Spanish Travel News - April 2008 Edition

Dear {!firstname_fix},

With summer almost upon us and a particularly hot one being predicted for Spain this year, we thought it appropriate to gear this newsletter towards health issues when travelling and a reminder of how best to protect yourself in the sun.

We will also keep you posted when we have more news on the article below concerning combined rail/air tickets from Madrid. The Spanish high speed trains are a real joy to travel on and it is great that Renfe are getting their act together with the airlines.

If you are coming to Spain over the next few months and want to travel around and explore the area you are visiting with total freedom and flexibility, it is well worth hiring a car. Car rental is such a competitive business her now that you can get some really good deals by booking ahead and you can get a Free Car Hire Quote Here Also during the summer months some of the most competitively priced car rental agencies do run out of cars so give as much notice as you can to ensure you get the vehicle you want.

Gary Ingram

Most airline companies offer special treatment to certain types of passengers with mobility problems. I say "most" because it is sometimes hard to get some of them to commit to exactly what they are able or willing to provide!

You should inform the travel agent or airline of any special needs you may have when making the reservation or purchasing the ticket so that they have as much notice as possible.

Modern jet aircraft fly at altitudes of up to 11,000 metres with outside temperatures reaching 60º below zero containing very little oxygen. Artificial conditions therefore have to be created inside the aircraft resulting in a barometric pressure lower than that at sea level, low air humidity and recirculation.

The majority of passengers do not have any reaction to these conditions, but listed below are some situations when it is recommended  that you  visit a doctor or specialist before undertaking a flight: If you have undergone a recent operation, especially eye, abdominal or lung surgery.

• If you are travelling with your legs in plaster.
• If you have suffered a heart-attack, angina pectoris or have bad circulation.
• If you have lung disease or respiratory problems.
• If you have a chronic sinus infection, ear infection or otitis.
• If you have nasal congestion due to an infection or respiratory allergy. 

Airline companies recommend that expectant mothers do not fly when they are over 36 weeks pregnant.  These passengers may also be asked to sign a document releasing the airline of all liability regarding any problems arising as a result of their condition.

With the warm spring weather already here and the hot summer sun due in the next couple of months remember that you need to an effective sunscreen to protect your skin while visiting Spain.

Sun protective clothing should block 97% of UV and sunscreens should have an SPF 30+ and be applied 20 minutes before being exposed to the sun for it to penetrate or bind to the skin, and then reapplied every two hours. The term "very water resistant" means you must reapply every 90 minutes when swimming, "water resistant" means reapply every 40 minutes. Do not use old sunscreen as it becomes less effective with age so always check the expiry date.
The best sunscreen products are the broad spectrum ones that block both UVA and UVB. Choose a sunscreen with an SPF 30 rating or higher that includes a good level (minimum 4% - 5%) of zinc oxide among its list of active ingredients.

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and measures the protection against UVB provided by a sunscreen.  For example an SPF 30 protects you against 29 out of 30 parts of UVB or 97% UVB.

As a general rule children under twelve should be accompanied by an adult, with some airlines offering a companion service which must be paid for in advance. This is usually a member of the cabin crew who is assigned to care for the child.

If a child is over five years old they  can travel alone as long as the person responsible for them child signs a Release of Liability document giving full details of the adult responsible for collecting the child at the destination airport.

NEW ROUTES TO SPAIN

Three more airlines have announced new routes into Spain starting over the next couple of months:

Easyjet are flying from Manchester to Malaga with effect from 1st May

Jet2 are operating flights out of Leeds Bradford Airport to Madrid from 20th April

BmiBaby fly from Cardiff to Barcelona from 24th May

Ryanair has announced plans to reinstate its Almeria to Dublin route which they withdrew last autumn. From April 1st there will be two return flights available each week on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The service will only be available until October as the airline has decided that the route is only viable during the summer months.

Alicante Airport has a new car park with space for up to 6,200 vehicles which is the first phase of its multi-million euro revamp plan to be finished. However itt will not officially open until the new terminal is up and running at the end of next year.

The new building will have 16 telescopic "runways" for passengers to walk from the departure gates to the aircraft, and is expected to have capacity for up to 20 million travellers per year. Hopefully and "unofficially" the Spanish Airport Authority will allow the new car park to be used as an overflow during the busy summer months. We will keep you posted in the newsletter and at our parking at Alicante Airport website when we have more details.

The Spanish railway operator RENFE is currently in negotiation with Air Europa and Iberia Airlines to allow combined tickets to be available for the Madrid-Valladolid, Madrid-Malaga and Madrid-Barcelona routes.

We have written an article on the trains in Spain which gives you more information on the various services available.

A lot of you ask about news on the new airport being built in Corvera. The latest information we have is that the building of the runway and passenger terminal are now well under way and its structure is clearly defined, so if you are planning a visit this summer you should at last see some real progress. Completion is still scheduled for two years time in 2010.

Why not spend spring in our own 1 bedroom apartment! Its just 2 ½ hours by car from Seville and is the perfect place to recharge your batteries!

You are welcome to come and stay for as little as 3 days to as long as 3 months!

If you would like more information and photographs on the apartment then please click here!

www.lamaestranza.eu

We are still receiving a large number of requests for information on our message board, and again we ask that you 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.