Free ATM Withdrawals With Santander

Santander has become the first international bank to provide free access to ATMs for Britons travelling abroad. From Monday, Santander's UK customers will enjoy all 4,300 of its ATMs in Spain without being charged for cash withdrawals.

Customers can avoid the cash handling fee of 1.5 per cent of the transaction as well as the foreign exchange fee at 2.75 per cent. Santander says that a customer withdrawing £130 three times while in Spain will be able to save themselves £15.51. "Providing free access to Santander ATMs in Spain could save our customers over £2m a year in ATM charges," says Alison Brittain, the executive director of UK retail distribution at Santander. "Spain has always been a popular destination with Britons, and we wanted to reward the loyalty of our customers by saving them some money when they visit."

There are other options for people withdrawing cash abroad. The Post office Mastercard offers free withdrawals anywhere around the world, while Nationwide and Saga credit cards charge nothing to customers withdrawing cash in Europe.

The Independent

Lloret Swimming for Charity

Despite the recent cold temperatures in Lloret there were still 137 brave enough to take to the sea to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis. Temperatures were only 6c but it still didnt stop some of those taking part from spending 30 minutes or more in the sea.
So well done to those brave people for raising money for a very good cause.

(Thanks to Angie for these 2 photos)

Smoking in Spain

For quite a while now the sale of cigarettes and tobacco in Spain has been restricted to official tobacconists and to bars and resraurants with a vending machine.

A new law now permits any shop selling newpapers can now sell cigs, the thing is with new laws coming out which restrict smoking in bars etc, you may have trouble finding a place to smoke them!