Travel Tips to Spain

About The Country

Spain is famous world wide for its flamenco dancers and bullfights. The architecture reflects the Moroccan style. Cave paintings, renaissance cathedrals, Moorish palaces prove the diversity of the country. Spring, fall and early summer are very pleasant here, though summers are hot.

Culture

Spanish is the regional language of Spain. English is also widely spoken here. Over the period of time, Spanish people have become modern in order to gel with the changing times and are no longer conservative. But that hasn’t changed the values, traditions, manners and customs of the locals. People here have two surnames; the first surname can be used to refer to the person. To greet someone, a handshake will do the job. Take a small gift along when visiting someone’s house. Save the flowers for special occasions. Dinner is generally taken very late in the night. People wear casuals most of the time. Men are expected to wear jackets at some restaurants. Swimsuits should be confined to the pools and beaches. Recently a ban has been applied on smoking in public places.

Shopping

Shops open quite early in the morning and stay open late in the evening. In the afternoon, they are closed for lunch or siesta. Porcelain and leather goods are famous and they will be good gifts for friends and family members back home. Bills are to be paid along with the service charges, so tipping is a matter of gratitude.

Electricity

Voltage is 220 volts and frequency is 50 Hz

Getting There

IBERIA is the national airline of Spain. Many other low-cost airlines offer services in the country. There are nearly thirty international airports in Spain, out of which Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Malaga are famous.
Madrid located at 13km away from the city has a good bus service every fifteen minutes. Underground service also works to transport passengers to their destinations. Other facilities offered at this airport are duty free shops, bank, restaurant, tourism information, and hotel reservations.

Barcelona is very close to the city, situated at a distance of 3 km only. Buses are available every 15 minutes and trains are available every 20 minutes. Taxis are available throughout the day. Duty free shops, restaurants, bank, car hire and tourism information are available here.

There is a good network of roads connecting Spain north to south. Toll booths are installed in some parts of the country. Carrying few Euros will help smooth sailing at the toll booths. If driving one’s private car, it would be better if the travel insurance covers medical costs too. Carrying a medical kit can prove to be of some help.

Duty Free Items

1. 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos 50 cigars or 250g tobacco (300 cigarettes, 150 cigarillos, 70 cigars and 400g of tobacco for EU nationals)
2. 1litre of spirits if exceeding 22 per cent volume or 2 litres of alcoholic beverage not exceeding 22 per cent volume and 2 litres of wine (1.5 litre exceeding 22 per cent and 3 litres of up to 22 per cent and 5 litres of wine for EU nationals)
3. 250ml eau de toilette and 50g of perfume
4. 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract (1000g of coffee and 4000g of coffee extract for EU nationals)
5. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract
6. Gifts up to the value of approximately €37.26.

Summer Holidays In Spain

The holidays in Spain are a great time to visit the country. There are interesting holidays and celebrations in every season. Most of the public holidays are religious in nature. Most of the country is Roman Catholic There are many festivals and processions held at different times in both large and small cities.

Spring and Summer Holidays in Spain

Good Friday is an important holiday in the spring. This is the Friday before Easter Sunday. On Good Friday, many cities have large processions and festivals. At many of these, there are re-enactments of the crucifixion. There are processions throughout Holy Week in many areas.

Easter Sunday is another important holiday in Spain. This day commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus. There are many festivals that extend to Easter Sunday. This is a joyous holiday that is celebrated in large and small festivals throughout the country.

In the late spring or early summer, the holiday of Corpus Christi is celebrated. This means the Body of Christ. The feast celebrates the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. This is a Catholic holiday that is considered very important. There are processions and religious celebrations on this day.

The feast of Corpus Christi falls on a different day each year. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after Trinity Sunday. This varies each year, but is typically in May or June.

St. John’s is celebrated in June 24. On the eve of June 23, there are bonfires and effigies are burned. People jump over the bonfires. It is believed that jumping over the fire three times can cleanse the person of sin and cure disease.

