First Time to Spain? 10 Travel Tips to Plan Your Trip.
Last updated: Sept 2019
Featured image: Hernán Piñera (CC)
Planning a trip to Spain? I’ve spent more than 6 weeks travelling across Spain over multiple trips – and put together this Spain vacation planner to help you research, plan and book your Spain holiday. In this post, you’ll also find offers on Spain Airbnbs and hotels, recommendations for travel insurance in Spain and apps that’ll help you experience the country better.
After my recent trip to Spain, many of you have written to me to ask questions like “what’s the best time to visit the country”, “is travelling to Spain in March a good idea?” and “is it really possible for a vegetarian to survive in Spain?” I’ve written travel tips for a first trip to Europe before, but I thought it would be a good idea to dig specifically into Spain this time. So here goes, ten travel tips to make your life travel planning to Spain simpler:
In this post:
1. What’s the best time to go to Spain?
I skipped Spain during my first trip to Europe, assuming it will be unbearably hot in the land of sun, sea and sand in the months of May and June. My first impressions of Spain quickly changed that perception; the south of Spain indeed gets hot in the summer, but the more mountainous terrain in the north of the country remains pleasant, with the occasional rain. Winter starts in early November, and although Spain remains warmer than other countries in western Europe, it becomes cold enough to need boots and a good overcoat, even in the south of Spain, where rain is hardly uncommon in early winter.
So, according to me, the best time to travel to the south of Spain (Almeria, Andalusia, Jaen, Granada, Huelva), is just after the summer, from September to early November. This is also when the summer crowds have left, and autumn has painted the countryside in magical colors. On the other hand, the best time to visit the north of Spain (Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturia, Galicia) is in the summer months, between May and July.
Travelling to Spain in March: Spring is a beautiful time to explore Spain – with cooler weather, spring blossoms and minus the crowds. Both the south and north of Spain are lovely during this time.
Travelling to Spain in September: September starts to get cold in the north of Spain, but the southern region of Andalusia starts to cool off after a warm summer, as autumn colors paints the gorgeous countryside.
Also read: Culturally Intriguing Ways to Experience Europe.
2. How to get a Schengen visa for Spain?
Applying for a Schengen visa is never fun, certainly not when you own an Indian passport. If Spain is your first (or only) country of arrival in Europe, you need to apply early for a visa, which can take up to fifteen working days to be issued. Bear in mind that besides public holidays in India, the Spain embassy is also shut for public holidays in Spain.
In Delhi, it is easier to apply for a Schengen visa at VFS (Visa Forwarding Service), located in Nehru Place. Carefully put together the required documents for a Schengen Visa for Indians as mentioned on the VFS website, and supplement them with a covering letter and your resume, to show that you’re legitimately interesting in travelling to Spain. Applying for the visa costs INR 5,400. In Bombay, you can apply directly at the Embassy of Spain.
VFS no longer manages applications for Spain. Applications for a Schengen visa for Spain now need to be submitted to BLS; the process is similar to VFS, and details can be found here.
Also read: Incredible Ways to Experience the World of German Wines
3. What to pack for Spain?
I answered this in the context of travelling in early winter, among one of the readers’ questions in November’s Ask Me Anything, but in a more general sense, the answer largely depends on when and which part of Spain you’re going to. If you intend to travel to the south of Spain in summer, you better stock up on summer wear and lots of sunblock, whereas if you’re headed north, carrying warm clothes and a good umbrella is essential; the north, especially Asturias, is prone to rainfall round the year.
Depending on whether or not you’re used to Europe’s chill, I would recommend stocking for winter in Spain as you would for any other European country. It is warmer than say France or Italy in the winter, but way colder than winter in Delhi, as I would find out the hard way. Checking the weather forecast on your travel dates is a good place to start.
Also read: Living With An Italian Artist in Umbria
4. Do they speak English in Spain?
Among my first impressions of Spain, I mentioned how not being able to get by speaking English in Spain was a myth. Truth is, I spent that week travelling on a press trip with Spain Tourism, which means we got around in chartered buses and taxis, stayed in non-budget hotels, and had English-speaking guides accompany us at most times. The moment I stepped out of that bubble and into the countryside of Spain, English was neither spoken, nor understood. It is almost impossible to check in, ask for room service, understand directions or timings, negotiate, and order vegetarian food, without some basic knowledge of Spanish, the primary language spoken in Spain. In Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia, Catalan is more commonly spoken, but Spanish is universally understood throughout the country.
