ANTES DE SALIR DE ESTADOS UNIDOS
Información de tu itinerario
Por favor, introduce la información de tu viaje en la intranet de CASA-Sevilla antes del 1 de agosto. Dinos desde dónde viajas, qué medios de transporte utilizarás y a qué hora llegas a Sevilla. Esta información es muy importante para que sepamos cuándo debemos esperarte y para hacer un seguimiento en el caso de que no llegues según lo previsto.
Pasaporte y Visado
Asegúrate de que tu pasaporte con el visado están en orden. El visado de estudiante sólo se puede obtener en Estados Unidos. Sin un visado apropiado no podrás participar en el programa.
Hacer la maleta
Si empaquetas tus cosas de manera razonable debes llegar a Sevilla con dos piezas de equipaje. Ten en cuenta que deberás cargar con tus maletas a través de los aeropuertos, además de subirlas y bajarlas de varios taxis, así que empaqueta lo más ligeramente que sea posible. Además, mientras que las líneas aéreas domésticas en Estados Unidos determinan el exceso de equipaje basándose en el número de bultos, las aerolíneas europeas lo hacen en base al peso. Una estrategia es sacar todo lo que piensas podrás necesitar para tu estancia en Sevilla y después eliminar la mitad. Otra estrategia es planear un cambio diario de ropa para tres semanas -para tiempo caluroso, fresco y muy frío. Aunque las temperaturas del invierno en Sevilla no son tan bajas como en Nueva York o Pennsylvania, Sevilla puede ser fría y húmeda en invierno. Por eso deberás traer ropas que te sirvan tanto para el verano como para el invierno. Los artículos de aseo y las pilas se encuentran fácilmente en España, pero quizás no encuentres las marcas a las que estás acostumbrada, y si lo haces quizás son un poco más caras que en Estados Unidos. El estilo de vestir es similar en Europa que en USA, sobre todo entre la gente joven, así que puedes vestir de manera casual en tu vida diaria. Sin embargo, a veces no se permite la entrada en iglesias o monasterios con pantalones cortos, tank tops o minifaldas. Si puedes trae ropa con bolsillos internos donde puedas guardar tu dinero y tarjetas bancarias, ya que esto es más seguro que llevarlos en un bolso o mochila (el robo de bolsos y mochilas se ha convertido en una práctica común en Sevilla y otras ciudades españolas frecuentadas por turistas). Las reglas americanas sobre el equipaje obligan a dejar las maletas abiertas durante todo el viaje, por lo que es mejor llevar objetos de valor (como joyas o equipos electrónicos) en el equipaje de mano. Otros artículos que querrás traer (tanto en el equipaje facturado como en el de mano) son:
• chaqueta impermeable
• zapatos o botas para caminar
• toalla y bañador para la playa
• zapatos deportivos
• un par extra de gafas y lentillas (y receta)
• medicinas con receta (por favor, lee el Manual del Estudiante para más información sobre salud)
• zapatillas para estar en casa, calcetines cálidos, y pijama largo para las noches frías
• traje elegante para salir por la noche
• pequeño regalo para tu familia sevillana
Documentos Importantes
Durante el viaje guarda todos los objetos de valor contigo todo el tiempo. Los bolsillos interiores a los que sólo tú puedes acceder son la mejor idea. No deberías llevar objetos importantes en tu mochila o bolso porque podrías perderlos. Estos son documentos importantes que debes cuidar y tener a mano:
• Pasaporte con el visado
• Billetes de avión y tren, itinerarios y resguardos de reclamación de equipaje
• 30 euros para el transporte en taxi desde el aeropuerto hasta la casa de tu familia sevillana, e instrucciones para llegar
• Tarjetas de crédito, cash
• Información de contacto
INFORMACIÓN DE CONTACTO
CASA-SEVILLA EMERGENCY CONTACTS – AY 2023-2024 | ||
During local business hours (Monday – Friday, 9 AM CET – 2 PM CET) | ||
Director | Eva Infante | 011-34-954 227 157 |
Outside local business hours (24/7) | ||
Director | Eva Infante | 011-34-650 028 920 (cell) |
Recursos de emergencia externos y grupos de contacto
TU VIAJE
We will be expecting you to arrive in Seville on Sunday, August 20. International flights from the U.S. generally depart in the afternoon or evening and arrive in Spain the following morning. Hence, your flight should leave no later than Saturday, August 19. You can and should have your luggage checked directly to Seville from the US. If you arrive earlier than August 20, you will be responsible for finding your own accommodations. Finding accommodation may be difficult in Seville, so make sure you take care of this matter as early as possible. Consider traveling with someone else from the group to make the long trip more enjoyable.
