Spain/Portugal/Gibraltar - Spain: Passport expiration date & Barcelona rec...

Currently looking at a repositioning cruise deal which leaves us in Barcelona in late April after a handful of Spanish port visits. Planning 10 days +/- touring in Spain....

1. Our passports (US) expire in September. Does Spain allow entry with PPs with that short period of validity? I've heard that several European countries want at least 6 mos.

2. For "deja vu" purposes.... From a Navy port call 50 years ago, I recall a fun (and good) dinner at a place just off the lower end of the Ramblas, "Los Caracoles", in company with a couple of Spanish Navy officers and senior Civil Guard type. Obviously, having even a mid-rank Civil Guard in your party during the Franco era improved the quality of service and shortened the wait. I see the place is still there, reasonably recommended, but more of a tourist venue than during that less "turistic" era. Opinion(s)?

3. Slumming it...again a bit of deja vu plus common sense, recommendations for a *** (or even good **) hotel on/adjacent to the Ramblas?

I'll admit that attempting to relive the halcyon days of my youth forms a perilous lede above the pit of hubris, but when I see that old photo of our group that evening, posed at the base of C. Colon's pillar at the foot of the Ramblas, I'd like to try to frame a new picture beside it.

No, your passport does not need to be valid six months. Such a rule would be a bit pointless considering that the maximum time for which you are allowed to enter the country (or rather, the Schengen area) without a visa is three months...

Bringing a Guardia Civil officer with you is unlikely to do much for either service or wait times in these parts. :)

No, your passport does not need to be valid six months. Such a rule would be a bit pointless considering that the maximum time for which you are allowed to enter the country (or rather, the Schengen area) without a visa is three months...
Well, six months validity beyond intended stay is indeed a good rule to follow (it is required in some cases). Some countries won't let you if you have less than that validity period unless both countries are "members" of the Six Month Club. Spain and the US are both part of the six month club, so the OP shouldn't have a problem (assuming US citizenship): http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/inspections_carriers_facilities/clp/bulletins/clp_bullentin_04162008.ctt/clp_bulletin_04162008.pdf

The reason for this rule has to do with the fact that some countries will not readmit even their own citizens with expired passports. Six month club members all will.

Anyway, Timatic is always a good source for this type of info:
/ 09JAN10 / 2223 UTC
National U.S.A. (US) /Embarkation U.S.A. (US)
Destination Spain (ES)

Passport required.
- Passport and/or passport replacing documents must be valid
for the period of intended stay.

Visa required, except for A max. stay of 3 months in a 6 month
period, for nationals of U.S.A..

Minors:
- When accompanied or if travelling alone minors (under 18
years of age):
- Foreign minors: Passport required, unless For details, click here

Additional Information:
- Immigration officers can request visitors travelling to
Spain for touristic or private purposes to show sufficient
funds, an invitation letter ( Carta de Invitacion ) or a
confirmation of hotel accommodation. If intended stay
exceeds 3 months, visitor must apply for an extension at the
Immigration Department.
- In connection with the influenza A(H1N1) outbreak, all
passengers arriving on flights from Mexico and the U.S.A.
will be required to fill out a form providing personal
details and contact address for the following 10 days.
Warning:
- The Schengen agreement went into effect on March 26, 1995.
For details, click here
- Passengers may be requested to show visible means of support
covering their stay (EUR 62.40, per day of stay with a
minimum of EUR 561.60, or equivalent in other freely
convertible currency), onward or return tickets and
documents required for their next destination.
- Non-compliance with entry/transit regulations may result in
fines between EUR 6.025.-, and EUR 60.240.-.

No vaccinations are required to enter Spain from any country.

CHECK TINEWS/N1 - INVALIDATED PASSPORTS, EFFECTIVE 1
JANUARY 2010

Timaticweb Version 1.3
09 January 2010
http://www.nwa.com/services/timatic.html

Well, six months validity beyond intended stay is indeed a good rule to follow (it is required in some cases).

Yes, in SOME cases. But not Spain.

There seems to be this myth going round - especially here on FT - that if one leaves one's own country one needs to have passport that is valid six months.... and I have, on numerous occasions, seen people post here saying that a passport needs to be valid six months for admission to Country X when they clearly haven't checked their facts but are simply making it up as they go along.

When my passport gets close to its renewal date then OF COURSE I will check that I have enough time left on it for whatever places I might want to visit - but I don't blindly believe what people tell me on an Internet forum. (I've had people trying to tell me that my passport needs to be valid six months to visit Canada, for example - which is nonsense)

2. For "deja vu" purposes.... From a Navy port call 50 years ago, I recall a fun (and good) dinner at a place just off the lower end of the Ramblas, "Los Caracoles", in company with a couple of Spanish Navy officers and senior Civil Guard type. Obviously, having even a mid-rank Civil Guard in your party during the Franco era improved the quality of service and shortened the wait. I see the place is still there, reasonably recommended, but more of a tourist venue than during that less "turistic" era. Opinion(s)?

Any Barcelona venue that has a website Spanish as the default language should be viewed with suspición. On the other hand, that might explain why a Civil Guard would be served there (never mind providing better service).
The Republican effort across Spain was troubled by similar infighting, which destroyed any chance they may have had of defeating Franco's fascist militia. Barcelona, the last stronghold of the Republicans, fell to Franco's forces in January 1939, and the war ended a few months later. Rather than submitting to Franco, thousands of Catalans fled across the border to France, Andorra and farther afield.

