Finding a residential (house) or business phone or mobile (cell) phone number in Spain is relatively easy, the online Spanish phone books are quite efficient and mostly offer English versions. Telefonica is the former monopoly, but there are other suppliers now. Spanish landline phone numbers always have nine digits; there are no separate long distance codes in Spain, wherever you are you just dial the number, which includes the area code. Spain’s telephone country code is 34.

Free telephone number search

PAGINAS BLANCAS
http://engblancas.paginasamarillas.es
/jsp/home.jsp?src=eng: Official white pages for individuals and companies in Spain. You need to choose a province from the drop-down menu. Includes basic map links. Many other languages.

PAGINAS AMARILLAS
http://www.paginasamarillas.es/: Official yellow pages business directory for Spain. Put company name in "empresa". In Spanish. GTS, but image titles not translated, so a bit difficult. Check links lower down on the page.

TELEXPLORER
http://www.telexplorer.es/sp/?: Residential and commercial telephone listings for Spain, in Spanish. Google toolbar didn’t work here, but it’s easy to use though. Residencial/Comercial. Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay as well!

LASGUIAS
http://www.lasguias.com/: Directory of business and services in Spain. In Spanish. GTS ok in spite of images: check drop-down menus in search boxes.

INFOBEL
http://www.infobel.com/en/spain/People.aspx Search for residential numbers (People), businesses, by area (like yellow pages) and reverse number look-up.

• Festivals
• Public Holidays
• Visas
• Health
• Time
• Electricity
• Weights & Measures
• Money, Banks etc.
• Useful Telephone Numbers

Festivals

Spain is fiesta mad, there’s always some holiday or other taking place within striking distance of wherever you are, and the better known ones, like the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona and La Tomatina in Bunol (Valencia) are world-famous. It’s well worth checking out what’s on during the period you’re thinking of going.

EVENTS SEARCH CALENDAR (opens in new window)

Spanish Public Holidays – 2012

Visas:

Spain, along with Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal, forms part of the border-free travel zone subject to the Schengen Agreement. US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Israeli citizens are among those who may enter Spain as tourists without a visa and stay up to 90 days. EU passport holders can come and go as they please.

Health risks:

Sunburn in summer, insect bites.

Time:

GMT/UTC +1 (+2 in summer)

Current Spanish time

Electricity:

220V, 50Hz, 2-pin (round) plug

Weights & measures:

Metric (same as France)

Metric Weights and Measures and their equivalents

Clothing and shoe sizes conversion: US, UK, Europe

Money:

The Euro (€)

• As of January 1, 2002, the euro (€) replaced the national currency of 12 countries within the European Union, including Spain. You can exchange currency at any bank branch (hours are listed below). Automatic cash machines can be found in most commercial centres.
• Bank Opening Hours Standard banking hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30-9:00 in the morning until 2:00-2:30 in the afternoon. Some banks also extend hours once a week and/or are open on Saturdays from 9:00-13:00.
  Note: In the summer months (June-August) most banks tend to shorten their opening hours. Don’t be late, either – Spanish banks are tough when it comes to closing time.
• ATMs (cash machines)Most cash machines/ATMs (cajeros) in Spain operate on either the ServiRed or the 4B network (also known as Telebanco). Check which one your bank is affiliated to.
• Currency exchangeCurrency exchange can be carried out at all bank branches, bureaux de change and major hotels, but banks give the best rates

Check out the current Euro exchange rate with your currency here (close the new window to return): TRAVEL SIGNPOSTS CURRENCY CONVERTER

Useful telephone numbers :

To call out of Spain dial the exit code (00) followed by country code and number
To call into Spain dial entry code (34) followed by the Spanish number

• General Emergency 112 (multilingual)
• Police 091
• Fire Brigade 080
• Medical emergency 061
• Operator (0180) 2001033
• National Directory Enquiries 11822
• National Directory Enquiries (in English) 1004
• International Directory Enquiries 11825

Lost Credit Cards/Travelers’ Cheques

• American Express 915 720 303
• Diner’s Club 915 474 000
• EC and Bank Cards (069) 74 09 87
• Euro/Mastercard 900 971 231
• VISA 900 991 124

