Spain travel checklist: what to do before you go

Spain is the second most visited country in the world, so the expensive mistakes are late bookings, not bad choices. Fix your dates, then your route: the country facts recommend Madrid or Barcelona for 3–4 nights, then one high-speed train to Andalusia for 4–6 nights. Adding the islands or the north to the same 10 days is the classic error.

Book flights first. Summer (July–August) and Easter week are the two periods when prices climb fastest; shoulder months — April to June and September to October — are cheaper and cooler. Once flights are set, book the first city's accommodation, because arrival-night rooms near the centre sell out first.

Book long-distance trains now. Spain's high-speed network (AVE and its competitors) sells cheap advance fares that rise sharply close to departure; Madrid–Seville and Madrid–Barcelona are the busiest routes. If you are staying longer than a short holiday, look at the practicalities of working from Spain before you commit.

Sort money and connectivity: tell your bank you are travelling, decide between a card with no foreign transaction fee and a small cash float, and check whether your phone plan covers the EU. Spain uses the euro, and tipping is optional — rounding up or 5–10% for good table service.

Re-check opening hours and any timed tickets. Big sites such as the Alhambra, the Sagrada Família and the Prado's temporary exhibitions use timed entry, and some sell out days ahead. Confirm your first-day plan: airport-to-city transfer, check-in time, and one easy dinner near the hotel rather than a cross-city reservation.

Pack for the season you are actually getting. Inland Madrid and Andalusia swing from cold mornings to hot afternoons in spring and autumn; the north (Green Spain) is wetter and cooler than the postcards suggest. The Canary Islands run about one hour behind the mainland and stay warm year-round.

Carry your passport, boarding pass and insurance details somewhere you can reach without unpacking. If you take medication, keep it in hand luggage with the prescription or a copy. Save the emergency numbers: 112 for all services, 091 for the national police, 062 for the Guardia Civil.

On arrival, get cash only if you need it — cards work almost everywhere, and airport exchange desks are the worst rate you will see all trip. Buy a local SIM or eSIM at the airport or in the city if your home plan does not cover the EU. Then stop planning and eat: Spain's dinner hours are late, and the first night is not the one to fight it.

Your passport is the item that can end the trip before it starts. Schengen rules require a passport valid for at least three months beyond your planned date of exit, and issued within the last ten years — check both dates, because older passports are refused at the border. US, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Irish passport holders can normally stay 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, but rules change; confirm on your own government's travel advice before booking.

Carry proof of onward travel and accommodation if you are asked, and keep a photo of your passport and insurance in your phone and in email. If you are staying beyond a holiday, the requirements are different — see the visa page.

Spain uses the euro. Cards are accepted in hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and most bars, but small village bars and some taxis still prefer cash, so keep €20–50 on you. Use bank ATMs rather than exchange offices; decline the machine's own conversion rate and let your bank do it. Tipping is optional: round up, or leave 5–10% for good table service.

Budget before you book, not after. A 7-day trip and a 14-day trip have very different daily costs once trains and internal flights are added, and August on the coast is the most expensive week of the year.

No vaccinations are required for entry to Spain from most countries, but routine shots should be up to date and your own government's travel health service may recommend others depending on your route. Pharmacies (farmacia, marked with a green cross) are everywhere and staff can advise on minor problems.

Buy travel insurance that covers medical treatment and repatriation, and check what your home policy already includes. If you take regular medication, bring enough for the whole trip in original packaging with a copy of the prescription. Summer heat in Madrid, Seville and Córdoba is the main practical risk: plan indoor or shaded activity for the middle of the day and drink more water than you think you need.

Pack for the region, not for the country. Madrid and inland Andalusia are hot and dry in summer and cold in winter; the north is wet and green; the Canary Islands are mild all year and one hour behind the mainland. Layers handle spring and autumn, when a morning in Toledo can be 8 °C and an afternoon in Seville 28 °C.

Bring Type F (and C) plug adapters — 230 V, 50 Hz — plus comfortable shoes, because the old quarters are cobbled and hilly. A refillable bottle, sun cream and a light scarf or long-sleeve layer for churches are the items people most often forget.