High-speed Spain:  An S103 AVE about to leave Madrid Atocha for Barcelona, now taking just 2 hours 40 minutes... Buy train tickets for Spain...  www.renfe.com (no fee, but see this advice on using it) www.raileurope-world.com (€4 fee, but no payment problems) www.petrabax.com/renfe (small fee, but no payment problems) Buy a Spain Pass... www.renfe.com or www.petrabax.com/renfe

See Spain by train...

Once upon a time, Spain had one of the most backward train networks in western Europe.  Now, they have one of the best, indeed, one of my favourite rail systems.  High-speed AVE trains (Alta Velocita Espagnol) link major cities at up to 186mph, and if you book in advance online you can find some great cheap fares at the official Spanish rail website, www.renfe.com.  This page will give you a heads-up on how to travel cheaply around Spain by train.

Information on this page...

Spain by train, in a nutshell - the key points you need to know.

What are Spanish trains like?

How to buy train tickets for Spain - buy tickets the cheapest way!

How to use www.renfe.com

Tailor-made tours & holidays in Spain by train

Hotels & accommodation in Spain

Information on other pages...

UK to Spain by train - Train times, fares & how to buy tickets...

Train travel from Spain to other European cities

Train travel from other European cities to Spain

Eurail passes   InterRail passes

General European train travel information - luggage, bikes, pets, maps, timetables and advice.

Sponsored links...

Useful country information

Spain by train, in a nutshell

• Where do the trains go?  The network links all the major towns & cities.  For a train route map, try www.bueker.net or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Red_ferroviaria_espa_ola.png.

  Spain's high-speed AVE trains...  Madrid to Barcelona by train now takes just 2 hours 40 minutes, Madrid to Seville 2 hours 30.  There's no need to fly anywhere in Spain!

• Who runs the trains?  Renfe.  The Spanish rail network is run by Renfe (pronounced Ren-fay), originally Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles but now a brand name in its own right, see www.renfe.com.  Renfe runs Spain's superb high-speed AVEs, other mainline trains, and local and suburban trains nationwide.

• Local operators FEVE & Euskotren:  In addition to Renfe there are two local train operators you might need to know about, who run metre-gauge local lines in northern Spain.  FEVE (www.feve.es) runs a rambling local network along the north Spanish coast.  They've recently been absorbed into Renfe, see www.renfe.com/viajeros/feve.  Euskotren (www.euskotren.es) runs local trains from the French frontier at Hendaye & Irun to San Sebastian and Bilbao.  However, this page is mainly concerned with Renfe mainline trains.

• Classes:  Renfe normally offers two classes, Turista (2nd class) and Preferente (1st class), but on the best high-speed AVE trains it also offers Club class (Premium first).  On a few AVEs you'll also find Turista Plus, which means Preferente-type seats but without the usual Preferente at-seat meal & wine.

• Food & drink:  Preferente and Club fares include a good-quality at-seat meal with wine on AVE, Altaria, EuroMed and most Alvia trains.  On most long-distance trains there's a cafe-bar serving tea, coffee, drinks and snacks.

• First class lounges at stations:  All Preferente and Club tickets give you access to the Sala Club (1st class lounges) at Madrid Atocha, Madrid Chamartin, Barcelona Sants, Cordoba, Seville, Malaga, Alicante, Zaragoza and several other major stations, opening hours and full list on the Renfe website.  You can see what these classes are like in the section below.

• Do you need a reservation?  Should you pre-book?  Yes!  All long distance trains in Spain and even some shorter distance regional ones require a seat reservation, you cannot just turn up and hop on.  There's usually places available on the day of travel, but at peak times such as Christmas and Easter trains can get full so pre-book if you can.  If you book in advance you can find deeply-discounted Promo fares, but if you wait to buy your tickets on the day you'll pay an expensive full fare.  Booking normally opens 60 days ahead.