Some other Spain pages:

Tour Routes in Spain

When to travel to Spain: weather and seasons

Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in Spain online

Book your hotel in Spain online

Map of Spain with major cities

A Suggested Route around Spain

Although Spain is a major tour destination in its own right, many tours combine it with Portugal and even Morocco. Such combinations inevitably miss out interesting areas. Here’s a route that covers most of the major Spanish attractions so you can get an overall picture:

Note: links to the towns go to photo albums on the Travel Signposts website

MADRID – Segovia – Avila – SALAMANCA – Leon – Lugo – SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA – Coruna – Burgos – VITORIA – Santander – Bilbao – San Sebastian – PAMPLONA – Zaragoza – BARCELONA – Peniscola – Tarragona – VALENCIA – Alicante – GRANADA – Las Alpujarras (ORGIVA, Bubion, Trevelez) – Malaga – Torremolinos – Marbella – Gibraltar – Jerez – SEVILLE – Cordoba – Toledo – MADRID

This tour would take a minimum of fifteen days to do and you wouldn’t be sitting still much, twenty would be more comfortable! If you wanted to cut it down, missing out the Santiago de Compostela extension and omitting the Alpujarras detour would still give you a pretty comprehensive tour.

A Spectacular and Diverse Country

Spain is a spectacular and diverse country. Although you may tend to think about the beaches and drier landscape of the south, don’t forget the north, especially the Basque Region, with its different food, mountains, ancient hill top walled villages and rolling, green hills that remind you a bit of Ireland.

Whether you’re visiting the Alhambra in Granada or the Grand Mosque of Cordoba (the Mezquita), or Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, or the Antoni Gaudi designed Parc Guell or Sagrada Família, Barcelona’s best-known landmark, the variety of attractions is astonishing.

And although you may have a tight schedule, the thing to remember is that Spain is best experienced slowly. Take it easy and relax, especially in the countryside, where life and the local people tend to move to a slower rhythm…you won’t regret it!

TRAVEL TO SPAIN WITH US: PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS

Some other Spain pages:

Travel to Spain for a Europe tour with passion!

When to travel to Spain for your tour: weather and seasons

Useful facts, dates and links to help you plan your tour of Spain

Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in Spain online

Book your hotel in Spain online

Travel to Spain for a holiday with passion...

Travelling in Spain is a hot-blooded experience! Strong red wine, the brilliance and heat of the sun, spicy Spanish food, flamenco music that stirs your soul – whatever it is, people get passionate about their travel to Spain. It’s that kind of place.

Cowboys,Gaudi and Don Quixote

Sergio Leone shot Clint Eastwood in “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” in the deserts of Almeria, Gaudi conceived his Sagrada Familia and other mind-bending architectural masterpieces in Barcelona, Hemingway popularised the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona (although it happens in lots of places), Cervantes had Don Quixote and Sancho Panza tilting at windmills in La Mancha and Sev Ballesteros caused the proliferation of golf courses all over (although the constant sunshine helped).

Spain is fiestas – and a lot more!

Spain is Fiestas. All over Spain, from small villages to large cities, the local populace devote a couple of days each year to their own individual festivals.

But Spain is also Flamenco. Castanets. Guitars. Tapas. Gazpacho. Paella. Manchego cheese. Olives. Oranges. Rioja and Penedes wine. Sherry. And Cervantes. Lope de Vega. Lorca. Carreras. Domingo. Segovia. Velasquez. Goya. Picasso. Miro. Dali. Almadovar. Gaudi. The Alhambra. The Prado. La Mezquita. Costa Del Sol. Sierra Nevada. The Pyrenees.

Places that echo through history

Travel to places whose names echo through Europe’s history: Seville. Granada. Madrid. Valencia. Toledo. Cordoba. Salamanca. Barcelona. Zaragoza. Santiago de Compostela. Cadiz. Castile. Aragon.

Travel to Spain for a Europe tour with a hot-blooded difference!

Other Spain pages:

Tour Routes in Spain

When to travel to Spain: weather and seasons

Useful facts, dates and links to help you plan your tour of Spain

Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in Spain online

Book your hotel in Spain online