Traveling to Spain:
Travel Documents
Travel Itineraries
Program participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements
to and from Spain. (Click here if you would like
a list of electronic ticketing sources.) You should arrive in
Madrid to begin the program Tuesday, January 8. When you have made your
arrangements, you must give a copy of your itinerary (including any pre-
and post-program travel) to the program leader. She, in turn, will make
a copy that will be kept in the International Programs Office (IPO). If
you make any last-minute changes in your travel, you should contact
IPO immediately. They, in turn, will contact the program leaders
in Spain so no surprises occur.
Passport and Photocopies
You must have a passport in order to enter Spain. The program will arrange
for a student visa so you may legally remain in Spain for the duration of
the program (regular tourist visas for US citizens in Spain is 90 days within
any 180 day period). Your passport should not expire until at least a month
after your return from Spain. In addition to the photocopies of your passport
(front page with photo and number) that the program leaders and IPO will have,
you should also carry a photocopy of your passport with you. Please store
this photocopy in a place different than that of your passport. You might
also think about leaving a copy of your passport with your parents or guardians
as well as a copy of your plane ticket.
International Student ID Card (ISIC) and Official Letter from Earlham
The program will provide you with an International Studient ID Card and an
official letter from Earlham affirming your participation in the Valencia
program. The ISIC will allow you discounts in certain museums and with some
travel, particularly your air travel. You are also covered by CIEE student
insurance if you have the card as long as it is issued in the US. Cards issued
in Spain do not have the same coverage. Your letter from Earlham may be necessary
should you be required to prove you are a student in Spain.
When you get to Spain...
At Barajas Airport, Madrid
After you deplane, you may be in the airport or you may have to bus in (or
walk a 100 yards or so to enter the building). Follow the crowds. Eventually
you will get to the first customs checkpoint (la aduana). Look for the non-European
Community rows (they are often the ones on the left) and stand in line until
you get to the aduanero/a. Remember that the Spanish tend to be sticklers
for saying hellos so greet your aduanero/a and then give him/her your passport
and your tourist card (if you have one to give). Your passport will be stamped
and then you will move on. You will now be in the luggage receiving area.
Wait for you luggage to arrive. If it does not, do not panic. There will be
a help desk nearby to file a claim. If this happens to you and if you also
happen to be on the same flight as someone else in the program, please send
the other person out to inform the program leaders who will be waiting for
you. Please give the claim handler the sheet that provides your address in
Madrid and my telephone number. And while you are waiting for your luggage,
if you have not exchanged any money yet, go to one of the banks (turn your
back on the luggage conveyer belts -- you'll see the banks embedded in the
wall) and exchange at least $20. After you get your luggage, go through the
"nothing to declare" door. You will be in the lobby. Look around
for a program leader; one of us will be there to recover you. If, however,
you don't seem to be found, ask where the "punto de encuentro" (meeting
point) is and go there. Do not leave the building.
Independent Travel
In addition to the excursions that we take as a group, you will have a lot of opportunity to engage in independent travel, whether by yourself or with friends. This is travel that you undertake on your own and without the oversight of the program leaders and staff. We certainly encourage you to travel (as part of your personal growth and understanding of other cultures) and have established some guidelines for your independent travel.
- You must inform the program leader in writing whenever you leave Valencia, the city. There is a short form to fill out (includes travel itinerary and companions, and a contact telephone if possible).
- You should inform a blood relative or a close family friend of your intention to travel independently and provide him-her with an itinerary.
- You should take a list of emergency telephone numbers with you.
- You must take your passport with you and all other documentation that refers to your legal status in Spain (student letter from Earlham, student visa form, international ID).
- If you should decide, during the course of the program, to travel to an area that the program leader judges to be questionable or even dangerous, you will be asked to sign an agreement with the program leader that attests that you have received advice from the leader but have chosen to follow your own decision (against the advice of the leader).
- You will call the program leader while you are traveling should your travel plans change significantly.
- You will inform your host family of the time you will be absent from the family.
- You may request a sack lunch or dinner for the first meal you miss while traveling.
- You will call the program leaders upon your arrival back in Valencia.
It is a good idea to travel with at least one other person; this can be helpful in case of illness or an emergency. In light of recent events at home and abroad, you must be especially careful and alert at all times and follow personal security precautions. These precautions include maintaining a low profile as an American. You are advised to avoid political demonstrations or other events that could escalate into violence. It may also be wise at times to avoid areas that are known sites for Americans to gather.
