Spain Travel Guide

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Though Tourists May Be, Spain Isn't Torn on the Topic of Bullfighting

Where: Spain
June 3, 2013 at 11:37 AM | by | Comments (0)

If your summer travel plans include some sangria and tapas in the sun-burned country of Spain, perhaps a traditional bullfight is also on the must-do list. While we won't get into the moral arguments of the age-old festival, if Spanish parliament gets it's way, the barbaric shows may be protected as a "national pursuit."

Current pending legislation from national political leaders seeks to include the custom of bullfighting as part of the fabric of what makes Spain...well, Spain. Not only would this protect any current animal shows all around the country by offering subsidies to farmers that breed bulls, but it would also overturn the prohibition of the act in the Canary Islands and Catalonia.

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Iberia's New Lie-Flat Seats May Actually Be 'Muy Bueno'

Where: Spain
February 6, 2013 at 8:48 AM | by | Comments (0)

If it seems like we are spreading the news of some flashy new business class seat every few weeks, you are probably right. It's all the fault of the airlines, as a huge number have taken the recent years to update their cabin offerings to lure passengers away from competitors. Now, the torch is passed to Iberia with their announcement of new lie-flat seats in the long-haul swanky cabins.

The Spanish flag carrier's aim is to sit their elite flyers down in a more comfy seat for folks winging their way to/from Spain on their widebody Airbus jets, starting this month with the A330s and eventually moving onto the A340s later in the year. And the love isn't limited to business class; economy class is getting an overhaul as well, just not lie-flat hotness.

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Foreign Grocery Friday: The Angulas a la Bilbaina of Spain

Where: Spain
February 1, 2013 at 11:17 AM | by | Comments (0)

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

This FGF post is brought to you by some delicious food that cannot be found in a grocery store, instead we highlight the food found in a local restaurant on Mallorca, the small resort island in the Balearic Islands of Spain.

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The (High-Speed) Trains in Spain Go Quickly on the Plains

Where: Spain
January 25, 2013 at 6:02 PM | by | Comments (0)

Planning to travel through Spain this summer? Well, thanks to the newest high-speed rail AVE line linking the Spanish capitol of Madrid and the Spanish/French border town of Figueres.

The final track was laid, marking the end of the three-year project. This means the journey time is hugely slashed—from nine hours to only five! The first passengers traveled on January 9th, with many going the full 804 km from Figueres to Madrid.

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Lost Luggage? Ask Nicely for a Toiletry Kit

Where: Spain
January 22, 2013 at 9:44 AM | by | Comment (1)

Luggage gets lost. Sometimes even our luggage gets lost. Most of the time it's no big deal since we planned accordingly and packed the essentials in a carry on and have what we need until the airline get their act together and delivers the bag. No big deal, right? Not all the time. In particular the time we put all our money on one color and let it roll on Iberia from Madrid to Mallorca.

It was a normal one-way flight to the Balearic Island. After what seemed like an uneventful check-in and after closer inspection we were given the wrong boarding passes. Inquiring about the confusion, collecting correct passes and a confirmation that the luggage will be loaded, we headed off to the lounge. In a surprise twist, our luggage was not on the belt in Palma.

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A Wander Around Barcelona's Castell de Montjuïc

November 15, 2012 at 12:13 PM | by | Comments (0)

Right about now, you might be day-dreaming of a beach vacation or somewhere the sun shines all day and the people are hot, hot, hot. Come with us on a Spanish adventure, more specifically to Barcelona. The city is known for fine beaches, partying until the wee hours of the morning, tapas and lots of sangria. While we partook in a little of each—maybe more than a little when it came to the sangria—we brought a little history and culture into our days with a castle visit.

Montjuïc, historically speaking, was the the area that the medieval Jewish community buried their dead, thus the Catalan translation of Jewish Mountain. Now it sits to welcome cruise and cargo ships from the Mediterranean, all the while keeping a watchful eye on the city below. The park area is not easy to reach; either by climbing the steps on the front or riding the funicular from the port, it takes some sweat or fears.