Different areas have a variety of traditions and festivals celebrating this day. Jumping over the fire is one common element in these celebrations. The festivals are unique to each area.

Autumn and Winter Holidays in Spain

Columbus Day is celebrated on October 12. This is also the National Holiday of Spain or Hispanic Day. It commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. There are festivals and celebrations in honor of Columbus.

All Saints Day is celebrated on November 1st. This is a Catholic holiday honouring all Saints and Martyrs. In Spain, offerings are made on this day. The holiday first began in the fourth century. The play Don Juan Tenorio is often performed on All Saints Day.

Constitution Day is celebrated on December 6. This holiday celebrates Spain’s transition to democracy. The constitution was approved in a referendum by voters on December 6, 1978. This is also an important national holiday.

The Immaculate Conception is December 8 and is another Catholic holiday. This day has been a feast day in the church since the 7th century. The day is in honor of Mary, who was born free from original sin and became the mother of Jesus. It is a public holiday.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus and is a religious holiday. Christmas is a twelve day festival that ends on January 6. During this time, there are many processions and festivals celebrating the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the Magi.

January 6 is the end of the Christmas celebrations. This is the Epiphany which celebrates the visit of the wise men to Bethlehem to see the infant Jesus. It is also called El Dia de los Reyes or the Day of the Kings. In Spanish tradition, the three kings represented Arabia, Africa and Europe arrived with gifts for the baby Jesus. Many towns have large processions and festivals to celebrate this holiday.

Spain Is The Perfect Golf Retreat

If you are a golf enthusiast than golf in Spain will be your perfect idea of a vacation.  Spain is full of golf resorts all over the country, so you are sure to find something to suit your needs and your families needs.  You can visit Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca so you can enjoy the great golf resorts, while your family enjoys the luxurious beaches and shopping.  There are new resorts constantly being built so you’ll have something new to choose from each year.

One of the best spots for golf in Spain is the Costa del Sol.  There have been many new developments of resorts and golf courses over the past few years.  Now there are over forty different courses that stretch up and down over fifty miles of coastline.  You’ll be sure to take in a beautiful view while you golf.

If you want a golf course that combines the best in golf with other sports or leisure activities than this is the spot for you.  Spain hosts a wide variety of golf resorts that also include a great spa experience.  This is ideal for a couple so that one can be in the spa while the other is on the course.

Check out the amenities in your resort before picking the best one for you.  You can find resorts that have fully equipped swimming pools, hot tubs, a large gym and weight room, private beaches, tennis lessons, bike rental, and many other activities.  This will help you travel with your whole family so that there is something for everyone to enjoy while you are on your vacation.

When you’ve decided on golfing in Spain, then make sure you go online to read all about your different options.  You can find reviews of many major resorts and smaller courses as well.  These reviews will help you pick the right destination for you and your family.  When you use reviews written by both professionals and tourists alike you’ll get a good sense of what each resort has to offer.

You’ll need to remember that golfing in Spain has become really popular in the past few years and you may have to wait for your turn on the course.  When the season is at its peak everyone must wait to play.  Knowing some basic golf etiquette that can help you on the Spanish courses and in golf in general.

When you are playing a very slow game of gold this can be frustrating for your party and for the people behind you.  You should try to keep the game moving forward and everyone should be paying attention to his or her turn.  When you are ready for your turn you should jump right up and swing so you don’t keep people waiting too long behind you.

Once your shot is completed you should move onto the next hole.  You can mark your score down when you are waiting for your next shot, rather than keeping everyone waiting behind you at the hole you have just finished play.  If you happen to lose a ball then keep moving on and look for it later, rather than having the group behind you wait for you to find it.  These are things that will make your trip and other people’s trip more pleasant.

Villas in Spain

Southern Spain is too good to be true; it has a large desirable coastline, a fantastic natural environment, one of the healthiest climates in the world and is culturally rich. Its geographic location gives it easy reach from Northern Europe.