Unlike France, people in Spain don’t tend to judge you if you don’t speak Spanish, but for practical reasons and especially if you want to interact with the local people, a crash course before your trip is highly recommended! (I intend together to put a list of the most helpful Spanish travel phrases and share them here soon).
Also read: Life in Ibiza: A Photo Essay
5. Is Spain expensive?
Having travelled in other countries in western Europe, like Italy, Germany, France, Austria and Netherlands, I thought Spain was as expensive as an average European country. A meal at a small cafe will cost you an average of 4-6 Euros per person, whereas eating out in a decent restaurant could range from 20-25 Euros per person. Tapas bars are relatively cheap, especially in Andalusia, where the concept of tapas first originated, and it is easy to score free tapas with a drink or during happy hours. Public transport in Spain is cheaper than that in France, and a 2-3 hour bus journey on the southern countryside will cost only 5-6 Euros (it varies in different parts of the south though). Accommodation costs largely depend on what kind of a place you stay in; we found good deals for lovely boutique hotels at 45-55 Euros a night for a double.
On average, a budget of 100 Euros for two people per day is a very comfortable estimate, including staying at nice budget hotels, eating and drinking at local cafes or tapas bars, getting around with public transport, and indulging in the occasional fancy meal or Flamenco performance.
Also read: Confession: I’m Not a Backpacker
6. How is the food in Spain?
I can’t help quoting Lonely Planet’s Spain guide, which notoriously states that a vegetarian travelling in Spain is advised to carry a small stash of vitamins and a big sense of humor! I have to admit that Spain can be tough as a vegetarian, but having survived (and often been culinarily delighted) for a month in the country, it is certainly not impossible! The main challenge in Spain is that rice or wheat are not part of the staple diet, atleast on the southern countryside, and rice is considered a Sunday treat in most countryside towns. The locals literally eat meat or ham for every meal; even at breakfast, among cheese and butter spreads, spreads with atun (tuna) and jamon (ham) often show up.
During the first week of my trip, I could indulge in higher end restaurants, courtesy Spain Tourism, and was delighted to have customized vegetarian Spanish meals whipped for me. I would highly recommend indulging in atleast one authentically Spanish meal at a nice restaurant, even if it means a slight dent in your wallet.
In bigger cities like Barcelona, Cordoba and Seville, international cuisines like Italian and Mexican, and regular sandwich shops are easy to find, which serve up a handful of vegetarian dishes. In smaller towns and villages however, you are at the mercy of local joints that pretty much offer potatoes, tomatoes and eggs in the name of vegetarian food! In my month-long trip, I probably ate eggs and potatoes in all possible shapes and forms, and occasionally got lucky in finding a pizza joint at a bus station or in a small town. It is essential to know the names of the ingredients to be able to order vegetarian food, and even more essential to specify that you don’t want any form of meat, fish and especially ham in your food. I learnt the latter the hard way!
Also read: My First Impressions of Spain
7. Do you need a Eurail Pass for Spain?
I ended up in Spain without a Eurail pass, simply because between getting my Schengen visa and tying lose ends before my almost impromptu trip, I had no time to get one. Also because the two country pass for Spain and Portugal doesn’t come with the awesome youth discount. Luckily, it all worked out in my favor; I never did end up going to Portugal, and bus transportation in Spain is way cheaper than trains.
Every state in the south of Spain has its own state company, but the Alsa bus service connects many of the routes and has accurate timetables on its website. In many smaller villages, even the locals were unsure of what time a bus would arrive, especially on the weekend, but Alsa solves that. The buses are comfortable, arrive and depart exactly on time, are almost 50% cheaper than trains, many offer Wifi on board, and have connections pretty much everywhere in Spain.
However, if you’re clubbing Spain with other countries in Europe, the Eurail Pass is worth the investment and train travel in Europe is blissful!
