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Of course it is the bank / card company that charges the conversion fees. Banks / companies that offer nil conversion fees for foreign transactions specifically advertise this as a selling point.
OK, an update (for those who are interested...) - After the card issuing company disabled their security requirements for ALSA, my payment finally went through and I got my ticket! The whole transaction took less than a couple of minutes. It is just a little annoying that the fare has gone up by...
I would only use a normal bank card or credit card as a last resort for foreign transactions. Apart from the poor exchange rate and exhorbitant conversion fee, I would have thought they are actually more likely to block foreign transactions.
So I called the company that issued one of my travel...
Thank you all for sharing your experiences! I am looking to buy a ticket for early October - certainly before 11 Oct. But the Monbus calendar literally stops at 30 Sep, so it isn’t even a 30-day thing.
I also have problems with the ALSA site! They rejected my credit card payment 5 times. Both...
Hello Camino walkers! I have been trying to book a Monbus ticket from Muxia back to Santiago de Compostela in October but the Monbus website doesn't enable me to choose any departure date beyond September. When I click on the right arrow at the top of the calendar to try to move to the next...
Hi there! I am looking to get an e-SIM (including calls and texts) for Portugal / Spain before arriving, and am wondering if I will see the phone number as soon as I purchased the e-SIM, or whether I will only see it after activation (ie after arriving in Spain). Does anyone know? Grateful for...
Thank you all for your super helpful responses and even photos!
Oh, if you have a photo of the departure point, I'd love to see that too, thank you! I will PM you later. :) Let's not have the 'To WhatsApp or Not To WhatsApp' debate here; I'll just say I have my reasons...
Hello All! I am looking to book my boat trip from Vilanova to Pontecesures online. What is the difference between Bahia (€25 one way) and Amare (€30 one way) in terms of quality of service and reliability? And do the boats to Pontecesures all depart from the same spot in Vilanova, or do...
Thank you! It seems that there are different buses going to the airport: the shuttle run by the company Tussa (line 6A) stops right at the entrance, but the public bus run by the Galicia local government (number XG802, according to Google) seems to stop a fair way away. I will need to check if...
Hello fellow prilgrims! To those who have reached the airport by the public bus, how far is the bus stop from the entrance to the airport terminal? Google Maps says it is 290m / 4 mins from the bus stop (Lorenzo), but it is not clear whether the 'destination' assumed by Google is simply the...
Hard to say whether it’s nuts without knowing how your medical condition / medication affects your ability to handle long distance walking. For someone with no particular medical condition, the walk from Ourense to SDC is not difficult at all. It is just a lot quieter than the last 100km of...
Just started planning my coastalk walk this afternoon and this exact question came to mind. Didn't expect to get an answer within seconds as soon as I logged in. Thank you!!
If you have VPN, there is no need to rent it; it is available for free on Australia's (100% legal) SBS website:
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You don't need to install the 'SBS on demand' app; just use any web browser. You do need to create an SBS on demand account...
Having just walked from Fisterra to Santiago a couple of weeks ago, I beg to differ. It MIGHT be easier if you have just walked in the usual direction (Santiago - Fisterra - Muxia) and still remember the route, but not if you have only reached the coast by bus. The waymarkers, in the form of a...
I did this part of the Sanabres just a couple of weeks ago when the heatwave was just beginning and there was no sign of fire or smoke at the time. But shortly after that, it was reported in Ourense local news that the region has been affected by the fires. Unfortunately my lack of Spanish...
Thanks for your replies! I have just got home and am pleased to report that everything went very smoothly at Madrid Airport Terminal 4 / 4S, with minimal waiting time! I got there around 5am on Friday, just more than 4 hours ahead of the flight departure time. I was the first in the queue for...
When planning my Camino trip 2022, I was expecting that the botafumerio would be swung more often this year, being a Holy Year, especially in the 2 weeks before the Feast Day. I was surprised that it did not occur in any of the 5 masses (2 noons and 3 evenings) I attended in the past week. I...
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