KEEN TO GO?

• Click here to see Las Fallas Festival Accommodation Package 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

	WHERE DO I STAY? 3 nights hostel accommodation in Valencia 's historical city centre (based on multi-share)
	CAN I TRAVEL ALONE? Yes, we will match you up with another same-sex traveller.
	DOES THIS INCLUDE MY FLIGHTS? No - you will need to book flights to Valencia
	IS THERE A LOCAL PAYMENT? No.
	ARE MEALS INCLUDED? No meals are included but Spanish food is absolutely great and you will have fun trying lots of different mouth-watering specialities!
	HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD I BUDGET FOR? €50-€60 per day and no less, in fact take extra for shopping as you'll be tempted, big time!
	WHAT SHALL I BRING? It's not going to be summer there yet so the best advice i can give you is to check a 7-day forecast beforehand and pack accordingly!
	WHEN & HOW SHOULD I BOOK MY LAS FALLAS TOUR? Accommodation is difficult to secure in Valencia due to the share demand for accommodation at that time of the year so spaces are always limited for this festival. You will also need to purchase your flights, so don't delay - if this is something you want to do then don't delay, get it booked up asap!

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• VISAS - Citizens of Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada can stay in Spain for up to 90-days without a visa. South Africans must obtain a visa in advance.
• VOLTAGE - Standard voltage is 220V AC, 50 Hz. Sockets require European plug with a small diameter prong (two round pins). Pack a power adaptor
• MONEY: Spain use the EURO.
• TIME: Like most European countries Spain is 1 hour ahead of GMT.
• STANDARD TIME: GMT+1 and Summer Time = GMT+2
• HEALTH ADVICE: There are no recommended vaccinations for Spain.
• CLIMATE: Prepare yourself for the extreme heat – temperatures could easily be in the 40s.
• FOOD: Reset your stomach’s clock in Spain if you don’t want to eat alone! Generally Spaniards eat lunch between 1.30 and 4pm and dinner as late as 10 or 11pm. Tapas are the order of the day – lots of dishes that vary from chorizo sausage, calamari rings, prawn croquettes, cheese tortilla to potato bravas - all tasty, nutritious and delicious saucer-sized mini-snacks.

THE ULTIMATE FESTIVAL PERIOD

Whilst there are Fallas festivities going on all through March the key festival dates, the heart and soul of the Fallas festival, is the 15-19th March. Throughout these 5 days there are ongoing parades, marching bands, traditional costumes, concerts, beauty pageants, bull fights & incredible fireworks displays.

It is no exaggeration to say that almost every street corner has its own Falla and Fallas commission. During the festivities, Valencian women wear their best traditional clothes and parade through the streets in colourful pageantry under their Falla's standards and to the sound of regional music.

At midday, each Falla stages its own sound fireworks display, harmonizing the booming sounds of rockets with the smell of gunpowder. At night there are spectacular fireworks displays that brighten up the night time sky. Around each Falla there are endless celebrations and there is no time for sleep. It is fiesta time for five whole days.

The flower offering to the patron saint of Valencia , Our Lady of the Forsaken, is staged on two consecutive days. Thousands and thousands of flowers are placed over a wooden structure that serves as the framework upon which her image is formed. This is located in front of the Basilica and the entire Plaza is perfumed with the fragrance of endless bouquets of flowers. Almost 100,000 Valencians take part in the procession. And of course, every day at five o'clock in the afternoon there is an important bullfight within the framework of the March bullfighting fair.

On the night of the 19th, Valencians burn down their creations, saving only the ‘ninot indultat' which is to become a museum piece. The children's Fallas are burnt at ten in the evening, with the exception of the first prize in the children's category, which is set alight at ten thirty, and the city council children's Falla, which goes up in flames at eleven. At midnight, preceded by a grand fireworks display, the large Fallas are set to the torch.

The entire city is filled with flaming Fallas. At twelve thirty the first prize Falla is burnt and at 1am the Falla in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento is set alight, symbolically finishing for another whole year this semi-pagan, semi-patriotic, semi-religious fiesta that stirs the hearts of the Valencians.

ESSENTIAL INFO

Two weeks before departure, a festival fact file filled with tips, tricks and info, will be available for you to download online, be sure to know before you go!