SPAIN The Definitive Travel Guide

WHAT LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN IN SPAIN?

The official and universal language in Spain is Spanish (español). Howeverin Spainthe language is most commonly called Castellanoreferring to the region of Castile where it comes from.

   Did you know? Spanish is not the only language spoken in Spain. While 98.9% of the population speaks itthere are 3 other languages that are officially recognized: BasqueCatalan and Galician.

The Basque language is known as euskara in Basque and vasco in Español. In addition to being spoken in the Basque Countryit can also be heard in northern Navarre and a small area in France just on the other side of the border.

Basque is the only surviving pre-indo-european languagewhich means that it isn’t related to Spanish at all – or any other known language in the world for that matter. To this dayno one is quite sure how Basque survived or where it comes from.

Catalan and Galician (gallego in Spanish) are both romance languages and much more similar to Spanish. The Catalan language encompasses several dialects that are spoken in CataloniaValencia and the Balearic Islands – basically the whole eastern Mediterranean coast of Spain. From an outside perspectiveCatalan may seem like a mixture of Spanish and French.

Galician, on the other handis much more closely related to Portuguese. In factit is a Portuguese sister language with some Castellano influences. Galician is spoken in the northwestern corner of Spain in Galicia and to a lesser extent in western Asturias.

BUSINESS HOURS IN SPAIN

Spain has a schedule all of its own. From Monday to Fridaymost businesses close between 2 and 5 pm, give or take. On Saturdaysthey don’t reopen in the afternoon. And on Sundayspretty much everything is closed.

   Keep in mind: Government offices and banks are usually only open in the morning on weekdays.

There are also some exceptions to these strange business hours. Shopping malls don’t close in the middle of the day. Many chain stores don’t either. You really just have to check – but be aware.

In larger cities such as Barcelona and Madridsome stores open on particular Sundays which are specially declared shopping days. This usually happens in Decemberjust before Christmas.

Then there are the Chinese-run shops that can be found in even the most obscure locations in Spain. Los chinosas they are referred tohave found a permanent place in Spanish society with stores selling just about everything imaginable – a little bit like a dollar store. The Chinese are open when no one else is, including Sundays.

EATING TIMES IN SPAIN

Spanish eating times are probably the hardest thing to adjust to when visiting Spain. Their time is off by several hours when compared with most of the world. Breakfast isn’t usually much of an issue. A typical Spanish breakfast is often not much more than a coffee and a small bite to eatsuch as a muffin or a biscuit.

Lunch and dinner times are the tricky ones. A typical lunchtime in Spain is 1:30 to 2 pm during the weekand on the weekendit is not uncommon to start lunch even after 3 pm.

Dinner is also a late affair. No Spaniard would ever eat dinner before 8 pm. And againthe weekend is even later. Friday and Saturday night restaurant reservations for 11 pm are very common.

   Keep in mind: Most restaurants don’t open until 1:30 pm and many of them close between 5 and 8 pm.

Because of thatwe recommend adapting as much as possible to the Spanish eating times when visiting. For exampleif you are shopping and notice that stores are closingthat is your cue to get some food!

If you unfortunately miss lunchtimeyou may be lucky and find a bar that is serving some small tapas or sandwiches (bocadillos).

BAR CULTURE IN SPAIN

Bar culture in Spain is unique compared to other parts of the world. It is an integral part of the social sphere and not just a place to get drunk. Although people of course do get drunkit is not a common sight to see patrons getting wasted.

   Did you know? The Spanish bar is the center for social life in Spain and there aren’t any age restrictions.

It’s totally normal to see families with young kids and grandparents all out together in the bar. That’s because the Spanish bar offers much more than just alcoholic drinks.

It’s a place to go for a coffee with friends or family. You can go for a mid-morning/afternoon snack (tapa) or have a sandwich (bocadillo) for lunch. It’s also where you meet up in the evening to have a drink and something small to eat with friends.

You can even make a tapas crawl out of it – going to one barhaving a drink with a tapaand then moving on to the next.

