Hi, all....

Have been lurking for the last several weeks and want to congratulate MM and all his members for the insightful info as I plan a long-awaited trip with my mom to Spain. We'll be there in mid to late Spring. Well, anyway, didn't quite know where to put this...("Packing" seemed appropriate).

A couple of immediate issues are on the agenda: How to acquire cel phones for short durations and traveling with medications. I did a search on these, but came up with zero results. I'm sure this must have been discussed at some time. Is it appropriate to do so, again?

Regarding medications:
I understand that a letter from the doctor and keeping meds in their original containers is advised, but how does one deal with the x-ray machines and any effects on meds? Should/can the meds be filled in Spain with a prescription from the US? Are hospitals/pharmacies ammenable to tourists with certain chronic conditions (heart, diabetes, etc.)? Emergency medical situations? (Heaven forbid, but has anyone had one?)

Regarding the cel phones:
Can a Verizon serviced cel phone be programmed to a Spanish cel phone company's service? Who does one contact to get a Spanish or European cel service for one month? And are the costs reasonable?

Oh, and a third item...Has anyone made a map of Madrid to show the various barrios and whether they represent the better vs. seedier places to wander in (or out of)?

Thanks in advance for all the advise!

Happy planning! The cell phone question has been discussed a lot on this board. Movistar seems to be the phone of choice. For a month, the easiest thing to do is buy one in Madrid (they are cheap, and come with a phone card that has almost as much money on it as you pay for the phone). International calls are best made from public phones with a credit card, I've found. Medications? I'd bring all you need for a month, and carry them on my person. X-rays shouldn't harm them at all, but check with your pharmacist. If you have your prescription written out neatly with the type of medication (as opposed to the brand: that is, diazepam, not VALIUM), you should be able to get replacements if needed in Spain. I've had some emergencies and just go to the hospitals, but I speak Spanish. There's an English speaking hospital in Madrid. Hope this is a start....

Hello SpainSpud! (hehhee...) I'm happy you finally came out of the shadows. I thought I saw someone back there, out of direct light, lurking about. hehehe.. First, congratulations on your upcoming trip!

Regarding cell phones, you might contact Verizon and ask them (although I'd bet the teenager who answers the phone won't know). But rgf is right, everyone uses the local payphones which are abundant on the streets. Also, I found three postings in the "SHOPPING" forum (I guess that kind of makes sense too) regarding cell phone rentals and useage. SEARCH there using CELL PHONE as your keywords. I found 3-4 threads which you'll find useful.

While it might be too late, if you tell your doctor that you're going on vacation and not able to refill a prescription that needs to be refilled, (s)he'll more than likely give you a double prescription amount to cover you while away from home. Also, doctors in pharmacies in Spain are nearly like real doctors. People most often visit their neighborhood pharmacist BEFORE going to the doctor and they can recommend something for you. If not, or if it seems too serious, (s)he'll refer you to your doctor... and of course you don't have one. Tell the pharmacist this.... if you can, in Spanish. OR, if you (or your mother) don't speak Spanish and have a medical condition, it's a good idea to write the condition IN SPANISH on a card before arriving and always have it with you.

I don't think a map of Madrid exist which tells the GOOD, BAD, & UGLY parts of the city. heheehe... doubt the people would be too happy about that. First, anything can happen anywhere in any city in the world. Having said that, most areas in Madrid are okay to walk at night. Some say it's best not to walk alone anywhere at night, especially if you're a woman. Wherever there are lots of people on the street you're generally safe... And in the cities of Spain, there are usually people on the streets all day and all night long. Look in our "Safety & Security" forum for more information on this topic.

