Banks
Banks are open Mon-Fri, 9.00-14.00 and Sat 9.00 - 13.00. In summer they may close slightly earlier. Most banks have English speaking staff and all can cope with International transactions. Commissions may be charged on foreign transactions and passports will be required for most. Most banks have a list of telephone numbers for stolen/lost credit cards although you are advised before arrival to ensure you have the relevant numbers with you. Within major tourist areas there are endless shops and offices offering money exchange for all currencies. Most charge commission or offer lower exchange rates than banks.

Credit cards
Most major credit cards are accepted all over Spain although some establishments may put a limit on the amounts you can withdraw or spend and sometimes there may be a surcharge. Most places now have ATM's for withdrawing cash, at which most cards will work. Most machines have the instructions in several languages and even the smallest of towns are now getting the machines. They can be a godsend at evenings and weekends and on holidays when banks can often close for several days at a time. Make sure you keep a separate record of your credit card numbers. If you lose your card contact the emergency numbers supplied by your credit card operator.

Purchase tax
The internal sales tax in Spain is known as IVA and varies between 7% and 33% depending on the item bought. Food, wine and basic requirements are taxed at 7%, most goods and services are charged at 16% and luxury items such as jewellery and cigarettes attract 33% tax. Hotels have a special 7% rate.