Spain is one of the world’s major tourist destinations. In this area, it’s worth mentioning that Spain is second in the world in the number of World Heritage cities, third in the number of natural spaces designated as Biosphere Reserves, and has the most Blue Flag beaches in the Northern Hemisphere.
https://megafuntravel.com/barcelona
1. Spain Quick Facts
Language Spanish
Religion Christianity
Currency EURO (€, EUR)
Visa Free 90 day visa for 60 nationalities
Power Plugs 230 V 50 Hz (C, Type)
Capital Madrid
ATM ATMs can also be easily found everywhere, allowing you to withdraw local currency using a credit or check card.
Use card Except for neighborhood stores and markets, the card can be used in most stores.
APP
Google Maps
Méteo Maroc: Méteo Maroc provides weather forecasts (weather, wind, humidity, tides, soil activity, ephemeris, warnings) for Moroccan cities for 5 days.
taxi app “Free now”
2. Packing for your trip
Air plain Ticket
Dollar Flight Club has made it easier and cheaper to buy flights to the Airport in Spain.
SIM card
Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store that solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving you access to 200+ eSIMs (digital SIM cards) globally at affordable prices.
New member one-time use 15% discount coupon
10% discount coupon for multiple use by all members.
Pacsafe Pro safe 800 Luggage Lock
Good protection against snatchers or impulse thieves.
Universal Power Adapter
One of the most essential but most forgotten items in your travel gear? A power adapter!
Travel insurance
Prepare for risky situations Travel insurance can be a big help in the event of an emergency
GoPro HERO11
If you want to capture your own memories of your travels, GoPro is the way to go. It’s small, has great image quality, and is easy to carry around
3. Transportation
Renting a car : If you’re travelling between cities in Spain or other European countries, renting a car is a great way to get around. However, it’s important to note that there are certain areas of Madrid that you’ll need to check before entering the city centre, which may be restricted depending on the vehicle’s environmental rating.
Taxi : Use the ready-to-use taxi app “Free now” in Spain
There is a 30 euro reconnaissance fare from the airport to Madrid city centre.
Taxis from the airport to Barcelona usually cost around €30.
Metro
Madrid Metro : 12 lines, plus light rail.
Hours of operation : 06:00 ~ 1:30
Fare: 1.5 to 2 euros per trip (depending on distance)
You must purchase a transport card, which can be purchased from vending machines in metro stations.
Price: 12.20 euros for 10 charges + 2.50 euros to purchase the card
A 3 euro supplement (suplemento aeropuerto) must be charged for airport travel
Tourist transport passes are available for €8.4 (Zona A 1-day pass) to €70.80 (Zona T 7-day pass) and can be purchased at tourist information centres in the airport terminals.
Barcelona Metro : 11 lines in total
Hours of operation : Monday to Thursday, Sunday 05:00 to 24:00. Friday 05:00 to 2:00. Saturday 24 hours.
Cost: €2.40 for a single trip, €11.35 for a 10-trip ticket (Z0NA1).
Bus
Buses in Madrid: local buses = blue / intercity buses = green
Fare: 1.50 euros per trip, cash is accepted up to 5 euro notes.
Multi card : Buses and metro can be used with a transport card.
Barcelona Bus: 101 city bus routes in operation
Price: 2.40 euros for a single trip, 11.35 euros for a 10-trip ticket (ZONA1)
The Barcelona Card gives you free and discounted entrance to selected art galleries/museums and unlimited travel on public transport (metro, buses, line 1 of the Rent-a-Rail, and line L9 at Medro Airport).
Trains
Madrid (Atocha station), Barcelona (Sants station), Seville, Málaga and Valencia are served by the high-speed rail line AVE.
International trains arrive and depart from Madrid’s Chamartín station and Barcelona’s Sants station.
4. Safety
Spain is generally known as a safe travel destination. However, you should consider some precautions to stay safe while traveling. Spain’s major cities are generally safe, but caution may be needed in heavily touristed areas. It is important to be wary of thieves and scammers and to guard your personal belongings.
Useful phone numbers for tourists
Unified emergency number: 112
Emergency Medical/Police: 092
5. Climate
Most areas have four distinct seasons, with the southeastern coastal areas having a Mediterranean climate, the northwestern coastal areas having an oceanic climate, the inland highlands having a continental climate, and the Canary Islands having a subtropical climate with mild temperatures throughout the year.
Spring Autumn (8~21℃, 46~70℉), Summer (25~45℃, 77~113℉), Winter (0℃~12℃, 32~54℉ ), Canary Islands (average 22℃, 72℉)
There is little precipitation and it doesn’t rain often, so you don’t have to worry much about rain. It may feel cool and chilly in early November, so it is recommended to wear several layers of long-sleeved clothes to keep warm and regulate your body temperature. Spring and fall are good times to travel. You can feel the warm Spanish weather. The summer months of July and August are perfect for traveling to resorts, but most locals are on vacation and the area is crowded with travelers from all over the world. If you want to feel the local vibe, spring and fall are recommended.
