Arrival

Seville airport is 10 km north-east from the Andalusian capital.
On your arrival at the airport, information will be available at the UIA welcome desk (from October 25 to 27, 2009).

Santa Justa Station is just a few kilometres away from the historical heart of Seville and less than 500 metres away from Meliá Lebreros Hotel. Daily trains are available for regional, national and European destinations.

Transfers from the airport
UIA will not be providing any transfers from the airport.
It takes around 15-30 minutes to reach Seville’s city centre by taxi from the airport, depending on the traffic. The journey costs approximately € 25.

Currency
The Euro (EUR)

Service charges are included in the prices given on restaurant menus, while tips are up to the client's judgement.

VAT, called IVA in Spanish, is calculated at 7% in hotels and restaurants; it is generally – but not always – included in displayed prices. For retail items and car rentals, the VAT chargeable is 16%.

Banks/Foreign Exchange
Banks are generally open to the public from Mondays to Saturdays, from 8.30 am to 2.00 pm, and foreign exchange bureaux in major cities offer visitors currency exchange services.
Foreign exchange services are also provided by a large number of hotels and travel agencies.

Payment by international credit cards is fairly widespread in Spain. The cards accepted are generally displayed at the entrances to hotels, restaurants and shops. (Caution: You almost always have to show your passport or identity card when you pay with a credit card).

Automatic teller machines (ATMs) are available throughout the city.

Language
Spanish.
English and French are spoken in hotels, travel agencies, airports and tourist sites.

Power supply
The electric current supplied is 220 V; 50 Hz.
Round, two-pin plug points are available, as elsewhere in Europe. In case you have any devices from the USA, kindly remember to bring a transformer/adapter.

Shop timings
The most common opening hours for shops are: Monday to Saturday, from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm and 4.30 pm to 8.00 pm.
The main shopping malls and department stores are open from 10.00 am to 9.00 pm or 10.00 pm.
Supermarkets are generally closed to the public on Sundays.

In restaurants, lunch is served from 1.00 pm to 3.30 pm. Dinner is served between 8.30 pm and 11.00 pm

Several establishments offer non-stop service, particularly cafeterias and bars where tapas, "platos combinados", sandwiches and "raciones" are often served.

Nights in Spain are very lively, particularly Thursdays to Sundays. Pubs, bars and discotheques are open until 3.00 or 4.00 am and, in big cities, some even remain open until dawn.

Single number for all emergency services: 112

Clothing
Spain is blessed with a mainly Mediterranean, temperate climate, characterised by dry summers and winters with an even temperature, and more than 3,000 hours of sunlight per year.

Seville enjoys an average temperatures of 26°C in summer and 12°C in winter, with more rain in autumn (average annual rainfall: 534 mm).

The average temperature in Seville is generally 20°C in October and 15°C in November.

Dress code for the various social events:
-          Opening ceremony and welcome cocktail: Lounge/town suit (the cocktail will be held indoors, under a tent)
-          Informal reception and dinner cocktail: Casual wear but bring along something warmer (the informal reception will be held partially outdoors)
-          Gala dinner: Full evening dress (the reception will take place indoors)
-          General excursion: Casual wear (tour of cellars where the temperature is fairly low)

Tourism in Seville
Andalusia's capital is also the region's most fascinating city. You can't help but be charmed by its unique ambiance – elegant, ancient and proud, but at the same time friendly, personal and lively.

You will discover Seville's way of life while sauntering down its narrow lanes, its tiny squares, stopping from time to time in one of its many bars for a drink or a taste of their tapas. Also the capital of the flamenco, Seville is known for its very lively night life. Strolling through the happy crowds on a balmy evening is an unforgettable experience.

Seville, a city of culture
It would be impossible to overlook the immense cathedral, built in the precincts of the main Almohad dynasty mosque, or the famous Giralda, an ancient minaret towering to a height of over 90 m. The bronze weathercock representing faith, Seville's symbol, has had pride of place atop the Giralda for over four centuries. Just south of the cathedral is the Alcazar (or fortress), a truly splendid and fascinating edifice associated with the lives of several famous sovereigns.

The Museo de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts) will enable you to discover paintings from Spain's Golden Age, the Barrio de Santa Cruz – the city's old Jewish quarter – will enchant you with its tiny, graceful squares decorated with flowers and orange trees, and you can watch flamenco shows with songs, dances and guitars playing at the Triana, the former gypsy district.

Spain's history and culture
Spain's entry into the European Community in 1986 opened new export markets and led to an influx of infrastructure investments. Moreover, the Universal Exposition of 1992, held in Seville, led to considerable improvements in communications. Today, almost all industrial activities are concentrated in the Seville-Huelva-Cadiz triangle. Tourism accounts for over 10% of the region's economy. 

The warmth of the Spanish and Spain’s summer sun have long attracted tourists escaping the fogs of Northern Europe. However, the country has many things other than the beaches of the Costa Brava and the Costa del Sol to offer, no matter how beautiful they may be. A mosaic of regions as diverse as the Basque country, Andalusia, Catalonia, the mysterious Galicia or the majestic Pyrenees, Spain merits far more than one visit. This ancient empire of conquerors is rooted in a secular history immortalised by painters like Velazquez, Goya or, more recently, Picasso and Dali. Today, more than ever before, Spain is full of a cultural dynamism and celebratory spirit that are unparalleled anywhere in Europe.