station.
Citizens of EU states, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland do not require visas. Holders of passports issued by Canada, Australia, Japan and the USA do not require visas for stays of up to 90 days. For longer stays check with the nearest consulate. Other citizens should check visa requirements.
For emergency services ring 112: this is an EU-wide number that accesses emergency services with the operator speaking your language. The national number for the police is 091. Visitors from EU states receive free medical care from the Spanish Health Service. A European Health Insurance Card is required before travelling. Make applications in the UK at www.ehic.org.uk, tel: 0845 606 2030, or via a form from the post office. If you have a medical condition consider carrying a letter from your doctor, giving details and translated into Spanish. Pharmacies can be a great help if you fall ill and can usually find someone who can speak English fluently. They will also have up-to-date knowledge of local doctors.
Although health care may be free for some there can be considerable incidental expenses, and it is always advisable to get adequate holiday insurance. Prices vary considerably and buying it from your travel agent is rarely the cheapest way; try your bank or insurance broker. Depending on how often you travel annual insurance can be very good value. Family cover is often available to those who share the same address and substantial discounts if you opt out of luggage and possessions cover providing these are covered under household policy; it is far easier to claim on household than travel insurance. Check the cover and exclusions before signing up.
Campo de Zafarraya, a fertile plain surrounded by limestone hills (Route 3)
Mobile Phones
There is excellent mobile phone coverage of the whole of Spain, including the Balearic Islands and the Canaries, using the GSM standard (GSM900 and 1800, 3G 2100). It is advisable to check the roaming abilities of your phone with your service provider. Some prepay phones will not permit talk but will allow text messaging. Most service providers have reciprocal arrangements with Spanish-based providers that can significantly reduce call charges. This will usually entail a small service charge covering the period of use and will have to be set up in advance.
Use of your mobile phone in Spain replicates use at home. To call a land line the number starts with the area code; all area codes start with 9. All Spanish mobile numbers start with 6. For international numbers ring 00 or + followed by the country code, area code then telephone number.
Money and Banks
Spain is an excellent good-value destination, with very reasonable costs of living and accommodation. Expect to get by comfortably on around 50 Euros/£40/US$60 (if sharing rooms) to 65 Euros/£50/US$80 per person per day. Add more for wild partying and upmarket quality hotels!
The road between Ansó and Hecho climbs through the Sierra de Vedao (Route 7)
Ochagavía and the Río Anduña (Route 7)
The currency of Spain is the Euro, which fully replaced the peseta on 28 February 2002 (there were 166.386 pesetas to the Euro). One Euro = 100 cents; coins come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents and 1 and 2 Euros; notes come in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro denominations. Euros are also used in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia. The exchange rate against sterling, the dollar and other currencies is variable.
Banking hours are typically 09:00 to 14:00 on weekdays and 09:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays. All towns and many of the larger villages have banks and most have cash point machines/autotellers that allow cash withdrawals by Visa, MasterCard and many debit cards. Your own bank will be able to advise which ones will work. Interest on cash withdrawals on a credit card is usually charged immediately. Banks and larger hotels will change sterling and dollars for Euros.
Credit cards are widely accepted in most (but not all) shops, hotels and restaurants, so take some ready cash. Getting Euros from a bank or travel agent in the UK or USA – or post office in the UK – should be straightforward; some offer a cash back service if you return with unspent currency. Do expect to provide evidence of identity as part of the transaction; a passport or driving licence will often suffice.
Staying There
Hotels
There are thousands of good-value places to stay in Spain. Many are family run with a bar on the ground floor and good home cooking in the restaurant. Prices compare very favourably with elsewhere in continental Europe, and extremely favourably in terms of price and quality with accommodation in the UK. Without exception all have provided secure locations for bicycles when asked. At the bottom end you can usually find bed, breakfast and three-course evening meal with drinks totalling a mere 25 Euros per person. The evening meals can be a real experience, sometimes with a bottle of wine thrown in and virtually as much food as you can eat. Breakfast is usually coffee and toast or bread and jam. Try and avoid croissants, as they have little substance; churros, on the other hand – deep-fried ‘ropes’ of dough – are excellent and will keep you going for ages. Churros are traditionally eaten with a hot chocolate drink. Small cakes, magdalenas, often make an appearance on Sunday mornings.
Hotels are tightly regulated and must display prices of rooms and meals at reception and in bedrooms. Always check whether meals are available. Complaints’ books must be kept and are inspected by the authorities.
Although most hotels have central heating there is a reluctance to switch it on except in extreme circumstances. This can be a problem during a cold snap, and in the mountains the nights can turn chilly. Often there is only one blanket on the bed with others stored away in wardrobes or available for the asking, so make sure you have enough before turning in for the night.
In many hotels marble and polished stone is used in rooms and corridors. While very attractive and easy to clean footsteps can echo and voices boom and, allied with street noise, hotels can be noisy. Take some earplugs if you are a light sleeper.
One of the most welcome recent developments has been the growth of rural accommodation, ranging from bed and breakfast to substantial stylish hotels. The buildings vary from timber-framed medieval town houses to fincas (country house/small farm) and estancias (large farm/ranch) and stylish modern properties. There is less than national consistency about names or standards expect to see them variously named such as ‘Casas Rurales’, ‘Alojamientos Rurales’ and ‘Posadas’. The latter in particular (found in Cantabria, and known as Casas Rurales/Alojamientos Rurales elsewhere) have high standards and offer excellent value. Details can be found at national and provincial tourist offices.
The official classification of hotel-type accommodation can be confusing and there is considerable overlap between classes. Outside each establishment you will find a blue plaque with white lettering identifying the type. The ones likely to be encountered, starting with the most expensive, are in the table.
Details of hotels and guide prices are given at the end of each cycle route description. It is always a good idea to book ahead to make sure you are not left stranded at the end of a hard day. Local telephone directories are a good source of hotel, hostals and pensions often not listed elsewhere. For those able to plan with certainty booking hotel rooms online through a consolidator such as www.laterooms.com may reduce costs.
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