• Fares.  There's a fairly simple fares structure for long-distance trains including the high-speed AVE:  Flexible (shown as F).  Promo+ (shown as P+, limited changes, limited refunds), Promo (shown as P, no changes, no refunds).  Promo fares are available to anyone if they book in advance, the price and availability vary like air fares, book early for the cheapest prices.  There are also Mesa fares, shown as M, which are for small groups of 3 or 4 people.

• How to buy tickets & check train times:  You can buy tickets at any Renfe station or online at www.renfe.com following the advice below.  Wherever you live, this is the cheapest and best option.  However, if you have any problem with Renfe.com, you can now buy Spanish train tickets very easily and at similar prices with just a small booking fee added at www.raileurope-world.com or www.petrabax.com/renfe in plain English with no payment problems and still with print-at-home tickets.  Alternatively, if you live in the UK you can buy Spanish train tickets by phone from Renfe's UK agent, www.spanish-rail.co.uk who charge the Renfe price plus a €10 fee.  At the time of writing, the UK-based Rail Europe can only sell full price tickets for Spanish domestic trains, they cannot sell Promo or Promo+ fares.

• Railpasses:  If you live in Europe, you can buy an InterRail pass for Spain, see the InterRail pass guide, if you live outside Europe you can buy a Eurail pass for Spain, see the Railpass & Eurail pass guide.  However, Railpasses have lost their 'hop on' convenience factor in Spain because every long-distance train requires a reservation.  There's also a passholder fee to pay for almost every long-distance train if you have an InterRail or Eurail pass, costing around €10 for AVEs and other front-rank trains, €6 for lesser trains, which must be factored into your calculations and budget.  Railpasses can save money over full-price tickets for longer journeys if you demand flexibility, but be aware that cheap point-to-point advance-purchase tickets will be cheaper than a railpass if you can pre-book.  Don't assume you need a railpass!  However, there's now a new Spain Pass which can be better value than either InterRail or Eurail, read the next paragraph...

• New Renfe Spain Pass:  In addition to InterRail & Eurail passes, Renfe now offer their own Spain Pass to anyone resident outside Spain.  Renfe's Spain Pass works differently from Eurail & InterRail Spain passes, it gives between 4 and 12 journeys of any length (depending on the number of journeys you want to pay for) in a one-month period, not unlimited travel.  However, the Renfe Spain Pass can be better value than the Eurail or InterRail passes for Spain as it includes all reservations, there are no hidden fees.  With Renfe's Spain Pass it's all included, reservations are free and can be made online.  You can buy a Spain pass either online at www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/viajes_internacionales/spainpass or www.petrabax.com/renfe.  The pass is emailed to you.

• Luggage & luggage weight limits on Spanish trains:  You keep your bags with you, putting them on the racks above your head and at the end of each car.  Renfe is unusual in specifying a weight limit for passengers' baggage, which is a nonsense, first because a weight limit is totally unnecessary on a train as it does not have to take off, and second because your bags will not be weighed at any stage, so as long as you don't take the Mickey, this weight limit is pretty much irrelevant and can be taken with a big pinch of salt.  It's probably the result of employing an ex-airline senior manager!  For information about left luggage at Spanish stations, see the luggage on trains page.

• Bikes:  See the bikes by train page.

• Taking animals:  See the dogs & pets section on the Europe by train page.

AVE trains... AVE trains come in various types.  These photos of the S100 type used between Madrid & Seville give you a good idea of the difference between the three classes.  You'll see photos of some other types in various locations on the London to Spain page.
All aboard!  This is an S100 AVE from Madrid to Seville.  All AVE trains have a cafe-bar serving drinks and snacks, or you can bring your own food, wine or beer on board.		First class lounge...  Club & Preferente passengers may use the Sala Club (1st class lounge) at major Spanish stations, with complimentary coffee, juices & beer...

AVE Club class features leather reclining seats, power sockets for laptops & mobiles...		An at-seat meal with wine is included in the Club & Preferente fare...

AVE Preferente class features reclining seats, power sockets for laptops & mobiles...		AVE Turista class with comfortable seats, power sockets for laptops & mobiles.

