USEFUL INFORMATION

1) Airport

Palma has excellent air communications with mainland Spain, the main European cities and the rest of the world. "Son Sant Joan" international airport lies 8 kilometers east of Palma and is the main access to the island.

How to arrive to and depart from the airport:

Bus: EMT Line 1 Bus, Harbour-Airport (Stops within the airport: Arrivals' floor, Check-in floor)

Taxi: You will find the taxis on the Arrivals' floor, at the height of gate D.

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2) Harbour

Another way to arrive to Mallorca is by boat although this is less used. There are scheduled lines by "Trasmediterránea", "Balearia" and "Iscomar" between Barcelona, Valencia, Denia and the Balearics. Here you can find more information about sea transport.

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3) Buses

The EMT (Municipal Transport Company) offers a wide transport system to make communication easier among the different municipalities.

There is only one single ticket which is valid only once. EMT offers a ten-journey discount card. You can buy them at tobacco shops and at the EMT offices. Several people can use this card at the same time and it is valid for urban lines.

EMT Bus Routes, Schedule and Fees (EMT-lines.pdf)

Map of Routes (Bus-routes.pdf)

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4) Metro

The metro line starts off at the main station located at the Plaça d'Espanya and covers a distance of 7.2 km. until reaching the Campus of the University of the Balearic Islands. The metro takes 13 minutes to cover this distance. It is the easiest way to go to the Campus.

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5) Campus

The campus is 7.5km away from Palma, in the road to Valldemossa. The public transport that will take you to the UIB campus is the bus, line 19, which runs all day long and rather frequently. In Palma line 19 has two different routes:

Plaça d’Espanya: Porta des Camp, Av. Gabriel Alomar i Villalonga, Plaça d’Espanya, Av. Comte Sallent, General Riera, ... Campus.

Av. Argentina: Av. Argentina, Ramon I Cajal, Plaça Fortí, Av. Portugal, Av. Alemanya, General Riera, ... Campus

Here you can find the location of the different buildings (campus.pdf)

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Here you can find a map of the island (MapaA4.pdf)

Google Maps have a nice bird\'s-eye view.

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6) The language

Palma is a diversified city, where you will be able to hear a great diversity of languages. This fact is due to the city\'s high volume of tourists.

Mallorca, as well as the remaining Balearic Islands, has two official languages: the Catalan, the island\'s language, and Spanish, the official language of the Spanish State.

7) The weather
In The month of May, Mallorca enjoys mild temperatures of around 25ºC (maximum temperature)  and 17ºC (minimum temperature)

For more information visit Weather Online

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8) The Currency

Mallorca has an official currency, the Euro, the same as all the other countries within the European Union who have joined the Monetary Union.

The following bank notes are in circulation: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euros. Additionally, coins with the following face values are in circulation too: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, as well as 1 and 2 Euros.

Should you need to change currency, please request this service at banks or savings banks within the city, as well as at exchange offices located in the city centre and in tourist areas.

9) Customs

Spain belongs to the European Union since 1986. Historically, the European Union is based upon a customs union agreed by the member countries. The customs union\'s main characteristic is the complete, legal harmonisation of the customs division, whilst the member states are responsible for the application of the rules.

The free circulation of goods implies that these will move freely between the member states, without paying import taxes and without being subject to commercial or customs restrictions.

Should you have any further queries about this matter, please do not hesitate to contact the city's customs department.

In Palma: C/Moll Vell, s/n. Tel. 971 726 583 / Fax 971 713 468
At the airport: Tel. 971 265 216/ Fax 971 743 168

10) Passports

The citizens of the European Union and those of some Western European Union countries are admitted by using the national identity card. Citizens of other countries will need a valid passport or a passport and a visa, according to the case. Please request further information at the Spanish embassies and consulates.

11) Official Time

The official time on the Balearic Islands is the same as the time on the Spanish mainland: During autumn-winter, GMT+1; During the spring-summer, GMT+2.

12) The VAT

The VAT (IVA) or Value Added Tax (Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido) is applied on all products and services. At restaurants, hotels and agrarian tourism centres, the VAT amounts to 7%. Citizens of non-EU member countries visiting the island may request the refund of the VAT for purchases exceeding 60,10 Euros (tax-free). In order to request the VAT refund, you must show the invoice of the purchased good at the customs export department of the last European Union member country you will be visiting

13) Electricity

The electric current on the island is normally 220 volts.

14) Telephone Calls (to and from Spain)

If you wish to call Spain from abroad, the international code is 34. To call abroad, please dial 00 (International Service), plus the country code + city code + the telephone number of the person you wish to call.

15) Tips

All prices and invoices include a tip for service, hence you don’t necessarily need to leave a tip. However, should you consider it appropriate, you may leave a tip to express your satisfaction with good service.

Please find below an estimate of the amount that is usually left as a tip:

- Restaurants: 5-10 % of the bill.

- Hotels: Between 3 to 5 Euros for chambermaids; 0.50 Euros for each piece of luggage for the waiter.

- Taxis, guides, etc.: As you may consider appropriate.

16) Tourist Information Offices

Here you can find information on the Tourist Information offices.

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17) Visiting Palma

Palma is a cultural city. Beautifully arranged as a fan towards the sea, the city is marked by the cultures that have lived on the island along its history. Palma invites you to discover its buildings and the monuments that portray the evolution of aesthetic trends during the centuries that are visible in more than 700 streets in its historic centre. This is where you will find the footprint of all those civilisations that have contributed to its building.

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In Google Maps there is a useful map of the town.