Also read: Flying Over the Bosphorus in Style: Turkish Airlines Review
8. Where to go in Spain?
Unlike my first Euro trip, where I hopped from one country to another in western Europe, I decided to spend my second trip to Europe entirely in Spain. I wanted to make my way slowly through the gorgeous countryside of the south, taking in the endless fields of olive and the postcard villages, practicing what little Spanish I knew, sampling what vegetarian food I could find, discovering the hidden gems of the much-treaded south, soaking in the beauty of autumn, and essentially, living like a Spaniard, complete with long lunches, longer siestas, and indulging in Flamenco music and the Spanish guitar (though the last is reduced to the gypsy quarters now). Our plans were impulsive and flexible, and our final route turned out to be: Barcelona >> Almeria (Tabernas and San Jose) >> Granada >> Jaen (Segura de la Sierra and Baeza) >> Andalusia (Cordoba and Seville) >> Huela (El Rocio). I loved all of it, though I did crave for warmer weather in Jaen!
I did end up doing a fair bit of research on the north of Spain, but dropped that plan for not being sufficiently equipped for the cold. I most wanted to see the cedar and cheese country of Asturias, but everything else I read about sounded equally appealing.
My point is, Spain is not just about Barcelona and Madrid; its countryside has so much more to offer, and it would be a pity missing out on hiking through Europe’s only desert in Tabernas, living in the gypsy quarters of Granada, driving along the olive countryside of Jaen, watching a Flamenco performance in a cave in Cordoba, and seeing people get around on their horses in El Rocio. And I didn’t even see half of Spain!
Also read: Retracing the Journey of Europe’s Forgotten Refugees
9. Where to stay in Spain?
Like most of western Europe, Spain has plenty of artsy, boutique and family run accommodations to choose from. A great option is that of Casas Rurales, essentially a room, a studio or a full-fledged apartment rented for short-term stay by families, typically in small towns and villages along the countryside. It gives you a chance to mingle with a local family (though most of our hosts spoke no English at all) and stay on a budget, while experiencing the comforts of a budget hotel. Booking.com, as always, was my booking engine of choice, and unlike in Turkey, booking online turned out to be much cheaper than doing it directly.
Platforms to get the best deal on your Spain accommodation:
- Booking.com: Great for city breaks, boutique hotels and apartments. If you’re a first time user, get 10$ off your first booking.
- Airbnb: Great for homestays, long stays and local experiences. If you’re a first time user, get 40$ off your first booking.
Also read: Awe-Inspiring (yet affordable) Airbnbs in Central America
10. Travel insurance for Spain
Let’s face it: Europe is expensive, especially when it comes to medical emergencies. I highly recommend buying a travel insurance before you set out for Spain or on your Euro trip (it only works if you buy it in your home country). I use the World Nomads insurance – it’s a bit expensive, but atleast I have the peace of mind that they are easily reachable incase of emergencies, claims are easy to file and enough travellers trust them for medical support.
11. (bonus) How to find internet or Wifi in Spain?
One of the best parts of travelling in a developed country for a digital nomad or an internet addict is the ease of finding internet connectivity. Besides ensuring that all our accommodations offered free Wifi (most hotels and casas rurales do), we found Wifi connectivity in most public buses, as well as at many bus stations and cafes.
Most phone/SIM card operators like Vodafone have a strange rule in Spain, by which they don’t allow you top up your 3G/cellular data for more than 400MB! More crazy than the expense involved is the inconvenience. A local in Tarragona suggested using a Spanish operator instead, called Yoigo, which offers the standard 400MB of data, but free albiet slow cellular data for a month thereafter. And unlike the other operators, they don’t cut off your internet when the 400MB is over, they only deduct it from your main balance. Barring having to decode their occasional SMS using Google translate, it worked out just perfectly for the month I was there.
What tips do you have for planning a trip to Spain?
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Welcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.
Such an informative post, Shivya. The pictures are so very inviting. 🙂
Thanks, glad you thought so. Planning to visit Spain anytime soon?
Hi Shivya, great to read your post. I’m planning to visit this mid October. I would like to know more about where I should go if I have only 8 days in hand. I have a young 2.5 year old daughter so have to keep comfort in mind. And, yes I’m vegetarian and don’t even eat eggs! Please let me know how I can connect with you. Thanks!
Really good stuff. However a complete guide for every traveler who wish to visit Spain.