Turista Plus?  No Club class?  You'll now find Turista Plus class on some AVEs, this means a Preferente-type seat, but without the Preferente at-seat meal & wine.  Some AVEs now lack Club class - on these trains you may find yourself in a Club class seat with a Preferente ticket.

Alvia trains...

These operate the EuroMed services linking Barcelona, Valencia & Alicante.  They also operate from Madrid to Cadiz & Huelva.  They consist of little articulated coaches built by the Talgo company sandwiched between two duck-billed power cars.

An Alvia train at Barcelona Sants.  It's a type S130 nick-named 'pato' or 'duck', for obvious reasons!		Turista (2nd class) seats on an Alvia train...

Preferente (1st class) seats on an Alvia train...		An Alvia (EuroMed) train at Barcelona Franca station.

Altaria trains...

These run on many long distance routes, including Madrid-Ronda-Algeciras and Madrid-Granada.  Little articulated trains built by the Talgo company and hauled by a separate locomotive, they have adjustable axles so they can run at up to 125mph on the high-speed AVE lines (which are standard European gauge) then go though a gauge-changing shed to emerge on traditional Spanish broad gauge to complete their journey on the classic network.

An articulated Talgo Altaria train at Madrid Atocha...		Turista (2nd class) seating on an Altaria train...

Preferente (1st class) seating on an Altaria train...		The Preferente fare includes an at-seat meal with wine...

Option 1:  Buy online at the Spanish Railways site www.renfe.com, cheap fares, no fees...

The Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com sells tickets for almost any long-distance train wholly within Spain including sleepers, and you simply print out your own ticket.  It sells some amazingly cheap online Promo fares that you can't buy from agencies or even at the ticket office, making it well worth getting to know.  It will now also book the international trainhotels in either direction between Paris & Madrid, Paris & Barcelona, Madrid & Lisbon, Barcelona & Zurich, Barcelona & Milan, with self-print tickets.  It has a few quirks, so please read the advice on using Renfe.com below.

Option 2:  If you have any problems with Renfe.com, buy at www.petrabax.com/renfe...

If you have any difficulty with Renfe.com, for example payment problems or quirky translations, you can book Spanish trains online in plain English with no payment problems at www.petrabax.com/renfe.  This is a US-based agency that has been allowed to link to the Renfe ticketing system, so has the same trains and cheap Promo prices (although priced in US$ with a modest mark-up), no payment problems, and no language problems.  It issues the same print-at-home tickets as Renfe themselves, so anyone from any country worldwide can use it, including the UK, United States, Canada and Australia.  Feedback if you use the Petrabax site would be appreciated.

Option 3:  Buy by phone in the UK on 020 3137 4464...

You can buy Spanish train tickets by phone in the UK with Spanish Railway's agents, www.spanish-rail.co.uk, call 020 3137 4464 (lines open 09:30-17:30 Monday-Friday).  They can even sell the cheap Promo fares, though a €10 per person booking fee applies.

	How to use renfe.com...
	1. The renfe.com home page...
	2. I recommend registering first...

• Spanish train bookings usually open 60 days ahead, you can't book before reservations open.  If you see 'Train blocked' in the search results it means that date or train hasn't opened for booking.  The opening of reservations can be delayed for dates after the twice-yearly timetable change in June and December, as they're always late loading the data.

• Before we start, here's an alternative to Renfe.com:  Buying direct from Renfe is the cheapest option, their site works fine for me and always accepts my credit card.  But I guesstimate from feedback that 25% of overseas travellers have credit card rejection problems when using Renfe.com, especially Americans or Australians, so if you have any problems there's an easy alternative, www.petrabax.com/renfe.  This is a private agency which links directly to the Renfe ticketing system, with Renfe's prices converted to US$.  There's a small markup, of course, but it's in plain English with no payment problems.  But try Renfe.com first!

• Go to www.renfe.com.  Use Internet Explorer if possible.  It doesn't work as well in Safari, although Firefox now seems fine to me.

• Click 'Welcome' top right to switch it to English.

