Costa del Sol
The Costa del Sol is best known for its beaches – and that should be no surprise to anyone. They are some of the best beaches in Europe, and enjoy a wonderful climate for almost the whole year. They also have very well developed infrastructures and safety systems in place, which means that everyone in the family can find something, and it’s safe even for small kids to enjoy the sand and water.
he Costa del Sol stretches for about 150 kilometers from Nerja in the east to Manilva in the west. Most of it is in the province of Malaga, which is blessed with over 300 days of sunshine per year and a year-round average temperature of 22º C.
But the Costa del Sol does, in fact, have much more to offer. First there are all kinds of sports, from the obvious water sports, to golf, tennis, and many more. And for the whole family, there are now a number of theme parks.
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October 11, 2007
Spain Car Rentals
Car rental in Spain is a great way to get around and see the country. Public transport is much better than a few years ago, but there are still a few towns and villages, and whole rural areas, which are well worth a visit, but very difficult to access by bus or train.
Most cars that you can rent in Spain are almost brand new, and are well maintained by the car rental company. The only thing that may be a little off-putting, especially for North American visitors, is that it’s not very easy to find automatic cars. And, when you do find them, they tend to be much more expensive to rent than manual-change cars.
Important Information
Driving in Spain is basically the same as driving in the rest of Europe and North America. Wearing seat belts is compulsory, and using a mobile phone while driving is banned – you must use a hands-free kit.
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October 10, 2007
Spain Weather
The first and most important thing to say about the weather in Spain is that it is by no means uniform. Spain is a big country, and there is quite a difference between the climate of north and south. But it is also a very mountainous country in parts, and the weather is considerably influenced by altitude – it would probably be quite a surprise for many people to learn that Granada, in Andalusia, is thinking of bidding for the Winter Olympic Games!
Green Spain
Spain can be divided into two parts on the basis of its climate. The northern part, especially the northwest, is exposed to the Atlantic Ocean and fenced in on the south and east by several different mountain chains. This results in a relatively wet and humid climate, and this part of Spain is known as “la España Verde” (Green Spain).
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October 9, 2007
Cheap Holidays Spain
In spite of recent changes, it is still perfectly possible to find cheap holidays in Spain. Since Spain joined the euro, it is true that prices have risen considerably, but there are still many bargains to be found.
Basically, there are so many places to be filled in hotels, apartments, etc., that it is almost always possible to find some kind of early holiday bargain or late deals, especially if you can be flexible in your vacation dates.
Where to Look
Most people who are looking for bargain holidays in Spain book a package, that is a program that includes flight, accommodation and arrival and departure transfers. Most packages are sold by travel agents, but that doesn’t mean that you have to trek out to visit all the different travel agencies in your town to compare the bargain holidays they offer.
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October 8, 2007
Apartments Spain
While most people spend their holidays in Spain in a hotel, many people, especially families with kids, prefer to rent an apartment. Spain offers a very wide choice in rental apartments, both of the apartment hotel type (“apartoteles”) and independent, often privately-owned, apartments. You’ll find apartments of all sizes, although the most common will take between 4 and 6 occupants.
Most of these apartments are to be found on the coast, although it is becoming more and more common to rent an apartment in a big city - Barcelona is probably the city with the most complete supply of apartments for rent.
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October 5, 2007
Spain Cities
One of the greatest attractions of a visit to Spain is the chance to visit some of its fantastic cities. From the large cosmopolitan cities of Madrid and Barcelona, to the smaller, traditional cities, such as Santiago de Compostela or Jerez, there’s something for everybody.
Cities for All Tastes
The first names that come to mind when thinking of cities in Spain (after Madrid and Barcelona) are those of Seville, Cordoba or Granada, in Andalusia. These are cities full of wonderful sights to visit and steeped in their own charm and traditions. But even in Andalusia there are other hidden gems of cities, like Jerez, the home of sherry, or Sanlucar de Barrameda, on the Cadiz coast.
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October 4, 2007
Spain Flights
The very first thing you need to plan for your trip to Spain is how you’re going to get there and back. Nowadays, almost everyone takes the plane. Flights to Spain – not just to Madrid and Barcelona, but to many of the most popular tourist destinations – are now frequent and, above all, cheap.
Where to Begin
Many people look for a package, including flight, transfers and accommodation. If this is your ideal, then you can probably find just what you want in almost any travel agency (they all sell almost exactly the same products nowadays, at the same prices). You could also look around internet. I just wrote “package holiday spain” in the Google search engine and came up with hundreds of websites selling package holidays here. As with anything you’re going to buy (and not just on internet), make sure you understand exactly what’s being offered, what the price covers (and what it doesn’t), and that the company selling you the holiday is a registered travel agent. If you’re not very confident about booking a package trip to Spain on internet, we recommend visiting the following page, which belongs to one of the most solid and dependable companies around: Thomas Cook.
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October 1, 2007
Regions of Spain
Spain is not only a large country, but a very diverse one. Its regions reflect that diversity very well, in many different aspects: from scenery to gastronomy, from traditions to climate and from culture to industry. Perhaps one of the most exciting features of a trip to Spain is the opportunity to experience for yourself the vast differences between the different regions of the country.
One of the first things most visitors notice about the differences between Spain’s regions is the landscape – after all this is the first thing they see. It varies from the desert landscape of parts of Almeria to the lush green of the north and northwest, in the Basque Country, Asturias and Galicia. But there are many other differences that, all together, have acted to forge the destiny of the different regions and to produce the Kingdom of Spain as it is formed today.
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