Inportant Information
Emergencies: 112
Spanish Directory Enquiries: 1003
International Directory enquiries: 1025
RENFE (Spanish National Railways): 00 34 977 38 19 37
National Police: 00 34 952 44 29 24.
Benidorm Regional Hospital: 96 685 9800
Benidorm Tourist Information: Avenida Martines Alejos: 96 585 1311
Chemists: open Mon-Fri 0900-1400 and 1700-2030, Sat 0900-1400.
For duty night chemists, look on the door of any chemist shop for listings.
Currency The Spanish peseta has now been phased out and the Euro is now legal tender.
Credit cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops.
Tipping It is customary to tip waiters and other service personnel 5-10 per cent.
Changing Money It is easy to change your money at your hotel but you can also use banks, main post office branches or exchange offices. Banks are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 2pm Monday to Friday. Banks in popular resorts are open longer and on Saturday in high season. Please remember to have your passport ready when changing travellers' cheques. Watch out for the low rates of exchange offered in some Bureaux de Changes in the resort centres. They often offer a fantastic exchange rate, though customers need to take care as they will need to change approx ?500 to receive this exchange rate.
Phoning Home You can call locally or internationally from a street-corner telephone. Pick up the receiver and when you get a dial tone, dial 07, then dial the country code, local code (minus the first zero), and then the number you are calling.
Newspapers and Magazines Most major British newspapers are available on sale the same day as publication.
Electricity The electricity supply is 220 volts so adaptors must be used. If you forget to bring one from the UK they are readily available in supermarkets.
Time Spain is one hour ahead of Britain. Clocks are put forward one hour in spring, maintaining the one hour difference.
Post Postcards and stamps can be bought from local supermarkets and post offices (Correos). Post boxes are bright yellow with a picture of a white horn. Mail can also be posted from most hotels.
Police Each town or resort has its own Policia Municipal station (municipal Police). Report any thefts or incidents to the local police at the earliest opportunity and remember to take your passport and tickets with you to the station. During the high season there may be a translator available at police stations, but you must be prepared to wait.
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