Pickpockets

Pickpocketing is a highly developed art. The "spilled" mustard trick is just one of many. Of course, they like to work crowded public areas, but also beware of getting isolated on a quiet street. If you drive a car in Spain, never leave anything valuable on the car seats. Stop at an intersection, and a "smash and grab artist" will shatter your side window and snatch that valuable purse or camera bag before you realize you've been robbed. Dick always keeps a "sucker" wallet in his back pocket. It has an old library card, a few dollars, etc. - nothing of real value. He keeps his "real" wallet in his front pants pocket. We've also used money belts or the type that hang under your shoulder. Great for keeping the bulk of you credit cards, money and most of all, your passport and airline tickets.

Tipping

Tipping is not a big deal in Spain. Service is included at most restaurants, so your tip should be 5% to 10% at most. On short runs, 5% is perfectly acceptable for cab drivers, 10% on longer runs like to or from the airport. If someone carries your luggage, a small tip, maybe 100 or 200 pesetas per bag is appreciated.

Transportation

Madrid is best experienced on foot. They have an excellent (and cheap) public transportation system. We found it pretty easy to navigate. Minimal Spanish ability (or a good phrase book) should help you if you do get lost.

Taxi aren't exactly cheap, but compared to other major cities, they are reasonable. Make sure you agree on a price before you get in! For some reason they really charge a premium for trips to the airport. I suppose they realize you need to make a flight and are not in the best bargaining position. It also helps if you have some idea of where you're going so you don't get taken on any unexpected "tours."

Bus/Metro -- Individual tickets are 130 pesetas. You can buy a package of 10 for 660, although bus tickets aren't good on the metro and vice versa. The metro is pretty easy to navigate. Pick up a map at any station.

Train -- If you want to see more than 1 or 2 cities, buy the rail pass before you leave the USA, it is for tourists only.

Eating

Eat at the bar in restaurants-it's the "Spanish" thing to do and it's a lot cheaper. You can eat more and more variety and pay less. Aside from the barnacles we didn't find anything we did not like. I will say we usually had a pretty good idea of what we were eating. Smoking is a problem here, as in many places in Europe. If you are a non-smoker you are definitely in the minority. Restaurants can be a problem, there's no such thing as a "no-smoking" section. One solution? Try one of the many outdoor cafes and restaurants.

Contact the Spanish Embassy for information on hotels and the cities you want to visit. This will give you some excellent maps and the rates that the hotels are allowed to charge: www.towd.com

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