Spain travel guide
Spain travel guide: Barcelona, the islands, and the rhythm
Spain is one of the world's great food cultures and one of Europe's most varied geographies - Mediterranean coast, alpine Pyrenees, Andalusian desert, Galician green country. We cover Barcelona and the Balearic Islands; future expansion to Madrid, Seville, Granada.
Destinations we cover in Spain
Country overview
Spain spans Mediterranean, Atlantic, and continental climates. Late dinner culture (8-10pm), excellent rail network (AVE high-speed), siesta tradition in smaller towns.
- Language
- Spanish (Castilian), with Catalan in Barcelona/Mallorca, Basque, Galician regionally. English common in tourism; less so in smaller towns.
- Currency
- Euro (EUR). Wide card acceptance.
- Best time to visit
- May-June and September-October are ideal. August is hot and crowded with many locals on vacation. Mediterranean coast usable November-March with mild temps.
- Trip highlights
- Barcelona's Gaudi + tapas + beach, Mallorca's Tramuntana mountains + cala beaches + Palma old city.
Spain travel guide: regions, cities & when to go
Spain packs in world-class cities, beaches and food across distinct regions:
- Madrid & Central: the capital's art (the Prado), plus Toledo and Segovia day trips.
- Barcelona & Catalonia: Gaudí, beaches and the Costa Brava.
- Andalusia: Moorish Seville, Granada (the Alhambra) and Córdoba — the soul of Spain.
- Basque Country: San Sebastián's pintxos and Bilbao's Guggenheim.
- Valencia & the coast: paella's home, plus the Balearic and Canary islands.
When & how
Spring (April-June) and autumn (September-October) are ideal; the south is brutal in high summer. Fast AVE trains link the cities. Mid-range budget around $100-180/day. See the cost index.
How should a first trip to Spain be structured?
For a first visit of 10 to 12 days, the workable structure is three bases moved through in a single line so no leg is repeated: Barcelona, then Madrid, then Andalusia. Give Barcelona three nights, with one day for the Gaudi buildings and one for the old city and the waterfront. Take the high-speed train to Madrid for two or three nights; Toledo is about 33 minutes away by Avant train and Segovia about 25 to 30 minutes by high-speed train, so one of those days can be a day trip without changing hotel. Then continue south into Andalusia for four or five nights split between Seville, Cordoba and Granada. Cordoba sits on the rail line between Madrid and Seville, so it works as a stop on the way down rather than a separate excursion. Fly home from Malaga or Seville instead of returning to your arrival city. Open-jaw flights remove a wasted travel day and are the single largest structural saving on a Spain itinerary.
With seven days, drop one of the three bases entirely rather than shaving a night from each. Madrid plus Andalusia is the coherent pairing because the rail links are short and frequent. Barcelona plus Madrid alone leaves out the south, which most first-timers regret. With 14 days or more, add either the Basque coast (San Sebastian and Bilbao, two to three nights) or a Balearic island, but not both, since neither connects easily to the other and each needs its own flight or long transfer.
Getting around Spain: is the train enough?
For the classic city circuit the train is enough, and it is usually faster than flying once airport time is counted. Madrid to Barcelona takes about 2 hours 30 minutes on the fastest high-speed services, Madrid to Seville about 2 hours 20 to 2 hours 45, Madrid to Malaga about 2 hours 45, and Madrid to Valencia between about 1 hour 40 and 2 hours. Barcelona to Valencia along the coast takes roughly 2 hours 35 to 3 hours on Euromed services. Since late 2022 three operators have competed on the main high-speed lines: Renfe's AVE, the full-service Iryo and the low-cost Ouigo. Fares for the same route and hour differ sharply between them, so compare all three before booking. One trap to know: Ouigo's Madrid to Valencia trains use Chamartin station in the north of the city, while its Madrid to Barcelona trains and Renfe's Andalusia services use Atocha, so check which Madrid station is printed on the ticket before booking a connection.
Where the rail network thins out, buses take over. The north coast is the clearest case: Bilbao to San Sebastian is roughly 1 hour 15 minutes by bus, and long-distance coaches link most towns without a station. Seville to Granada is around 3 hours by train or bus. A rental car only earns its cost for the white villages of Andalusia, the Picos de Europa or a Galician road trip. In Barcelona, Madrid and Seville a car is a liability: the historic centres have restricted-access zones, and parking is scarce and expensive.
When should you go, and what does Spain cost per day?
The right months depend on which Spain you are visiting, because the country has at least three climates. The interior and the south are best in spring and autumn, and July and August in Seville and Cordoba regularly pass 40C. The Atlantic north is a different country in weather terms. Galicia is the wettest region in Spain, with parts of it recording more than 1,500 mm of rain a year, and November is the wettest month in both Galicia and Asturias; July is the driest and the only reliably warm stretch, so a Basque or Galician trip belongs in summer. The Canary Islands sit off the coast of West Africa and hold daytime temperatures of around 20 to 22C through January, which is why they are the one Spanish destination that works in mid-winter.
On cost, two honest tiers bracket the mid-range figure. A shoestring day comes to around 55 to 85 EUR per person: a hostel dorm at roughly 20 to 40 EUR, a menu del dia lunch at about 10 to 15 EUR, a supermarket dinner and one paid sight. A comfortable day runs around 180 to 280 EUR per person for a well-located three or four-star room, restaurant dinners with wine, taxis and pre-booked entries. Barcelona and San Sebastian are the most expensive cities for beds; Valencia, Seville and Granada are noticeably cheaper for the same standard. Booking high-speed trains four to eight weeks ahead is where the largest single saving sits, since walk-up fares on the Madrid to Barcelona line sit far above the cheapest advance tickets.
Spain Travel Guide FAQ
What are the best places to visit in Spain?
Madrid, Barcelona and Andalusia (Seville, Granada) top most first trips.
When is the best time to visit Spain?
Spring and autumn; the south is extremely hot in July-August.
Compare Spain with other destinations
Still deciding where to go? See how Spain stacks up head-to-head:
Popular guides: Porto vs Barcelona · Greece vs Spain
More guides: What to pack for Spain
Best time to visit Spain (real climate data)
Best months: May, June, September, October.
Spain’s warmest month is July (avg 35°C / 95°F), the coolest is January (low 1°C / 33°F). The wettest is September (93 mm) and the driest is July.
Source: Open-Meteo ERA5 climate normals (2019–2023). See the full month-by-month weather →
You Might Also Love
Before you go: see whether they speak English in Spain and what to wear, check the tap water, sort your mobile data, and find out if it is a cash or card destination, and brush up on local etiquette.
