Spain Tours

• Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain in order to find the New World.
• Bullfighting in Spain is regarded as an art as well as a popular attraction and is its biggest and most controversial sport. Bullfighting has long been part of Spanish history and culture, though it remains highly controversial and is far less widespread today than in the past.
• Spanish culture greatly influenced modern art from the late 1800s, with artists like Antoni Gaudí (Art Nouveau), Pablo Picasso (expressionism, cubism, and surrealism), Joan Miró (surrealism) and Salvador Dalí (surrealism).
• The Spanish Inquisition, which aimed at converting non-Christians to Christian Catholicism, started in 1478 and was not abolished until 1834. It is estimated that the Inquisition processed some 150,000 people, of whom at least 3% were executed (most famously burnt at the stake).
• Spain was officially neutral in both World Wars.

Australian passport holders travelling to Spain do not need a visa at this time.

We require that your passport is valid for travel for at least six months from the date you are planning to return to Australia. Your passport must be valid to travel internationally and must be machine-readable. You also need to carry a valid return ticket on you.

Whether travelling on an Australian passport or the passport of another country, all travellers require visas for a number of countries, and it is your responsibility to secure what may be required before departing Australia. You can consult with your travel agent, but it is also recommended that you check the foreign embassy website for your respective destination as it can also provide you with useful information.

The Australian Embassy in Spain:

Level 24, Torre Emperador Castellana Building
Paseo de la Castellana, 259D
28046 Madrid
Ph. +34 91 353 6600
Fax. +34 91 353 6692

The official currency of Spain is the Euro. Notes come in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. The recommended currency to take to Spain is the Euro. Ensure you change a small amount into small denominations.

Advise your bank of your travel plans so that they can make a note of it, otherwise they may cancel your credit card as a safety measure due to the overseas transactions. Also make a note of the 24-hour emergency contact number of the bank or building society which issued your credit card in the unlikely event that your card is lost or stolen.

Whenever possible use ATMs when the banks are open (Mon – Fri) so that if a machine ‘eats’ your card you can then deal with it straight away. It is always advisable to carry a supply of cash in addition to your credit card.

If you don’t have Euros with you on arrival, we advise you to exchange some money into the local currency at the airport even if the exchange rate is not the best, this way you’ll have money to get a drink, snack or give a tip during those first few hours of arrival. Your guide will be able to advise you on the best places to exchange money.

Small change is also useful for paying for toilets while on tour which is customary in many places outside of Australia.

• The price of a cappuccino in Madrid is approximately €2.50-4
• The price of an inexpensive lunch is approximately €14-20
• The price of dinner in a moderate restaurant is approximately €30-40
• The price of a beer in a local pub is approximately €3-5

Spanish cooking is reason enough for a trip to Spain. Part of the pleasure of dining on the Iberian Peninsula is variety—each region has a distinctive style. Galicia is known for its wonderful seafood; the Basque Country for its bacalao (a preserved salt cod that tastes better than it sounds); Castile for its cheese, grilled meats and cochinillo (roast suckling pig); Extremadura for Iberian or Serrano ham (a dry-cured ham similar to Italy’s Prosciutto di Parma); Navarra for trout and chorizo (a spicy sausage); Andalusia for gazpacho, salmorejo and ajo blanco (delicious chilled soups) and tapas; Catalonia for grilled rabbit, romesco (a sweet pepper sauce traditionally eaten with grilled spring onions) and butifarra (Catalan pork sausage). Paella (a delicious saffron-flavoured rice dish with pimiento, peas, fish and shellfish) is found throughout Spain, but the most authentic version comes from Valencia, where the dish originated. One of the best ways to sample Spanish cooking is at a tapas bar. Tapas are small portions of just about anything: cheese, olives, squid, smoked shrimp, sausage, patatas bravas (fried potatoes in a paprika sauce) and marinated vegetables, to name just a few.

Important: When dining at buffets (i.e. breakfast) please refrain from taking food away with you to ‘save’ for later! If you feel that you’ll need snacks between meals, pack some dried fruit, nuts, muesli bars etc.

If you have specific food allergies and/or preferences, we highly recommend you take every precaution before your tour, including carrying a small card with your food allergy listed in each language of every country you are travelling to show to table staff when ordering. Whilst we take all dietary requirements seriously, due to the serious nature of potential allergic reactions, it is your responsibility to be as prepared as possible.

The months April to June, September and October are the best times to visit Spain. July and August are generally very hot, and it can be quite cool in October in the higher elevations and Basque area. Jumpers will be needed for the evenings. Winter, though generally mild, can be rainy, foggy and windy. It rains more on the Bay of Biscay coast than on the southern Mediterranean coast.

Want to get out and explore on your own?

All Spanish cities have an old historic centre and walking is the most suitable way to see it. However, you can always hail a taxi if you need to. In urban areas they have meters and further out from the cities they charge per kilometre. Spain's extensive high-speed rail network (AVE), along with buses and domestic flights, makes travelling between cities easy.

When catching taxis, have small change on you and choose one with a meter, if it doesn’t have one then negotiate the price before getting in. Also, ask your guide or hotel staff the names of reputable taxi companies.

So, you’d love to bring home a special souvenir from Spain…

Spain offers unique handcrafted items: contemporary and antique paintings and sculptures, knotted rugs, guitars, ornate handmade shawls, decorative pottery, handmade furniture, and ornamental combs and fans. Other items found in Spain are Lladró (Spanish porcelain), copper and steel wares, leather goods (purses, shoes, wallets) and Spanish antiques, which can be found on Calle del Prado in Madrid.

Spanish regional specialties include various local liqueurs and wines; gold in Toledo; exquisite lace embroideries in the towns of Torrijos, Oropesa and Lagartera; and ceramics in Talavera, Illescas, Cuenca, Numancia de la Sagra and Manises (Valencia).

• ‘Siesta’ is an afternoon nap, so this means that smaller shops and services, particularly outside of the big cities, are often closed between 1:30pm and 4:30pm (except for restaurants).
• Be respectful when visiting churches: casual dress is fine as long as it’s neat and tidy.
• Spaniards object to men going bare-chested anywhere other than the beach or poolside.
• People are often referred to as Don or Doña and their first name in formal conversation.
• You may be interrupted while you are speaking. This is not an insult, it merely means the person is interested in what you are saying; several people may speak at once.
• Spaniards are very thorough. They will review every minute detail to make certain it is understood.

Spain has a number of provincial holidays including Barcelona’s largest and most famous street festival, ‘La Mercè’, held at the end of September. This four day event pays homage to the Virgin Mary for sparing the Spaniards from a plague of locusts in 1687, and celebrates the Catalonian culture with live concerts, dancing, feasting and fireworks. Seville hosts ‘Feria de Abril’ a week-long fair, whereby a miniature, ornate town is constructed with 1,051 booths erected representing the houses, lit with lanterns and the streets named after legendary bullfighters. Drawing crowds in excess of one million from around the world, this ‘trade fair’ inspired event is full of life with regional specialties, music, dancing and concluding with fireworks over the Guadalquivir river.

Other national public holidays to be aware of include:

• New Year’s Day
• Epiphany (January 6th)
• Good Friday
• Labour Day / May Day (May 1st)
• Assumption of Mary (August 15th)
• Hispanic Day (October 12th)
• All Saints’ Day (November 1st)
• Constitution Day (December 6th)
• Immaculate Conception (December 8th)
• Christmas Day