty & swallow your money. If you want to call home then most bars/cafe`s offer this service & there is no obligation to buy something. You may pay a little extra but its worth it.

•Petrol Stations• ~ Petrol stations are less frequent than in Britain , even on important roads. So if any of you plan to hit the road this summer then do not pass a petrol station without filling up if your tank is more than half empty.

•Spanish Drivers• ~ By British standards Spanish drivers a little extreme & I would have to agree. Fast & furious is how I would describe the driving in Spain ... Many jump the lights , no-one has time for you , ironic seeing Spanish people are so friendly & helpful. That is not the case when they are behind the wheel & so be careful when driving on the streets of Spain this summer.

•Roads• ~ Apart from the few bumpy areas of Spain , Spanish main roads are generally very good. Main roads are marked by a letter N (national) followed by a roman numeral - N1 or NV. Motorways are recognised by the letter A (autopista).

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Everyday Phrases/Expressions
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Won`t mention them all but will mention some useful ones , especially when on holiday.

•Please• ~ Por Favor

•Good Morning• ~ Buenos Dias

•Good Night• ~ Buenas Noches

•Good Bye• ~ Adios

•Excuse me• ~ Perdoneme

•I cannot speak Spanish• ~ No puedo hablar espanol

•I am English• ~ Soy Ingles

•How are you• ~ Como estas

•Whats the time• ~ Que hora es ?

•I do not understand• ~ No comprendo

•Help• ~ Ayudame or Socorro

•Hace calor• ~ Its hot

•What is this• ~ Esto que es

•I am lost• ~ Estoy perdido/a

•I do not like it• ~ No me gusta

•Hasta Luego• ~ See you later

I could go on & on & on ..... Don`t want to bore you all so I think I better quit while i`m still ahead. Hope the above has helped somewhat.

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Bottom Line
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Most Spaniards share most of the basic qualities such as hospitality , courtesy , pride , Catholicism. Individuals naturally vary a lot , but these are the qualities to be kept in mind when dealing with Spaniards. I have many Spanish friends both in Spain and here in the UK. I have grown to love the country & the people , what it stands for & what it represents , so much so that I now class Spain as my home.

Thanks 4 reading ..... Versatile 2003 ©