Thanks Jugmendra, hope you’ll be using it soon 😉
Great post. I always use booking.com as well for accommodation. I stumbled upon it one day and have been using it for the past year or so now.
Thanks, and likewise; it is just such a fantastic setup!
Its a surprise when I read that Spain is not so crazy about rice coz their neighbours are so obsessed with it. And now when I asked a few friends of mine, they reiterate what you’ve said. That’s really a surprise for me as to how food cultures have changed very much despite the two countries being land locked on each other from more than one side. And then to think these were part of the same peninsula, a few hundred years ago as well. Rest of the points are pretty much on expected terms and as usual, you come with a lot of information and personal insight.
I was surprised too; in retrospect, I think rice was what made travelling in Southeast Asia much easier. And now that I know Portugal has it too, I don’t have to prep myself for potatoes again! By the end of the trip, I couldn’t help but ask just how much plain meat someone can eat 😮
Yes, they live completely on meat and its hell for a vegetarian. I can imagine your plight, you poor thing! :/ I have a friend coming next week from Singapore, she is a vegetarian as well. And I am already finding places where I can take her over the course of 3-4 days. Although yes, Portugal is obsessed with batata (potato) as well though you have the option to get rice everywhere you go! And yes, rice is less common in most other European countries as well.
Spain wasn’t hell for me as a vegetarian, infact much the other end. It was only in my last week when I was repeatedly in small towns that I thought I had more potatoes and eggs than blood in me :p
I loved the variety of food; pastas, sandwiches, even some local dishes in other European countries I’ve been to. The freshness of the veggies and ingredients does it for me. But the concept of veggies is sort of unheard of in Spain! It was an experience!
Keep that list of places for me in Lisbon 🙂
I am glad you had a good time despite the handicap. Portugal might not be that easy, unless you wouldn’t mind having the beans and a whole lot of batata. 😛 Haha, I sure will keep that list for you. But that is for Lisbon, where your chances are more than lets say Porto/ Coimbra or even Faro for instance.
In spain we can speak english ? i want to go to the spain; barcelona in there english is spoken?
Loved your post and travel tips! We’re trying to decide between Spain, France. and Italy for our next month-long European vacation. I have been to France (mainly Corsica) and loved it. It also helps that we speak basic Spanish and French and are not vegetarian.
I loved Spain and France, but the spirit of the Italian people made me fall so much more in love with Italy. And you can get by with basic Spanish in Italy; vegetarian food there is a delight even if you’re not vegetarian 🙂
Yay, we’ve been leaning towards Italy as well since it is known to be the one of the most kid-friendly European countries. Thanks for the recommendation!
Loved your travel tips. Wonder how even non vegetarians can eat the meat everyday for every meal. 🙂
Priyanka, you are right. I am a non vegetarian who doesn’t enjoy this predicament anymore. Therefore I made it mandatory to go on salads once a day or even fruit. And I am coming home for good next month, told mom not to get me anything remotely meat-ish atleast for a month. 😀
Ya even I am a non vegetarian. But can’t eat so regularly. Enjoy the non meat-ish dishes for one month 🙂
I know what you mean Priyanka. A lot of reviews for non-tapas restaurants on TripAdvisor said the same!
Nikhil, I’m sure you get international cuisine (with veg options) in Lisbon, no?
International cuisine with veg options , yes ofcourse (Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Thai whatever). As a tourist, you can keep trying out cuisines although once you decide to stay somewhere for more than a month, you got to start cooking (are you a good cook? ) than having to depending on food from outside. I meant from that point of view.
Just wondering what will be in store for those who do not take even eggs ! Though Spain is not on my agenda right now but the way you have presented the information by inter spreading with beautiful pics makes it worth reading.
Hey Shivya,
This is an amazing post! I just stumbled upon this page while doing my research on Spain. Wonder if you can help me with some more pointers on travelling between specific cities, neighbourhoods to stay in and any other suggestions on things to do and see. I am planning a 2 week trip sometime end of June or early July. As of now I have shortlisted Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Granada & Ibiza for my itinerary. However, I feel this might get too hectic and I would need to drop a place or two off this list. Would really love your suggestions on what places to do and how to do them. Oh btw I am a vegetarian too and I always have a tough time so I carry dozens of packs of maggi and some spicy snacks wherever I go 🙂
Hey Rijuta,
You’re right; 2 weeks to cover 5 places will be a tad too hectic, though the RENFE high speed train is fantastic and cover distances really fast. If you only want to do cities and can afford the high speed train, you could spend 2 days in Seville and 3 in each of the others. But my suggestions would be to do Madrid (which is beautiful, you can see here https://the-shooting-star.com/2013/04/05/madrid-photo-essay/) and then head south.
