Miscellaneous information - Spain

This section contains information on:

Travel to Spain and getting around once you're there
Passport, visa and residencia requirements
Geography and time zone
Weather
Electricity

Getting there and around

By Air

The general area is well served by three international airports… with daily flights into Valencia and Alicante. The third, Murcia (south of Alicante) is used by a smaller number of tour and flight operators although you’ll find Monarch, Easyjet, Ryanair, British Midland and several others all flying there.

With a connecting flight, you could also fly into, say Málaga and then onto one of the airports above. Or if your destination is some distance south of the Costa Calida, Málaga could be a useful option so long as you don’t mind driving up the coast from there.

A good number of (charter, scheduled and budget) flights depart from UK/RoI airports fly to these destinations. Flying time from southern parts of the UK is about 2.5 hours.

By Rail/Road

There are a variety of choices and you can mix and match different options to go all the way by train or part train/part driving. Segments of the journey could be via Eurostar to Paris, too.

Obviously there’s extensive information on many web sites but some of the best info (for travelling by train all over the world, not just to Spain) appears to be at Seat Sixty-One.

If you are planning to take your car by train they have a Motorail section devoted to this, too.

By Road

If you are going to drive the whole distance, for example from London to Valencia it’s about 1,500 miles/2,000 kilometres. Unless you are going to keep going and swap drivers along the way, you ought to reckon on allowing a minimum of two days without any real time to go off route to explore.

The most direct route -which keeps you heading virtually due south all the way - is Paris, Orléans, Limoges, Toulouse, Narbonne, Perpignan and then, once you are into Spain, you pick up the excellent A-7 coastal route (rarely overly busy) which takes you past Barcelona and Valencia and then on down south to wherever will be your final stopping point.

By Ferry

Again, there are numerous choices and, particularly in peak season, almost daily crossings. Most often, though, people seem to usually go to Bilbao or Santander and then drive down to the south.

Once you are in Spain, rather than sit behind the wheel for some hours, a very pleasant way to do this final leg of the journey is to take your time, say an extra day or two, and stop off along the way and explore this massive country.

Northern, central and southern Spain are very distinct areas with lots to see – including some breathtaking scenery along the way.

Of course, you've got to sample some of the delicious local cusine en route, too. The dishes and wines on offer change as you come down south. There's a truly amazing variety.

Getting around

Public transport is generally very good in Spanish cities most of which have efficient bus and rail systems. In some cities – Barcelona for example – there is a very good metro service, too.

Road System

The roads are nothing like they were twenty years ago. Nowadays most roads are in very good condition and there is a network of main roads, motorways and main trunk roads all across the country. It’s typical that only if you go off the beaten track inland that you’ll find yourself on bumpy, dusty, potentially pot-holed tracks.

Although watch out - on some provincial or regional roads (roughly a UK B-road) you can drive for miles on an otherwise blemish-free road surface and then suddenly come across a very poor stretch that may represent a hazard if you continue at normal driving speed.

The motorways (autopistas)

Almost always follow the route of the old trunk roads and while some sections of the motorways have toll booths, the old trunk roads do not. Some of the old trunk roads have been upgraded to motorway or near motorway standard (called autovias)… still without the tolls.

Taxis

Available nearly everywhere and licensed cabs use a meter for all journeys. They are usually white saloon cars/people carriers with a green light on the roof and/or the word “Taxi”.

Rail

The state owned national railway (RENFE) operates most of the railway services in Spain. Trains are modern and comfortable and with one or two quirks, the timetable is usually adhered to – more often than in the UK.

Prices are very reasonable – e.g. Barcelona to Alicante (300 miles/500+ kilometres) one way, 2nd class for about 38€. Local/regional train journeys are even cheaper.

Bus

There are national, regional and local bus services. You can just about get to anywhere from anywhere using buses.

Most large towns have a central bus station (sometimes more than one) and in smaller towns/villages there is usually a bus stop at or very close to the main town plaza.

Car

Your current EU/UK licence is acceptable in Spain although at some car rental companies you may find that you need to show both your card and the paper version of your licence before they will rent you a car.

You no longer need to get a Spanish licence if you intend to live in Spain, although you certainly can get one if you wish. A ruling in September 2004 obliged Spain to accept driving licences from any EU country, so you can use your EU/UK driving licence in any EU country.

Your car should be equipped with two red warning triangles for use in the case of a breakdown – to be placed so that approaching drivers have at least 50 metres warning of your breakdown… so this may mean around a bend, for example.

You should also have the following:

Spare tyres and the necessary tools to change them.
A spare set of headlight bulbs, as it’s illegal to drive with a broken light.
A reflective waistcoat.

On main roads you have to wear the reflective waistcoat (even during daylight) if you get out of the car to carry out a repair or check your vehicle over.

If you hire a car, all of the above things including the warning triangles, should be supplied with the car.

Make sure you carry your passport (or if you have one, your Residencia), valid insurance certificate and all other documents relating to the car (certified copies are okay).