As a result there is simply nothing to beat a gorgeous Spanish Villa for holiday rental. A villa rental that has a pool and an air conditioning system is an absolute must in order to keep cool on those hot, lazy Mediterranean summer days. A holiday in Spain, in one of the Costa regions is what we would term enjoying the good life to the max.

A villa rental in the Costa Blanca region (white coast) is considered one of the premier locations on this coastline, as it offers a great climate and also has close proximity to its two major airports at Murcia (San Javier) and Alicante (El Altet) which are both well served by several budget airlines. The Costa Blanca offers several attractions and the nearby cities of Javea, Murcia, Alicante and Torrevieja offer plenty for the discerning tourist to enjoy.

A Costa Blanca villa rental generates high demand for many months of the year, especially between June and September, getting rented out on average for about 500 pounds a week. Rates do however vary according to size of property, amenities and of location.
The highest demand rentals in Costa Blanca are in the lush mountainous and up market resorts of Javea, Denia and Altea in the north, and the cheaper lower lying areas of Torrevieja, and Alicante in the south.

A coastal property with access to a communal pool will generate higher rental rates than a rural inland one with a private pool. The most luxurious villas have heated pools (for out of season), Jacuzzis, beautiful interiors/furniture and a daily maid service. To those with a monetary budget, most villas provide the essentials- satellite television (for English language), video/CD player, air conditioning and a microwave.

Once a delightful Costa Blanca villa rental has been discovered, it is time to start making travel and holiday arrangements. As the summer season is the most popular time to visit, it is strongly advisable to book flights well in advance. It must be remembered that fourteen million people visit the Costa’s each year and presently there are around two hundred thousand resident British people.

On arrival, it is best to hire a car as it gives you most flexibility and freedom. Driving here is easy. Just remember to stay on the right hand side of the road (if you come from UK!) If car hire is not your chosen mode of transport, then there are numerous buses, trains and even taxis to choose from.

One of the Costa Blanca’s greatest attractions is its abundance of nature. In Javea there is the natural park of Montgo, which is located right on the sea. This park contains some flora and fauna that makes it a fabulous world heritage site. To be seen here are several rare birds as well as hundreds of rare plant species.

In nearby, Benidorm there are several attractions for families with children, notably the theme parks of Terra Mitica for white knuckle rides, Aqualandia for water slides, and Mundomar, a marine animal park. Benidorm truly is Blackpool in the sun.

The Mar Menor, south of Torrevieja, is the biggest saltwater lagoon in Europe. It is truly fascinating and is also home to the world renowned La Manga club. The Mar Menor is actually a large piece of shallow sea which has been separated from the main Mediterranean Sea by a long narrow strip of land. It is those warm, sheltered waters which attracts visitors from all over the world to its health spa benefits.

The La Manga resort offers several luxury attractions, ranging from high class restaurants to top of the range sports facilities and casinos.  If all the coastal attractions of the Costa Blanca are too much for you, why not try a villa rental in the countryside?

Inland country properties tend to have bigger plot sizes, perhaps with a few fruit orchards or even a tennis court for the lucky few. In the Costa Blanca, most rural properties are actually within 30 minutes from the coast and so hiring a car is a must.

The Costa Blanca, Spain is absolutely full of hidden gems, villa rentals on offer with delightful gardens, terraces and pool areas, in an area of outstanding natural beauty. It truly is an affordable dream holiday destination and definitely not out of reach for most families in the UK.

Travel Health Insurance and its Great Importance

You’ve probably received lots of communication letters from different insurance companies by now, and most of them end up in the wastebasket. But you see you may also be throwing away your life or at the least, your health. Insurance policies are important even if they do cost a lot. Everything in this world is uncertain. If you travel every now and then, you’re more prone to accidents and injuries and having a good travel health insurance policy may come handy.

A travel health insurance is highly recommended and this is not just to build up insurance companies. Emergencies may come up and you probably don’t want to be caught without an insurance policy or with a policy with limited coverage.