On the Plane
You will be given a customs/immigration form to fill out on the plane prior to your arrival in Spain requiring your name, passport number, flight number, and address in Spain. For your address in Spain, fill in the address for your host family’s house.
Arrival in Spain
For many of you, Barajas airport in Madrid will be your first point of entry into Europe and Spain. If this is the case, you will have to go through passport control in Madrid before transferring to your flight to Seville. In addition to your passport and visa, you will have to show the QR Code that will be scanned at the health control, in order to access the terminal and collect your luggage.
If your first point of entry into Europe is outside of Spain, you will have to go through passport control in that airport. Upon arrival in Spain, you will most likely not have to go through passport control again, unless you are coming from England. Also, save all airline, train and bus ticket receipts that show how and when you arrived in Spain.
Seville Airport
When you get to the Seville airport, follow the Recogida Equipaje (baggage claim) and Aduana (customs) signs. If you have not gone through immigration or customs at another airport before arriving in Seville, you may find that your luggage has been offloaded at a separate carousel in another hall at the airport than that of your fellow passengers. (In other words, don’t despair that your luggage has been lost—it may simply be offloaded in the other hall, for luggage that has not been previously cleared through customs.) When you go through immigration and customs, have your passport and baggage claim tickets ready. You may be asked to open your luggage.
Once you exit the customs doors, you will no longer be in a secure area. Important recommendation: Before leaving the customs area: 1) put your passport, airline ticket and other important documents back in their hidden pouches and pockets; 2) get out the address of your host family’s house; 3) rearrange your money to have cab fare easily accessible and other money safely stored.
After leaving customs, you will walk out into a lower-level hall. Taxis line up immediately beyond the doors to the outside. Give the taxi driver the address of your host family. The fare for the cab ride should be 30-35 euros. Drivers will add to the meter reading a few euros for bags, especially large ones. The number of people should not make a difference, except for the fact you will have more bags. Tips are not required or expected in Spain, but the usual practice is to round off the fare or add one euro, especially if the driver has been particularly helpful in carrying your large, heavy luggage. Remember: keep a close eye on your bags at all times, and do not leave anything in the taxi.
FIRST DAYS IN SEVILLE
Upon arrival in Seville, the students must go directly to their host family’s house.The evening of Sunday, August 20, we will hold a virtual meeting at approximately 8:00 p.m. to welcome the group. The following morning, the program will start with icebreaker and team building activities, followed by an info session and language evaluations and self-evaluations. During the rest of that week, students will participate in several orientation activities. You will receive a schedule of your first weeks in Sevilla before arrival.
PRACTICALITIES
Money
Euro bills and coins come in denominations very similar to American money, although one and two euro coins are used instead of bills. Until you get accustomed to the money, make sure you pay careful attention to each piece of money in order to avoid overpaying.
The best places to exchange money in Spain are at banks or at American Express offices, because they usually have the best rates. Banks are only open in the mornings (generally 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.), and all banks charge a small transaction fee that is deducted automatically from the euros you receive, regardless of the amount that you exchange (e.g. $10 or $500). You will be asked to show your passport when you exchange money.
You can also obtain euros with an ATM card. There is an ample supply of cash machines on the Plus and Cirrus networks in Seville and in other major cities in Spain. Money is withdrawn directly from your bank account in the U.S. and given to you in euros at the machine. The exchange rate is similar to that at banks, and you generally pay a $2 or $3 fee for each transaction. ATM’s are known as cajeros automáticos or telebancos in Seville. It is a good idea to bring a backup ATM card in case yours is damaged, lost or stolen. Finally, major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, and American Express) are widely accepted throughout Spain. Most cash machines and banks will dispense money to you with one of these credit cards, but remember that, unlike the ATM card, it is considered a cash advance (a loan), and, in addition to a transaction fee, you pay interest on the money until it is repaid to the credit card company.
Personal Expenses
Living in Spain is not cheap. Shopping, eating out, and traveling can cost as much or more than in the U.S., especially in large cities and around tourist sites. The amount of money you will need depends, of course, on your personal spending habits. You should think about how much traveling you plan to do, things you might want to buy, and how frequently you plan to go out on the town. The program covers meal expenses and entrance fees to sites on scheduled program excursions. You will want extra money to visit places on your own, buy class supplies, go out for tapas, etc.
Meals
Meal times in Spain are different than those in the US. Breakfast is very light and is served around 8 a.m.; the main meal is served around 2:30 p.m.; and a light supper is served as late as 10:00 p.m. People often have a snack around 11:00 a.m. and sometimes again around 6:30 or 7:00 p.m. at a coffee shop or bar (neither of which are included in your meal plan). Try to get used to the meal routine and the food as quickly as possible since it will make your adaptation to Spain and Spanish life much easier.