You could spend 10 days in the south, and besides Seville and Granada, you could go do to Cordoba (which I absolutely loved and has fantastic flamenco). You could also explore smaller towns and villages if you have time. The Andalusian countryside is gorgeous. Do check the weather though – as it tends to get really hot in the summer.
Thanks a lot Shivya
🙂
Hey Shivya
I am in Netherlands and want to travel Spain for 8N, 9D during October. This is with my family (wify & twins – 3years old) Barcelona & Madrid are on top of my list. Now having read the blog, I was wondering to cut-short a day both @ Barcelona & Madrid and add Sevilla. Can we listen some advise from the expert? Also being a veggie, seems to be a challenge
Hi Shivya
I have more-or-less finalised trip and am going to Barcelona and Malaga only. Also if you can suggest good places in-around Malaga, that will help
Cheers
-Amal
Hi Amal,
I haven’t been to Malaga, but it seems Cordoba is just an from there by train. I loved Cordoba, just a pretty town with a nice vibe. This should give you some more ideas – http://wikitravel.org/en/Malaga
Sorry can’t be of too much help here. Have a great trip and share your suggestions when you’re back 🙂
Hi Shivya,
Your blog is so informative for those of us who are just venturing into the world outside of America now that our kids are less dependent on us. My family (husband & 2 kids aged 8 & 5) are planning a trip to Spain sometime towards the end of June to mid July. What parts of Spain would you recommend we cover during our 10 day trip? Anything good we should see when there that you would recommend?
Also would you advise we rent a car out there or just use local transportation?
Your suggestions are highly appreciated!
Cheers,
Anu
Hi Anu
I have traveled Spain with family (spouse + twins 3+ years old) for a 10D/N vacations in October. We spend 3 N/D (including arrival day @ Barcelona) and then to Andalucia region. In Barcelona, we visited Sagrada and a few other monuments. @Andalucia, our base was Torreminolis (close to Malaga airport) and then drove to Malaga, Ronda, Granada (alhambara palace)
Spain can be divided in two parts – Cities (Barcelona, Madrid) AND then south spain (beautiful sea and amazing scenic villages & palaces). So if one is a more of a city traveler then it’s barcelona, madrid and if it’s scenic beauty, sea and a few monuments then it’s andalucia. Keep in mind, you are going in a crowded time, hence you need to buy tickets well in advance especially for Alhambara palace and other historic places.
Any other questions, drop me email at [email protected]
Reblogged this on Roiahl and commented:
This was very helpful (: I’m planning my trip to Spain and Portugal and it will be great to keep some of these things in mind as I do my research.
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Here there is still little known beautiful regions to discover as well as the famous regions we already known. The green Galicia offers coasts with dream beaches and sun along the whole country. The north-west of Spain offers too skying holidays in the mountain and a wide offer of cultural attractions.
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Hi Shivya,
Interesting Blog and lot of interesting tips; I’m sure these will help during our visit to Spain.
We are planning to visit Spain in October, our boardroom will allow us up to two weeks to breath out side daily boredom 🙂 We’d like to stay in an apartment, and visit places that are interesting rather than just tourist attraction.
We would’t mind little bit of adventure, cultural trail along with art culture.
We’d be really happy if you can help us with your guidance.
Rgds,
Divakar
hi Divakar
I have traveled Spain with family (spouse + twins 3+ years old) for a 10D/N vacations in October last year. We spend 3 N/D (including arrival day @ Barcelona) and then to Andalucia region. In Barcelona, we visited Sagrada and a few other monuments. @Andalucia, our base was Torreminolis (close to Malaga airport) and then drove to Malaga, Ronda, Granada (alhambara palace)
Spain can be divided in two parts – Cities (Barcelona, Madrid) AND then south spain (beautiful sea and amazing scenic villages & palaces). So if one is a more of a city traveler then it’s barcelona, madrid and if it’s scenic beauty, sea and a few monuments then it’s andalucia. Keep in mind, you are going in a crowded time, hence you need to buy tickets well in advance especially for Alhambara palace and other historic places.
