Spain Guide, 3rd Edition

by Ron Charles

• ISBN13: 9781892975560
• ISBN10: 1892975564
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-11-01
• Publisher: Open Road

Summary

No aspect of touring this premier European vacation spot has escaped author Ron Charles' notice, from the smallest inn to the largest castle, from quaint fishing hamlets to the romance and nightlife of Barcelona and Madrid. Charles points the way with easy-to-follow suggested itineraries, plus his picks for best places to stay throughout the country.

Discover the sun and fun of the Costa del Sol, the unique offshore paradise of Majorca and the Islas Balearas, the medieval fastnesses of Seville and Granada, and the charged excitement pulsating along the streets of Spain's leading cities. Explore national parks and nature reserves all over the Iberian peninsula, hike the Spanish Pyrennes, raft the Rio Minho, thrill to the running of the bulls in Pamplona, or just sip an espresso in a sidewalk cafe overlooking an 800 year-old seaside town along the Bay of Biscay on the beautiful northern coast. It's all here, presented in the literate, no-nonsense style that readers of Open Road guides have come to respect and expect.

Table of Contents

Introduction	13	(1)
Overview	14	(7)
Suggested Itineraries	21	(11)
Land & People	32	(8)
Land	32	(5)
People	37	(3)
A Short History	40	(8)
Planning Your Trip	48	(35)
Before You Go	48	(17)
When to Visit Spain	48	(2)
What to Pack	50	(1)
Passports & Visas	50	(1)
Customs Regulations	51	(1)
National Tourist Offices Located in North America	52	(1)
Booking Your Vacation	53	(2)
Recommended Tour Operators	55	(2)
Major Hotel Representatives	57	(1)
Buying Flexible Voucher Booklets for Hotels in Spain	58	(1)
Travel Emergency/Medical & Cancellation Insurance	59	(1)
Non-Stop Flights to Spain	59	(3)
Flights With Connections to Spain	62	(1)
Charter Flights	63	(1)
Discount Ticket Consolidators	64	(1)
Courier Flights	64	(1)
Getting Around Spain	65	(10)
By Air	65	(1)
By Car	65	(3)
Car Rentals	68	(2)
By Moped & Motorcycle	70	(1)
By Train	70	(2)
Eurail Passes	72	(2)
By Bus	74	(1)
Accommodations	75	(8)
Common Accommodations	77	(6)
Basic Information	83	(12)
Business Hours	83	(1)
Crime	83	(1)
Electricity	84	(1)
Health & Medical Concerns	84	(1)
Insurance Coverage	84	(1)
Money & Banking	85	(1)
Newspapers & Magazines	86	(1)
Physically-Challenged Travelers	87	(1)
Post Offices & Mail	88	(1)
Radio	89	(1)
Student Travel & Youth ID Cards	90	(1)
Telephones, Telegrams & Faxes	90	(3)
Television	93	(1)
Time	93	(1)
Tipping	93	(1)
Tourist Information Offices - Turismos	94	(1)
Sports & Recreation	95	(7)
Shopping	102	(3)
Major Festivals	105	(3)
Spanish Cuisine	108	(5)
Spanish Wine	113	(6)
Spain's Best Places to Stay	119	(21)
Grand Hotels	119	(6)
Seaside Resort Hotels	125	(4)
Small, Luxurious Hotels	129	(6)
Charming Yet Affordable Inns	135	(5)
Madrid	140	(67)
Arrivals & Departures	142	(3)
Orientation	145	(1)
Getting Around Town	145	(4)
Where to Stay	149	(12)
Where to Eat	161	(8)
Seeing the Sights	169	(26)
Nightlife & Entertainment	195	(3)
