Logistics

    Plastic will save you the most hassles. Automatic tellers are abundant and accessible if you need cash, but so are the places that take major credit and debit cards.

     Travellers' cheques can be cashed at banks and exchange offices, and usually attract a slightly higher exchange rate than cash.

     Spain is one of Europe's more affordable countries. Madrid, though being one of the most expensive cities in Spain, still is more affordable than European average. It is not hard to find lunch menus below 10€ and fair accomodation in the city centre below 100€.

Currency

     Spanish currency is the Euro (€). Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a 200€ and 500€  notes.

     One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured.

Tipping

     In restaurants the law requires menu prices to include service charge, and tipping is a matter of personal choice - most people leave some small change if they're satisfied, almost never more than 5% of the bill. It is not rare to leave small change at bar and café tables.

Electricity

     Standard current supply in Spain is 220 volts using plugs with two round pins.

Telephone

     The entry code for Spain is 34. To make an international call dial 00, the entry code, the subscriber's number including the area code. Public phones work with either coins or prepaid cards that can be bought at the tobacconists'.

     Cellular mobile phone service is provided by some of the main European oerators: Telefonica Movistar, Orange, Vodafone, etc. Prepaid cards are commonly used which can be bought anywhere in supermarkets, malls, petrol stations. telephone card machines, etc.