Spain is a stunning country in Europe that is the ideal holiday destination. You have everything there from culture, food, good weather, plenty of history and beautiful beaches. I have been to many parts of Spain, many times – it is one of my favourite places to visit. There are certain cities in Spain like Barcelona and Madrid which are ideal for long weekends away and island parts of Spain like Tenerife or Mallorca which are perfect for more relaxing week long trips by the beach.

If you are a huge foodie like me, you will absolutely love Spain. Their cuisine is ideal for both meat eaters and vegetarians/vegans as there is so much to choose from. Spain is famous for it’s tapas dishes which are small dishes that you can order as many or as little as you like and share the dishes around your family or friends.

Intro & Culture

Spain, a country on Europe’s Iberian Peninsula. It includes 17 autonomous regions with diverse geography and cultures. Capital city Madrid is home to the Royal Palace and Prado museum, housing works by European masters. Segovia has a medieval castle (the Alcázar) and an intact Roman aqueduct. Catalonia’s capital, Barcelona, is defined by Antoni Gaudi’s whimsical modernist landmarks like the Sagrada Familia church.

CURRENCY

In Spain, the main currency is Euros. I didn’t get any Euros out before I went and instead I used my Monzo card when purchasing things. I use Monzo which is an app based bank account and contactless card. (There are lots of similar ones to choose from though). It also alerts you once you’ve used the card and gives you the current exchange rate on purchases too. I prefer keeping track of my expenses by using the app over having receipts printed. This makes it easier for me to calculate how much I’ve spent.

Download the app “Currency Plus” to get currency conversions on the go. It updates daily and when connected to WiFi or Network to give you the latest conversion and you can have multiple currencies shown in one go.

Download here: Apple App Store // Google Play Store

LANGUAGE

In Spain, they speak English and Spanish. If you know a little Spanish, it really does go a long way. Even knowing Hello, Thank you and Please – it really does help. Below I will leave some helpful Spanish phrases and words to help you get by. I would recommend downloading a translating app to help you learn words as you go along or refreshing your knowledge from school before you go.

• Hello – Hola
• Goodbye – Adios
• Thank you – Gracias
• Thank you very much – Muchos Gracias
• Yes – Si
• No – Non
• Good-Morning – Buenos Dias
• Good Afternoon – Buenas Tardes
• Good Night – Buenas Noches
• The bill please? – La cuenta, por favor
• Please – Por favor
• I’m sorry – Lo siento
• I don’t speak Spanish – No hablo Español
• You’re welcome – De nada

RELIGION

Catholic Christianity is the largest religion in Spain, but practical secularization is strong. Only 3% of Spaniards consider religion as one of their three most important values, even lower than the 5% European average. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 abolished Catholicism as the official state religion, while recognizing the role it plays in Spanish society. As a result, there is no official religion and religious freedom is protected.

TIMEZONE

Spain has two time zones which are Central European Time (GMT+01:00) and Central European Summer Time (GMT+02:00).

However in the Canary Islands, the time zone is Western European Time (GMT+00:00) and Western European Summer Time (GMT+01:00) and follows the UK with it’s time zones.

READ MORE: 10 Travel Tips You Need To Know Before Visiting Spain

CUISINE

Food and eating out in Spain is amazing. There are so many places to eat out at and so many yummy dishes to try. In Spain you definitely need to eat tapas and paella – and lots of it. Eating out in Spain is known to be very late. Most places won’t be open in the mornings depending on what they serve foodwise. The typical time to eat out is past 8pm and as late as possible. As they have siestas around 4-5pm and then go out later in the evening.

There are so many delicious places to eat in Spain and tapas is one of the best things you can eat there. Here are some places you should check out across Spain:

• H10 – Madrid
• Mercado De San Miguel – Madrid
• Grama Lounge – Madrid
• La Casa Del Abuelo – Madrid
• Majaderitos – Madrid
• La Catedral – Madrid
• Revoltosa: Taberna Para Gatos – Madrid

READ MORE: 6 Delicious Places To Eat At In Madrid

• Maria Restaurant – Los Abrigos, Tenerife
• Colala – Playa Fanabe, Costa Adeje, Tenerife
• Harriet’s Tea Room – Playa Fanabe, Costa Adeje, Tenerife
• Colonial – Playa Fanabe, Costa Adeje, Tenerife
• El Caldero – La Caleta, Costa Adeje, Tenerife
• Carlos – San Eugenio, Costa Adeje, Tenerife
• Tony Romas Steakhouse – Playa Fanabe, Costa Adeje, Tenerife
• 88 Oriental – La Caleta, Costa Adeje, Tenerife 
• Jamon Jamon – Playa San Juan, Tenerife

READ MORE: 11 Places To Eat At In Tenerife

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BUDGET TIPS

Suggested Daily Budget – 40-45 EUR 45-50 GBP – Whilst in Madrid I spent around £222.65 during our 5 days there. This is a rough guide of how much I spent on meals, public transport and general shopping. Using my money savings tips below, you can help keep your spending down and find great deals.

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Travel tips

VISAS

You won’t need a visa to visit Spain no matter where you are travelling from. But you may need to fill in an immigration card.

INJECTIONS

You do not need any injections to visit Spain.

READ MORE: A Guide to Vaccinations And Visas Around The World

CAPITAL/CITY

The capital of Spain is Madrid. Madrid has been the capital of Spain since 1606. Toledo was the capital for quite an extensive period from 1561. Most people seem to think the capital is Barcelona and rightly so, but it’s actually Madrid. Spain has lots of cities which include Barcelona, Seville, Toledo, Valencia, Bilbao, Granada and many more.

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EXPLORE SPAIN

Barcelona | Tenerife | Toledo | Madrid | Mallorca 

DRIVING

It’s quite easy to drive around in Spanish countries especially if you’ve done it before. We hired a car whilst in Tenerife but whilst in Mallorca, Barcelona and Madrid we didn’t. But we used plenty of public transport. I will have a post up about Madrid’s public transport very soon.

READ MORE: Transport In Madrid | How To Get Around

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Packing Tips

WHAT TO WEAR

You can wear pretty much anything in Spain, of course depending on the weather. Spain is known for it’s humid and warm weather. This makes it perfect for a summer or quick winter getaway. You can pretty much wear anything you like to correspond with the weather.

WEATHER

The weather in Spain is known to be humid and warm. I love visiting Spain from around September onwards to get away from the colder weather in the UK. Spain vary rarely gets rain during it’s warmer months.

SPAIN WEATHER

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Activities

THINGS TO SEE & DO

There is so much to do in Spain from exploring the cities to trying all of the yummy food. I definitely recommend visiting the various museums across Spain, Try traditional delicacies, explore the sights and many more. We really enjoyed getting out of the city when we visited Madrid, and caught the train to Toledo – which is the old capital of Spain and it was ideal to see a side of rural Spain.

HIGHLIGHTS OF SPAIN