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Rick Steves' Spain

Updates since the 2012 edition

General

Many readers report having difficulty getting the site for RENFE, Spain's rail network, to accept their US credit cards. If you want to book tickets ahead, especially on routes with less frequent service or for departures you can't afford to miss, try Rail Europe; Petrabax is another option.

Spainair has gone out of business.

Barcelona

The owners of Hostal Residencia Neutral are retiring and have closed the hotel.

Basque Country

Spanish Basque Country
San Sebastián

Travelers taking the bus from Bilbao Airport to San Sebastián can buy a ticket from the driver; for the return trip to the airport, you must purchase a ticket from the Pesa office in San Sebastián at Avenida de Sancho el Sabio 33 (toll tel. 902-101-210, www.pesa.net).

Madrid

The Prado Museum is open on Mondays, though it now has slightly shorter hours the rest of the week (Mon–Sat 10:00–20:00, Sun 10:00–19:00).

1001 Nights Madrid has a new email address for its apartment rentals: info@1001nights.es.

AVANZA runs two buses to Lisbon a day in each direction (8–9 hours, €47.50 each way, daytime or overnight; check shedules and buy tickets at the www.movelia.es).

Granada

Casa del Capitel Nazarí now offers a 5 percent discount to guests who present their Rick Steves guidebook at the hotel.

Andalucía's White Hill Towns

In Arcos de la Frontera, two hotels have new prices for 2012: Hotel El Convento (Sb with balcony-€60, Sb with terrace-€76, Db with balcony-€80, Db with terrace-€95) and Hotel Los Olivos (Sb-€45–50, Db-€70–85, Tb-€85–100, extra bed-€19, breakfast-€9).

Updates since the 2011 edition

Barcelona

Bus and Metro fares have risen slightly since the 2011 edition was printed. Single rides now cost €1.45. The T10 Card is €8.25, and passes are also more expensive (€6.20/1 day, €11.50/2 days, €16.50/3 days, €21/4 days, €25/5 days; www.tmb.cat).

The tourist office's guided walk through the Barri Gòtic leaves from the Plaça de Sant Jaume TI (not from the TI on Plaça de Catalunya).

The hop-on hop-off bus routes were described incorrectly, vis à vis which is red and which is blue. It should read, "The two-hour blue route covers north Barcelona (most Gaudí sights); the two-hour red route covers south Barcelona (Barri Gótic, Montjuïc); and the shorter, 40-minute green route covers the beaches and Fórum."

The sardana dances performed in front of the cathedral are not held in August.

Admission to Gaudí's Casa Milà (La Pedrera) is now €14, and the audioguide now costs €4.

The City History Museum has new hours (Tue–Sat April–Oct 10:00–19:00, Nov–March 10:00–17:00, Sun 10:00–20:00 year-round, last entry 30 minutes before closing, closed Mon).

The Catalan Art Museum now charges for its museum audioguide (€3.10).

Wi-Fi at Nouvel Hotel is no longer free (now €2/hour, €10/24 hours).

Hotel Granvia has new prices for 2011: Sb-€60–114, Db-€76–162, Tb-€103–200, includes breakfast and taxes, prices vary with demand — check their site for the best deals. Manager Asun is happy to handle your reservations.

Hosteria Grau now has an elevator.

Near Barcelona

Montserrat

The cable car doesn't always leave the Montserrat–Aeri stop at :40 past the hour, but it does leave 4/hour; make sure to leave enough time to make the :48 past the hour Barcelona train.

Figueres

Trains between Barcelona and Paris now connect through a new station, Figueras-Vilafant, located 1.2 miles from the old rail station station. A new France–Spain TGV between Paris' Gare de Lyon and Figueras also stops at the new station (5.5 hours). The town's existing, older station continues to serve Talgo Day trains and other Renfe services.

Basque Country

Spanish Basque Country
San Sebastián

The Chillida-Leku Museum, located on the outskirts of town, has had to close temporarily because of fiscal difficulties. Confirm it's reopened before heading out.