Have a GREAT trip!! Saludos, MadridMan

Oh, neighborhoods: you need to pick up a guidebook to Madrid (or Spain, more generally) with an in depth description of the various places to visit. It will open your eyes to all the places you will want to stroll, and will probably advise you, like MM said SO WELL, to always be careful as you would in any city, stay away from far-out districts if you don't know them, don't hang around train/bus station neighborhoods late at night, Lavapies can be a bit iffy, as can some areas off the Gran Via and in the Casa de Campo. An interesting fact about most Eurpoean cities is this: the city center and immediate areas are usually fine, and expensive even. It's the way out 'suburbios' that are the equivalent of U.S. "inner city" (I hate that word) dangerous areas like watts, south bronx, south side of chicago, etc.

rgf-I laughed out loud first then got ticked off. How did you come up w/that ridiculous assumption about the suburbs in Madrid?

Not suburbs, but suburbios, as in what you see in an old Almodovar movie, the areas you travel thru as you head out the city south... not talking about the communities of chalets adosados, but the poor suburbios. I just saw some of these areas a few weeks ago. I hope you understand I am not using suburb/suburbio as synonymous concepts.

[This message has been edited by rgf (edited 02-06-2001).]

(Drat! Our neighborhood just got hit by a rolling black-out....Now I have to rewrite my reply! Let's see how long this one lasts....)

Thanks to all for your directions and advise. I hope the inclusion of three items doesn't send this thread into three different directions!

So, to keep it together:
Regarding the neighborhood issue - I've read your posts and other materials and gather that Lavapies is not great idea to go roaming in a random fashion. Keep in mind that I will be with my elderly mother and I myself am not into playing dangerously. I recall the time I was wandering in London (a while back) and inadvertently found myself in the White Chapel district which definitely had the "vibes". So, I think you all know what I'm trying for here. Would you take YOUR elderly relative on a wandering walk through
south Chicago with nothing in particular for being there? I don't think so. So, pipe up. I want to hear your votes for the various districts. (Shall I use this paragraph to start the vote in the safety thread?)

Regarding the Medications: The Spanish Embassy's web site is soooo sloooow these days and I can't seem to get to the documentation that might list the drug policies for persons under medication. Any official URLs that could lead me to this info?

Regarding the cel phone issue: Thanks for the tips. My initial search on this website was hampered by my spelling of cel(l) phone. I'll move to that thread for this issue. Thanks!

Bottom line is that I want to show my mom a good time without making her feel uncomfortable or nervous and to make this a time of bonding for us and yet a pleasant adventure in seeing new and beautiful things and people....which I'm sure are found everywhere if you see them with the right eyes......or maybe the left! In any case, my question was not to disparage any particular areas of Madrid, but (given our case and this being our first time there) I'd like to start out on the right foot (and maybe the left, too, later on!!)

Thanks, again.... y si hay algunos quienes quieren dar sus respuestas en Espanol, pues adelante! :-)

So where are you staying? Tell us that and we can suggest good walks in Madrid. You are right-- Lavapies an night isn't where you want to be, and in general wouldn't be. The Rastro (flea market) isn't a place to bring an aging mom either (tho it is fun if you are careful!)

As for the cell phones, the European GSM system is incompatible with the American standard so you won't be able to use an american cell phone in Europe. A Spanish GSM cell phone should work in most European countries thanks to the different agreements that phone companies have (this is called "roaming"). However, I think it's quite expensive to use this roaming service and you'd better buy a new card to use in your cell phone if you move to another country in Europe. Another problem is that cell phones in Spain are blocked intentionally so you can't change the company. There are "tricks" to crack the codes they have but I'm not sure if they always work.

Anyway, it's quite expensive to make international calls from a cell phone so you'd better buy the cheapest phone you can get and use it just for incoming calls and for national calls in Spain. Ask the different companies (Airtel, Amena and Movistar). Offers are changing all the time.

Regards,

Antonio

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The best tips from your favourite hostal in Madrid.
Hostal Chelo at http://www.chelo.com

Rgf -you are so condescending!If indeed you were my professor,I would run not walk to get my schedule changed.You are so oblivious as to how constantly culturally offensive your remarks are on this board.I feel like a freshman-a toss up if it's back in high school or in college
Maybe it's those long dreary winters in Buffalo............