Being far from home, it is important to have an opportunity to keep in touch. In Alicante you will find various facilities for this purpose.
Mail
Spain's postal system, the correos, does work, but delivery times can vary widely. An airmail letter to the United States may take anywhere from four days to two weeks; delivery to other destinations is equally unpredictable.
Sending your letters by priority mail ("urgente") ensures speedier arrival.
Overnight Services
When time is of the essence, or when you're sending valuable items or documents overseas, you can use a courier (mensajero). The major international agencies, such as Federal Express and UPS, have representatives in Spain; the biggest Spanish courier service is Seur.
Major Services
DHL(Tel: 902/122424).
Federal Express (Tel: 900/100871).
MRW (Tel: 900/300400).
Seur (Tel: 902/101010).
UPS (Tel: 900/102410).
Postal Rates
Airmail letters to the United States and Canada cost EUR.72 for up to 20 grams. Letters to the United Kingdom and other EU countries cost EUR.45 for up to 20 grams. Letters within Spain are EUR.25. Postcards are charged the same rates as letters. You can buy stamps at post offices and at licensed tobacco shops.
Receiving Mail
Because mail delivery in Spain can often be slow and unreliable, it's best to have your mail sent to American Express. Mail can also be held at a Spanish post office; have it addressed to Lista de Correos (the equivalent of Poste Restante) in a town you'll be visiting. Postal addresses should include the name of the province in parentheses, e.g. Marbella (Málaga).
Information
In the U.S., call American Express (Tel: 800/528-4800) for a list of offices overseas.
Telephone
The country code for Spain is 34. The province code for Alicante is 96. Telefónica, the Spanish phone company, is perfectly efficient, and direct dialing is the norm. Note that only cell phones conforming to the European GSM standard will work in Spain.
Directory & Operator Information
For general information in Spain, dial 1003. International operators, who generally speak English, are at 025.
International Calls
To make an international call, dial 00, then the country code, then the area code and number. The country code for the United States and Canada is 1; for Australia, 61; for New Zealand, 64; and for the United Kingdom, 44.
International calls are awkward from coin-operated pay phones because of the enormous number of coins needed; and they can be expensive from hotels, as the hotel often adds a hefty surcharge.
The best way to phone home is to use a public phone that accepts phone cards or go to the local telephone office, the locutorio: every town has one, and major cities have several. You converse in a quiet, private booth, and you're charged according to the meter. If the call ends up costing EUR4 or more, you can pay with Visa or MasterCard.
Local Calls
All area codes begin with a 9. To call within Spain - even locally - dial the area code first. Numbers preceded by a 900 code are toll-free; those starting with a 6 are going to a cellular phone. Note that calls to cell phones are significantly more expensive than calls to regular phones.
Long-Distance Calls
AT&T, MCI, and Sprint access codes make calling long distance relatively convenient, but you may find the local access number blocked in many hotel rooms. First ask the hotel operator to connect you. If the hotel operator can't comply, ask for an international operator, or dial the international operator yourself. One way to improve your odds of getting connected to your long-distance carrier is to travel with more than one company's calling card (a hotel may block Sprint, for example, but not MCI). If all else fails, call from a pay phone.
Access Codes
AT&T USADirect (Tel: 800/874-4000).
MCI WorldCom (Tel: 800/444-4444).
Sprint Express (Tel: 800/793-1153).
Access Codes in Spain
AT&T (Tel: 900/990011).
MCI (Tel: 900/990014).
Sprint (Tel: 900/990013).
Public Phones
You'll find pay phones in individual booths, in special telephone offices (locutorios), and in many bars and restaurants. Most have a digital readout so you can see your money ticking away.
To use a newer pay phone you need a special phone card (tarjeta telefónica), which you can buy at any tobacco shop or newsstand. Some such phones also accept credit cards, but phone cards are more reliable.
If you're calling with coins, simply insert the coins and wait for a dial tone. (With older models, you line coins up in a groove on top of the dial and they drop down as needed.)
Cybercafes
Entreacto Cyberc@fe
Santa Barbara, 15, Elche,03203
Phone: +34 6 6610015
e-mail: cyberelx@ctv.es
homepage: http://www.ctv.es/USERS/cyberelx/
iMas Digital
Avda. Maestro Alonso, 40
Phone: 965259411
e-mail: imas@imasdigital.com
homepage: http://www.imasdigital.com
15 computers available, printer, scanner, video conference, aol 'friendly'
