Spain is a country in southwestern Europe that is officially called the Kingdom of Spain. Although there are various places of Spanish territory around the world, the main territory of Spain is located on the Iberian Peninsula. The primary language in Spain is Spanish and its main ethnic group is Spaniards at nearly 90 percent. Spain’s largest city and official capital is Madrid. Other large and well-known cities include Barcelona, Seville and Valencia.
Spain primarily enjoys a Mediterranean climate with warm and dry summers. Coastal areas in the north have a humid oceanic climate and the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula has an arid climate. Spain is a major tourism hub with the second-largest tourist industry in the world. Visitors often flock to its beautiful coastlines and vibrant culture spots within the large cities such as the Sagrada Família in Barcelona.
Explore the destinations of Spain
Here you will find our tips for a great time in Spain
The Spanish Andalusia is the southernmost region of Europe. Only the Street of Gibralta, 14 kilometers wide, separates the region from Africa.
Hardly any other city in Europe is as high on the "travel wish list" as Barcelona. Rightly, we think, one should visit the capital of Catalonia and if it is feasible, stay a little longer.
The oldest Canary Island is Fuerteventura. The island is located about 100 kilometers off the African mainland in the Atlantic Ocean and is not only very popular with windsurfers and kite surfers.
About 140 kilometers off the Moroccan coast in the Atlantic Ocean lies the island of Lanzarote. The Canary Island belongs politically to Spain and is a dream destination.
The Mediterranean island of Mallorca is located just under 170 kilometers from the Spanish mainland. The Balearic Island is one of the most popular vacation regions in Spain.
Tenerife is the largest Canary Island and belongs to Spain. About 900.000 inhabitants live on the island and every year it attracts countless holidaymakers.
Travel information for Spain
Best travel time
The climate in Spain varies according to the region. Most holidaymakers are attracted to the country in the summer months. At this time it is humid on the coasts, in the interior it tends to be hot and dry. In the mountains you can ski in winter.
Entry regulations
By plane
Besides the largest Spanish airline Iberia, there are also smaller scheduled airlines and low-cost airlines. Madrid and Barcelona are the hubs of air traffic in Spain.
From Germany, numerous airlines fly to the most diverse destinations in Spain.
By train
Spain has a well-developed high-speed rail network. Connections from Germany are mainly through two level crossings between France and Spain, one to the west and one to the east of the Pyrenees.
Reservations are compulsory on long-distance trains.
By bus
From Germany, intercity buses run from some major cities to Spain.
By car
By car, it takes a while to get to Spain, especially from Germany. When driving in Spain, you should be aware that most Spanish motorways are subject to tolls. The driven distance is paid with a ticket system. Roughly calculated 100 km cost about 10,-€. Some urban motorways may be toll free.
Entry is possible for German citizens with the following documents: passport, identity card. When entering Germany by plane, this must be valid, otherwise it may not be valid for more than one year.
On the road in
Within Spain it is advisable to travel by bus, train or car.
By bus
The long-distance bus network in Spain is well developed and functions better than rail transport. There are different line operators for individual routes.
By rail
RENFE, the national railway of Spain, has several high-speed lines in the country. If you look at the railway network, you will notice that most of the connections go to and from Madrid.
Due to cost-cutting measures, the state railway’s timetable has suffered greatly. Many connections have been cancelled and the timetable thinned out.
In northern Spain, a narrow-gauge railway (FEVE) operates, in the Basque Country the EuskoTren operates and in Catalonia the FGC operates.
By car
In Spain:
- Motorway (motorway marked AP xx): max 120 km/h, toll, few entries and exits, good quality, forbidden for slow traffic
- Autovias (motorway marked A xx): max 120 km/h, quality often worse than Autopista, slow traffic allowed
- National roads (marked N xxx): single lane 90 km/h, otherwise 100 km/h
- Country roads: 90 km/h
- in town: 50 km/h,
- private towing prohibited
- Turn left: the tracks are often on the right side and cross the road at right angles
- blood alcohol limit 0,5
- Telephoning at the wheel can be very expensive with up to 600€
Language
Castilian, Galician, Catalan and Basque are spoken in Spain. Spanish (Castilian) is an official language.
In the large tourist centres, you can communicate very well in German and English. In rural areas it is recommended to speak some Spanish.
Plugs
In Spain plugs of type C, F and L are used. For the types C and F, deute holidaymakers do not need an adapter. Occasionally there are still sockets of type L for which an adapter is needed.
Currency
In Spain you pay with the euro.
Tip
In Spain’s restaurants, people do not expect to leave more than 5% tip on the table.
No tip is expected for taxi rides. However, the driver will certainly be happy about it.
At the hotel the rule of thumb is to tip around €1 per night or order to the room.