Seville Life and Travel Tips

(Seville, Andalucia, Spain)

Seville is one of the Spain's great cities and the Spanish are cheerful, friendly and generally very helpful. Good manners in Seville are welcome everywhere and expected by most people. Seville is undeniably a major-league cultural and historic city, and worth a visit, whatever the time of year.

Language

Spanish is the third most widely spoken language in the world, after Chinese and English. Although Spanish is the language of the land, English, French and German are generally understood at most attractions, museums, hotels and restaurants that cater for visitors. Castilian Spanish is the official language but in the regions, Basque, Catalan and Galician are spoken. In smaller towns and villages a phrase book is a useful item to carry.

Tipping

Tipping is quite discretionary, with taxi drivers usually being given a 5 to 10% gratuity or thereabouts, although this is by no means obligatory. Restaurants always include service charges by law, and these should be clearly stated on the menus, although a small tip will still be expected and very much appreciated. Hotel staff, such as luggage handlers, happily accept a small tip. Generally, no other public service workers expect tips. You should always pay tips in cash, as this way you can be sure that the person it is intended for receives it fully.

Places of Worship

The national religion of Spain is Roman Catholic, although many other faiths and major religions are also represented. There are an enormous number of churches that welcome visitors and these have a fairly formal dress code, i.e. no shorts.

Smoking

In many buildings and public transport, rules restrict smoking and this is usually indicated by no-smoking symbols in prominent places. Spanish legislation makes it illegal to smoke in many public places and the rights of non-smokers tend to prevail over the right to smoke, although most pubs and bars welcome customers who wish to relax with a drink and smoke.

It is always worth exercising discretion and sensitivity when selecting a place in which to smoke. The best advice would be not to smoke unless others around you do so.

Tips for Using the Euro

The Euro is made up of eight coins and seven paper notes and was introduced on January 1, 2002. The 12 original members of the European Union - Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain - planned the event for more than a decade, determining a conversion rate for each country's national currency. The colourful Euro bills, which include holograms and shades of green, yellow, blue, mauve, and orange, are identical across the Euro area. Coins have one common and one national side, but they can be used in any of the member countries, regardless of the country of issue. Old currencies are no longer accepted, although they can still be converted to Euros in central banks.

Tourism and Tourist Information Offices (Oficinas de Turismo)

Most of the major cities in the Andalusia region have good tourist information offices and Seville is no exception. There are several tourist information offices in Seville, providing the latest information for both the tourist and business traveller in the city. There is also a tourist information office located in Seville airport and other nearby airports.

The Oficina d'Informacio de Turisme de Seville
Address: Avenida de la Constitucion 21, Seville, Spain
Tel: +34 95 422 1404
Located in the Avenida de la Constitucion, this tourism and tourist information office in Seville is a useful for place to visit for the latest tourist information, including details about attractions, museums, restaurants and travel in and around Seville. This Seville tourist information office is also able to direct you to a number of multilingual tour guides.
Open hours: daily 09:00 to 21:00

Paseo de las Delicias Tourist Information
Address: Paseo de las Delicias 9, Seville, Spain
Tel: +34 95 423 4465

Telephones and Emergency Numbers

• Emergencies - for police dial 091 (national) or 095 (local)
• For fire emergencies dial 080 or 085 and for an ambulance dial 409 5530
• To call from one city code to another, dial the city code of 95, complete with initial 0, and then dial the number
• Telephone country codes: United States and Canada is 1, Australia 61, New Zealand 64 and for the United Kingdom 44 (the international prefix from Ireland is 00)

Safety

The biggest threat in Seville is by bag snatchers and pickpockets. Thieves are very skilled, so be particularly careful with hand baggage. Wear a bag or camera across your body, or even use a concealed money belt.

Taxes

VAT (IVA) is always included in the price and refunds are unusual in Spain. Tourists from countries outside of the EU may claim a refund on this tax if the item was purchased for personal use and cost more than a certain amount. Ask the shopkeeper for details.