These tips are for first time travelers to Spain. Many seem obvious,
but one is always surprised at questions new travelers ask in the Trip
Advisor forums. One has to do some homework if one's trip will be one of
pleasure and have less stress.
1. Buy a book about travel to Spain. Read it and decide what parts of Spain interest you and which cities you want to visit.
2. Get an idea of the geography of Spain. This is a good article from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geograph...
Be aware that Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe
(after France) and one of the most mountainous (after Switzerland). The
central meseta is a highland plateau and Madrid is on this meseta. Be
aware of distances between cities. Google Maps or the Via Michelin
website can tell you what these distances are.
3. The best time to travel in Spain is spring and fall because that
is when good weather occurs. The months of April, May, June, September,
and October are very good for travel. Summer is quite hot, especially in
inland cities like Seville, Cordoba, and Madrid. The months of July and
August are very crowded in resorts along the Mediterranean, so early
reservations for hotels are required for these areas.
If one want to visit cities in northern Spain near the Atlantic, such
as San Sebastian, Oviedo, and Santiago de Compostela and the rest of
Galicia, the months of July and August are the best. Barcelona, the
Costa Brava, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands are best from May to
September.
The Costa del Sol and Almeria are the best places to visit during
winter because they are the warmest. The Costa del Sol has balmy weather
during summer. Almeria hardly gets any rain during the year. Nights in
Granada are always cool because it is high up in the mountains. The
central plateau gets weather extremes during summer and winter.
There are many weather sites that will give one the average
temperatures by month for every city in Spain. It is best to check them
before making travel plans. Be careful of traveling during winter,
especially if you are driving. Many mountain passes get closed and
having chains is very important to have in a car.
It makes no sense to travel to places like Leon, Burgos, Vitoria,
Pamplona, and Logroño during winter. They get very cold and have much
snow and ice. Not all of Spain is sunny all year long. Check the weather
for each place you want to visit before making travel plans. The
following site will give one average temperatures by month for each
city.
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/f... spain&wuSelect=WEATHER
4. During fall, many resorts in the north of Spain and along the
Mediterranean have many of their stores and restaurants closed for the
season. This may happen in the middle of September. This never happens
in the Costa del Sol, which is always open because there are many
northern Europeans who migrate during this time and spend winter in the
area.
It is also a fallacy that most stores and restaurants close up during
summer in big cities. Madrid is a city of 5 million and most stores and
restaurants are open all year long.
5. Madrid is in the geographic center of Spain. King Felipe II chose Madrid to be the capital of Spain for this very reason.
The best way to travel from Madrid to other cities is by the high
speed train, the AVE. It beats air travel because it is more comfortable
than the plane, because you can move around in the train and go to the
cafeteria car to eat snacks. Airlines like to restrict movement of
passengers within the plane. Spain is now the European country with the
largest network of high speed trains. If you have never traveled on a
high speed train, you will enjoy the travel on the AVE.
Read Buying Renfe Tickets Online. Study the map which shows what
cities that the AVE goes to. You may be able to get the web discounts if
you buy early.
If one is to travel between extremities of Spain, such as Malaga and
Barcelona, then the plane is better because the time will be much
shorter than the train.
Be aware that the AVE still does not go to Granada, so the best way to get to this city may be the plane or the bus.
A Rail Pass will be more expensive than buying tickets at Renfe directly. You cannot get the discounts that Renfe gives.
6. Do not plan to see too much of Spain at one time. Many want to see
one new city every day. They may be unaware of the distances between
cities and one does not want to be traveling every single day. It is
best to stay in cities for at a minimum of two nights, preferably three.
That way one can see a city in depth and remember it. Spain has to be
savored slowly with time for one to sit at a sidewalk cafe, eating tapas
and drinking a glass of wine while one sees the passing parade or
contemplates a monument.
7. Most travelers will want to experience Andalusia. From propaganda
in foreign countries, Andalusia will be more like what a tourist expects
of Spain, being the image of Spain, with women dancing flamenco, and
with flowers in their hair. There are many monuments in Andalusia, such
as the Alhambra Palace in Granada, the No. 1 tourist attraction of
Spain, getting 3 million visitors a year. If you plan to visit the
Alhambra, read Buying Alhambra Tickets Online. Cordoba has the Mezquita,
and Seville has its Cathedral with the Giralda Tower and many other
monuments. Do not forget Malaga, which has many monuments and museums,
as well as its beaches and the best weather in Europe.
8. Many say that Spain's best invention are its tapas. About 30% of
visitors say they come to Spain for gastronomy. In most places in Spain
one can eat marvelously. One can eat tapas instead of having lunch or
dinner and enjoy a wide variety of food. Read the top question in the
Trip Advisor forums for each city you want to visit to see if there are
articles about good restaurants and tapas places.
9. The best way to get euros is to use an ATM machine. Spain is the
European country with the most ATM machines and every block in cities
has an ATM machine. Be sure to contact your bank that you will be using
your ATM in Spain. The back of your ATM card will show what networks
your bank is tied to, so using an ATM machine with the same network will
minimize any currency charges. When you use an ATM machine, try to find
one inside a bank for better security. Most banks will have an ATM
machine inside the bank and another on the sidewalk.
You may
want to opt to not purchase Travelers Checks. There very few exchange
locations and rates are high. You could lose a great deal in the
exchange. Spanish banks will not accept Travelers Checks, nor will
businesses. If you do not have an ATM , your best option is either to
buy euros from your bank (the rate of exchange + % they add per dollar +
flat order and shipping fee), or take dollars to Spain and exchange
them at a bank (the rate of exchange + % they add per dollar or some
banks will offer flat fee exchange rates per x number of dollars for
euros exchanged). Spanish banks also close for the day typically by 2:30
p.m. While you can find other exchange locations open after banking
hours, exchange rates will be higher.
10. If you plan to rent a car and drive, read the Driving Guide for
Foreigners. You will need an International Driving Permit. Be aware that
it is almost impossible to find free parking on the street in cities.
In big cities a commercial parking garage will cost between 18 and 30
euros a day. Hotels with parking will charge about 11 to 12 euros a
night for parking. For Andalusia, check the top questions for parking
guides for different cities. Rental Cars are available at any major
airport with offices of the big international rental companies such as
Hertz, Avis, Europcar...Some local companies received a lot of negative
feedback such as Record Rent a Car.
11. You can see Spain with a group tour. However be aware that most
tours of Spain will try to allow you to see the most monuments and
cities, so they do not leave one with enough free time. One cannot
dawdle with these tours. For many older travelers, they may be too fast
paced and one may develop health problems because of this. Most of them
go by bus, so it is not much fun to be traveling by bus all day. One can
see Spain on one's own without a group tour if one plans properly. One
is perfectly safe in Spain by going alone. If one is mature one does not
need a chaperone or guide to tell him what to do all day long.
12. Read Money Saving Tips for Spain.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g18...
13. Electricity Info for Spain:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g18...
14. Have a Happy Trip in Spain!
