SPAIN

Spain

• Spain is a popular destination for vacation and a great tourist hub that attracts tourists from across the world. Tourism is one of the major sources of income for the people of Spain as tourism of Spain employs about 10% of the work force. Picturesque landscape with the sandy beaches, awe inspiring urban attractions and the golden sunshine all year round make Spain an ideal honeymoon destination for most of the couples.

• According to the statistics, Spain attracts about 48 million visitors approximately every year thanks to the numerous tourist attractions that it boasts. Most of the British and German holidaymakers prefer to visit Costa Blanca in the Southwestern coast of Spain owing to the breathtaking natural beauty offerings.

Madrid,Capital Of Spain

Madrid

• Madrid is a relative newcomer to the city break scene which is surprising as it is a fascinating city famous for its zest for life. Architecturally it doesn't have the same quantity of essential sights as Barcelona but is a fascinating city to explore and take in the atmosphere, especially around the Old Madrid of the Habsburgs including Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor.

• Culturally, the art scene is right up there with the Prado remaining the city's major cultural attraction and Picasso's 'Guernica' in the Reina-Sofia being the number one exhibit. Madrid is also a great place to see the traditional Spanish arts with the largest bullring in Spain at Las Ventas and a flamenco scene on a par with the traditional flamenco cities of the south. Real Madrid football club are another major attraction with thousands of visitors in the city every other weekend to see a match at the Bernabeu stadium. Time permitting, if you want to escape the bustle of the city there are a whole range of superb day excursions available to the likes of Toledo, Segovia, El Escorial and beyond.

Prado Museum

• Designed by architect Juan de Villanueva, Prado Museum is one of the greatest museums in Europe. Prado Museum houses a rich collection of more than 4000 paintings dating back to 15th till 19th century. Prado Museum is one of the greatest museums in Europe. Immerse yourself watching emphasizing Spanish, Flemish and Italian art forms during a visit to Prado Museum.

Park Guell

• Spread over an area of 20 hectare, Park Guell was constructed between 1910 and 1914. Intended to create a perfect combination of urban and natural landscapes, Park Guell was never completed as planned. A visit to the Park Guell is a golden opportunity to have a glimpse of a mixture of architectural styles. So, don't miss going to Park Guell during Spain Tours.

Donana National Park

• Known as the most popular wetlands in Europe, Donana National Park is undergoing many restoration projects to retain its beauty and importance. Visit to Donana National Park can be best enjoyed by boat rides. Feel enchanted amidst the majestic surrounding of Donana National Park during Spain Tours.

Barcelona

• In Barcelona you can visit Ramblas, Sagrada Familia, Picasso Museum, FC Barcelona Museum and Montserrat. The Pyrenees range in the North of Spain is a nice place for winter sports. Discover the secrets of Spanish history in the baroque churches, museums and art galleries modern cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Salamanca and Toledo.

• Some of the tourist attractions that one must visit are Costa del Sol Beaches, Costa de la Luz Beaches, Costa Tropical Beaches, Costa Almeria Beaches, Costa Calida Beaches and Costa Blanca Beaches. Barcelona can truly be called the walker's paradise. La Rambla leads the tourists to the medieval quarter.

Other Tourist Attractions

• Other Spain Tourist Attractions that are worth visiting according to Spain Tourism are La Pedrera , Toledo, Pamplona, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Flamenco, Port Aventura Salou , Zoo de Madrid, Costa Blanca Beach, The Balearic Islands, La Rambla , Parque del Buen Retiro and Sierra Navada Mountains.

Airlines Travelling To Spain

• Budget airlines - Low Cost Carriers like Ryanair and easyJet.

• Spanish Charter flights e.g. Britannia, Hapag Lloyd, Thomson, Thomas Cook, My Travel, Excel Airways.

• Traditional 'Flag-carrier' airlines e.g. British Airways, Iberia, Air France, Lufthansa.

Rail Travel

Rail Travel

Rail Travel

Rail Map Of Spain

About Rail Travel• Rail Travel in Spain is a dream with AVE high speed trains. The AVE operates on the

Madrid-Cordoba-Seville route and can whisk you to/from Madrid and Seville in just 2.5 hours. This is one of Europe's finest rail services with a guarantee that if your train is more than 5 minutes late you're entitled to a full refund. How about that for service!

Launched in 1992 during the World Expo in Seville, AVE has been providing excellent service ever since. The punctuality of the AVE train has been one of the elements that has contributed most to its growth, together with the services offered on board and at train stations, customer care, sales and after-sales service, and a ticket fare policy that is easy to understand.

