Spain: know before you go

Spain is part of the Schengen Area, and the 90-day allowance is shared across the whole zone. US, UK, Canadian, and Australian citizens enter visa-free for tourism for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. Your passport must be valid for three months beyond your planned departure and issued within the last ten years. From late 2026, visa-exempt visitors will also need an ETIAS travel authorisation, applied for online before the trip.

Most long-haul flights land at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas (MAD) or Barcelona-El Prat (BCN), Spain's two big international hubs, with the strongest links from the US, the UK, and Latin America. You clear Schengen immigration at your first entry point, so leave time for that on any onward connection. EU and EEA citizens can enter with a national identity card; everyone else needs a passport. Madrid-Barajas itself has four terminals, so check which one your airline uses before you set off.

Trains are the natural way to move between Spanish cities. Renfe's AVE high-speed trains link Madrid with Barcelona in about two and a half to three hours and with Seville in about two and a half hours. Low-cost Ouigo and full-service Iryo now compete with AVE on the Madrid-Barcelona corridor, with Ouigo seats sometimes starting around €9. For non-residents, the Spain Rail Pass bundles 4, 6, 8, or 10 trips. Domestic flights make sense mainly for the Balearic and Canary Islands, and driving suits the countryside, though you should check tolls and your licence first.

Spain runs on the euro, and cards are accepted almost everywhere, contactless included. Small bars, taxis, and markets may prefer cash for small amounts, so keep a little on hand. Service is included in menu prices, which makes tipping optional: round up in bars and taxis and leave 5 to 10 percent in restaurants for genuinely good service. Spain has no nationwide tourist tax, though Catalonia and the Balearic Islands add a small nightly regional charge. Non-EU residents can reclaim VAT on qualifying purchases.

Spain is a safe country, and the realistic risk is petty theft: pickpocketing and distraction scams in crowded tourist spots, on public transport, and at stations. Keep your phone and wallet out of back pockets, split your cash, and use the AlertCops app to report an incident in your own language.

No special vaccinations are required for Spain beyond routine ones, and tap water is safe to drink in most of the country. EU citizens should carry a European Health Insurance Card and UK visitors a Global Health Insurance Card; neither replaces travel insurance. Pharmacies, marked with a green cross, are easy to find and pharmacists can help with minor ailments.

EU and EEA visitors roam like at home: calls, texts, and data are charged at your domestic rate while in Spain under EU roaming rules. Everyone else should pick up a Spanish prepaid SIM or an eSIM on arrival, or lean on the Wi-Fi that is standard in hotels, cafés, and airports. Spain's main mobile networks are Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, and Yoigo, and prepaid SIMs are sold at airports, phone shops, and kiosks.

Spaniards eat late: lunch runs roughly 2 to 4pm and dinner from 9 to 11pm, and many kitchens close between those windows. Greet with a handshake or two cheek kisses, and don't over-tip; service is included, so rounding up or leaving 5 to 10 percent for good service is plenty.

Castilian Spanish is the official language across Spain, and it's what you'll hear and see everywhere. Several regions add a co-official language: Catalan in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community (as Valencian), Galician in Galicia, and Basque in the Basque Country and parts of Navarre. English is common in big-city tourism and much less so in small towns and on rural roads.

Spain has invested heavily in accessible travel, from airport assistance to adapted cultural venues. Trains, city transport, and taxis offer assistance services, and the big museums and monuments are largely step-free with accessible facilities.

Spain's nationwide public holidays close banks, offices, and many shops, and each autonomous community adds its own local days on top. Plan around Epiphany on 6 January, Easter week, and the August holiday exodus, when coastal towns are packed and some city businesses close.

Book the big sights and the fast trains before you land. AVE fares are cheapest when bought in advance, and the Alhambra, Sagrada Família, and the Prado's special exhibitions sell out. Reserve rooms early for Semana Santa, summer on the coast, and city festivals.