- Travellers from the UK are entitled to free or reduced cost emergency medical treatment on production of a completed E111 form. However, this only applies if the medical practitioner you consult works within the Spanish State Health service. Take photocopies of the E111 with you, as you will need to show the doctor the original and hand over a copy. Dental treatment is not generally covered under the state system.
- Make sure that you have some Euros before picking up your car from the airport - the motorway tolls from Valencia / Alicante airports cost between €6 to €7 one way. We believe that it is possible to pay the tolls using a credit card, but have not tried it yet.
- The Spanish speed limits are based around 120kph on toll motorways and dual carriageways, 90kph on "other" roads, and 50kph in built up areas. If these do not apply then there will be signs, for example some very narrow streets in villages are only 40kph.
- Drink driving regulations in Spain are very similar to those in the UK.
- The use of seat belts is compulsory, and children under 12 must not travel in the front seat.
- We have recently heard that the use of screen based Satellite Navigation aids are illegal if they can be seen by the driver. It may be okay to use them if only visible to passengers, but please check the current law before using any Sat Nav device.
- Telephone boxes have all converted to Euros. Local calls appear to start at 24 Cents (0.24€), whilst the minimum charge for a call back to the UK is 60 Cents. Mobile phone reception is very good in the villa, although calls work out far more expensive than using the phone boxes.
- Banks are generally only open from 9am to 2pm on Monday to Friday. There is some access to ATMs in Orba outside of those hours.
- Most shops close for lunch from around 1pm until 3pm or 4pm.
- Nearly all shops will be closed all day on Sundays and the many national and regional holidays. The national holidays are January 1 & 6, March 19, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday & Easter Monday (April 8/9/11 in 2004), May 1, July 25, August 15, October 12, November 1, December 6, 8 & 25. Regional holidays vary from town to town, but a significant one in Orba is Valenciana Day which falls on October 9th (street party on the evening of the 8th).
- If you want to eat at a particular restaurant, it is advisable to book a table as most are very busy right into the late evening, even out of season. We have found that there tends to be two groups of diners at the restaurants. Often the tourists or English residents go to the restaurants around 7pm (when most of them open), whilst the locals often don't arrive until after 9pm.
- Tea or Coffee after a meal is not usually included in the "Menu de la Dia" price.
- Tipping in restaurants is usually up to 10%, but "servicio incluido" means that it is already in your bill.
- If you are looking for some musical nightlife, beware of establishments which call themselves "Clubs", allegedly these are brothels. What you should be looking for are "Discos".
- Motorists should be on the look out for "highway pirates" who target foreign registered and hire cars, especially those towing caravans. Motorists are sometimes targeted in service areas and subsequently tricked into stopping on the hard shoulder. The usual ploy is for a passing vehicle to suggest by gesture that there is something seriously wrong with a rear wheel. If you decide to stop to check the condition of your vehicle, you should be extremely wary of anyone offering help. You should lock all vehicle doors and keep bags containing valuables out of sight. Car keys should not be left in the ignition. (Foreign Office Warning).
- British Embassy advice on Spain is available from http://www.ukinspain.com/english/
- Current news on the area can be obtained online from the Costa Blanca News
- General tourist information on the area is available from http://www.comunitat-valenciana.com