Practical Information for visiting Madrid Community

Coverage for mobile networks is excellent throughout, with widespread 5G in the cities and along the coast.

Spanish SIM cards are cheap, and EU roaming rules mean visitors from within the union pay domestic rates.

Wi-Fi is universal in accommodation and cafes, and Valencia has become a significant remote-working destination with a large co-working scene and an established international community.

Signal is reliable in the mountains along the main roads, with gaps in the deeper valleys.

Power is reliable, on European standard sockets.

The region is safe by any measure, with the usual urban petty crime and one serious weather hazard.

• Flash flooding from a gota fria storm is the genuine danger. Dry riverbeds and underpasses fill in minutes, and driving into flowing water is how most deaths happen. Take official warnings seriously and do not attempt a flooded road.
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• Pickpocketing in Valencia’s centre, on the beach and at the market, and heavily during Las Fallas.
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• Beach safety: swim between the flags; the flag system is enforced and rip currents occur.
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• During Las Fallas: fireworks are thrown in the street by children as well as adults, the mascleta is genuinely loud enough to damage hearing, and crowds are dense. Ear protection is sensible.
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• Summer heat with high humidity.
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• Scooters and cyclists on shared paths.

Spain has excellent public healthcare. EU visitors should carry a European Health Insurance Card; everyone else needs travel insurance, and private clinics are widespread along the coast and used to foreign patients.

No vaccinations are required beyond routine cover.

Heat and sun are the main risks in summer: the humidity on the coast makes heat exhaustion more likely than the temperature suggests, and the midday sun is strong from May to September.

Jellyfish appear along the coast in some summers, and beaches fly a flag when they do.

Tap water is safe everywhere, though it is hard and heavily chlorinated in places, which is why locals often drink bottled.

Pharmacies are excellent, identifiable by a green cross, and can advise on minor problems.

Meal times are not negotiable: lunch from two to four, dinner from nine. Kitchens close between, and turning up at seven for dinner finds nothing open.

Paella at night is a visitor tell, and ordering it with chorizo will get you a reaction.

Tipping is modest — rounding up, or five per cent for good service. Service is not added.

Language: use whichever of Valencian or Spanish the person addresses you in, and avoid taking sides on what the language is called.

Beachwear stays at the beach; walking through town in swimwear is fined in some municipalities.

Siesta: many shops close from around two to five, particularly inland.

Smoking is banned indoors but common on terraces.

Emergency number: 112 across Spain for police, fire and ambulance, with English-speaking operators.

Medical. Public hospitals treat emergencies; EU visitors use the European Health Insurance Card, others should have insurance. Private clinics along the coast are geared to foreign patients.

Weather warnings are issued by the national meteorological agency on a colour scale. A red warning for rain is serious and means staying off the roads; regional emergency alerts are pushed to mobile phones.

Flooding: never drive into water of unknown depth, and move away from riverbeds and ramblas during heavy rain.

During Las Fallas, medical posts operate throughout the centre, mostly for burns and hearing.

Several countries maintain consulates in Valencia and Alicante.