Getting Around Seville
Seville has an extensive and convenient bus system. It is highly recommended, and many of you may find it the most efficient way to get to your classes and the program center. We will provide you with a map of the city and an orientation outing on the bus to get you started. Taxis run at all hours of the day and night and tend to be less expensive than in the U.S. You can also get a ride with Uber/Cabify, or take the underground. Many students use Sevici, a bike share program that has stations all around the city. A long-term subscription + insurance only costs €40.
Safety
While crime, and most certainly violent crime, is less prevalent in Spanish cities than in similar-sized cities in the U.S., we urge students to be cautious and alert to all possibilities. As is the case with any large city, there is a lot of petty thievery in Spanish cities, and tourists are always a favorite target of criminals. This is namely a problem in downtown Seville and other tourist-heavy areas. The most frequent form of thievery consists of removing a pocketbook or wallet from a shoulder bag or backpack while the person is wearing it. The task is made even simpler when the bag is left hanging from a chair or sitting on the ground at a street-side cafe or on a bench at the airport. A favorite scheme is for one person to distract you while another empties your pockets, purse, or backpack (chances are you will not know it has happened until sometime later). Another, more blatant scheme consists of thieves running by or speeding by on a moped and snatching a backpack or shoulder bag. Crossing a shoulder bag across the chest does not prevent robbery, for they may cut the strap. You can avoid many problems by being cautious, by not carrying more money than you need for the day, and by keeping money and documents on your person, rather than in a purse or backpack.
We recommend you leave valuable jewelry and such in the U.S.; avoid carrying shoulder bags and backpacks when not essential; use hidden pouches; carry your wallet in a front pocket rather than in the back (pickpockets are very skillful in Spain); do not carry excessive amounts of money around; and make a photocopy of the identification and visa pages of your passport to carry with you and leave your passport in your host family’s home. The only times you will need your passport once you are in Seville are when you change money, travel outside of Seville, and check into a hotel on your own.
Even though Spain is not a frequent (or obvious) site of terrorist activity, in 2004 and 2017 there were major attacks in the country, so you need to be careful and cautious. We urge that you always be aware of your surroundings and your belongings, especially in crowded places like on the bus and the train, and in tourist areas. Avoid large public gatherings that are political in nature. In addition, neither men nor women should go out alone late at night: go out in groups and take taxis to and from your destinations. You can ask the restaurant, bar or hotel to call a taxi if there is not one in sight, or you can get a ride with Uber/Cabify.
The above are preliminary suggestions for your safety while abroad, and we will be discussing them further in our first meetings during the orientation period.
Electricity
Spain uses 220 volts, 50z (the U.S. uses 110/60). Electric appliances purchased in the U.S. (hair dryers, electric clocks, stereos, computers, etc.) must have a dual voltage switch or will have to be used with a voltage transformer. (Many laptop computers come with transformers.) You will also need an adapter plug for the round European sockets. These items can be purchased in electronics shops, travel stores, or in international airports. If the only appliance you will need is a hairdryer, you might consider purchasing one in Spain rather than buying a transformer.
Mail from the States
Mail service through the U.S. and Spanish postal services is generally reliable, but it may take more than two weeks for letters to arrive in Seville (and even longer to the U.S.). Currently, the most rapid and reliable way to mail important documents from the U.S. is to use DHL — which has outlets in Seville. Other delivery services (including Federal Express) do not have extensive distribution systems in Spain, and hence, although a letter or package may make it to Madrid overnight, it then continues its journey with another carrier or through the Spanish mail system.
If the packet you are waiting for has commercial value or contains used personal effects it will be subject to customs procedures. All packages entering the EU from non-EU member states are first filtered through Spanish customs, or Aduana, to assess a duty, VAT (Value Added Tax) and import costs. The total of these fees is then fixed to your package and must be paid upon arrival, usually in cash. How do customs calculate what to charge? Before mailing any package your handler will ask you to fill out a form naming the contents of your package and estimating their value for insurance and customs purposes. Expect to pay 21% VAT, up to 17% duty and a flat fee for the processing of each package. Alternatives are to try Spanish, French or UK Amazon and eBay to search for products before resorting to US or Canadian based sites. Second, if a friend or family member is making a trip to Spain in the near future, ask them to make room in their suitcase for your things. Or, simply say no to people offering to ship you packages to Spain. If you are still set on shipping a package to Spain, take the following into consideration: packages that are specifically marked as gifts and whose value does not exceed €45 are exempt from customs fees.
Please have friends and family send your mail to the program center. However, please do not have anything sent to the center prior to your arrival on August 22, since the office staff will be on vacation throughout most of August.
The mailing address is:
CASA-Sevilla
C/ Balbino Marrón 6 (Edificio Viapol)
Planta 6ª Módulo 15
41018 Sevilla
SPAIN