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Spend a Free Week in Spain Thanks to the Magic of Volunteering

Where: Spain
October 24, 2012 at 1:23 PM | by | Comment (1)

Vaughan Systems invites people who speak English fluently to spend a week in Spain on them at VaughanTown. Free room and board in Spain is the trade-off for native English-speakers who help Spanish-speaking people practice their English.

Vaughan Systems will connect native English-speakers with business professionals who are learning the language. The native-English speakers need to only to apply for the program, and if accepted, pay for their flight to Spain.

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Madrid-Barajas' Architecture Deserves a Long Layover

Where: Madrid, Spain
October 16, 2012 at 12:15 PM | by | Comments (0)

Airports are more than just a roof to sit under while transiting to a new city. More often they become places filled with the joy of reuniting friends or the sadness of bidding fond adieu, but most always they are a reflection of that particular city's local flare. With great design, an airport can be a way to show off to foreign visitors. Madrid's Barajas Airport, more specifically, the new-ish Terminal 4, is a prime example.

We admit, it's no Eero Saarinen, but this terminal gave us a sore neck the moment we walked under its high ceilings and colorful support beams. Completed and opened to the public in 2006 and home to Iberia, it's ranked among the top coolest airports through which we've had the pleasure of transiting.

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First 'Airport Lounge Club' Opens at Ibiza Airport, Natch

Where: Ibiza, Spain
August 2, 2012 at 6:23 PM | by | Comments (0)

It's being called the "world's first airport club," but the "F*** Me I'm Famous" lounge at Spain's Ibiza Airport is much more than that. It's also likely the first celebrity-themed and celebrity-promoted airport lounge. That celebrity? It's David Guetta, French house music producer and DJ who regularly holds bashes on the party island with the same name as the new airport club.

FMIF at IBZ opened up on July 17 and is actually airside, meaning you've got to be flying in or out of the airport for admittance. Though it seems as though the club will only stick around temporarily to entertain during the summer high season, it's still making history. Is this the future?

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All Aboard Vueling's Instagram Jet!

Where: Spain
May 21, 2012 at 6:27 PM | by | Comments (0)

Hey—remember when KLM used Facebook to cover a plane in your photos, creating a very unique livery?

Well we're happy to say that another airline has decided to let you dictate its airplane's looks, but this time it'll be using Instagram. Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling is asking their Facebook fans to upload images of Vueling destinations* to their Instagram accounts for the chance at winning 1 of 50 free roundtrip flights and a spot for their photo on the exterior of a Vueling jet in inside a printed book that travels with that special aircraft.

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Where to Find the Real-Life Palace of Sacha Baron Cohen's 'The Dictator'

Where: Seville, Spain
May 18, 2012 at 4:13 PM | by | Comments (0)

Today The Dictator opens in theaters everywhere, starring Sasha Baron Cohn as a dictator desperate to keep democracy out of his oppressed country.

The dictator's fictional country of Wadiya recently launched its own tourism website promoting its many attractions like the Wadiyan State Zoo where, "many dozens of endangered species can be found caged, including pandas, white tigers, and Amnesty International officials." The site also endorses the Wadiyan Museum of Tolerance, "Open daily from 9 to 5. Women, Jews, and disabled not allowed."

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Iberia Express Starts Selling Cheap Tickets for a Cheaper Spanish Vacation

Where: Spain
March 26, 2012 at 8:50 AM | by | Comments (0)

It’s time for a new spinoff low cost carrier, as the suits and bean counters over at Iberia thought it was a great idea to start another airline with a brand new name. Iberia Express is scheduled to start selling tickets as soon as March 28—at least per their website—and after that it’ll be all low fares all the time. At least that’s what we’re hoping for!

The plan for Iberia Express is to connect cities in Spain with spots tourists and locals that want to visit. Initial destinations include spots like Madrid along with some of the country’s more famous island destinations—think Ibiza, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. Initially the new airline will just be doing its thing with a fleet of four Airbus A320s, so it’ll be quite some time before they’re flying to more cities and destinations. However, it does sound like there are some long term plans for Iberia Express, so hopefully there will be plenty of expansion and growth if everything goes as planned.

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