Spain-Travel Warnings

Holidays and Days off 

It’s important while you’re teaching, traveling, working, or studying abroad in Spain to know when businesses and other public buildings may be closed due to holidays. Also, because of the high prevalence of Catholics in Spain, many religious holidays are observed.

National holidays in Spain include: New Years Day (Jan 1), Good Friday, Labor Day (May 1), Assumption of Mary (August 15), Hispanic Day (October 12), All Saints Day (November 1), Constitution Day (December 6), Immaculate Conception (December 8), and Christmas Day (December 25).

Some regional holidays in Spain include: Epiphany (January 6), Father’s Day (March 19), Holy Thursday, Easter Monday, St. George’s Day and Castile and Leon Day (April 23), St. John’s Day (June 24), St. James Day (July 25), Covadonga and Guadalupe Day (September 5) and St. Stephens Day (December 25). 

Some regions celebrate the day of their independence, including: Madrid on May 2, Valencia on October 9, and the Canary Islands on May 30, among many others.  Be sure to check this when you travel abroad to Spain to avoid confusion or sudden surprises.

Customs Rules

Of course, you will need a passport to travel to Spain, as well as you will need a visa if you stay longer than three months to work abroad, study abroad, or intern abroad in Spain.

Travelers 17 years of age or older can bring into Spain the following: 200 cigarettes/50 cigars, 1 liter of spirits over 22% volume or 2 liters under 22%, and gifts up to 37.26 Euros.

The rest of information can be found by visiting Spain’s consulate.

Communication

Spain’s country code is 34, which is needed when making calls to Spain. Public telephones are common in Spain, and are coin and card operated. Phone cards, called tarjetas telefonicas, are available at most post offices, convenience shops, and newsstands. It is often cheaper (and more convenient) to use phone cards rather than coins to make international calls. If you’re unable to find a public phone, most bars will have a pay phone available.

Many public phones also have instructions in English, so if you’re traveling in Spain and need to use a public phone but don’t know Spanish, you should be fine.

It is always a good idea to get mobile phone in Spain to have with you all the time.

Tipping 

It is debated whether tipping is necessary in Spain or not; most Americans will tip whereas Europeans and Spaniards may not.  Spanish law requires a service fee added on to restaurant bills.  Because Americans are accustomed to do so, it’s fine to tip when you visit Spain to be on the safe side, sticking to 5 to 10 percent (5 for good service and 10 for excellent). 

A Euro is sufficient for bellmen in hotels, and taxi drivers don’t need to be tipped, but letting them keep the change or slipping them a little extra will be greatly appreciated.

Safety 

Generally, people who visit Spain say they feel safe.  The only main problem, crime-wise, is petty theft, which can be prevented most of the time by taking some precaution.

As with many large cities across the world, beware of pickpockets in public places while traveling in Spain.  Especially in heavy tourist cities, pickpockets will act in duos or groups; one or more will distract you while another will steal your things.  A money belt is a safe bet to keep your valuables safe while abroad in Spain. 

While more of a nuisance than a danger to women, Spanish men and their European counterparts are quite straight forward when they want to get woman's attention. It's best to ignore their comments or eye contact; they can downright stare at a woman to get her attention. 

Emergency Phones

Whether you are studying abroad or interning abroad in Spain, you may run into a situation where you need help.  Here are some numbers handy to keep handy just in case:

General emergency (equivalent to 911): 112
Ambulance: 061 (or 112)
Report a crime: 902-102-112
Police: 091
Local police: 092
Civil Guard: 062