| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madrid | 11 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 23 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 22 | 15 | 12 |
| London | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 7 |
Below is an information overview. The conditions of entry, as well as the political and health situation, can change anywhere in the world at any time. We therefore recommend checking before your trip. Please check the website of the Foreign Office (www.gov.uk) before your departure.
Spain is south-west of the Pyrenees on the Iberian Peninsula. Its neighbouring states are Portugal, Gibraltar, the Principality of Andorra and France.
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy. King Felipe VI has been the head of state since 19 June 2014. Pedro Sánchez has been the head of government since 2 June 2018.
Madrid
Roman Catholic (more than 90%)
Spanish (Castellano) is the official language. The respective regional languages have official status in the autonomous regions of the Basque Country, Galicia, Catalonia and Valencia.
The climate in Andalusia is Mediterranean. With around 3000 hours of sunshine per year, Andalusia is one of the sunniest regions in Spain. From the middle of October rainfall can increase again.
Electricity in Spain is supplied at a voltage of 230 V and in the form of alternating current with a frequency of 50 Hertz. You need an adapter in your hotel.
Spain is part of the Central European Time zone where GMT+1 applies, along with daylight saving time. The time difference to the UK is plus 1 hour throughout the entire year.
To make phone calls to the UK, pre-dial 0044 (+44). To make phone calls from the UK to Spain, pre-dial 0034 (+34).
If you are planning to travel to an EU country you must meet the Schengen area rules. Your passport must meet 2 requirements. It must be:
– less than 10 years old on the day you enter (check the ‘date of issue’)
– valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)
You can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Check your passport is stamped if you enter or exit the Schengen area through Spain as a visitor. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit.
From November 2024, the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) will start for all non-EU nationals, including British nationals, travelling in or out of the Schengen area. The Schengen area is made up of 29 European countries, 25 of which are EU Member States. The EES is a digital border system which registers non-EU visitors travelling into the Schengen area instead of stamping their passports. You will need to have your fingerprints and your photo taken when entering the Schengen area. You may experience longer queues at borders when the new system starts (https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en). Nationals of other countries are advised to enquire at the Spain Embassy about the entry requirements applicable to them. Whilst we endeavour to provide guidance where necessary, we can not be responsible for any problems encountered (whether at any point of entry or elsewhere) in the event that passport and visa requirements are not satisfied. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/.
The EU has a new visa waiver system (coming in 2025), called ETIAS, which will be valid for three years. British passport holders travelling to the EU will need to apply and pay for an ETIAS, via an online system (https://etias.com/).
Your expert tour guides will be able to provide you with detailed information about the country, people, history, culture etc., and offer advice and assistance for organising your trip. They can also help with room allocation and look forward to welcoming you with initial information. We have put together a varied programme including numerous highlights, enabling you to experience the culture and diversity of landscape that Andalusia has to offer, and learn all about the country and its people.
Although your trip already includes a comprehensive package, you also have the option of choosing added extras on arrival.
Explorer package: The package includes the 3 unique full day excursions ‘Granada incl. Alhambra and Nasrid Palace’, ‘Seville’ and ‘White Villages & Marbella’: only £229* per person.
Half board: The Package includes 7x tasty evening meals: only £99* per person.
* Package prices may vary when booking on site.
The euro has been the official currency in Spain since 2002. Exchange rate (as at september 2024): 1 GBP = 1.18 EUR; 1 EUR = 0.84 GBP.
Purchases can be paid for in cash and using the most popular credit cards. This payment system is typical in Spanish shops; the symbols of credit cards accepted are usually displayed at the entrance to shops. Passports are required when paying by credit card. Travellers’ cheques (in dollars or Euro) can also be cashed in banks. It is also possible to withdraw cash from ATMs using EC/Maestro cards but high fees may be charged by the respective bank.
There are a number of products which have entry or exit limitations in Spain from outside the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. These include cultural goods, wild fauna and flora and products derived from these, vegetables and plant products, weapons and ammunition, medicines, tobacco and alcoholic beverages. Likewise, in the case of tobacco and alcoholic beverages, the amount must be declared and the corresponding taxes must be paid if you are carrying the following amounts or more: 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars, 250 grams of tobacco, 1 litre of alcoholic beverages with a strength of more than 22%, 2 litres of alcoholic beverages with a strength of less than 22%, 4 litres of wine and 16 litres of beer. You can only carry the medicines you need, and they must be accompanied by a copy of the prescription or medical report. Cash and other similar means of payment: If you are taking cash or pay-to-cash cheques in euros or other currencies, or prepaid cards not linked to a bank account and/or certain gold items, or a combination thereof, totalling an amount equal to or exceeding €10,000 into or out of Spain, you must fill out a Declaration (in person or electronically) and present at Customs on departure or entry. Souvenirs and gifts: Your purchases should not exceed €430 per person if you are travelling by sea or air. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. For further information, please visit this page: https://www.spain.info/en/travel-tips/customs-regulations/.
Important: If you are travelling to Great Britain from outside the UK, your personal allowances mean you can bring in a certain amount of goods without paying tax or duty. If you go over your allowances you must declare all your goods and pay tax and duty on all the goods in that category. Please inform yourself about the current customs regulations: www.gov.uk/bringinggoods-into-uk-personal-use/arriving-in-Great-Britain.
Crime: Vigilance should be exercised regarding pickpockets and petty crime in larger tourist centres in particular. We recommend leaving cash, identity documents, driving licences, air tickets and other important documents in the hotel safe, for example, and only carrying the cash (and EC or credit card) you need on a given day on your person.
Travellers should try to steer clear of large groups of people and keep an eye on their valuables at tourist spots, airports (including in the security area), railway stations, the metro, buses etc.
At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the latest country-specific health advice from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC – https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries) on the TravelHealthPro website. Each country-specific page has information on vaccine recommendations, any current health risks or outbreaks, and factsheets with information on staying healthy abroad.
In Spain, anyone with state insurance in the UK is entitled to medical treatment – where urgently necessary – by doctors, dentists, hospitals etc. registered with the foreign statutory health insurance association. You should get a free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. If you already have an EHIC it will still be valid as long as it remains in date. All travellers should ensure they have adequate travel health insurance, which covers risks not assumed by the statutory health insurance companies (e.g. repatriation to the UK in the event of illness, treatment by private doctors or in private hospitals). You can also contact your health insurance company for information on current regulations.
The customer must establish for himself that his physical and mental state is compatible with the selected journey. He is obliged to obtain information about the degrees of physical mobility and mental autonomy required for this journey.
All information is subject to change/Last updated: September 2024
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