• I strongly recommend registering first:  Click '+Services' then 'Register me' beneath the 'My account' login box.  If you register, you can then log in and retrieve your booking if for any reason a connection fails or your pop-up e-ticket fails to appear.  And if you're registered, you can log in to change or cancel your bookings. 

  To register, click 'Register me' link at top right, in the 'My account' box.  Fill in your details and choose a user name and password.

  Tip 1:  The UK is listed under G as 'Great Britain'.

  Tip 2:  If it won't accept a UK-style postcode, simply use '12345'.

  Tip 3:  If it won't accept UK counties, leave blank or use a Spanish province.

  Tip 4:  When asked for a phone number, enter it without any '+' or '00' or '0', starting with the 44 for calling the UK, then area code without the '0', then number with no spaces between the numbers, for example 441844292884.

• Now use the journey planner to check prices & buy tickets online.  Do not click 'Timetables and Prices' as this will only show train times & full-price fares, it won't allow you to buy tickets or check availability of the cheap Promo fares. 

• For a round trip, select 'Return', for a one-way trip, select 'Outward'.  Enter your enquiry details and click 'search'.

• The system cannot handle changes of train, it will only show direct trains.  So if you ask it for Barcelona to Seville it will only show the one or two daily direct trains, but there are plenty of other options involving a change of train in Madrid.  The German railways journey planner at www.bahn.de can be useful in identifying journey options involving a change of train, which can then be booked at www.renfe.com in two stages.

• On the search results page you'll see a list of trains, each with a price in all classes.

• 'Train blocked' simply means booking for that train or date haven't opened yet.  Just wait and keep trying!

• Classes:  Turista = 2nd class. Turista Plus = 2nd class service, but with a more comfortable Preferente-style seat.  Preferente = 1st class.  Club = premium 1st class, available only on AVE trains.

  If booking a sleeper, make sure it says 'cama' ('bed'). 

  Cama Turista =  bed in 4-berth sleeper. 

  Cama Preferente = 1 or 2 bed, breakfast included. 

  Cama G. Clase = gran clase 1 or 2 bed with private shower & toilet, dinner & breakfast included. 

  Indiv = single-bed, doble = 2-berth.

• Fare types and what they mean: 

  M = Mesa fare for small groups and families of up to 4 people.  Mesa is Spanish for 'table'.  The price shown is per seat for each of the four seats around a table, and with a Mesa fare you must always buy all 4 seats.  So if the Mesa fare is shown as €30, you pay €120 and get all 4 seats.  Which works out as €30 per person if there's 4 of you, €45 if there's 3 of you, €60 if there's 2 of you, or €120 if there's only 1 of you.  The cost per person will appear in a box if you select a Mesa fare, to save you working it out.  Obviously, if there's only 1 or 2 of you, it is usually cheaper to ignore the Mesa fare and go for a Promo fare.

  P = Promo fare, no refunds, no changes to travel plans.  The cheapest deal!

  P+ = Promo Plus fare, limited refunds, limited changes.  The next best deal!

  Promo and Promo+ fares are available to anyone of any age, and are the best deal for Spanish rail travel.  If booking at very short notice you may also see some cheap 'Ultima Hora' (last minute) fares. 

  F = Flexible fare, also known as Tarifa General or General price = the full price. 

  D = Duo, M = Mini à Deux, only found on the international trainhotels, these are cheap advance-purchase fares for two people travelling together, no refunds, no changes to travel plans.  Just buy whichever is the cheapest.

• Can't see any cheap Promo fares?  The cheap Promo fares are sometimes not loaded for the whole 60 days ahead, so if none of these cheap fares appear on any of the trains on your date of travel, only expensive full price fares, it may be worth waiting a little longer and the promo fares may appear, assuming it isn't such a busy day for travel in Spain that they've decided not to offer any, of course.

• Select the train & class you want and click 'Continue' right at the bottom.