Hi, my name is Riddhi, I would like to visit Spain between 20-31 Dec 2014 (peak XMAS season) for my honeymoon (since we more fond of cold winters -snow specially compared to beaches). Can anyone please suggest me an itinerary or the best places to visit during XMAS ?
Your response would really help me to plan my honeymoon
Riddhi
Spain should be a good destination to go even in winters. I don’t think you would get snow. For that, you can think about northern france (mountain ranges) or swiss; essentially alps region
is it ok to travel Spain in January..?
Brilliant article I must say.
but I need some help from all of you.
For starters, I will be travelling to Europe for about 15 days and intend to backpack my way across a few cities. I will be travelling alone and my travel dates are October 1st to October 15th.
I want to go to Spain, Paris and London.
Can someone tell me what parts of spain will be the best and what will be the weather in Barcelona like at that time? I love beaches and some advice on those lines will be perfect.
I’m a first time traveller and I’m travelling on a tight budget and for a very short time.
Im from the south of Spain, I can ensure that the best time to come to Spain is Spring. September and October we have a phenomeno call “Gota FrÃa” which It makes rain very heavy in a short period of time.
Hey Alex… we are planning to visit south of Spain in November. Is the weather going to be fine during this period?
Hi, I and my husband are thinking of visiting the south of spain by the end of February or beginning of March for one week , it’s my first visit to spain and id really appreciate it if u can help me with the routing, we’d love to see a big city plus Andalusia and other south cities .. Thank you in advance
Impressed. using your article as my base for my trip to spain this Jan 🙂
Hi Shivya,
Are you going to update this great article with the most commonly used Spanish phrases?
I plan to visit Spain in the last week on January.
Hi Shivya,
We are planning our trip to Spain and Italy in June (during school holidays). We have 2 kids. Please recommend a few must visit places. We have planned for the following places – Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Barcelona. From Barcelona, fly out to Rome.
in Italy, we are planning for the following places – Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Venice, Milan, Lake Como, Pisa, back to Rome and fly out to Delhi.
Are these places good enough, or you suggest we can drop some and add some.
Cheers
Abheek
Very informative article , well done. We are arriving in Barcelona in mid April and have 22 days before we fly back home from Rome . Your article has given us lot of ideas on where to travel in Spain . Thx
hello Shivya
what a wonderful piece of information about Spain. i was actually looking for something like this where the countryside of Spain could be explored,& that too within the budget.After reading U, I really feel inspired to plan a trip soon!!! I may request you some more info, if required. Thanks. TC
Robin
hi. you are a nice woman!!. i am going to go spain alone next year January.
I worryed about wherther spain. What do you think about winter trip tp spain?
I have no time apart from winter.
could you tell me about tip trip to spain,If you have a good idea
Nice read…. I’m thinking of going with my 11 and 13 year old daughter for a month….. I was also thinking of having my children sign up for a fully immersion spanish language camp at the university of Barcelona. Any pointers on where to stay? Also, I enjoyed your captions of your visit..what cities would recommend for children?
Great post and very informative. I’m going to Barcelona and Madrid end of this month. I wish I could do the country side but I don’t have enough time for all that ( next time I hope ). I’m most excited about the food in Spain, I can’t imagine being a vegetarian there. Best of luck on your next travel adventures.
truly inspired by your blog and I love to travel ….. And want to travel Europe specially …. Can u tell me your email id …. I wanted to clarify lot of things (if u don’t mind) …. Like for a month stay how much it will cost for a studio apartment in country side with all daily expenses.
Thanks in advance ….. Very useful post 🙂
Interesting a valuable information for those who are interested in travelling to Spain. Congratulations for such a beautiful description.
Shivya it’s an amazing post ….very interesting to read along with being informative. I’m planning to travel Spain in November with a friend…we plan to go to Barcelona-Begur-Valencia,,,,,pls let me know how cold will it get as we want to be outdoor most of the time and is it a good time to travel…also gow r beaches in Begur if u have been there?