Franco wasted no time in banning Catalan and flooding the region with impoverished immigrants from Andalucía in the vain hope that the pesky Catalans, with their continual movements for independence, would be swamped. But the plan soured somewhat when the migrants' children and grandchildren turned out to be more Catalan than the Catalans. Franco even banned one of the Catalans' joyful expressions of national unity, the sardana, a public circle dance.

But they'd barely turned the last sods on El Supremo's grave when Catalunya burst out again in an effort to recreate itself as a nation. Catalan was revived with a vengeance, the Generalitat, or local parliament, was reinstated, and today, people gather all over town several times a week to dance the sardana. While there's still talk of independence, it remains just that - talk. Barcelona is its country's most happening town, and seems set to stay that way.
link (http://www.aboutbarcelona.com/barcelona/history.asp)

Any Barcelona venue that has a website Spanish as the default language should be viewed with suspición. On the other hand, that might explain why a Civil Guard would be served there (never mind providing better service).

Back in 1963/4, the time of my first visit, while Spanish Naval officers were treated with a modicum of respect (and even US Navy officers given some deference by waiters, cantineros, etc.), senior officers of the Civil Guards were accorded more than passing recognition. After all, treat them badly and your place was likely to have a couple of black varnished tricornes
permanently present outside the door discouraging patronage.

It seems only yesterday that I recall a scene at Columbus's pillar, a Civil Guard unlimbering his elderly carbine and putting one in the leg of some disgusting furriner who had the effrontery to relieve his bladder on the base of the ugly but sacrosanct monument. I doubt he even was 'written up" for the shooting, much less facing any severe disciplinary action. Other than in Turkey (and there mostly "plain-clothes"), no European country outside the OstBloc displayed the pervasive police presence of Spain, nowhere less evident than Catalonia. Bolstering the Guardia's role, in my memory, personnel assigned locally were usually drawn from other areas/parts of Spain, and Barcelona was noted for having been assigned "hard guys" from harsh rural environments.

Amazingly, in retrospect they were quite tolerant of the antics of enlisted US sailors on Liberty. My "post hole" Spanish, a far piece from their idiom (and as I recall they neither spoke or seemed to understand Catalan, then officially banned) proved on several occasions good enough to procure the release of sailors detained for a variety of sailor-like transgressions. I always volunteered for duty as "Shore Patrol" officer in Spanish, Italian ad French ports. A little of the local language goes a long way, and the local police (even in France) were astoundingly friendly and communicative. Those were some of the best learning experiences of my life.

There seems to be this myth going round - especially here on FT - that if one leaves one's own country one needs to have passport that is valid six months....

I have personally witnessed US immigration officers deny entry to people whose (Easter European) passports were expiring in less than six months from the intended date of return. It's definitely not a myth. You are correct that the rule doesn't apply to everyone in all situations, and many exceptions do exist. But it's a bad idea to assume by default that you're OK just because your passport is valid today.

I have personally witnessed US immigration officers deny entry to people whose (Easter European) passports were expiring in less than six months from the intended date of return. It's definitely not a myth. You are correct that the rule doesn't apply to everyone in all situations, and many exceptions do exist. But it's a bad idea to assume by default that you're OK just because your passport is valid today.

You misunderstood the point I was making.

I know that there are countries (and the USA is one of them) where your passport has to be valid either three or six months on entry. And if my passport has less than six months to run I will always check.

My issue is with the myth that ALL countries have such a requirement, and the responses sometimes posted by people who haven't checked their facts saying (for example) "Oh no you can't go to Canada if your passport has less than six months to run"... (The requirement for Canada, at least for us EU citizens, is "day of intended departure from Canada plus one day")

My issue is not with the six-months rule that some countries apply, but with uninformed people who post "information" to Flyertalk without having checked their facts.

Back in 1963/4, the time of my first visit, while Spanish Naval officers were treated with a modicum of respect (and even US Navy officers given some deference by waiters, cantineros, etc.), senior officers of the Civil Guards were accorded more than passing recognition. After all, treat them badly and your place was likely to have a couple of black varnished tricornes
permanently present outside the door discouraging patronage.

It seems only yesterday that I recall a scene at Columbus's pillar, a Civil Guard unlimbering his elderly carbine and putting one in the leg of some disgusting furriner who had the effrontery to relieve his bladder on the base of the ugly but sacrosanct monument. I doubt he even was 'written up" for the shooting, much less facing any severe disciplinary action. Other than in Turkey (and there mostly "plain-clothes"), no European country outside the OstBloc displayed the pervasive police presence of Spain, nowhere less evident than Catalonia. Bolstering the Guardia's role, in my memory, personnel assigned locally were usually drawn from other areas/parts of Spain, and Barcelona was noted for having been assigned "hard guys" from harsh rural environments.

Amazingly, in retrospect they were quite tolerant of the antics of enlisted US sailors on Liberty. My "post hole" Spanish, a far piece from their idiom (and as I recall they neither spoke or seemed to understand Catalan, then officially banned) proved on several occasions good enough to procure the release of sailors detained for a variety of sailor-like transgressions. I always volunteered for duty as "Shore Patrol" officer in Spanish, Italian ad French ports. A little of the local language goes a long way, and the local police (even in France) were astoundingly friendly and communicative. Those were some of the best learning experiences of my life.

Interesting look in the past, especially for someone like me who has been only living here for a little over 10 years. Thanks! ^

Sorry I cannot help you with Los Caracoles. I don’t think that I have been there once since I actually live here (but I had been before that). Probably not a good sign... ;)