Survival Guide - Discover Spain: Experience the Best of Spain - page 631

Tipping : Menu prices include a service charge. Most people leave some small
change if they're satisfied: 5% is normally fine and 10% extremely generous. Port-
ers will generally be happy with €1. Taxi drivers don't have to be tipped but a little
rounding up won't go amiss.
Travellers Cheques : Can be changed (you'll often be charged a commission) at
most banks and building societies. Visa, Amex and Travelex are widely accepted
brands with (usually) efficient replacement policies. Get most of your cheques in
fairly large denominations (the equivalent of €100 or more) to save on any per-
cheque commission charges. It's vital to keep your initial receipt, and a record of
your cheque numbers and the ones you have used, separate from the cheques
themselves.
Public Holidays
The two main periods of the year when Spaniards go on holiday are Semana Santa
(the week leading up to Easter Sunday) and August. At these times accommodation
in resorts can be scarce and transport heavily booked, while other places are often
half-empty.
There are at least 14 official holidays a year - some observed nationwide, some
locally. When a holiday falls close to a weekend, Spaniards like to make a puente
(bridge), meaning they take the intervening day off too. Occasionally when some
holidays fall close, they make an acueducto (aqueduct)! National holidays are:
Año Nuevo (New Year's Day) 1 January
Viernes Santo (Good Friday) March/April
Fiesta del Trabajo (Labour Day) 1 May
La Asunción (Feast of the Assumption) 15 August
Fiesta Nacional de España (National Day) 12 October
La Inmaculada Concepción (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) 8 December
Navidad (Christmas) 25 December