Hello everyone, although I am a newbie, I have been lurking around and found tons of useful info on this site. My husband and I are planning a trip to Spain come next March since I have been lurking and reading Maribel's Guide - I discovered Bancotel.

I am a little muddle as in regard to their system and would like to ask for help.
1. The calender has different abbreviations which some I dont quite understand, I am taking a guess that "BB" stands for Bed & Breakfast" and the "C" must mean not accepting voucher, but what does "AO" stands for?

2. I assume the listed calendar price is the rate to pay the hotel when using Bancotel voucher, but on Intur Palacio San Martin's website the rate is €115 per night and on Bancotel's calender is €110 per night so I didnt quite see an advantage here. Is Bancotel's rate listing accurate and up-to-date?

3. If I was to use Bancotel do I make the reservation on Bancotel's website or to the hotel directly? I didnt see a book it sign for Palacio San Martin, doest that mean they are not accepting reservation through Bancotel if so why are they on the calender?

Thank you in advance if someone would be kind enough to answer these not so intelligent questions.

I'll try to relate my experience, but just to cover all bases, the only people that can give you the lastest info on rates, conditions, and conventions is Bancotel. Email them at [email protected].

RE: Reservations. This can be made in one of three ways; Bancotel site, using an authorized travel agency, or calling the hotel directly. If calling the hotel you need to be very specific to tell them you are paying via Bancotel vouchers ("talones&quot. While e-mail works fine, the best way is calling directly. You pay for the call, but you know of availability right away (Spaniards use this voucher system like crazy and availability is often a problem), get your confirmation number and name of the person you talked to (important!), and whether breakfast is included (some Bancotel hotels take the breakfast option out). Vouchers can be used also for rental cars and sightseeing tickets (family convenience), so that may be a better use of your voucher rather than getting €5 off your rate.

If reserving using the bancotel.com site the reservation feature is quite helpful; you enter city, date and how much you want to spend and it will provide a list of hotels with availability. A description and map is also depicted (the map is kinda of crappy, have your own with you). Hotels accepting vouchers often do that only on weekends or holidays. Obviously they don't want business travelers to take away from a program designed for the leisure traveler. Remember tax is not included (Spain is 7%), the hotel will ask you for a credit card (CC).

Another hint, I noticed you are traveling in March. Vouchers last two years and are often psoted on March. There is a good possibility that at this point travel agencies in Spain are selling single vouchers (typically vouchers (talones) are sold in a booklet (talonario)) just to get rid of them. It wouldn't hurt if when you are there in March, stop over a couple (Julia Tours, Maupintour, Corte Ingles, Carrefour) and ask for availability of single Bancotel vouchers.

I am sure you'll get more updated info from other travelers (mine dates Nov 2003), a lot of smart travelers on this site. Have a great time in Spain, you have chosen a wonderful travel destination!!

As Viajero2 tels us, Bancotel vouchers usually expire on 31 Mar.
Many Hotels will publish a calendar for each month showing the dates Bancotel coupons will be accepted and when they will not.
If your March trip extends to Semana Santa (Apr 2-8), forget about using Bancotel coupons. That's peak season!

Some of the notations you refer to may relate to how many vouchers required (i.e., 2-coupons, 1-night or 3-coupons for 2-nights). The latter may be a hassle if you just plan 1-night's stay in a hotel. The notations should be explained (albeit in Spanish) at the base of the calendar.

AO stands for Accomodation Only That means breakfast is not included and yes, C stands for Closed, so these days don't accept the voucher.

Thank you all for your kind response. Kenderina, I cannot believe I never thought "AO" stands for acommodation only... duh...

Too be honest I find the navigation of Bancotel's website not quite there, I wasnt able to search just by entering hotel names nor could I find the notations for abbrevations anywhere.

Viajero, where could I enter my budget (price) in order to search the right hotel on Bancotel? We will be traveling to a few cities ans staying in Spain for 2-3 weeks so maybe we could use up a whole book of voucher. The two year expiration is actually March of 2007? I assumed that they will have vouchers out every year that expires in two years...hmmm

Nedsireland, So when would the best time to make reservation using Bancotel if I was to arrived on the 3rd of March? I will not be traveling during Easter, although I truly wanted to, but realized that the higher price and the crowd might be a little too much.

Thanks again.

Ophelia-- when you enter city and date, you can rank the hotels by price. Obviously, the vouchers that expire March 2007 were issued two years prior. Travel agencies may have single vouchers for sale when the expiration date approaches (to get rid of them), that is vouchers issued on 2005. There is a small commission, but it is worth the stop at a travel agency. Again, weekdays stays are more expensive to discourage business travelers.

Ophelia writes: "Nedsireland, So when would the best time to make reservation using Bancotel if I was to arrived on the 3rd of March?"

Sorry, I don't know the answer to your question. If it were me, I think I would work out my itinerary and start making reservations after Los Reyes (6 January).

Re. your concern about higher prices and crowds: You can expect some of the same if your itinerary takes you to the Comunitat de Valencia in mid-to-late March. 19 Mar is San Jusé and it is celebrated with las Fallas de Valencia - but fiestas and bullfights continue to the end of March down the Costa Blanca.