• Booking a sleeper?  'Cama' means bed, or sleeper.  If it doesn't say 'cama', it isn't a bed.  It may now be fixed, but there may be a glitch in the English version that on the following page after selecting a price sometimes results in the drop down 'class' box not being properly filled with options, which means that you can't continue.  The solution here is to book in Spanish on the Spanish version of the renfe site.  This really isn't as difficult as it sounds, as all you need are place names, dates, times, 'cama' means bed, 'ida' means one-way, 'ida y vuelta' means return, 'salida' means departure and llegada' means arrival.  You can use Google language tools to translate any words or phrases you don't understand.

• For one-way trips, ignore the warning "We wish to inform you that you have selected an OPEN RETURN journey".  This warning is nonsense, as if you have selected 'Outward' at the beginning you are indeed booking a one-way.  Well, it's not really nonsense, as you can add an optional return trip later if you want to, complete with the 20% return-leg discount, that's what they are trying to say.

• Ignore the "-- Descuento F.Numerosa" box as it's almost certainly irrelevant for you, so leave it alone.  The Numerous Family discount is a political Spain-wide thing for Spanish residents only.  Check the journey details & price and click 'Continue' again.

• On the next page, enter your details.  Change 'Type of document' drop down box to 'Passport' and enter your passport number in the 'Document number' box.  The UK is listed as 'Great  Britain' in the countries list.  Under 'Province' enter your county. 

• Enter your phone number without any '+' or '00' or '0', starting with the 44 for calling the UK, then area code without the '0', then number with no spaces between the numbers, for example 441844292884.

• Payment page:  Now enter your card details and complete the purchase.  They use the 3D Secure/Verified by Visa/MasterCard Secure system, it's a good idea to enable your credit cards for this.

• Make sure your browser will allow pop-ups as you might otherwise lose your PDF format tickets, which pop up as a new tab or window.

• Error GU001 at payment stage?  If you get error message GU001 when paying, it could be your bank blocking an unusual foreign transaction, rather than renfe.com itself.  Try another credit card, and/or call your bank and tell them you're making a legitimate payment on a foreign website.  Renfe uses the 'Verified by Visa' and 'MasterCard Secure' schemes, and anecdotal evidence suggests that a card that doesn't work before it is enrolled in one of these schemes suddenly works once you've signed up.

• Print your tickets:  When you've booked and paid, the tickets should automatically pop up in PDF format in a new window or tab.  You can print them out on your own PC printer, and save them to your PC.  Personally, I not only print a spare set of tickets to place elsewhere in my luggage, I save the tickets to a dropbox.com account I can access from anywhere.

• These PDF format print-at-home tickets are valid for travel without further formality.  You do not need to 'check in' or exchange them for anything.  Just board the train and show the printout when asked!  It has your reserved seat and coach numbers printed on it, along with your travel date, train time and journey.

• If your print-at-home tickets fail to appear, do not navigate away from the confirmation screen before noting down the 'localiser' booking reference code, which will also be shown in an email you'll be sent.  Even if you haven't got the localiser, if you registered, you can log in, click 'My Journeys' and find the localiser and print tickets.  If you have the localiser, you can enter it in the ticket machines at the station to print your tickets.  If you get really stuck, try calling renfe for help on 00 34 902 10 94 20.  The operators usually speak English and even if you didn't register they can provide you with your booking's ‘localiser' which then allows you to print your ticket at the station either at the staffed ticket office or self-service machines.

• Feedback (positive or negative) is very welcome if you use renfe.com to buy tickets, especially as things change from time to time and I won't always spot it.

• If you have any difficulty, for example credit card payment errors, buy from www.petrabax.com/renfe instead, see the alternative ways to buy Spanish tickets.

Guidebooks

Paying for a guidebook may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  You will see so much more, and know so much more about what you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook.  For the independent traveller I'd recommend either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide, both provide an excellent level of practical detail and useful background. You won't regret buying either of these guides! My own book, an essential handbook for train travel to Europe based on this website called "The Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and is available from Amazon with shipping worldwide.

Click the images to buy online at Amazon.co.uk...

