Spanish Travel News - October Edition

Dear {!firstname_fix},

Well the high season is now over in Spain, and with the slightly cooler weather the golfers are arriving for some enjoyable rounds of golf under the less fierce (but still warm) winter sun. Spain is again hosting year’s Volvo Masters which is being held at the fabulous Valderrama course in San Roque from 1st – 4th November. Club de Golf Valderrama will be able to celebrate in style as the Volvo Masters commemorates its 20th anniversary (the longest-running single sponsorship in European golf).

We are in the middle of the lengthy process of updating the Spanish Airport Guide with the winter flight, but and train timetables so please bear with us if some of the information is a month out of date at the moment. All the amendments will be live in the next couple of weeks, but as there is quite a lot of change in the flights section this year with new routes being added; some being cut over the low season and timetables changing from month to month, we have decided to indicate the time of the day the flights operate rather than giving exact arrival and departures. We have provided links to the airlines so you can check the exact timetables for the dates you want to travel with them direct.

A brand new video information site called Sol Channel has just been launched, and we have provided a link to the video as we feel it comes up with some interesting travel and holiday tips.
The producers are based in Marbella and are known to produce high quality films on all Spain related topics.  Hope you find it useful.

In Spain and the Balearic and Canary Islands the car hire business continues to flourish, and at this time of year there are some competitive prices and special deals to be found. If you are coming to Spain over the next couple of months and haven't booked your hire car yet you can a get a Free Car Hire Quote Here

Gary Ingram.

The agreement was finally signed in September for work on the second runway at Malaga Airport to commence.  It will be built almost parallel to the existing one and will be able to handle larger aircraft like the Boeing 747 and new Airbus. It is expected to take 28 months to build and is due for completion at the end of December 2009.  A tunnel will be built under the new runway to house  the current Malaga-Fuengirola railway line and new AVE high speed train which is due to run from Malaga along the western Costa del Sol.  This service is due to be operational by February 2010.
When the work is completed the airport will be able to deal with 20 million passengers a year:  it currently handles 13 million and this will increase its current capacity of 37 operations every hour to 72.

We have received a number of messages on the board from travellers who are very upset abvout the about route being cancelled. We have just come across an article which gives some information on why this happened and you can click on this link to find out more.

There is a new initiative in place amongst some of the airlines (including Easyjet, Monarch and Ryanair) to charge a fee for baggage checked in and placed in the aircraft hold. With rising fuel prices this has been done as a way to keep flight prices as low as possible. The prices vary from airline to airline, so you should check the likely cost before confirming your booking. Also the incentive of reduced charges is being offered if you book online.

With the increased security checks and the vast increase in the amount of lost luggage over the past year, it is well worth trying to travel light if you can, especially as many items (including toiletries and sun tan lotion are often cheaper in Spain).

With more and more people owning properties in Spain and spending a large part of their year here, pet travel has increased dramatically with owners preferring to bring their animals with them rather than leave them at home for any length of time.

Pets accompanying their owners on a trip to Spain can be accepted as luggage when the corresponding excess baggage tariff has been paid (regardless of the class in which the passenger is to fly). As a general rule, these animals must be checked in and loaded into the hold of the aircraft, where they will be placed in a container (which some airlines can provide) but to be on the safe side it is worth purchasing your own carrier which is IATA approved (and will have a sticker or label stating this).

As only certain airlines and airports in the UK have the facilities to transport pets (BA and Monarch being the main carriers), when making a booking for you and your pet check first that the necessary transport can be arranged.

Animals must carry the correct documentation, either with a pet passport or veterinary certificate, and with all required vaccinations (in some countries with an evaluation of antibodies). All animals are identified by a microchip or tattoo, and again you need the correct documentation for this. Preparing pets for travel is a lengthy business, and with all the health checks and documentation a passport takes about nine months from application to receipt. So if you are thinking about bringing you pet to Spain make sure you leave plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements.You can find more information on the Pets Travel Scheme (PETS) for the UK at www.defra.co.uk

Guide dogs trained to accompany a passenger with a disability will usually travel in the cabin, unless prohibited by national regulations or the airlines. The dog's transport, whether in the hold or in the cabin, will not be chargeable. It is not necessary to carry out any special procedure, but the dog must wear a muzzle, collar and lead. If the dog is to travel in the cabin, it will be placed next to the passenger in a place indicated by the crew.

With the changeable weather the UK is experiencing there are more people than ever visiting Spain for some winter sunshine and we are still receiving a large number of requests for information on our message board. Please give us as much as notice as possible if you need information on bus and train timetables in order to plan your journey as they can sometimes take some time to find.

And please carry on sending your travel tips or advice as we can pass them on to other travellers and include them in our monthly newsletter.