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Spain
Spain is much more than a package holiday destination. With a very diverse range of landscapes, cultures and languages, Spain is defiantly a place to stop and experience what is going on around you.
Regions |
Articles |
Recommended Spain
- Barcelona
- Tapas
- San Sebastian
- Pamplona
- Santiago de Compostela
Campsites and free camping in Spain
Campsites are found in all popular coastal regions, and many inland areas. Free camping is possible in many areas. Read more.
Vehicle ferries to and from Spain
There are many ferries to chose from when getting a vehicle to and from Spain. See the ferry section.
Driving in Spain
Spain has the second highest accident rate in western Europe, but with care you should have no problems. Read more.
Crime
Spain is a relatively safe and crime-free country. Vehicle break-ins are amongst the biggest problems, so always secure your vehicle, and leave nothing on display. Sensible parking can also reduce you risk of a break-in.
Costs in Spain
Spain is cheaper than France, but not as cheap as Portugal. Fuel is the cheapest of the western countries. Food is good value.
Information
| Currency | Euro (€) |
| Capital city | Madrid |
| Time zone | +1hr GMT |
| Religion | Catholic and Muslim |
| Emergency numbers | General emergency 112 Police 092 Local police 091 International operator 1008 |
| Electricity | 220v continental |
| Border crossings | Spain is a Schengen state |
Geography
Spain is the second largest country in western Europe, after France. Spain is the second most mountainous country in Europe. The north of Spain is endless mountains, as the Pyrenees become the Picos de Europe mountains. These landscapes are stunning, and well worth visiting. The Atlantic ocean has left a rugged and beautiful coast line, with some of the best surfing in Europe.
The south and eastern coasts of Spain are lapped by the warm and calm Mediterranean ocean. A world apart from the northern shores.
Inland the capital of Madrid, high on its perch, is boiling in summer and freezing in winter.
Spanish food and drink
Spain is home to pallea and the wonderful experience of tapas. Seafood is cheap and excellent. Wine and beers are good. Read more.
Spanish languages
Almost everywhere in Spain the Castillian language, what we know as Spanish, is spoken (Castellano or Espanol in Spanish). It is spoken at breakneck speed. Knowing some will help you out, as English is not so widely spoken in Spain as it is in France and Portugal.
Below is a guide to the languages spoken in Spain. Do not consider Catalan and Galego to be dialects of Castillian (or Spanish), they are all considered seperate languages.
| Language | Region | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Castillian | Central Spain, and generally all over Spain | What we know as the "Spanish" language. Also spoken in South America. |
| Catalan | Catalunya (Barcelona) and The Balerica Islands. | A distinct language, but has similarities to Castilian and French. Is difficult to understand. |
| Basque (Euskara) | Basque (Euskadi) | Unlike any other language. Signs are written with a distinct font. |
| Galego | Galicia | Sounds like a combination of Catalan and Portugese |
| Babel | Asturias | A minority langague |
Health
Health care is excellent and generally free, but European residents need to get a E-111 card from your home country. In towns at least one pharmacy will be 'on-call' and open around the clock. Manned by highly trained staff, they can be a good first of call as many prescription drugs (like antibiotics) can be bought over the counter after a consultation. No drugs, even ibuprofen, are available from supermarkets, only the pharmacy.
Opening hours
Spain's traditional long lunches, and in some places, siestas, are still common. General opening hours are 10:00 - 14:00 and 17:00 - 20:00, Monday to Saturday. Although these hours can vary widely from place to place. Banks generally open at 08:30 and large supermarkets will open all day. If you need to do something important in town, go early or late in the day, or you can be kicking your heals waiting for shops to open. Most smaller shops will shut at midday on Saturday and all day on Sunday.
Surfing in Spain
Spain has a massive variety of breaks, big swell, and warm weather. The most hyped waves include Mundaka and Rodilles. See surfing in Spain.
Related Web Sites
- Spain Camper Van Hire - Flamenco Campers rent camper vans near Malaga in Spain.
Camper Van Life is brought to you by Darren Lambert, a big fan of camper vans.
Looking to buy a camper in Spain preferably 4 berth on Spanish plates.Up to 10.000 euros. Can anyone out there help please Thank you Herbert.
Does any one know of sites free or very low costs close to the center of Sitges spain .garages etc for small transit motor home
thanks
peter
Im in Sitges right now.
I'm staying at the Camping Sitges campsite. For 1 person it's €15 per night.
Today I saw several motorhomes camping on the seafront.
It's a metered parking area, however these vans where near the roadabout at the very southern end of the beachfront, next to the golf course hotel. I think there mustn't be meters there.
NOW OPEN !
CAMPER STOP CAÑAVERAL™
42,5 km north of Cáceres city, or 41 km south of Plasencia city, Cáceres province, Northern Extremadura.
Near the E-803 / A66 motorway, take off ramp 508.
GPS: 39º46’59 87”N – 6º23’46.65” W
Cañaveral, April 23, 2011.
WELCOME!
You’ll see the village of Cañaveral nestled in the foothills from the motorway A-66 / E803, 42,5 kms North of Cáceres city (or 41 kms South of Plasencia city). -Take off ramp 508 and follow the signs to Cañaveral village, under 1 km.
-Stop at the PETRONOR petrol station: ALWAYS OPEN from 06:30 – 23:00 hours, ask for CAMPER STOP info “inglés”, please register with your name and e-mail address, sothat we may keep you informed of developments at this new facility.