Alternatively, download just the chapters or areas you need in .PDF format from the Lonely Planet Website, from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a chapter.

The Thomas Cook European Timetable

The Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873, it costs £14.99.  It's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Still not convinced you need one?  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascookpublishing.com with worldwide delivery or buy it in person from selected UK branches of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria station in London.  Or buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter/Spring 2012/13 edition (Dec 2012 to June 2013) or (when available) Summer/Autumn 2013 edition (June to Dec 2013)

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.

Find hotels anywhere in Spain

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is a good place to find independent travellers' reviews of the main hotels, and it has the low-down on destination sights & attractions, too.

• www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system).  It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).

• www.venere.com has a wide selection of hotels and a well-presented website.  They're also good because the price you see is the price you pay, no hidden extras, you just pay the hotel when you get there.  Barcelona   Madrid   Granada   Seville   Cordoba   Malaga   Alicante   Valencia   Costa del Sol   Costa Brava   Algeciras.

• www.mrandmrssmith.com (no relation!) is the place to start if you want something special for an anniversary, honeymoon, romantic break or other special occasion.  www.mrandmrssmith.com lists hand-picked boutique hotels in Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Ronda, Granada an a few other Spanish destinations.

Backpacker hostels...

If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about the hostels.  For a dorm bed or an ultra-cheap private room in a backpacker hostel in most European cities try www.hostelbookers.com.

Environmentally aware, actively ethical adventures in Spain:  www.wildsideholidays.com...

For environmentally-aware guesthouses offering walking, hiking, riding or nature-watching in the Spanish countryside and national parks, try www.wildsideholidays.com, a new site listing independent, environmentally-aware properties across Spain.  It was started by British ex-pats Clive Muir and Sue Eatock, when they found nowhere to advertise their own wonderful property deep in the heart of the Sierra de Grazelema near Ronda in Southern Spain.  Clive and Sue can show you the local sights and wildlife, from wild orchids to ibex (wild mountain goats) to colonies of Griffon vultures.  See www.natural-images.co.uk for details.

Tailor-made tours of Italy

020 3327 0761 (UK) 1-800-408-3280 (USA) 1300 971 526 (Aus) 0800 002 034 (NZ)

Tailor-made tours of Spain by train...

If you want to tour Spain by train, with all your train reservations and hotels sorted for you to your own specification, contact rail travel specialists Railbookers and they'll create the best rail holiday for you, hassle-free.  Unlike some overseas travel agents, they really do know all about train travel in Italy and right across Europe, and they know some excellent hotels, too.  They take good care of their clients and it's not surprising they get a lot of repeat business, so I have no hesitation in recommending them.

  UK call 020 3327 0761, www.railbookers.com. 

Call toll-free 1-800-408-3280 or www.us.railbookers.com.

Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au. 

  New Zealand call toll-free 0800 002 034 or see website.

Car hire

Take the train to Spain, then hire a car:  www.holidayautos.co.uk

Spanish city centres and cars don't mix well, so stick with the train for city-based tours.  But if you want to get out of the cities and into the countryside, hiring a car can be a great idea.  Start by trying Holiday Autos, www.holidayautos.co.uk, they're part of Lastminute.com so are reliable and have a wide range of locations and very good prices.

Compare 50 different car hire companies:  www.carrentals.co.uk

The award-winning website www.carrentals.co.uk compares many different car hire companies including Holiday Autos, meaning not only a cheapest price comparison but a wider choice of hire and drop off location.

Travel insurance & health card...

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without insurance from a reliable travel insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash (up to a limit) & belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, though, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

In the UK, use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

   If you live in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get an EU health card, it's free...

If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS.  This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available from www.ehic.org.uk.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees

Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen.  In addition, some credit cards are better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card to save on mobile data and phone calls...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find a huge bill.  Consider buying a global pre-paid SIM card for your mobile phone from www.Go-Sim.com, which can slash costs by up to 85%.  Go-Sim cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also allows cheap data access for laptops & PDAs.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.