COFFEE CULTURE IN SPAIN

Spaniards love their coffee. And when they want a coffeethey go to a barnot a cafe. There are 3 typical ways coffee is served in Spain: 1.) solo - straight espresso2.) cortado - espresso with a dash of milk 3.) café con leche - espresso with milk. For those who like lattes or cappuccinosa café con leche is the closest thing you will find.

There are international chains such as Starbucks starting to appear in big citiesparticularly around tourist areas. But we recommend supporting the small family-owned bars which are an essential part of the local culture and in our opinion serve far superior coffee at a very low price.

MENÚ DEL DÍA

Lunch is the biggest and most important meal of the day in Spain. Restaurants will often have a set menu of the day. Look for menú del día being advertised on the boards outside and take note – this is the best way to eat like a king for a very reasonable price.

   What's a menú del día? The menú del día typically includes a first and second course followed by a dessert or coffee.

Normallyyou can select between a few different options for each course. Wine (or water) is even thrown in and it’s all included in a set price.

On weekendsmenú del día is typically a little bit more expensive with even better course options.

TRAIN

Spain has a fairly extensive rail network and taking a train can be a great way to move around the country. RENFEthe Spanish rail companyhas several high-speed train lines called AVE.

These lines are a fast way to move between some cities and can be quicker than traveling by plane. For exampleyou can go from Madrid to Malaga in 2 h 20 min or Madrid to Barcelona in just under 3 hours. If you were to go by car or busit would easily take double the time.

Ticket prices are comparable with those of other European countries but usually travel by bus is the cheapest option. Travel by train in Spain is quite reliable and comfortable.

   Traveling in Spain? Find the fastest route & get the best deals on trainbus & flight tickets

Depending on your destinationtraveling by train might be your best optionbut that is not always the case. Check out our map of train routes. For more general Spain train informationcheck out this beginner's guide to train travel in Spain.

BUS

Travel by bus is very common in Spainespecially in regions where the train network is slow or not very complete. Bus fares are very cheap and departures are frequent.

   Don't miss: Find the best prices on bus tickets

The largest bus operator in Spain is Alsafollowed by Samr and Avanza. You can buy tickets directly through the operators' website or on a booking site such as Omio. It is also common to buy tickets at the bus station on the day of the trip.

PLANE

There are plenty of large airports in Spain and cheap flights are easy to come by. Low-cost airlines such as VuelingEasyJet and Ryanair offer the most flights between Spanish citiesfollowed by Spain’s national airlineIberia.

   Get the best deals: Compare flight prices & book the cheapest airline tickets

In some instances if can even be cheaper to fly than to take the train. See our transportation map of Spain to find out where the busiest airports are located.

CAR

Renting a car is very affordable in Spain, especially compared to many other European countries. Howeverit is still probably not your cheapest transportation option.

   Don't miss: Get the best deals on rental cars in Spain

If you only plan on visiting the larger cities such as Madrid and Barcelonathen a car would not be needed or recommended. But if you want to have extra convenience and get off the beaten paththen a rental car is a great option.

DRIVING IN SPAIN

Driving in Spain is pretty easy going for the most part. Howeverdriving in Spanish cities can be very stressful. Besides heavy trafficthere are many one-way streets and finding parking is often complicated.

PARKING

If you find on-street parkingthen you will need to know the parking laws. Parking tickets are given out a lot in larger cities and they can be pricey.

We only recommend driving if you are traveling between citiesnot in them. We like to look up a parking garage in a city on google maps and then head straight there. Once you are in the city you can explore it on foot or with public transportation.

AVOID SPEEDING TICKETS

In Spainthe speed limit is 50 km/h in towns and cities90 km/h on rural roads100 km/h on main roads and 120 km/h on highways. Speed cameras are pretty common and tickets aren’t cheap.

HIGHWAYS IN SPAIN

There are two types of highways in Spain called “autopistas” (“AP-” followed by a number) and “autovías” (“A-” followed by a number). Autopistas (AP) are usually toll roadswhile autovías (A) are always free.