Here is a summary of the main rules, to help you keep on the right side of the law, as well as the right side of the road:

Remember that the Spanish drive on the right!
Always give way to traffic on the left and remember the flow of traffic on a roundabout is anti-clockwise.
You must be 18 years or over to drive in Spain.
The permitted blood-alcohol level in Spanish is lower than in the UK and in some areas, spot checks can be a regular occurrence.
Children under 12 cannot travel in the front of a vehicle without a special seat.
Both front and rear seat belts should be used at all times, by adults and children alike.
It’s illegal to use a mobile phone whilst driving and there’s a 300 Euro fine if you’re caught.

Speeding fines are on the spot for non residents and current speed limits are:

120 km/h on motorways
100 km/h on dual carriageways
90 km/h on single carriageways
50 km/h in towns - unless otherwise sign-posted

Passports, Visas and Residencia

British citizens need a valid passport but no visa is required for a maximum stay of three months.

For Irish nationals, the situation is as above but also required are onward or return tickets as well as sufficient funds.

The borderless zone known as the Schengen area consists of (at the time of writing – it will change): Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

Each of these countries issue a standard Schengen visa that allows the individual to freely travel within the borders of all the members of the Schengen Agreement. If your visa is from a country fully applying the Schengen rules, it automatically allows you to travel to the other Schengen countries as well. Moreover, if you have a valid residence permit from one of those Schengen countries, it is equivalent to a visa.

Non-EU nationals must hold a return or onward ticket as well as all necessary documents for onward travel plus sufficient funds.

For many other nationalities, the requirement is frequently a passport valid for period of intended stay but no visa is required for a maximum stay of three months. It will frequently be necessary to apply for a Carta de Invitacion through a police station.

Since mid June 2007, passengers flying to Spain have to supply their airline with details of their date of birth, nationality, and passport number before flying. This requirement is part of a number of EU-wide measures to increase security.

NB Passport and visa requirements are liable to change at short notice. You are advised to check your own entry requirements with your embassy or consulate.

Residencia

As from March 2007, EU citizens will no longer be supplied with Residence Cards (Tarjeta de Residencia). However, the new law requires that all EU citizens who intend to live in Spain for more than three months must register at the Foreigners Office (Oficina de Extranjeros) in their province of residence… or at a designated Police Station.

In future a certificate will be issued stating your name, address, nationality, identity number along with the date of your registration.

Existing Residencia holders will be issued a certificate, as above, when it's time to renew.

Geography

Positioned in the south west of Europe and occupying around 85% of the Iberian peninsula, Spain is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Balearic Sea to the south east, the Cantabrian Sea to the north, Portugal and the North Atlantic to the west and the Pyrenean border with France/Andorra to the north-east.

Not forgetting, of course, the contentious issue of the small British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar near the southernmost tip.

Separating the continent of Europe from north Africa are the Straits of Gibraltar. The entrance into the Mediterranean here is just 8 miles (13 km) across – with the Iberian peninsula on one side and Morocco on the other.

3,085 miles (4,965 km) of Spain’s borders are water – 1,191 miles (1,918 km) are land. The Mediterranean coast is around 1,030 miles (1,660 km) long; the Atlantic coast is 440 miles (710 km) in length.

The Balearic Islands in the Med and the Canary Islands - 67 miles (108 km) out in the Atlantic to the south-west (off the north-western African coast) - are all part of Spain.

Spain also has five remaining plazas de soberanía (places of sovereignty) in Spanish North Africa – the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, and the three smaller areas of the Islas Chafarinas, the Peñón de Alhucemas and the Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera.

Time is GMT plus one hour with daylight saving time adjustments in March and October.

Weather

Due to the size and location of its land mass, Spain has a diverse climate with almost three distinct bands running across it horizontally. Northern Spain has an oceanic climate, from the Pyrenees to the northwest region. This is typified by relatively mild winters, warm (not hot) summers, and generally plentiful rain throughout the year.

The major land mass of the central area (Meseta Central) experiences a continental climate – irregular rainfall and wide variation in temperature on both a daily and seasonal basis.

The south, stretching from the Pyrenees to the southernmost points of the peninsula, experiences a Mediterranean climate. Rainfall here is less than other areas of Spain and is often very light and irregular.

The temperature range on a daily basis is less than for central Spain and also higher on average - although in midsummer, some of the central inland areas (e.g. Madrid) can get very hot… reaching 40°+ C during the day time.

Overall, temperatures in the south will be somewhere in the 10 to 13°C range in January… with midsummer temperatures averaging 22 to 27°C on the coast and 29 to 31°C a few miles inland.

For those of us who have moved here from northern Europe, the southern climate is VERY agreeable, often with clear, bright-blue skies even in the heart of winter… and it usually doesn't get dark until 6pm (ish)!

Of course, there are certain smaller local areas in each of these regions that experience a slightly different climate due to location, geography, etc. but for the most part, the preceding is what you should expect.