Sports & Recreation	198	(2)
Excursions & Day Trips	200	(5)
San Lorenzo de el Escorial	201	(2)
Aranjuez	203	(1)
El Pardo	204	(1)
Practical Information	205	(2)
Central Spain	207	(45)
Avila	207	(10)
Segovia	217	(9)
La Granja de San Ildefonso	224	(1)
Palacio de Rio Frio	225	(1)
Salamanca	226	(9)
Toledo	235	(17)
Northern Spain	252	(52)
Santiago de Compostela	252	(10)
La Coruna	262	(8)
San Sebastian - Donostia	270	(14)
Pamplona	284	(7)
Zaragoza	291	(13)
Barcelona & Eastern Spain	304	(208)
Barcelona	304	(75)
Arrivals & Departures	305	(3)
Orientation	308	(1)
Getting Around Town	309	(4)
Where to Stay	313	(9)
Where to Eat	322	(6)
Seeing the Sights	328	(41)
Nightlife & Entertainment	369	(3)
Sports & Revreation	372	(2)
Excursions & Day Trips	374	(1)
Montserrat	375	(1)
The Sant Sadurni d'Anoia Wine Caves	376	(2)
Practical Information	378	(1)
La Seu d' Urgell	379	(5)
The Costa Brava	384	(34)
Arrivals & Departures/Getting Around	385	(1)
Where to Stay	386	(8)
Where to Eat	394	(1)
Seeing the Sights	395	(2)
Calella	397	(1)
Pineda de Mar	398	(1)
Santa Susana	398	(1)
Blanes	398	(1)
Lloret de Mar	399	(3)
Tossa de Mar	402	(2)
San Feliu de Guixols	404	(1)
Platja d'Aro	405	(2)
Begur	407	(1)
Pals	408	(2)
L'Estartit & Les Illes Medes	410	(1)
L'Escala, Empuries, & Sant Marti d'Empuries	411	(1)
Empuria-Brava	411	(1)
Cadaques	412	(2)
Figueres	414	(1)
Girona	414	(1)
Nightlife & Entertainment	415	(2)
Practical Information	417	(1)
The Costa Dorada	418	(5)
Sitges	419	(1)
Tarragona	420	(2)
Salou	422	(1)
Valencia	423	(25)
Northward Along the Costa del Azahar	448	(2)
Sagunto	449	(1)
Peniscola	449	(1)
Inland From the Northern Costa del Azahar	450	(8)
Morella	450	(1)
Matarrana sector, Aragon Province	451	(7)
Southward Along the Costa del Azahar	458	(2)
El Saler	458	(1)
La Albufera Park & Refuge	458	(1)
Gandia	459	(1)
Denia	459	(1)
Inland From the Southern Costa del Azahar: Xativa	460	(1)
Alicante	461	(9)
Northward Along the Costa Blanca	470	(3)
San Juan de Alicante	470	(1)
Benidorm	471	(1)
Altea	471	(1)
Calpe	472	(1)
The Cabo de la Nao	473	(1)
Inland From the Southern Costa Blanca	473	(2)
Elche	474	(1)
Orihuela	474	(1)
Southward Along the Costa Blanca	475	(2)
Santa Pola	475	(1)
Torrevieja	476	(1)
Javea	477	(5)
La Manga de la Mar Menor	482	(9)
Cartagena	491	(3)
Murcia	494	(2)
Lorca	496	(4)
Mojacar	500	(6)
Cabo de Gata Park	506	(6)
Southern Spain	512	(130)
Sevilla	512	(31)
Italica	542	(1)
The Costa de la Luz	543	(6)
Tarifa	545	(1)
Cadiz	546	(2)
Jerez de la Frontera	548	(1)
Carmona	549	(7)
Cordoba	556	(13)
Madinat Al-Zahara	568	(1)
Granada	569	(18)
Driving Tour Through Las Alpujarras	583	(4)
Nerja	587	(9)
Cuevas de Nerja Caves	595	(1)
Malaga	596	(10)
Torremolinos	606	(6)
Benalmadena Costa	612	(4)
Fuengirola	616	(4)
Marbella	620	(14)
Puerto Banus	632	(2)
Ronda	634	(8)
Gibraltar	642	(15)
Arrivals & Departures	644	(2)
Orientation	646	(1)
Getting Around Gibraltar	646	(1)
Where to Stay	647	(1)
Where to Eat	648	(2)
Seeing the Sights	650	(5)
Nightlife & Entertainment	655	(1)
Excursions & Day Trips	656	(1)
Practical Information	656	(1)
Spanish Language Glossary	657	(6)
Index	663