Nice blog. Quite informative. Exciting to know details. After being in europe for two stints of 40 days and 20 days. Both times we hired car and drove around. Planning to do so next year to spain and Portugal.
Nice post, and I could recommended you that apartements:
https://www.airbnb.es/rooms/8758182?checkin=30%2F10%2F2015&checkout=31%2F10%2F2015&guests=2&s=4fsTvcN7
https://www.airbnb.es/rooms/8754931?checkin=30%2F10%2F2015&checkout=31%2F10%2F2015&guests=2&s=4fsTvcN7
Great article. I am planning a trip to Spain next summer and this is very helpful.
https://hautechica.wordpress.com/category/categories/travel/
Hi Shivya Nath, nice article. I would like to ask you some questions about the place you stay in casa rural in Segura de la Sierra, Jaen. Do you find and book this place via the booking.com? Because I can’t find it in booking.com. You said that it’s the places that rented out by the families of the villagers right? How do I book through online? I need your help, thank you.
Hi Shivya,
Loved your article. I am planning such a trip but it seemed overwhelming to plan a big trip like this. Can you help me a bit as I have no prior knowledge of the same. My email is sj.1802 at gmail.
Thanks in advance
Hey Shivya.. Nicely penned down the experience ther!
I am travelling to europe in mid of January wit a schengen visa. I have Spain in my list during my visit. Want to spend a weekend there say like around 3-4 days. Bit confused on what to cover and when. As its a short visit to Spain coz need to cover other beautiful places in schengen boundaries, any leads for experiencing Spain for 3-4 days is highly appreciable. Also if you could advise on other places to visit apart from Spain would b very helpful.
thanks n cheers!
planning spain in april 2016 with family.madrid toledo cordoba barcelona montserrat girona are on my list.regards. any suggestions regaridng the places iswelcome.
praveen
me and my friend coming to see beaches and spanish beauty in spain. your article is worth it, thankyou. choose tips from you carefuly. coming in april 10 plz join us for suport if anyone else is coming
Wow, you inspire me!!! Great post, just subscribed to your blog to read more about your fun trips! Planning to visit Spain this year, had planned to club it initially with Portugal but reading your post, I feel I should just dedicate my time to Spain only. It will be a 9 day trip! Would that be sufficient to cover Spain?
how do you fund your trips?
as you said that you left your job and stuff
Hi There,
We would be visiting Spain in December. Do you have any tips for us?
hey shivya,
your post is so informative, can you tell me one thing. did you find vegetarian food easily ???
regards
Hi, I enjoyed reading your post. My daughter will be visiting Spain next week with a company called EF Tours. She is a high school student and will be traveling with a small group from her school. I was searching the net to find some information to share with her. Your post was very informative. So glad to you are living your dream of traveling…as it is also a dream of mine!
My daughter’s group was warned about pick pockets. Did you encounter any during your stay? – Cindy
Love this post and your photography! I just got back rom Spain and agreed with everything you wrote about. Check out my website at svadore.com for similar content.
Loved the intricacies of the post. I’m intrigued by your descriptions and want to visit Spain during December end. Also, are 10 days enough for both the southern and bits of the colder northern areas? Would love to hear about tips , do’s and don’ts.
Hi Shivya
Very well written blog. For the first time I am planning my trip by myself. Your blog is one of the first places I am reading for information. It’s has loads of information. I really like the way you discribed your travel experience and the way have written. Thank you!!!
¡Guauu! blog muy bonito para cualquier persona que quiera obtener información sobre ese tema en particular . Tengo Marruecos Tours en el pasado y que todos eran buenos .
Hi..great post..very informative and practical. Im planning to visit spain this november(2016)..gonna visit granada costa della ibiza n barcelona.
Im all alone n hoping to find a travel partner…have signed up for n number of travelmate websites..with no results..so any suggestions or help you could offer??..thank you for the post again
Hi Shivya,
How about Spain in February ?
Hi Shivya,
We are planning a March (2018) trip to Spain, with our 14 and 16 years old sons. We will probably go for 10 days. Any suggestions on an itinerary?
Thanks,
Scott
This post is why I love your blog, honesty and a genuine sense of community are two of the most important things about blogging.