• The main lines at the moment are from Madrid to Coroba and Seville though major construction is currently underway to link other major cities. Already the route from Madrid to Lerida in Catalunya is open and this will soon operate all the way to Barcelona.

Rail Travel Time And Class Of Service

• Travel Times: Madrid - Cordoba: 1 hour 45 minutes Madrid - Seville: 2 hours 30 minutes

• Classes of Service:First Class Club - Meal (choice of entree) at your seat, drinks, newspapers, audio/video, parking discounts, access to AVE lounges, access to conference room on train.

• Preferente - Meal at your seat, newspapers, audio/video, parking discounts, access to AVE lounges.

• Second ClassTourist - Family area, children's board games, wheelchair facilities, audio/video.

Spain Car Rental• Spain car rental is available from all major cities, main towns and airports. Some

companies allow one way rentals which is very useful when you consider the driving distances in what is Western Europe's second largest country.

In order to rent a car in Spain you must be at least 21 years old and have held a full driver's licence for one to three years depending on the company. It isn't usually possible to pay with cash so a credit card is necessary as well as a passport.

• Car hire in Spain can be excellent value provided you shop around. It pays to book your car rental before you arrive in Spain as you'll get far better deals from the online car brokers than you will by leaving the rental until you arrive.

• Third party liability insurance is compulsory and although collision-damage waivers vary between companies, they usually seem worthwhile when compared with the potential loss if an accident occurred.

• Booking in advance through the online brokers gives you plenty time to read the small print on your rental contract, something you wouldn't find time to do as you are handed your keys and asked to sign the rental contract in the airport arrivals lounge.

• Below you'll find links to the most reliable and competitive of the car rental brokers in Spain.

Spain Car Rental• Recommended Car Rental Companies• Economy Car Hire• A highly reputable UK car rental broker offering fully inclusive, cheap car hire

with no insurance excess. There is no limit on mileage and no charge for an additional driver. Excellent customer support helps the company attract 93% repeat customers.

• Car Rental Spain from Holidayautos• Holiday Autos is the world’s largest online car rental broker. They select only

the best car rental companies in Spain then negotiate the lowest possible rates from them, passing the savings onto our customers in the form of lower, fully inclusive prices.

• Rhino Car Hire Spain• For all Car Rental locations in Spain including all the major airports. Obtain the

best prices and fully inclusive deals online using the Rhino secure booking engine.

• During the 16th century, Spain was one of the most powerful empires in the world. • Spaniards stand close and frequently touch one another on the arm while conversing. • Team sports are not part of school programs, so people join private clubs. • Accepting a second serving is one of the best ways to show appreciation to the cook • Low birthrates stem in part from high unemployment and steep housing costs, which make it impossible for most people to buy

houses large enough for more than two children • Spaniards place a high value on what others think of them. • Soccer (fútbol) is the most popular spectator sport in Spain. Fans often crowd homes and local bars to watch important matches • Bullfighting, considered an art and a popular attaction, is the biggest and most controversial sport in Spain and is an integral part of

Spanish history, art and culture with bull rings in all major cities and quite a few minor ones. • Teenagers usually begin dating in groups around age 14 and as couples at age 18. • Rather than call on a girl at her home, a boy often meets a girl at a prearranged site • More women than men are currently enrolled in Spain's universities. • About 40 percent of Spaniards between the ages of 17 and 24 are smokers. • Spain has one of Europe's highest rates of AIDS. • In Spain, people eat lunch at 2 pm, and dinner at 9-10 pm • It is slightly more than twice the size of Oregon. • Spain occupies 85% of the Iberian Peninsula • In World War I, Spain maintained a position of neutrality. In 1923, Gen. Miguel Primo de Rivera became dictator. • In June 2005, despite strong opposition from the Catholic Church, Spain legalized gay marriage. • Spain gained independence from the Moors in Granada (The Moors' Last Stronghold) in 1492. • Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain in order to find the New World. • 94 percent of the population is Roman Catholic. • In Spain, the official currency is the euro since January of 2002. • In Spain, prescription medications can be obtained "over-the-counter" at pharmacies. • Spain has 40,217,413 Inhabitants.

Important Facts Of Spain

10 Famous Dishes Of Spain

1.Cochinillo Asado(Roast Suckling Pig)

2.Gambas Ajillo(Garlic Prawns)

3.Gazpacho(Cold Tomato Soup Or Liquid Salad)

4.Jamon Iberico And Chorizo(Iberian Ham And Spicy Sausage)

5.Paella(Spanish Rice Dish)

6.Patatas Bravas(Fried Potatoes In Spicy Sausage)

7.Pescado Frito(Fried Fish)

8.Pulpo A La Gallega(Galician Octopus)

9.Queso Machego(Spanish Sheep Cheese)

10.Tortilla Espanola(Spanish Omelet)

Culture Of Spain

Culture in Spain: La Tomatina Tomato Fight The 'Tomatina' Tomato Fight

• Surely the worlds' biggest food-fight: every year around 30,00 people descend on the Spanish town of Bunol (in the Valencia region of Spain) to throw more than 240,000 pounds of tomatoes at each other.

