Balearic Islands Various Travel Information
Formalities and visas
No visa is required for travelers from EU countries. Spain – and thus also the Balearic Islands – belong to the Schengen area, which is why there are no more regular controls at its borders with the EU.
Issuing of visas in Germany
Should a stay last longer or serve other purposes than tourist, the visa department of the embassy should be consulted.
Consular department of the Embassy of Spain
Steinplatz 1
10623 Berlin
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 31 50 92 51/-53
Email: [email protected]
Foreign exchange, souvenirs, customs regulations
Importing and exporting foreign currency
The currency in the Balearic Islands, like all of Spain, is the euro.
There is no limit to the import and export of foreign currency in the local currency, but the export of amounts over € 6,010 must be declared.
Goods, souvenirs and customs regulations
If you want to throw yourself into the shopping frenzy in the Balearic Islands, you will discover a large number of souvenirs for yourself as well as for those who stayed at home. In addition to the more difficult to transport, but very finely crafted pieces of furniture and olive wood wall screens, it is definitely worth taking a close look at hand embroidery, hand-painted ceramics, the many ironwork, glass and wickerwork and of course the hand-made shoes. But you should know that the typical island fabric is the Tela de Llengos (= tongue fabric). It is made from hemp yarn. The Siruells, clay figures with red and green paintings, are still very popular souvenirs. A bottle of Hierbas is recommended for lovers of liquid souvenirs. This herbal liqueur is best bought in Ibiza. You can go shopping on Carrer Fábrica, which is around one kilometer long in Palma’s Santa Catalina district. Everything is loosened up by various bars and cafés, in which the audience is mostly very young.
Markets
But you only get the true Balearic feeling at the many (weekly) markets on the islands. The Wednesday market in the Mallorcan town of Sineu is highly recommended. This market is not only considered to be the largest, but also the oldest in Mallorca. However, caution is advised! Pickpockets like to be at work here. Without wanting to assume anything, the lovely carnation women in particular have shown long fingers in the past. If you are in Ibiza, you should definitely get lost in one of the many hippy markets. Probably Ibiza’s largest flea market always takes place in Es Cana.
Customs regulations
The import and export of weapons, ammunition or explosives is strictly prohibited. In addition, the import and export of plants and animals protected under the Washington Species Protection Act is prohibited. Violation can result in severe penalties.
The following articles can be imported duty-free when entering from non-EU countries:
- 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco
- 1 liter of spirits (over 20% alcohol content) or 2 liters of alcoholic beverages up to 22% alcohol content
- 2 liters of wine
- 250 ml eau de toilette and 50 g perfume
- 500 g coffee or 200 g coffee extract
- 100 g tea or 40 g tea extract
- Gifts worth € 37
Note
Tobacco products and alcoholic beverages may only be imported by people aged 17 and over.
How do you get to the Balearic Islands?
Air traffic to the Balearic Islands
With a few exceptions, visitors come to the Balearic Islands by plane. And actually nothing seems to be easier – and cheaper – than getting to Mallorca and Co. from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The charter connections and cheap offers are almost endless, which bring the holiday-hungry to the most popular Spanish archipelago in the hot summer months at the latest. There are flights from almost all noteworthy German airports, so that a detailed representation is forbidden at this point. In any case, it is always worth paying attention to the many last-minute offers and the offers of the low-cost airlines.
Airlines that connect Germany, Austria and/or Switzerland with the Balearic Islands inexpensively include 7Wings, Air Berlin (also from Zurich), EasyJet (from Basel, Dortmund and Berlin), Germanwings (from Cologne/Bonn), Hapag-Lloyd Express (from Hamburg, Hanover, Cologne/Bonn and Stuttgart) and Helvetic (from Zurich).
Every island in the Balearic Islands – except Formentera and Cabrera – has its own airport. The international airports of the Balearic Islands are:
Palma de Mallorca (PMI)
The airport is located in Son San Juan, about nine kilometers south-east of Palma, but has a tourist information office and a rental car counter. Between 07:05 a.m. and 00:05 a.m., it is connected to the Mallorcan capital via buses. Of course, there are also taxis.
Ibiza (IBZ)
The Aeropuerto Internacional of Ibiza is eight kilometers from Ibiza Town (catal. Eivissa) and can be reached with the help of taxis or airport buses. The latter run every hour between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m.
Mahón (MAH)
Menorca’s international airport is located approximately six kilometers from Mahón (catal. Maó). Taxis and/or airport buses bring travelers comfortably and quickly to the Menorcan capital.
Flight
times If you want to find out in advance how long you will be flying to the Balearic Islands, you will find some flight times here:
From Frankfurt/Main to Palma = approx. 2 hours
From Frankfurt/Main to Ibiza = approx. 2 hours 30 minutes
From Vienna to Palma = approx. 4 hours 10 minutes. (Attention: one change in Zurich)
From Zurich to Palma = approx. 1 hour 50 minutes.
Shipping to the Balearic Islands
You can also get to the Balearic Islands by ship. The following shipping companies, among others, offer connections:
– Compañía Transmediterránea
This is a car ferry that runs from Alicante, Barcelona and Valencia to the Balearic Islands.
– Compagnie Nationale Algérienne de Navigation
This is another car ferry to the Balearic Islands. It begins in the Algerian capital, Algiers.
– DFDS
This car ferry departs from Italy.
There are also some cruise lines that have the Balearic Islands on their program. The most famous of these is probably the cruise line Aida Cruises.
Bus transport
The following bus companies offer regular connections between the islands and mainland Spain (waterways via ferries of course):
– Baleria
www.baleria.net
– Buquebus Espania SA
www.buquebus.com
– Cape Balear
www.capebalear.es
– Iscomar
www. iscomarferrys.com