The Museum of San Telmo has reopened after an extensive renovation and expansion. The rooms of this Basque museum of anthropology are arranged around the peaceful cloister of a former Domincan monastery, with artifacts dating back to ancient Roman times that tell the history of the region (€5, free on Tue; Tue–Sun 10:00–20:00, closed Mon; Plaza Zuloaga 1, tel 943-481-580, www.museosantelmo.com).

Bar Herria and restaurant Casa Urola have closed.

Bilbao

The handiest TI, now even closer to the Guggenheim (look for the i sign on top of a pole), is closed Monday Sept–June.

Cantabria

Altamira Caves

Plans to reopen the real caves have been put on hold for 2011, but you can still view the replica cave and visit the museum.

Salamanca

The correct phone number for Hostal/Hostería Sara is tel. 923-281-140; the correct fax number is 923-281-142.

Madrid

The Madrid Card no longer covers the Madrid Vision hop-on, hop-off bus.

The Canadian Embassy in Madrid has moved to Paseo de la Castellana 259 D, and has a new phone number: 913-828-400.

A new public bus runs between the city center and the airport (€2, runs 24 hours a day). The bus begins its route at the Atocha RENFE train station, stops at Plaza de Cibeles, and then stops at every airport terminal.

Both of the launderettes we list are now closed. If your laundry situation's getting desperate, ask your hotelier for advice.

Near Madrid

The Valley of the Fallen

The Benedictine Basilica has reopened, but is still open to the public only during religious services.

Granada

Hostal Viena is changing owners, no longer to be run by Austrian Irene (who continues to operate Hostal Austria). This means new classes of rooms and new prices: D-€28–38, Db-€30–48, T-€45–55, Tb-€50–65, family rooms and 5b apartment-€75–100, free Wi-Fi, Cuesta de Gomerez 4, tel. 958-22-7075, pensionaustria@gmail.com. Basic backpacker rooms are still available. The bar next to Hostal Viena is currently closed.

Hotel Anacapri can only offer free breakfast to Rick Steves readers who've booked rooms at regular prices (rather than at promotional prices). Readers still enjoy free Internet access via the hotel's computers, as well as free Wi-fi, regardless of room price.

Sevilla

Local guide Concepción Delgado has reduced her prices for 2011. Her "Sevilla Cultural Show & Tell" city tour is now €12 and tours of the cathedral and Alcázar are €6 per person. Minimum group size is now five people (www.sevillawalkingtours.com).

The correct email address for Hotel Zurbarán is hotelzurbaran@grupo-piramide.com (note the first "R" in "zurbaran").

Córdoba

The Cordoba Card has been discontinued, as have nighttime tours of the city.

Andalucía's White Hill Towns

Arcos de la Frontera

The 10 percent discount at Hotel Los Olivos is good in 2011 when you book direct, pay in cash, and show this book.

Spain's South Coast

Gibraltar

The correct email for the O'Callaghan Eliott Hotel is eliott@ocallaghanhotels.com (not "elliot," as printed in the book).

Morocco

Tangier

Comarit now offers ferry service between Tarifa and Tangier; prices are about the same as FRS. This means that in high season, boats depart Tarifa nearly every hour 8:00–22:00.

Ahmed Taoumi, already listed in the guidebook, is our top local-guide recommendation in Tangier. He's been guiding for more than 30 years, and is a great teacher — almost professorial — but also a good storyteller and fun to be around. He takes pride in tailoring his tours to his customers' interest (half-day walking tour-€18/person, full-day grand tour with minibus-€35/person, also offers minibus side-trips to nearby destinations and discounted ferry tickets, mobile 06-6166-5429, from Spain dial 00-212-6-6166-5429, www.visitangier.com, taoumitour@hotmail.com).

It is easier to contact local guide Aziz Begdouri on his Moroccan mobile phone. From the US, dial 011-212-661-639-332; from Europe dial: 00-212-661-639-332.