Being far from home, it is important to have an opportunity to keep in touch. In Madrid you will find various facilities for this purpose.

Phone

The country code for Spain is 34. The area code for Madrid is 91.All area codes in Spain begin with a 9. To call within Spain - even locally - dial the area code first. If you're dialing from outside the country, drop the 9.

Directory & Operator Information
For general information in Spain, dial 1003. The operator (some speak English) for international information and assistance is at 025.

International Calls
International calls are awkward from public pay phones because of the enormous number of coins needed, and they can be expensive from hotels, which often add a surcharge. The best way to phone home is to use a public phone that accepts phone cards (available from tobacconists and most newsagents) or go to the local telephone office. When your call is connected, you'll be sent to a quiet cubicle and charged according to the meter. If the price is 4 or more, you can pay with Visa or MasterCard. To make an international call yourself, dial 00, then the country code, then the area code and number. Country codes are 1 for the United States and Canada, 61 for Australia, 64 for New Zealand, and 44 for the United Kingdom.

Public Phones
There are three types of pay phones in Spain, all of them bright green or dull blue. Most have a digital readout, so you can see your money ticking away. Simply insert coins and wait for a dial tone. (At older models, you line coins up in a groove on top of the dial, and they drop down as needed.) Newer pay phones work on special phone cards, which you can buy at any tobacco shop or newsagent.

Mail

Sending Mail Home
Airmail letters to the United States and Canada cost EUR.72 for up to 20 grams. Letters to the United Kingdom and other EU countries cost EUR.45 for up to 20 grams. Letters within Spain are EUR.25. Postcards are charged the same rates as letters. You can buy stamps at post offices and at licensed tobacco shops.

Receiving Mail
Because mail delivery in Spain can often be slow and unreliable, it's best to have your mail sent to you care of American Express. You can also have mail held at a Spanish post office; have it addressed to Lista de Correos (the equivalent of Poste Restante, or General Delivery) in a town you'll be visiting. Postal addresses should include the name of the province in parentheses.

Cybercafes

Asicibercenter
Address: Castello 46, bajo C Telephone 91 576 50 97

Cestein
Address: C/ Leganitos 11

Cibercarmen
Address: Fuencarral 116 Open 08:00 - 00:30

Ciber Arrakis
Address: C/ Acanto 2 Telephone 91 468 14 58

Cybergame
Address: Muro 25 Telephone 98 321 28 99

Cybermad
Address: Atocha 117 Price 1,50 euros per half hour Open 11:00 - 23:00

El Argonauta Virtual
Address: Gaztambide 9 Telephone 91 550 08 35 Price 3,60 euros per half hour Open 11:00 - 21:00

El Escribidor
Address: C/ Ponzano 93 Telephone 91 553 56 37

Game Club
Address: C/ Piamonte 16, 3-1

Goliat
Address: Pintor Rosales 2 Telephone 91 548 93 09

Gopher Web
Address: Abdon Terradas 3 Telephone 91 455 01 27 Open 07:30 - 24:00

Gopher Web Cea Bermudez
Address: Cea Bermudez 66 Telephone 91 399 34 39 Open 07:30 - 24:00

Internet Cafe Madrid
Address: C/ Dulzania 2, Esc 1 5c

La Casa de Internet
Address: Lachana 20 1er piso Telephone 91 446 55 41

La Ciberteca
Address: Gral. Peron 32, bajos Telephone 91 556 67 73

Laser Coffee Shop
Address: C/ Rosario 21 Telephone 92 336 42 56

Net Cafe
Address: C/ San Bernardo 81 Open 18:00 - 02:00