Costa Brava information

Visa and passport

British citizens must hold a passport (can be expired for up to one year), but no visa is required for a maximum stay of 90 days for those holding a passport endorsed British Citizen, European Community, British Dependent Territories Citizen or British Subject. Other UK passport holders require a visa and a passport valid at least three months beyond visa expiry date,

Health

You need no vaccines to travel to Spain. Like everywhere else in the world, you are advised to get your anti-tetanus shots if you will be outdoors, or in rural areas. If as an exceptional measure, International Sanitary Regulations demanded any specific vaccinations, you may need to go through a medical check up, or show a medical certificate.

Weather

Spain's predominant climate is Mediterranean-temperate, with dry summers, and pretty constant temperatures during the winter. In Spain, you will enjoy more than three thousand hours of sunlight. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that this region is one of the warmest in Europe.

In this sense, we should mention the Canary Islands. Because of its peculiar location, in front of the African coastline, these islands enjoy a mild climate, with generous temperatures (the annual average on the coasts being 22ºC), without a major difference in weather between daytime and night time.

However, the main characteristic of Spanish climate is its variety, due in part to Spain's geographical diversity. This way, if we travel north to the Cantabrian coast we will find a humid, temperate climate, with mild winters, and gentle summers that rarely go over 25º C.

In the higher areas of the country, the climate gets rougher, and snow is frequent from the beginning of winter to the end of spring. Such is the case in the Pyrenees, Sierra Nevada, the Central Mountains, the Iberian Mountains, the Cantabrian Mountains, etc.

Temperature

The area’s   nature, climate and history will  cast a spell on you  Right up to the edge of the sea, hanging on occasions over abrupt cliffs, on others in the actual proximity of the beaches, the vegetation paints the fine golden sand green, blending with the ochre of the earth, inland, and together with the dominant landscape. The 16ºC of average annual temperature, with moderate rainfall, and the 2,500 hours of sunshine that illuminate the historic-artistic vestiges, recalling the existence of a notable past, are only the visible aspects of a reality that has a hidden pulse waiting to be discovered. Its 214 kilometres of coastline stretch between Blanes in the south, surrounded by El Maresme and El Montseny, and Portbou in the north, on the French border. Beaches, coves, cliffs and woods sit among renowned places like S’Agaró, Tossa de Mar, Begur, Cadaques and Portlligat. The modern tourist infrastructure of the area has turned Costa Brava into one of Spain's most popular tourist destinations.

Currency

In Spain, as in most other countries of the European Union, the official currency is the euro since January of 2002.

One euro has 100 cents.

There are eight different coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents, € 1 and € 2. There are seven different notes: € 5, € 10, € 20, € 50, € 100, € 200, and € 500.

Paytypes

Credit card: Paying with a major credit card is possible at most Spanish shops and businesses, usually clearly posted at the door of the establishment.

Traveller's cheques:

Traveller's cheques, presented with a valid passport, are also accepted at most hotels, restaurants, and shops.

Tipping 

Tipping is not mendatory. in every single establishment in Spain, service is included with the price of the meal or drink. However, tipping is a common practice at bars and restaurants, hotels, and taxis, depending on the total price for the service, and on the generosity of the client. It is usually around five to ten percent of the total price.

Phone

If you wish to make a phone call to Spain from abroad, dial the international access code of the country you are calling from, then 34 (Spain's country code), and the phone number, which should have 9 digits.

If you wish to call abroad from Spain, dial 00 + country code + the phone number. You can place international calls from a public phone. Phone booths use coins or cards, which can be purchased at tobacconists' shops.

If you wish to make a phone call within Spain, just dial the number with no prefixes. The phone number always has 9 digits, whether it is a cell phone or a regular phone.

If you wish to use your cell phone in Spain, you should know that our GSM technology is not compatible with other countries', such as the U.S. and Japan. If your technology and ours is compatible, then you should contact your wireless carrier to make sure you will be able to use your phone in Spain (some carriers will have to activate international service for your phone). Once those steps are taken at the country of origin, use your cellular in Spain as if you were calling from a Spanish line. That is, you will need to dial 00 + country code + phone number to make international calls.

Language

Spanish is the official language in the entire national territory. However, other languages coexist with Spanish in certain regions of Spain