Amazing!!! U R an inspiration for every Indian girl to follow her dreams. I love your blog.
how many days did you spend there ? we are planning a 10 day trip and planning what to do
I always wanted to go to Spain, but due to budgetary problems, I could not go. But with the help of these tips you have given, anybody can plan to go to Spain. Thanks for sharing it.
Hi Shivya,
It was a wonderful read indeed. I am planning to visit Spain for 10 days in the last week of September and first week of October. Initially thought of Spain and Portugal but now it seems it is difficult to cover the best of Spain alone in these days. I am travelling with my wife and 13 year old daughter. The goal is to get the best of cosmopolitan Spain as well as soak in the rural cultures of Spain. Plan to go to Barca, Madrid and then most of the time in Southern Spain. I hope accommodations in South would be an experience itself.
Look forward.
Travelling is a dream for many of us but we often cancel our plans due to budget. You have done a great job by sharing this information. There are a lot of great options for budget travel, especially when you are based in a lower cost destination. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Shivya ! I just came across your blog and its mind blowing !! truly awesome. I am planning to visit Spain and Portugal in 2019. I have made my own itinerary. I am just a bit nervous as it will be my first time abroad. And many people are calling my itineary as ‘too ambitious’. I wish to get in touch with you over mail or anything so that I can share with you my travel plan and then seek guidance from you. Do reply 🙂 thank you in advance !
Hey Shivya, that’s so amazing and informative. Am planning a trip to Spain with my husband in July around 20th, for 2 weeks. We’ll be staying in Valencia for some official reasons. Could you please suggest what best can we look around for and which places could be authentically covered, given my hubby can’t stand too much of cold. And how best to manage our expenses!! Awaiting your reply.
Thanks Shivya
Hey Shivya,
This is very informative and wonderful article and covers all the information about spain. We are planning for a spain trip. So we are 4 old friends all guys and looking out mostly to cover Madrid Barcelona Ibiza Seville and you can advise any other place except from this. We are planning to visit in 2019 and somewhere between April to June ?
How much budget per person you advise will be there? We looking to spend less on accommodation so 3 Star average hotel will be best. Please tell the budget excluding flight prices.
Looking forward to hear from you.
Thanks,
Saurabh Sinha
I am living in Spain Since 2 years and have traveled most of the places. I wanted to add two things to this article.
Food in Spain is much cheaper than in Italy or France. You can find good restaurants with menu del dias for 15 euros which is a 3-course menu. The expensive once are all touristic restaurants. People have to be careful about which one they choose to go.
And next time you visit, you must go to Asturias, That’s my most favorite region in Spain. The mountains, beaches and Sidr, it’s just beautiful. I have been there 3 times. and haven’t got tired yet. Activities life white water rafting, canoeing, hiking are the best. Asturias is always known for its seafood and pork, but for vegetarians, they have nothing (honestly nothing except cheeses). So be careful with that. But definitely try visiting Asturias once.
This guide is so helpful!! I’m going to Spain next week IM SO EXCITED!!!! Going to madrid for one day, then down to seville, ronda, granada, barcelona, and ibiza!!
Hi Shivya!
I can be hardly called a novice in comparison to your travel exploits and experience. Spain was my first solo destination (2016) and will always remain one of best destinations. As always this blog is awesome too..I would differ with you regarding two points that you made in this blog though.. having travelled in Spain, The Nederlands, Italy and Portugal I have felt the food is actually a lot less expensive in comparison to Nederlands or France..it be a bit more expensive than Portugal. The next point is regarding data packs,I got 5GB data and 3000mts of free calls to India with Lebara for 20 Euros. I understand that you travelled in 2011 and I went 5 years later. So maybe when you had been there Lebara wasn’t operating and the packages may have changed with other providers too. I got 3 GB data pack with Vodafone in Italy and Portugal.
Lastly, please plan Portugal if you haven’t…Lisbon is so charming, I am in love with that place. Porto is super nice too..Aviero is so beautiful. I so wanna go back again!
I have been forever thinking about blogging my travels but I hardly do more than two a year..dunno if its worth! ha ha!!
more power to you, keep rocking superstar!
Warm Regards,
Sharath Nambudiri