The weather varies greatly by region.
6. price
Food purchased at the supermarket is especially cheap. However, be careful when calculating expenses as lodging is expensive and many places require you to pay an entrance fee.
7. Travel precautions
There is a Siesta culture, which means ‘nap’, so they usually close between 1pm and 5pm. Places with a lot of tourists may operate without a siesta and have slightly different closing times.
Restaurant: In Spain, people eat five times a day, so meal times are different from ours. In particular, please note that lunch starts around 2pm and dinner starts around 9pm.
It is customary for Spaniards to greet each other by touching cheeks twice on first contact, although a handshake is often used instead.
Physical contact with children can be mistaken for a child sex offence, so be careful.
8. Etiquette & Service Tip
The ‘Siesta’ culture is an old Spanish custom to avoid the hot midday sun and the sweltering heat in the summer. Typically, people take a nap between 1 PM and 5 PM, and general stores and government offices are closed.
No Tip included
In general, Spain is not a tipping country. However, in tourist cities such as Barcelona, Madrid and Seville, tipping has become the norm, as the country ranks high in the world tourist rankings.
In general, tipping is not required in restaurants, but if you feel that the service was really good or the food was delicious, it’s a good idea to tip 10% of the bill.
Usually, I don’t tip or leave some change.
In taxis, tipping is not required, but you can give a small change of less than one euro.
10. Holidays
The following are the national public holidays for 2024:
1 January, New Year
29 March, Good Friday
1 May, Workers’ Day
15 August, Assumption
12 October, Spain’s National Day
1 November, All Saints’ Day
6 December, Day of the Spanish Constitution
25 December, Christmas Day
2025 National Public Holidays:
Wednesday, 1 January : New Year’s Day National
Monday, 6 January : Epiphany National
Friday, 28 February : Andalusia Regional Holiday Andalusia*
Saturday, 1 March : Balearic Islands Regional Holiday Balearic Islands*
Wednesday, 19 March : St Joseph’s Day Basque Country, Castile-La Mancha, Murcia & Valencia*
Thursday, 17 April : Maundy Thursday National except Catalonia & Valencia*
Friday, 18 April : Good Friday National
Monday, 21 April : Easter Monday Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Catalonia, La Rioja, avarre & Valencia*
Wednesday, 23 April : Aragon Regional Holiday Aragon*
Wednesday, 23 April : Castile and León Regional Holiday Castile and Leon*
Thursday, 1 May : Labour Day National
Friday, 2 May : Madrid Regional Holiday Madrid*
Thursday, 15 May : San Isidro Madrid*
Saturday, 17 May : Galician Literature Day Galicia*
Friday, 30 May : Canary Islands Regional Holiday Canary Islands*
Saturday, 31 May : Castile-La Mancha Regional Holiday Castile-La Mancha*
Saturday, 7 June : Eid al-Adha Ceuta & Melilla*
Monday, 9 June : La Rioja Regional Holiday La Rioja*
Monday, 9 June : Murcia Regional Holiday Murcia*
Friday, 13 June : San Antonio Ceuta*
Thursday, 19 June : Corpus Christi Castile-La Mancha*
Tuesday, 24 June : St John’s Day Catalonia, Galicia & Valencia*
Friday, 25 July: National Day of Galicia Galicia*
Friday, 25 July: Saint James’ Day Basque Country & Madrid*
Monday, 28 July: Day of the Institutions Cantabria*
Tuesday, 5 August : Our Lady of Africa Ceuta*
Friday, 15 August : Assumption of Mary National
Tuesday, 2 September : Day of Ceuta Ceuta*
Monday, 8 September : Asturias Regional Holiday Asturias*
Monday, 8 September : Extremadura Regional Holiday Extremadura*
Monday, 8 September : Our Lady of Victories Melilla*
Thursday, 11 September : National Day of Catalonia Catalonia*
Monday, 15 September : Cantabria Regional Holiday Cantabria*
Wednesday, 17 September : Day of Melilla Melilla*
Thursday, 9 October : Valencian Regional Holiday Valencia*
Sunday, 12 October : Fiesta Nacional de España National except Catalonia & Valencia*
Saturday, 1 November : All Saints’ Day National
Sunday, 9 November : Virgin of Almudena Madrid*
Wednesday, 3 December: San Francisco Javier Navarre*
Saturday, 6 December: Constitution Day National
Monday, 8 December: Immaculate Conception National except Ceuta
Thursday, 25 December: Christmas Day National
Friday, 26 December: St Stephen’s Day Balearic Islands & Catalonia*
*Autonomous Communities