Fast Facts

Business Hours -- Banks are open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 2pm and Saturday from 9:30am to 1pm. Most offices are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5 or 5:30pm; the longtime practice of early closings in summer seems to be dying out. In restaurants, lunch is usually from 1 to 4pm and dinner from 9 to 11:30pm or midnight. There are no set rules for the opening of bars and taverns; many open at 8am, others at noon. Most stay open until 1:30am or later. Major stores are open Monday through Saturday from 9:30am to 8pm; smaller establishments, however, often take a siesta, doing business from 9:30am to 1:30pm and 4:30 to 8pm. Hours can vary from store to store.

Customs -- What You Can Bring into Spain -- You can bring into Spain most personal effects and the following items duty-free: one portable typewriter, and one video camera or two still cameras with 10 rolls of film each; one portable radio, one tape recorder, and one laptop PC per person are admitted free of duty provided they show signs of use; 400 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco are admitted; and 2 liters of wine or 1 liter of liquor per person over 17 years of age are admitted. For sports equipment you are allowed fishing gear, one bicycle, skis, tennis or squash racquets, and golf clubs.

What You Can Take Home from Spain -- U.S. Citizens: For specifics on what you can bring back and the corresponding fees, download the invaluable free pamphlet Know Before You Go online at www.cbp.gov. (Click on "Travel," and then click on "Know Before You Go! Online Brochure.") Or contact the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667) and request the pamphlet.

Canadian Citizens: For a clear summary of Canadian rules, write for the booklet I Declare, issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada, or 204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).

U.K. Citizens: For information, contact HM Customs & Excise at tel. 0845/010-9000 (from outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or consult their website at www.hmce.gov.uk.

Australian Citizens: A helpful brochure available from Australian consulates or Customs offices is Know Before You Go. For more information, call the Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263, or log on to www.customs.gov.au.

New Zealand Citizens: Most questions are answered in a free pamphlet available at New Zealand consulates and Customs offices: New Zealand Customs Guide for Travellers, Notice no. 4. For more information, contact New Zealand Customs, The Customhouse, 17-21 Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington (tel. 04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).

Drugstores -- To find an open pharmacy (farmacia) outside normal business hours, check the list of stores posted on the door of any drugstore. The law requires drugstores to operate on a rotating system of hours so that there's always a drugstore open somewhere, even Sunday at midnight.

Electricity -- Most hotels have 220 volts AC (50 cycles). Some older places have 110 or 125 volts AC. Carry your adapter with you, and always check at your hotel desk before plugging in any electrical appliance. It's best to travel with battery-operated equipment or just buy a new hair dryer in Spain.

Embassies & Consulates -- If you lose your passport, fall seriously ill, get into legal trouble, or have some other serious problem, your embassy or consulate can help. These are the Madrid addresses and hours: The United States Embassy, Calle Serrano 75 (tel. 91-587-22-00; Metro: Núñez de Balboa), is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm. The Canadian Embassy, Núñez de Balboa 35 (tel. 91-423-32-50; Metro: Velázquez), is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30am to 5:30pm, and Friday 8:30am to 2:30pm. The British Embassy, Calle Fernando el Santo 16 (tel. 91-700-82-00; Metro: Colón), is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 1:30pm and 3 to 6pm. The Republic of Ireland has an embassy at Paseo Castellana 46 (tel. 91-436-40-93; Metro: Serrano); it's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 2pm. The Australian Embassy, Plaza Diego de Ordas 3, Edificio Santa Engracia 120 (tel. 91-353-66-00; Metro: Ríos Rosas), is open Monday though Thursday from 8:30am to 5pm and Friday from 8:30am to 2:15pm. Citizens of New Zealand have an embassy at Plaza de la Lealtad 2 (tel. 91-523-02-26; Metro: Banco de España); it's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 2pm and 3 to 5:30pm.

Emergencies -- The national emergency number for Spain (except in the Basque country) is tel. 006; in the Basque country it is tel. 088.

Etiquette & Customs -- In Franco's day, many visitors would be arrested for the skimpy, revealing clothes worn around the city streets of Spain today. Nonetheless, it is considered extremely rude for men to go bare-chested except at the beach or poolside. Spaniards and church officials do object to you visiting churches and cathedrals scantily clad even on the hottest day of summer. Casual dress is acceptable, but you should "cover up" as much skin as possible.

In spite of what you've heard in days of yore, when Spaniards showed up for appointments 2 or 3 hours late, most nationals now show up on time as they do in the rest of the E.U. countries. It's always wise for men to wear a suit for business meetings. Spanish speakers should address strangers with the formal usted instead of the more familiar tú.

It is extremely offensive to make critical comments to Spaniards about their country -- politics, religion, customs, their approval of same-sex marriages, whatever. Spaniards are rather formal in social matters. Spaniards are addressed as Señor for Mr., Señora for Mrs., and Señorita for Ms. It is customary to eat late in Spain, at least after 8:30pm. If you arrive in a dining room at 6pm, you'll be labeled a country bumpkin. It is polite to keep both hands visible during the course of a meal.

For more information, refer to The Global Etiquette Guide to Europe: Everything You Need to Know for Business and Travel Success by Dean Foster (Wiley Publishing, Inc.).

Language -- The official language in Spain is Castilian Spanish (or castellano). Although Spanish is spoken in every province of Spain, local tongues reasserted themselves with the restoration of democracy in 1975. After years of being outlawed during the Franco dictatorship, Catalán has returned to Barcelona and Catalonia, even appearing on street signs; this language and its derivatives are also spoken in the Valencia area and in the Balearic Islands, including Majorca (even though natives there will tell you they speak Mallorquín). The Basque language is widely spoken in the Basque region (the northeast, near France), which is seeking independence from Spain. Likewise, the Gallego language, which sounds and looks very much like Portuguese, has enjoyed a renaissance in Galicia (the northwest). Of course, English is spoken in most hotels, restaurants, and shops.

