Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
www.ign.es
)
. Ask for it in good bookshops.
Money
The most convenient way to bring your money is in the form of a debit or credit
card, with some extra cash for use in case of an emergency. You'll find information
on exchange rates and costs on
Click here
.
ATMs
: Many credit and debit cards can be used for withdrawing money from
cajer-
os automáticos
(automatic teller machines) that display the relevant symbols such
as Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus etc. Remember that there is usually a charge (around
1.5% to 2%) on ATM cash withdrawals abroad.
Cash
: Most banks and building societies will exchange major foreign currencies
and offer the best rates. Ask about commissions and take your passport.
Credit & Debit Cards
: Can be used to pay for most purchases. You'll often be
asked to show your passport or some other form of identification. Among the most
widely accepted are Visa, MasterCard, American Express (Amex), Cirrus, Maestro,
Plus, Diners Club and JCB. If your card is lost, stolen or swallowed by an ATM, you
can call the following telephone numbers toll free to have an immediate stop put on
its use:
Amex
(
902 375 637 or 900 994 426)
;
Diners Club
(
901 101 011)
;
MasterCard
(
900 971 231)
; and
Visa
(
900 991 216, 900 991 124)
.
Moneychangers
: You can exchange both cash and travellers cheques at ex-
change offices - usually indicated by the word
cambio
(exchange). Generally they
offer longer opening hours and quicker service than banks, but worse exchange
rates and higher commissions.
Taxes & Refunds
: In Spain, value-added tax (VAT) is known as IVA (
ee
-ba;
im-
puesto sobre el valor añadido
). Visitors are entitled to a refund of the 16% IVA on
purchases costing more than €90.16 from any shop if they are taking them out of
the EU within three months. Ask the shop for a cash-back (or similar) refund form
showing the price and IVA paid for each item, and identifying the vendor and pur-
chaser. Then present the refund form to the customs booth for IVA refunds at the
airport, port or border from which you leave the EU.
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