If you don’t have travel health insurance yet, be sure that you get one from a legitimate and reputable insurance provider. When booking for travel, travel agencies would usually offer you with insurance. Remember this- don’t take any policy from these people. You can get one from any insurance agency or one from one that’s online.

Getting insurance policies from insurance agencies is a good option. The agents can educate you with the different forms of insurance they offer and their coverage. You can also save because you disregarded the middleman, which in this case happens to be the travel agency. By consulting with the insurance agency, you can get more benefits as well. You can freely discuss with the agent all your coverage needs. There are many options that you can choose from like the coverage amount, health benefits, trip insurance, and many others.

If you don’t have time to visit the physical offices of insurance agencies, you can visit them online. There are online sites that you can visit. Comparison sites are also available online and you can visit them freely. They can provide you with several quotes so that you can compare them online and choose the best policy that can meet your needs. Once you’ve chosen the best policy that meets most of your needs, you can purchase the policy online.

Perhaps you already have an existing insurance policy. You may want to re-check with your insurance provider with the coverage of your policy. However, having an additional travel health insurance policy is more beneficial. Some of the benefits offered by an additional policy may not be provided by your existing policy. It is best to have another policy especially if you’re a frequent traveler.

Travel health insurance or travel insurance, they are all the same. They only differ in the coverage and premiums. Make sure that you choose one that you can afford. If you can’t afford the expensive policies, you can get the cheap ones. It doesn’t really matter whether the policy is expensive or cheap, what matters is that the policy meets your needs.

The options have already been laid down for you – you can visit the physical offices of the insurance companies or you can visit the online sites of the reputable insurance companies. So you choose between these two options- whichever is more convenient.

Some of the prominent insurance companies that you can find online are Churchill, ASDA, Direct Line, Tesco, Posy Office, Saga, Nationwide, Columbus, and many others. Visit any of the major insurance companies now and get quotes. Choose your travel health insurance carefully. You have to consider the premiums, your capacity to pay for the policy’s price, etc.

The Ins and Outs of Europe Car Rental

Europe, a continent filled with so much culture and history. A lot of people actually flock to Europe year after year to visit its sights and experience its rich culture. The modern yet still quite laid-back lifestyle that Europeans have been known for has always fascinated tourists, from being true-blue sophisticates who are very much adept to fashion, literature, history, culture and the arts, this is why a lot of people have been drawn to Europe’s simple yet elegant charm time and time again. Of course, traveling around Europe will be really much of a hassle if you don’t have the proper transportation to quickly and conveniently take you from one spectacular tourist destination to another. The most probable solution to this dilemma is a car, ever ready, you’re sure to get to where you want to go at your leisure.

Europe car rental however may be quite tricky to some. Let’s face it, a lot of the countries in the European continent isn’t really comprised of English-speaking people and if they do speak a little English, it’s still highly likely that you won’t be able to understand what he/she is saying, it really is best, especially when it comes to Europe car rental, to book everything in advance. Even before your plane lands in the airport tarmac, make all the necessary arrangements that you need to have.

To help you get started on your Europe car rental quest, try to coordinate it with your trip. Which country/countries are you actually going to? Which one/ones will actually really need for you to rent a car (please be reminded that there are some European cities where it’s more favorable to walk instead of taking mass/private transportations)? How much will you actually need to spare for your Europe car rental fees? Is it worth it? Also, try to map out the places that you’re already planning to visit, calculate the distances that you’ll need to travel from one place to the next and if it’ll really be a lot easier (and cheaper) for you to rent a car than take mass transport then by all means, go check out the various Europe car rental agencies available in your area. You need to have everything fixed and taken care of before you embark on your great European adventure.

There are a lot of available Europe car rental agencies who are willing to lend you their services at really affordable prices – well to some extent. From small, typical European cars to luxury cars and RVs, you’re bound to get the vehicle of your choice since there are numerous Europe car rental agencies in the market.

