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TOP TWENTY TRAVEL TIPS FOR SPAIN

  1. In all of Spain, even small towns, most museums, monuments and castles are closed on Mondays.  Plan your schedule accordingly.  Try to plan travel between cities, trips to the beach, or places that are open daily, for Monday.  Most cathedrals are open daily.
  2. Be aware of the Spanish schedule:  La siesta es sagrada.  Nap time is sacred.  This means that everything, even museums, closes at mid-day all over Spain, even in big cities.  From 1 or 2 to 4 or 5 PM, it is time to eat and relax.  Lunch is the main meal of the day, served at 1 or 2 PM.  Most cathedrals do not close during the lunch time.
  3. If you need a bathroom, any time any where, look for a bar.  There are numerous bars even in the small towns in Spain.  Buy a drink and use the bathroom.  You can buy a coffee or cana (small beer) for around one euro.  Bring your tissues and instant hand sanitizer with you, as many bathrooms do not have paper or soap.
  4. When you get to a town or city, look first for the tourist information office, often located in the Plaza Mayor.  Ask for maps, brochures, and hotel and restaurant information, as well as schedules for museums, buses, and trains.  There is a very good tourist information office in the Atocha Renfe train station in Madrid.
  5. If you are on a budget, two star hotels are a good option since they are often as cheap as hostels.  Hostels and hotels vary greatly, so be sure to check them out before you check in- ask to see a room first.
  6. High tourist season- June, July, and August- is also high crime season.  Leave jewelry and valuables at home, and wear your purse across your shoulder.  If you forget or must wear your wedding rings, turn the stone inside to face the palm of your hand when you are on the metro or any other risky place.
  7. For a good value for a meal, ask for the Menu del Dia, available at most restaurants.  This is like the value menu at McDonald's: soup or salad, an entree, wine or water, bread , and dessert or coffee, all for a reasonable price.  You should try the Spanish restaurants instead of fast food!
  8. Try not to plan visits to churches or cathedrals for Sundays, since even in historic cathedrals there is frequent mass, weddings, communions, and baptisms.  Tourist visits are usually not allowed during these ceremonies.
  9. Watch out for the gypsy women who sell herbs- they may also try to snatch your purse.
  10. Please DO NOT wear any clothing item with the American flag or the word USA.  You will stick out like a store thumb for thieves, and for people who resent Americans.
  11. Bring sunglasses since Spain is very sunny.  In summer, bring sun tan lotion.  Drink lots of water- buy 1.5 liter bottles- since Spain is very dry and dehydration is common.  In summer temperatures throughout Spain are in the 90's, and in the 100's in central and Southern Spain.
  12. Try to learn some Spanish or bring a phrase book.  Many Spaniards, even in the tourist industry, do not speak Spanish, and they are happy to hear you try your Spanish.
  13. Children and babies are welcome everywhere, even in a bar at night.  Just don't expect to find diaper changing stations anywhere in Spain.  However, public baby changing and breast feeding are perfectly acceptable.
  14. If you wear shorts, Birkenstock sandals, a baseball cap and a San Francisco T-shirt, you will stick out.  Most women in Spain do no wear shorts, though they are becoming more popular with men.  Men in Spain do not wear baseball caps, and no one wears shirts with city names.  At night, women can wear almost anything, but men should wear pants and nice shoes.
  15. For a good value on wine to bring back, find a supermarket.  Wine in Spain is very cheap, even good brands.  Also, some really cheap wine is as good as the more popular names.  Check the limits on how much you can bring back to your home country.
  16. Spaniards are night people.  Dinner starts at 8 or 9, and many people eat even later.  Clubs usually don't get busy until midnight or 1 AM, and many are open until the early hours of the morning.
  17. When shopping for souvenirs and gifts, shop around as much as you have time for.  Prices can easily vary among stores by 10 euros for the same item, and sometimes more.  Also look for items with prices already marked, or the shopkeeper will charge you whatever they think you can afford.
  18. All beaches in Spain are public by law.  This means that any beach you can find is open to the general public.  At most beaches in Spain many women go topless.
  19. Tipping is not required in Spain, except at expensive restaurants.  It is appropriate to leave one or two euros at an average restaurant.