Visitor Information

Tourist Offices

The Tourist Office of Spain's official page can be found on the Net at www.okspain.org.

In the U.S. -- 666 Fifth Ave., 35th Floor, New York, NY 10103 (tel. 212/265-8822; fax 212/265-8864); 845 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 915E, Chicago, IL 60611 (tel. 312/642-1992; fax 312/642-9817); 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 956, Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (tel. 323/658-7188; fax 323/658-1061); 1395 Brickell Ave., Suite 1130, Miami, FL 33131 (tel. 305/358-1992; fax 305/358-8223).

In Canada -- 2 Bloor St. W., Suite 3402, Toronto, ON M4W 3E2 (tel. 416/961-3131; fax 416/961-1992).

In the U.K. -- 79 New Cavendish St., 2nd Floor, London W1W 6XB (tel. 020/7486-8077; fax 020/7486-8034).

Websites

For general info on the Net, check out www.okspain.org, the official page of the Tourist Office of Spain; www.red2000.com; or www.cyberspain.com. You'll find more details at www.softguides.com. If you're interested in the cultural treasures, go to www.mcu.es.

Maps

For one of the best overviews of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), get Michelin map no. 990 (folded version) or map no. 460 (spiral-bound version). For more detailed looks at Spain, Michelin has a series of six maps (nos. 441-446) showing specific regions, complete with many minor roads.

For extensive touring, purchase Mapas de Carreteras -- España y Portugal, published by Almax Editores and available at most leading bookstores in Spain. This cartographic compendium of Spain provides an overview of the country and includes road and street maps of some of its major cities.

The American Automobile Association (www.aaa.com) publishes a regional map of Spain that's available free to members at most AAA offices in the United States. Incidentally, the AAA is associated with the Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE; tel. 90-240-45-45; www.race.es). This organization can supply helpful information about road conditions in Spain, including tourist and travel advice. It will also provide limited road service, in an emergency, if your car breaks down.

Telephones

To call Spain: -- 1. Dial the international access code: 011 from the U.S.; 00 from the U.K., Ireland, or New Zealand; or 0011 from Australia

2. Dial the country code 34.

3. Dial the city code and then the number.

To make international calls: To make international calls from Spain, first dial 00 and then the country code (U.S. or Canada 1, U.K. 44, Ireland 353, Australia 61, New Zealand 64). Next you dial the area code and number. For example, if you wanted to call the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., you would dial 00-1-202-588-7800.

For directory assistance: Dial tel. 1003 in Spain.

For operator assistance: If you need operator assistance in making an international call, dial tel. 025.

Toll-free numbers: Numbers beginning with 900 in Spain are toll-free, but calling an 800 number in the States from Spain is not toll-free. In fact, it costs the same as an overseas call.

In Spain, many smaller establishments, especially bars, discos, and a few informal restaurants, don't have phones. Furthermore, many summer-only bars and discos secure a phone for the season only, then get a new number the next season. Many attractions, such as small churches or even minor museums, have no staff to receive inquiries from the public.

In 1998, all telephone numbers in Spain changed to a nine-digit system instead of the six- or seven-digit system used previously. Each number is now preceded by its provincial code for local, national, and international calls. For example, when calling Madrid from Madrid or from another province within Spain, telephone customers must dial tel. 91-123-45-67. Similarly, when calling Málaga from within or outside the province, dial tel. 95-123-4567.

More information is available on the Telefónica website (www.telefonica.es).

Online Traveler's Toolbox

Veteran travelers usually carry some essential items to make their trips easier. Following is a selection of handy online tools to bookmark and use.

Weather (www.intellicast.com and www.weather.com)

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Spain 2008 Author: Darwin Porter Pub Date: October 01, 2007 Price: $22.99				Related Titles: Frommer's Barcelona Day by Day, 1st Edition Frommer's Barcelona, 2nd Edition Frommer's Madrid, 2nd Edition