• The festival is started with a ham-on-a-stick contest where competitors raced up a pole to retrieve a smoked leg of ham. When the ham is cut down, people put on eye protection and cry for tomatoes as trucks dump the squishy produce onto the village streets. They then proceed to pelt each other with them until all have been used up.

• The festival on the last Wednesday of August is called 'the Tomatina' and is basically a town-wide tomato fight. It is thought the tradition began in 1945 when a fight erupted among two young members of a carnival crowd. A vegetable stall was nearby in the town square and every started throwing tomatoes at each other. Exactly one year later, young people met at the square, but this time with their own tomatoes. Another food-fight started but was broken up by police.

• In the following years this practice was banned by the authorities, but due to popular demand was given official recognition in 1959. This was only to occur if participants would respect the start and the end of tomato-throwing being announced with a banger.

Bull Fighting

About Bull Fighting• Bull fighting is very closely associated with Spain and can trace its

origins back to 711 A.D. This is when the first bullfight took place in celebration for the crowning of King Alfonso VIII. It is very popular in Spain with several thousand Spaniards flocking to their local bull-ring each week. It is said that the total number of people watching bullfights in Spain reaches one million every year.

• Bullfighting was originally a sport for the aristocracy and took place on horseback. King Felipe V took exception to the sport however and banned the aristocracy from taking part, believing it to be a bad example to the public. After the ban commoners accepted the sport as their own and, since they could not afford horses, developed the practice of dodging the bulls on foot, unarmed. This transformation occurred around 1724.

What Happens During Bull Fighting• Firstly the bull is let into the ring. Then, the top bullfighter called the Matador, watches his chief assistant wave a

bright yellow and magenta cape in front of the bull to make it charge. He watches this in order to determine the bull's qualities and mood, before taking over himself.

• Then a trumpet is sounded and several fighters called Picadores weaken the bull by placing spears into it. This takes around 10 minutes.

• Another trumpet is sounded and the Matador now removes his black winged hat and dedicates the death of the bull to the president or the crowd before beginning his faena.

• The faena which is the most beautiful and skillful section of the fight and where the matador must prove his courage and artistry. The faena consists of a running at the Matador carrying a muleta. This is a piece of thick crimson cloth draped over a short stick, which can be held in either the left hand or draped over the espada, the killing sword, which is always held in the right hand. Usually the muleta, in left or right hand, is first held in front of the matador to make the bull charge and is then swung across and away from the matador's body hopefully taking the bull with it.

• This is a show, basically a dance with death - one wrong move and the Matador could become impaled on the horns of the bull. It is the Matador's job to make this dance dramatic and enjoyable for the audience.

• The faena continues until the Matador has demonstrated his superiority over the bull. Once this is achieved the bull is ready to be killed.

• The matador stands some ten feet from the bull, keeping the bull fixated on the muleta and aims the espada between the shoulder blades. The matador attacks pushing the espada over the horns and deep between the shoulder blades. If the sword goes in to the hilt it is an estocada but if it hits bone it is a pinchazo or media-estocada. An estocada usually results in the bull dropping immediately to its knees and dying, but if the bull fails to die the matador may take the descabello (a sword with a short cross piece at the end) which he stabs into the bull's neck severing the spinal cord. The fight is over.

• The matador may be awarded trophies by the president, according to his skill in working with the bull, which can be one or two ears from the bull, the tail and the hoof. The crowd will often encourage the president to award the trophies by waving white hankerchiefs, and this waving continues after the trophies have been awarded in an attempt to get the matador to throw his trophies into the crowd. The crowd in return hurls flowers which are collected by the matador's assistants.

Fact File• Official name: Kingdom of Spain

• Size: 194,897 square miles (504,782 square kilometers); slightly more than twice the size of Oregon

• Population: 40,397,842 as of July 2006

• Population Under Age 14: 14.4%

• Capital: Madrid

• Official Language: Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%; note - Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other languages are official regionally

• Currency: Euro (EUR)

• Religion: 94 % Roman Catholic, 6% Other

• Literacy: 97.9%• Climate: Cold winters, hot summers in the inland areas and along the southern coast• Products and Industries: Grain, citrus, olives, grapes, clothing, shoes, cars, chemicals, metals, food,

beverages, tourism