The best phrase book is Spanish for Travellers by Berlitz; it has a menu supplement and a 12,500-word glossary of both English and Spanish.

Liquor Laws -- The legal drinking age is 18. Bars, taverns, and cafeterias usually open at 8am, and many serve alcohol to 1:30am or later. Generally, you can purchase alcoholic beverages in almost any market.

Mail -- Airmail letters to the United States and Canada cost .78€ ($1) up to 15 grams, and letters to Britain or other E.U. countries cost .58€ (75¢) up to 20 grams. Letters within Spain cost .29€ (40¢). Postcards have the same rates as letters. Allow about 8 days for delivery to North America, generally less to the United Kingdom; in some cases, letters take 2 weeks to reach North America. Rates change frequently, so check at your local hotel before mailing anything. As for surface mail to North America, forget it. Chances are you'll be home long before your letter arrives.

Measurements -- See the chart on the inside front cover of this book for details on converting metric measurements to nonmetric equivalents.

Passports -- Allow plenty of time before your trip to apply for a passport; processing normally takes 3 weeks but can take longer during busy periods (especially spring). And keep in mind that if you need a passport in a hurry, you'll pay a higher processing fee.

For Residents of Australia: You can pick up an application from your local post office or any branch of Passports Australia, but you must schedule an interview at the passport office to present your application materials. Call the Australian Passport Information Service at tel. 131-232, or visit the government website at www.passports.gov.au.

For Residents of Canada: Passport applications are available at travel agencies throughout Canada or from the central Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).

For Residents of Ireland: You can apply for a 10-year passport at the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh). Those under age 18 and over 65 must apply for a 3-year passport. You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork (tel. 021/272-525), or at most main post offices.

For Residents of New Zealand: You can pick up a passport application at any New Zealand Passports Office or download it from their website. Contact the Passports Office at tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100, or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.

For Residents of the United Kingdom: To pick up an application for a standard 10-year passport (5-year passport for children under 16), visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the United Kingdom Passport Service at tel. 0870/521-0410 or search its website at www.ukpa.gov.uk.

For Residents of the United States: Whether you're applying in person or by mail, you can download passport applications from the U.S. State Department website at http://travel.state.gov. To find your regional passport office, either check the U.S. State Department website or call the National Passport Information Center toll-free number (tel. 877/487-2778) for automated information.

Police -- The national emergency number is tel. 006 throughout Spain, except in the Basque country, where it is tel. 088.

Restrooms -- In Spain they're called aseos, servicios, or lavabos, and are labeled caballeros for men and damas or señoras for women. If you can't find any, go into a bar, but you should order something.

Smoking -- On January 1, 2006, Spain banned smoking in the workplace. Restaurants, bars, and nightclubs of a certain size have to designate certain areas as nonsmoking, and smoking is also banned on public transportation and in other areas such as cultural centers.

Taxes -- The internal sales tax (known in Spain as IVA) ranges from 7% to 33%, depending on the commodity being sold. Food, wine, and basic necessities are taxed at 7%; most goods and services (including car rentals) at 13%; luxury items (jewelry, all tobacco, imported liquors) at 33%; and hotels at 7%.

If you are not a European Union resident and make purchases in Spain worth more than 90€, you can get a tax refund. To get this refund, you must complete three copies of a form that the store will give you, detailing the nature of your purchase and its value. Citizens of non-E.U. countries show the purchase and the form to the Spanish Customs Office. The shop is supposed to refund the amount due you. Inquire at the time of purchase how they will do so and discuss in what currency your refund will arrive.

Time Zone -- Spain is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the United States. Daylight saving time is in effect from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in September.

Tipping -- Don't overtip. The government requires that restaurant and hotel bills include their service charges -- usually 15% of the bill. However, that doesn't mean you should skip out of a place without dispensing an extra euro or two. Some guidelines:

Your hotel porter should get .60€ (80¢) per bag. Maids should be given .85€ ($1.10) per day, more if you're generous. Tip doormen .75€ ($1) for assisting with baggage and .50€ (65¢) for calling a cab. Tipping a concierge depends on how much you have used his or her services. For example, some visitors never ask for anything from a concierge. In that case, you can tip nothing. Sometimes a concierge will submit a bill for services rendered, including making restaurant reservations, arranging a bus tour, or securing theater tickets. In that case, you can pay the bill and check out.

Should a concierge not submit a bill, and you have used his services only a couple of times, 5€ ($6.50) is a sufficient tip in most deluxe and first-class hotels. If you've used concierge services a lot, 20€ ($26) would be an appropriate tip. In less expensive hotels, you generally tip much less, perhaps 1€ or 2€ ($1.30-$2.60) for some minor service rendered.

For cab drivers, add about 10% to the fare as shown on the meter. At airports, such as Barajas in Madrid and major terminals, the porter who handles your luggage will present you with a fixed-charge bill.

Service is included in restaurant bills. But it is the custom to tip extra -- in fact, the waiter will expect a tip. That tip is left at your discretion. Some Spanish diners leave nothing if the service was outright bad. Other, more generous diners tip as much as 5% to 10% if the service was good.

Barbers and hairdressers expect a 10% to 15% tip. Tour guides expect 2€ ($2.60), although a tip is not mandatory. Theater and bullfight ushers get from .50€ (65¢).

Useful Phone Numbers -- U.S. Dept. of State Travel Advisory (tel. 202/647-5225, manned 24 hr.), U.S. Passport Agency (tel. 202/647-0518), and U.S. Centers for Disease Control International Traveler's Hot Line (tel. 404/332-4559).