In any type of crisis situation, the most important thing to do is stay calm. Your country’s embassy abroad is usually your best resource when things go wrong. Register with that embassy upon arrival in the country. The government offices listed in the Travel Advisories box can provide a number of services to their citizens in the case of an emergency abroad.
Travelers are not likely to break major laws unintentionally while visiting Spain or Portugal. You can contact your embassy if arrested, although they often cannot do much to assist you beyond finding you legal counsel. You should feel comfortable approaching the police, although few officers speak English. There are three types of police in Spain. The Policía Nacional wear blue or black uniforms and white shirts; they deal with crime investigation (including theft), guard government buildings, and protect dignitaries. The Policía Local wear blue uniforms, deal with more local issues, and report to the mayor or town hall in each municipality. The Guardia Civil wear olive green uniforms and are responsible for issues more relevant to travelers: customs, crowd control, and national security. In Portugal, the Polícia de Segurança Pública is the police force in all major cities and towns. The Guarda Nacional Republicana polices more rural areas, while the Brigada de Trânsito is the traffic police, with red armbands. All three branches wear light blue uniforms.
Recreational drugs are illegal in Spain and Portugal, and police take these laws seriously. The legal minimum drinking age in Spain and Portugal is 16. Spain and Portugal have the highest road mortality rates in Europe. Do not drive while intoxicated, and be cautious on the road.
Basque terrorism concerns all travelers in Spain, with the active presence of a militant wing of Basque separatists called the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna ( ETA; Basque Homeland and Freedom). March 2006, ETA declared a permanent cease-fire that officially ended in June 2007. ETA’s attacks are typically targeted and are not considered random terrorist acts. The March 11, 2004 train bombings in Madrid were linked to al-Qaeda, and in June 2008, Spanish police arrested eight men in Barcelona, Pamplona, and Castellón under suspicion of involvement with an Algerian terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda. (See Current Events, , for more information.) While terrorism is rarely an issue in Portugal, Spain has experienced more than its fair share of troubles in recent years.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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