Money
Local currency was the "peseta", abbreviated PTA. Now its the Euro, abbreviated EURO.

1 US Dollar = 1.01823 Euro (September 2002)
1 British Pound = 1.58428 Euro (September 2002)

Exchange rates may vary slightly at stores and hotels. There is no black market. Exchange rates for other currencies are posted at banks and listed in the daily papers. Banks are open nonstop 8:30 am- 15:00 pm Monday-Friday.

International credit cards are accepted at most major commercial establishments.

Newspapers
There are Spanish language daily newspapers : Canarias 7, La Voz de Lanzarote... Several English and German language publications, which are distributed, free of charge at hotels.

For the really news hungry, You can get most of the Europeans newspapers in supermarkets, or at the airport.

Television
3 local channels : Tele-Volcans and Lanzarote TV, and Canarias on the cable. Most hotels have cable television, including major US & Europeans channels.

Postal services
They are open from 10:00 AM to 15:00 PM during the week and from 09:00 AM to 13:00 PM on saturdays.
Stamps can be only purchased at post offices. Some hotels also have letter drops.

The mails are generally reliable but the time it takes a letter to reach its destination can vary. Expect delays in December and January, when mail volume goes up.

Phone
All local telephone numbers are nine digits, except for some special numbers that are three or four digits.

Some international credit cards can be used by dialing the long distance operator. You can also purchase local telephone cards for use at public phones, at the airport, at supermarkets...

To dial a country outside Spain, first access the international exchange by dialing 00. Wait a second or two and you will hear a different dialing tone. Then dial the country code (44 for Britain) followed by the area code without the first 0, and the number you are calling.