Page 634 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

632  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

Car Hire
The most popular car-hire
companies in Spain are
Europcar, Avis and Hertz.
All have offices at airports and
major train stations, as well as
in the larger cities.
In addition to the inter-
national car-hire companies,
there is a growing number of
low-cost hire firms like
Enterprise, easyCar, pepecar City taxis queuing for fares outside an airport
and hispacar, although you
may need to pick up your car covers) at a scale of 1:400,000 of your windscreen. The cost
some distance from the airport. (1 cm:4 km), sold at bookshops averages about €1–€3 per hour.
You can often get the best and petrol stations. Websites You can usually park for up to
deals by booking in advance www.guiarepsol.com and two hours. Major cities have
online. There are also fly- www.viamichelin.com allow many underground car parks.
drive and other package deals you to plan your route, You collect a ticket when
including car hire available. providing information on you enter and either pay the
Fly-drive, an option for two roads, weather and toll fees. attendant as you drive out, or
or more travellers, can be A series of more detailed pay at a machine which returns
arranged by travel agents and maps at 1:200,000 for cycling your ticket so you can deposit it
tour operators. and walking is published by in another machine at the exit.
If you wish to hire a car Plaza y Janés. Military maps at
locally for around a week or scales of 1:50,000 and 1:100,000 Taxis
less, you will be able to arrange are available from Stanfords
it with a local travel agent. in London and from some Every city and/or region has its
A car for hire is called a coche local and specialist book shops own taxi design and tariffs, but
de alquiler. in Spain, such as Altaïr in all taxis will display a green light
For chauffeur-driven cars Barcelona. Tourist offices if they are free. All are metered;
in Spain, Avis offers deals usually have free street maps. when you set off, a minimum
from major cities. Car-hire You can find detailed street fee will be shown. In smaller
prices and conditions vary maps of central Barcelona on villages, the taxi may be a
according to the region pp184–9, of Madrid on pp312–19 resident driving an unmetered
and locality. and of Seville on pp454–9 of private car – ask at your hotel
this guide. or in a shop for the number of
a recommended local driver.
Parking
Road Conditions and
The arrival of resident-only
parking schemes means that Weather Forecasts
street parking is increasingly For recorded road and traffic
hard to come by in major cities. information, call the national
As a rule, you may not park toll-free number for
Some of the leading car-hire companies where the pavement edge is Información de Tráfico de
operating in Spain painted yellow or where a “no Carreteras. This service is in
parking” sign is displayed. Spanish only. Ask at your hotel
Maps Occasionally there is a reception if you need a
Fold-out road maps can be “no parking” sign on trans lation. The RAC
obtained at airports, on the both sides of a city offers route-planning
ferries and from tourist offices. street, one saying services tailored to
The Spanish Ministry of “1–15” and the other individual require-
Transport publishes a com- “16–30”. This means ments; these may
prehensive road map in book that you can park on include current
form, the Mapa Oficial de one side of the street No parking at any road conditions.
Carreteras. The oil company only for the fort night time of day The weather
Repsol publishes the Guía indicated on the sign. information service,
Repsol, a road map and In the cities, non-metered Agencia Estatal de Metereo­
restaurant guide conveniently on-street parking is rare, but logía, gives forecasts for each
in one book and also available there are blue pay-and-display region, as well as the national
for iPhone and iPad. Michelin parking spaces. To use them, and international weather. It
publishes a useful series of buy a ticket from the machine also gives details on maritime
maps (440–448, with orange and display it on the inside and mountain conditions.

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