Information on Spain
Weather Information
Summer is generally hot in the interior of the
country, more moderate and cloudy along the
coast. Towards the end of July, and throughout August, it can get very hot with temperatures sometimes reaching 40 degrees Celsius (100°F). Night-time temperatures remain around 18 degrees Celsius (64°F). However, the climate in Madrid is very low in humidity, therefore making the high temperatures easier to tolerate.
Money
The Euro. Italy and Spain are both members of the European Union. All major credit cards and US dollars are accepted in most hotels and many shops. Most restaurants do not accept credit cards. Travelers checks are widely accepted and can be exchanged easily at most banks and post offices.
What to Wear
Comfortable casual clothing and jeans are acceptable, except shorts and tank tops. When touring cathedrals and religious sites, wear pants or a skirt. Be sure you have good walking shoes.
Electricity
220 volts. An adapter is needed. Italy and Spain operate on a standard two round pronged plug. Feel free to bring electronics, like cameras and camcorders as most electronics can handle 100V to 240V of current, making a converter not necessary. In that case you will only need an adaptor which changes your plugs into European plugs. If your electrical things cannot handle the 220V current, leave them home. Hair dryers and curling irons unfortunately do not do well with 220V.
Entry Requirements
For U.S. citizens, a valid passport is required for entry (www.usps.com/passport). No visa is required for stays up to 60 days. Please note that your passport cannot expire within 6 months of your scheduled return. For Non-U.S. citizens, you must contact their consulate for any visa or other documentation necessary between their country and Spain.
Metro
You will find a map on the wall of each entrance, which will help you plan your journey. Free maps or 'mapas' in Spanish, are available from the ticket office if you ask. Once through the turnstiles, each corridor has a sign on the wall detailing the direction of the train. All trains run from 06:00 until 01:30 on all days of the year, including fiestas.
Phone Calls
If you want to call another country from Spain, then dial 00 followed by the country code and the telephone number. You can make calls from phone boxes. These work with coins or cards available from “estancos” (licensed outlets for tobacco/stamps).
If you wish to make national calls within Spain you should dial the number with no prefix. This number should comprise 9 digits, regardless of whether it is a landline or mobile.
To use your mobile in Spain you should be aware that coverage here uses GSM technology, meaning that it is incompatible with some countries such as the USA or Japan. In this case you need a tri-band mobile in order to call. If you have a compatible handset, you should get in touch with your mobile company to make sure that you can use your mobile in Spain (they will activate the international roaming service on your account). Once you have taken these steps at home, you will be able to use your mobile in Spain as if it were a Spanish handset: i.e. you should dial 00 + the country code to make international calls.
