Spain is comprised of numerous autonomous regions, offering such variation within one country. The hundreds of miles of Mediterranean coastline provide ample opportunity to get off the beaten track, and the country's vibrant cities and colourful festivals will amaze and delight even the most seasoned traveller. There is the Spain of Gaudi, Dali, and Picasso, of Goya and Velazquez - proudly displayed in Madrid 's museums and galleries. With sun-bleached beaches and a favourable rate of exchange for most travellers, it's easy to see why. Budget airlines and affordable fares have turned Spain into a beach resort haven for northern Europeans wishing to escape their own damp climates. Some may feel that the Canary and Balearic Islands have been overrun by tourists, and this is true to some extent - Tenerife, Lanzarote and Majorca have become synonymous with cheap package holidays and warm beer, and Ibiza's reputation has, for some, been tarnished by the revellers frequenting its famous dance clubs and beach parties; however even here you will find many magical, unspoilt corners awaiting discovery.

How to Get In

Visa

Passport/Visa Note: The borderless region known as the Schengen area includes the following countries: Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , Iceland , Italy , Luxembourg , The Netherlands, Norway , Portugal , Spain and Sweden . All these countries issue a standard Schengen visa that allows the holder, in principal, to travel freely within the borders of all. Non-EU nationals must hold a return or onward ticket. All visitors may be asked for proof of financial means for their stay in Spain .

Note: Passport and visa requirements are liable to change at short notice. Travellers are advised to check their entry requirements with their embassy or consulate.

Spain is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Agreement, which governs its visa policies. No visa is required for citizens of other EU member states, and those of nations with whom the European Union has special treaties. There are no border controls between Spain and other Schengen Agreement nations, making travel less complicated.

As of May 2004 citizens of the following countries do not need a visa for entry into Spain . Note that citizens of these countries (except EU nationals) must not stay longer than three months in half a year and must not work in Spain: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela.

There are a number of ways to get into Spain . From neighboring European countries, a drive with the car or a train ride are feasible; visitors from further away will probably be using air travel.

By plane

The busiest airports are Madrid , A Coru?a, Vigo , Palma de Mallorca, Malaga , Murcia , Barcelona , Jerez de la Frontera, Seville , Valencia , Bilbao and Alicante .

An example North American fare, from Toronto to Madrid round-trip in March 2005, was $748 CAD. ($900 after fees).

By train

* RENFE - Timetables and Prices

* FEVE - FEVE?s web page

In the southern part of Spain the train connections are very poor. Better use the buses!

By bus

Bus travel in Spain is increasingly an attractive option for people travelling on a tight budget. Thanks largely to European Union funding, Spain 's road network has vastly improved over the past twenty years, so bus journeys don't take nearly as long as they used to.

There are lots of private bus companies offering routes to all major Spanish cities. If you want to travel around Spain by bus, the best idea is to go to your local bus station (Apart from Madrid and Barcelona , most towns and cities have just one) and see what is available.

Travelling by bus in Spain is usually reliable (except on peak holiday days when roads can be very crowded and you should expect long delays on popular routes), and most coaches are modern and comfortable. You can expect to pay about 8 Euros per 100km.

http://www.euroresidentes.com/resitravel_bus.html

Get around

By train

* Renfe is the Spanish national rail carrier.

By bus

The easiest way to get around most parts of Spain is by bus. Most major routes are point to point, and very high frequency. There is a different operator for each route, but usually just one operator per route. At the bus station, each operator has its own wicket. The staff at any of them are usually happy to tell you who operates which route, however.

* Movelia - provides schedules and fares for most operators.

By thumb

This is not an option in Spain . Hitchhiking is illegal, and it is recommended not to do so.

By Boat

Wherever you are in Spain , from your private yacht you can enjoy gorgeous scenery and distance yourself from the inevitable crowds of tourists that flock to these destinations. May is a particularly pleasant time to charter in the regions of Costa Brava , Costa Blanca and the Balearic Islands as the weather is good and the crowds have yet to descend. The summer months of July and August are the hottest and tend to have lighter winds. There is no low season for the Canary Islands , as the weather resembles springtime all year round. If you would like to bareboat anywhere in Spain , including the Balearic or Canary Islands , a US Coast Guard License is the only acceptable certification needed by Americans to bareboat. For everyone else, a RYA Yacht Master Certification or International Certificate of Competence will normally do. Although a skipper may be required, a hostess/chef may or may not be necessary. Dining out is strong part of Spanish custom and tradition. If you are planning on docking in a port and exploring fabulous bars and restaurants a hostess/cook may just be useful for serving drinks and making beds. Extra crew can take up valuable room on a tight ship.