Introductory tariff, valid until May 15th, 2011: unit price: €.3 / 24 hrs, €.5 /48 hrs. Longer stays at reduced tariff! Our facility only accepts RV campervans.
-To CAMPER STOP: Drive on through the village on the main road N630. At the end of the village, follow sign CAMPER STOP>, turning sharply right before green-painted communal Sportscenter + municipal swimming pool. Park on large former football field behind the Sportscenter; please leave the access road and heliport clear! There is lots of space for up to 100 RVs, free nature all around, clean air, quiet.
-24 hour constant safety controls by friendly municipal police staff.
-Fresh water gratis at the petrol station, soon fresh water- and electricity shall be installed at Camper Stop Cañaveral. For now you’ll find a fresh water drinking fountain in the small park at the entrance of the sports complex. From there you may also fill up your water tank, if you have the necessaries for this on board.
-N.B. The as yet lacking facility for discharging and flushing chemical toilet or black water tank shall be installed shortly elsewhere in the village.
-Our village (1,600 inhabitants) offers you everything you might need, from banks, cash-points, shops, to village supermarkets, bars, restaurants, vehicle workshop; from Cañaveral there is a direct train connection to Cáceres, Plasencia, Madrid, and even Lissabon.
-We are the ideal sally point for visiting the many beautiful spots in the province. All relevant tourist info is freely available.
-Please direct all your questions in English to:
Manager Hendrik/Enrique: sms to (0034)627 678 027, or: camperstop.canaveral@gmail.com
I’ll thankfully receive your e-mails with your points of view and constructive critique. Cañaveral´s Mayor Emilio Durán and his staff, all villagers and I are determined to make your stay with us an enjoyable one!
Please do help us with your suggestions, and do inform your camper friends and -acquaintances about our facility, for which we offer you our warmest thanks! ****
hi can you send me details of your site as i will be traveling from santandar to visit you
I would love to explore the natural beauty of either of these continents. Ideally at my own pace and choice.
I would like to know if there are places that rent campers, at a very reasonable price in either Menorca, Majorca or the Almafi Coast down to Sicily of Italy.
Any Ideas where I can start looking?
I have tried searches on the web but it results in nothing.
Please Help.
Thanks.
We plan to drive through Spain from Western France, near Pyrenees, going to the Algarve.
However, we cannot find any adequate waste water dumping sites anywhere along the A-66 route: From San Sebastian, to Burgos, to Valladolid, to Salamanca, to Caceres, to Sevilla. Then West to Huelva and then to Algarve. We know there is a waste water dumping site just inside Portugal, but what about in Spain?
Any help would be very much appreciated!
Best regards,
Antoinette
Where can I hire a 2 berth campervan from in either Spain or Southern France?
Kind regards,
Bree
Hi,
these are on special for return in march
http://www.wickedcampers.co.uk/bookings-a-quotes/specials.html
jamie
would love to buy one, travel and sell it again but there is very little info about it
We have a 32ft motorhome that we wish to sell. seperate master bedroom. seperate shower room and toilet. sleeps 6 people . send us an email for more details we are in |Murcia Spain
hi, is your motorhome still available,
many thanks
hi do you still have the van?could you send me any info and pictures thanks
I have lived in spain for over 8 years now & still have the motorhome we came over in now on spanish plates. Where I store my motorhome always has caravans & motorhomes for sale.If more information is required notify me at this E-Mail address & I will try to help you as much as possible.
Hi Thank you for your help, if you see a motorhome for sale with shower, wc, hob etc, 4 berth around the price of 2,500-3,000euros, please contact me. many thanks
Hi
Can anybody help with this. I want to buy a UK lhd motorhome and register it in Spain, can you tell me how much is the cost to register and (I know its not easy) but just how hard is it to do MH would be about £15,000. I own property in Spain (I know thats a must).
Thanks for any help,
hi,
I hope you can help us. We want to but a nice motorhome, not too small or large, in Spain. We live near Granada and cannot seem to find anything.
Regards,
Tess and John.
Hi Daniel
Used vehicles are generally quite expensive in Spain, as there are limited used vehicles, as most are new.
You'll also probably need to know some Spanish to get a smooth transaction.
It's generally better to buy in the UK or Germany, where prices are cheaper. In the UK vehicles are right-hand-drive, which isn't so good for touring around Europe.
You're more likely to find an English speaking seller in Germany. Also consider France, where used prices can be good.
Where are you travelling from?
Andaluz is also a separate language, but the only reason it was never credited as being one by the majority of Spain was because as a poor province, they could never muster enough money to apply to have the language given official status.
It is another language, not just "lazy Spanish" ...
I do not agree with you about Andaluz being a separate language. It uses a different way of pronouncing words. Example: Pasado in Castellano (true Spanish) is pronounced "pasao" in Andaluz.
Having moved here 3 years ago in my motorhome, I thoroughly recommend touring Spain inside a lovely house, be it permanent or temporary. There are no strict rules on having to stay on campsites, and if your motorhome has gas, there's no reason why you should stay on a campsite. I live near Andalucia's largest lake and you can park up next to it for the day for stunning views, swimming if you like too!
Oh, and if you want a motorhome to rent, let me know, as I have one of those too!
Amanda[at]casa-la-celada[dot]com
Hi,
My friend and I are coming to Spain on the 4th of July and want to hire a van. Are u still over there and do u have any vans available? Thanks
What is it with the Spanish, for not putting in waste water dumping stations for RV vehicles? How do you get around this problem, Amanda?
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