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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

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SpainEspaña

First trip: pick Madrid or Barcelona as the first base for 3–4 nights, then one high-speed train to Andalusia (Seville, Córdoba, Granada) for 4–6 nights; do not try to add the islands or the north in the same 10 days.

Not field-verified

Spain is large and mountainous, but its high-speed network (AVE and its competitors) links Madrid to Barcelona, Seville, Córdoba, Málaga, Valencia and the north in two to three hours, so the train usually beats flying on the mainland. The day runs late: lunch at 14:00, dinner after 21:00, and many small shops close in the afternoon. August empties Madrid and fills the coast; July–August heat in the interior and Andalusia is a planning constraint, not a detail. The Balearic and Canary Islands are separate flights, and the Canaries are far off the African coast.

All regions, cities and parks in Spain (Atlas) →

Regions

Madrid and Central Spainplanned

Madrid base; Toledo and Segovia as day-trips by high-speed train

3–4 nights

Cataloniaplanned

Barcelona base; Girona, Montserrat and the Costa Brava

3–4 nights

Andalusiaplanned

Seville, Córdoba, Granada and Málaga; the classic second base

4–6 nights

Northern Spainplanned

San Sebastián, Bilbao, Asturias and Galicia; green, cooler summers

3–5 nights

Arrive

MAD

Madrid Barajas

Main hub; metro and Cercanías rail to the centre

BCN

Barcelona El Prat

Aerobús or train to the centre

AGP

Málaga

Gateway to Andalusia and the Costa del Sol

PMI

Palma de Mallorca

Balearic Islands; very busy in summer

Time math

4 days
Madrid or Barcelona 4 (one day-trip by train)
7 days
Madrid 3 + Seville 2 + Granada or Córdoba 2 (high-speed trains between all three)
10 days
Barcelona 3 + Madrid 3 + Andalusia 4 (fly or train between Barcelona and Madrid)
14 days
Barcelona 4 + Madrid 3 + Andalusia 5 + one night in Toledo or Córdoba

Country rules

Inherited by every page below
  • Spain is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
  • High-speed trains have airport-style baggage screening at the station and boarding gates that close a few minutes before departure: arrive early.
  • Carry your passport or ID: police may ask for it, and hotels must register every guest's document.
  • The Alhambra in Granada and the Sagrada Família in Barcelona sell timed tickets that sell out weeks ahead in season; book on the official sites before you fix your dates.

Etiquette

  • Eat on Spanish time: lunch 14:00–16:00, dinner from about 21:00; kitchens may be closed in between.
  • Greet with buenos días or hola when you enter a shop or bar.
  • Cover shoulders and knees in cathedrals and churches.
  • In Catalonia, Catalan is an official language alongside Spanish; signs and announcements come in both.
Semana Santa (Holy Week, moves yearly)
Processions close old-town streets in Seville, Málaga and elsewhere; rooms and trains sell out.
August
Spain's holiday month: Madrid half-closed, coast and islands full, many family restaurants closed.
Jul 6–14 (San Fermín, Pamplona) and local fiestas
Rooms in the host city sell out months ahead.
Sundays and public holidays
Most shops close; restaurants and museums open.

Money & passes

Cash necessity: 2/5

  • Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
  • Carry some cash for village bars, markets and small rural shops.
  • Tipping is small and optional: round up or leave a few coins for good service.

Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · Visas and entry

Safety

  • Pickpockets are the main risk, especially in Barcelona (Las Ramblas, the metro, the beaches) and central Madrid: keep phones off tables and bags zipped.
  • Distraction thefts (a stain on your jacket, a dropped item, a map held over your phone): walk away.
  • Summer heat inland and in Andalusia regularly passes 40°C: sightsee early and late, and rest in the afternoon like the locals.
  • Wildfire season in summer can close roads and trails; follow local alerts.
  • Emergency: 112 (the EU number) works everywhere.

Spain links to France by high-speed train from Barcelona and to Portugal by bus, train or short flights from Madrid (planned).

Open Europe

Sources