What to do

Spain has a lot of local festivals that are worth going to.

? C?rdoba en Mayo. Cordoba in May, great month to visit the Southern city.

Las Cruces : big flower-made crosses embellishing public squares in the city center, where you will also find at night music and drinking and lot of people having fun! 1st week in May.

Festival de Patios One of the most interesting cultural exhibitions, 2 weeks when some people open doors of their houses to show their old Patios full of flowers. A must see!

Cata del Vino Montilla-Moriles Great wine tasting in a big tent in the city center during one week in May.

What to Eat

The Spanish are very passionate about their food and wine and Spanish cuisine. Spanish food can be described as quite light with a lot of vegetables and a huge variety of meat and fish. The Spanish cuisine does not use many spices; it relies only on the use of high quality ingredients to give a good taste.

Bars and fast food

The entry level to Spanish food is found in bars as tapas, which are a bit like "starters" or "appetizers", but are instead considered side orders to accompany your drink. Some bars will offer a variety of different tapas; others specialize. A Spanish custom is to have one tapa and one small drink at a bar, then go to the next bar and do the same. Tourists are easily spotted when they load their plates full of tapas.

Fast food has not yet established a strong grip on the Spaniards and you will find McDonalds and Burger King only in bigger towns in the usual places. Pizza is increasingly popular and you will find some outlets in bigger towns as well.

Restaurants

Restaurants deliver a wide range of food. In coastal areas seafood deserves some attention, especially on the north Atlantic coast. Spanish are very concerned about the freshness of seafood and you may place an order only to have the waiter tell you that he can not serve this dish, because they did not receive this particular seafood freshly that day. It is very unlikely to find dishes prepared from frozen fish in a real Spanish restaurant. Obviously so much freshness has its toll and seafood is quite pricey. Meat products are usually of very good quality, because Spain has maintained quite a high percentage of free range animal. A specialty is "jam?n iberico" from free range pigs.

What to Drink

Bars

Probably one of the best places to meet people in Spain is in bars. Everyone visits them and they are always busy and sometimes bursting with people. There is no age restriction imposed to enter these premises. They are mainly to have drink or a small tapa. Usually Spaniards can control their drink better than their northern European fellows and drunk people are rarely seen here or on the streets.

Stay Safe

Swindles you should avoid

Some people could try to take advantage of your ignorance of local customs.

* In Spanish cities, all taxis should have a visible fare table. You shouldn't agree a fixed price to go from an airport to a city: in most cases, the taxi driver will be earning more money than without a pre-agreed tariff.

* In many places of Madrid , especially near Atocha station, there are people ('trileros') who play the "shell game". They will "fish" you if you play, and they will most likely pick your pocket if you stop to see other people play.

* If you rent a car in an airport, especially in Madrid airport, and are hailed by a man to help him repair a tire flat on his car, DO NOT STOP. A few people have been robbed when they stopped to help false broken car drivers.

Other things you should know

* All stores, hotels and restaurants should have an official complaint form, in case you need it.

* The emergency telephone number (police, firefighters, ambulances) is 112. You may call it from any phone at no cost, in case you need to.

Stay Healthy

* Pharmaceuticals are not sold at supermarkets, they're sold at 'farmacias' (chemistries), identified with a green cross or a Hygeia's cup.

* People from European Union and a few more European countries can freely use public health system, if they have the appropriate intereuropean sanitary card. That card does not work in private hospitals. Agreements are established to treat people from a few American countries; see the Tourspain link below for more info.

* However, do not hesitate to go to any healthcare facility should you be injured or seriously ill, as it would be illegal for them not to treat you, even if you are uninsured.

* Though most foreigners tend to think Spain is a warm place, it can be terribly cold in winter, especially in the Central Region and in the North, and in some places it is also rainy in summer. Remember to travel with adequate clothes.

* In summer, avoid direct exposure to sunlight for long periods of time to prevent sunburn and heatstroke. Drink water, walk on the shady side of street and keep a container of sun cream (suntan lotion) handy.

* Most cities have a good water supply, especially Madrid , but you may prefer bottled water to the alkaline taste of water in the east and south.