Try to start your search for the ultimate Europe car rental agency by asking your travel agent on which Europe car rental agencies he/she can recommend. Also, if you have friends or relatives who’ve been to Europe, try asking them on which Europe car rental agency they prefer and if it really is a lot more convenient (and worth it) to rent around car for your grand European vacation. Also, help educate your self more with regards to Europe car rental by browsing through the internet. Surely, the internet really is best-known for easy-access research and it really is quite definite that you’ll land your self on a reputable Europe car rental service that will hopefully be able to cater to your needs, wants and budget. Plus, all the necessary transactions can even be done through the internet. So the hassles of trying to find a good enough Europe car rental specialist and booking their services, will clearly be not something that you have to go through anymore.

Making Vacation Memorable in the Locations of Madrid

When selections are made for the holiday destinations Madrid comes at the top of the list. The beautiful locations of Madrid have got the power to keep any visitor spell bound in any season of the year. It is a place where tourist can hire apartments for their stay. Being one of the major tourist attractions Madrid has a lot to offer for the visitors from any background. For people looking for accommodation for their vacations, Chic Rentals offers an exclusive opportunity to hire an apartment in Madrid to enjoy the place till their saturation.

Madrid reflects the vigor of life with its art galleries, museums, royal palaces and grand Public Square. The believers of lively existence prefer to hire the apartments in Madrid that are located in the city. Walking down in the streets of Madrid casts a charming effect in the mind. Chic Rentals get for you accommodation where you can spend your vacation visiting the enticing locations of Madrid. People having aesthetic bent towards life and who are in deep love with nature will enjoy the landscape in the suburb of Madrid. The natural beauty of the place catches the eyes of the beholders.

Visitor and vacationers always want their trips to be memorable. Hence, to stay and get bewitched by the locations of Madrid, it is better to hire an apartment in Madrid. Chic Rentals is at the service of getting a perfect accommodation for the visitors. Each apartment in Madrid that is considered to hire is selected under the strict criteria of style and comfort.

As a leading service provider of Spain the company makes no compromise with the satisfaction of the customers. The apartments in Madrid can be booked through Chic Rentals by internet or phone. Once the online application form is filled and sent they will fax the details of the apartment after booking it. One of their personnel will at the apartment to receive the guest and provide necessary information regarding the place. The mode of payment has been made easy by allowing credit cards.

Getting an apartment in Madrid is now easy with Chic Rentals. Enjoy life at the locations of Madrid.

Accommodation Madrid

Thinking of a holiday trip with difference? Forget the earlier process of booking for holidays involved visiting travel agents and collecting information of places, tickets and accommodation at that place. Emergence of internet has made it easy for the holiday consumers to book any suitable and efficient holiday package online. Imagine an elegant accommodation in Madrid during your holiday trip to that place. Is it easy! Yes it is. ChicRentals bring you the most apposite service of booking accommodation Madrid for you feasible for your days of relaxation in Madrid.

Holidays in Spain are the most sought after tourist place next to France. The Spanish capital Madrid is a splendid place to take your feet away to an enticing world. For its favorable weather condition and hospitable people it has carved its name among the most popular tourist destinations. Hence, tourist from far away countries long for accommodation Madrid to enjoy the intriguing city during their holidays. We at ChikRentals do the hectic job of booking an accommodation in Madrid for you to help you spend time during an elegant stay. We select the apartments for you that are strictly based on the criteria of decoration and comfort. You will get the accommodation starting from the shoe-string level to most sophisticated ones befitting your holiday plans.

We believe in providing feel-at-home service to every customer as our goal is your satisfaction. You can book your accommodation Madrid through our website or by telephone. We also receive payment through credit cards for your convenience. Once reservation of your accommodation in Madrid is confirmed, we email or fax you about that. You will be informed about the details about the booked apartment through the email or fax. Our staff will receive you upon your arrival to the apartment whose name and procedure to contact him would be there in the fax or email sent to you. You can pay only 30% of the total amount during reservation of your accommodation Madrid; rest of the amount is payable after arrival.

If you are caught by last minute quandary contact us at our email address or by telephone. We can book your accommodation Madrid that best suits to your budget and preference of room.