Entry requirements | Organizing your trip | Visiting | Eating | Paying | Speaking |

Entry requirements

Passport and visa service

Please visit conpapeles.com

Diplomatic representations

Visit the Spanish Ministry of External Affairs website

For more information

Embassy of Spain in Greece
21, Dion Areopagitou
117 42 Athens
Phone: 2109213123, 2109213237-8
Fax: 2109213090
emb-esp@otenet.gr

Organizing your trip

Means of transport recommended in town

Recommendation

It is recommended to use taxis (plenty, well signposted and affordable). It is necessary to have sufficient knowledge of the city beforehand to use the mass transport. The cities usually have a very good bus network.

Maps of urban networks

Madrid metro map
Barcelona metro map
Barcelona transport map
Valencia transport map

Means of transport recommended in the rest of the country

Recommendation

Apart from the high-speed lines, it is better to avoid rail transport since it is slow and often behind schedule. Domestic airline services are aplenty but crowded and flight departure delays are frequent. The bus transit network is dense, reliable and affordable.

Rail companies

RENFE (Entire Spanish territory)
FEVE (North of the country and Murcia)
ADIF (entire Spanish territory)
FGC (Catalonia)
FGV (Valencia)
Euskotren (Basque Country)

Flight from Greece

Several aircraft companies like Olympic Airlines, Air France, Iberia, Alitalia, Lufthansa and British Airways operate regular flights from Athens to Madrid. Some of these companies also offer departures from Athens to the main Spanish cities like Barcelona or Valencia. To find out air connections from Greece to Spain click here

Traveling by yourself

Recommendation

The road network is excellent. The major cities are served by turnpikes (AP - autopistas de peaje) or free expressways (A-autovías). The police is very strict about respecting speed limits. Fines are very high and foreigners must pay immediately in cash. Impounding for wrong parking is systematic. It is compulsory to have a fluorescent vest inside the car (and not in the trunk) and also two hazard warning triangles.

Road maps

Road network map

Find an itinerary

Guia Campsa
Via Michelin

Visiting

Different forms of tourism

Historical

There are many prehistoric sites (the Altamira caves). The eight centuries of Muslim invasion have left traces (the Alhambra). A number of castles, palaces, and medieval cities (Toledo).

Cultural

Spain is a country with strong Catholic culture, but also Muslim and Jewish culture, since these 3 religions have coexisted (Toledo).
Various sites registered in the world heritage sites of UNESCO.
Various museums to visit: all the museums listed on the Ministry of Culture website.
Folklore and traditions present during the fairs or the various festivals.
A number of theatre and dance festivals, concerts, bullfights, etc. especially during summer.

Nature

Many natural and national parks

Religious

Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela
Numerous churches, monasteries, convents, mosques and synagogues to visit.

Thermal

A number of spas the tradition of which dates back to the Greek, Roman and Arab occupations.

Beach

With a vast Mediterranean coast without tides and sunshine, Spain is a paradise for "sunshine and beach" tourism. In the North, the Atlantic coast, often steeper, is especially suitable for water sports.

Winter sports

Spain has around thirty winter sports resorts spread across the Pyrenees and the different mountain ranges of this mountainous country. The most popular is Baqueira-Beret in the Aran Valley (Catalonia), the southern most is near Grenada.

Outdoor activities

Golf , big and small game hunting, river and sea fishing, sailing, scuba diving, horseback tourism, paragliding, hang-gliding, rafting.
Theme parks: Port Aventura, Terra Mitica, Isla Magica.
Many water parks.

Shopping

All the big Spanish cities offer significant options: presence of outlets of all the major Spanish and international brands (especially Madrid and Barcelona). Large shops El Corte Ingles, business centers, etc. Various products and artistic souvenirs can be bought during the fairs or markets.

Tourism organizations

Ministry of Culture
National office of Tourism in Spain
Spanish association of countryside tourism

Eating

Food specialties

Traditional Spanish cuisine has a country base with distinct regional specialties.

Fried squids, gazpacho and tapas.

Caldereta: Lamb stew: Shepherd's dish. It is an adaptable dish allowing all types of local ingredients like wine, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, red and green peppers and garlic to be added. In the old recipes of Extremadure, the cooking juice is thickened with dried bread-crumbs, lamb liver and almonds, mixed up with a meat stock to make a sort of dough.

Paëlla: typical saffron rice-based Spanish dish accompanied with seafood and meat or poultry.

Churros: In Spain, the churros are part of the popular tradition. The dough is generally molded in a decorating tube with a star-shaped nozzle to make arm-length strips. Once they are fried, they are stacked and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon in cascade. They are eaten with hot and thick chocolate (Spain has obtained a waiver from the EU to be able to continue making chocolate containing a thickening agent).

Drinks

The quality of the numerous Spanish wines is constantly improving.
The main labels of quality are: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Toro, Ribeiro, Rias Baixas, Albarino, etc. Catalogne prepares large quantities of a Champagne method sparkling wine labelled « cava ». The Andalusian cherrys are known for their variety: fino, oloroso, amontillado, manzanilla, Pedro Ximenez. There are special spirits: anisette, Pacharan and fruit liqueur. Asturias produce cider and Pays Basque du Txacoli (white wine).

Dietary restrictions

 Rabbit, horse meat and snails are eaten only in some regions of Spain. It is rare to eat raw shellfish.

Paying

Domestic currency

Euro

ISO Code

EUR

To obtain domestic currency

The easiest is to directly withdraw money from the ATMs. There are many of them easily accessible in the airports, downtown and in all areas. 

Possible means of payment

All credit cards are easily accepted in the hotels, restaurants (except the very small ones and the bars) and businesses, except American Express. Taxis which accept credit card payment are rare. It is not possible to pay by checks other than certified checks. The Spanish have the habit of paying by cash; it is common to see people with wads of bills. If you want to pay by credit card, you will be asked to show an identity card.

Exchange rate on

Automatic Teller Machines (ATM)

To find out the locations of ATMs in in Spain, click on the link to your credit card: Visa, Mastercard or American Express

Speaking

Official language

Castilian (Spanish)

Other languages spoken

Some regions use their regional language for conducting business (Euskera, Catalan, Galician, Valencian). Other minor regional languages can be used: Bable, Aragonese, Aranese, Extremaduran.

Business language

Spanish.
English is rarely used but it is developing.

Getting some knowledge

Use the travlang website.

Free translation tools

Dictionarios.com - Translation from Spanish to English, German, French or Italian as well as to Euskera, Catalan or Galician.
Eurodicautom - Translation into various European languages
Sensagent - Free Greek-Spanish-Greek dictionary
Hexagone - Not Free Greek-Spanish-Greek translator

We can translate your foreign-language documents.

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Last updates: February 2012