Currency Euro (EUR). Notes from €5 to €200; the €500 note has very restricted circulation and is often refused.
Cards Accepted at 95% of establishments, including small bars. Visa and Mastercard are universal; Amex has more limited coverage. Contactless is the dominant payment method.
Cash Carry between €50 and €150 for markets, tips and small villages. Withdraw from an ATM with a multi-currency card (Revolut, Wise, N26) to minimise fees.
Currency exchange Avoid tourist exchange booths near Sol or Las Ramblas: rates are up to 12% worse than an ATM withdrawal.
Tipping Never obligatory. €1–2 at a tapas bar, 5–10% at a mid-range restaurant, 10–15% at a Michelin-starred restaurant if service was outstanding.
Mobile payments Apple Pay and Google Pay work at any contactless terminal. Bizum is the local peer-to-peer system, but requires a Spanish bank account.
Latin America Colombians, Mexicans, Argentinians and most Latin Americans do not require a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days within the Schengen Area.
ETIAS Once in force, the ETIAS online travel authorisation will be required — a process that takes just a few minutes. CocoVolare can advise, but the application is completed by the traveller.
Passport Must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry. Immigration rules change: verify before travel.
Documents It is advisable to carry a printed copy of your hotel voucher, your CocoVolare itinerary and your travel insurance. Border checks are infrequent but possible.
Extended stays Stays beyond 90 days, study, work or residency require a specific visa obtained from the Spanish consulate.
Vaccinations None required for travellers from Latin America or North America. Routine vaccinations (tetanus, measles) should be up to date.
Healthcare One of the world's best systems. Top-tier private hospitals: Quirónsalud, HM Hospitales, Vithas.
Insurance Strongly recommended for Latin American and North American travellers: covers medical costs, evacuation and trip cancellation. Allianz, IATI, Assist Card.
Water Tap water is safe to drink throughout mainland Spain. Madrid and the north have exceptionally high-quality water.
Pharmacies Identified by a green cross. Every neighbourhood has a 24-hour on-call pharmacy. During July and August heatwaves: stay hydrated and avoid the sun between 1pm and 5pm.
AVE high-speed train Europe's most extensive high-speed network. Madrid–Seville 2h30, Madrid–Barcelona 2h45. Requires a numbered reserved seat.
Low-cost rail Iryo and Ouigo compete with AVE on the main lines: bought in advance, a fraction of the walk-up fare.
Urban mobility Functional metro systems in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia and Seville. Cabify and Uber operate in major cities; FreeNow aggregates official taxis.
Car hire Essential for the Andalusian interior, La Rioja, the Costa Brava and rural north. Most vehicles are manual; automatic costs more.
Airports Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona El Prat are the main gateways; Málaga, Valencia, Seville and Bilbao complete the network.
Official Spanish (Castilian) throughout the country.
Co-official languages Catalan in Catalonia, the Balearics and (as Valencian) in the Valencia region; Galician in Galicia; Basque in the Basque Country; Aranese in the Val d'Aran.
English Well understood in large cities and on the coast, less so in small inland villages. Spanish will take you everywhere.
Local touch In Catalonia and the Basque Country, opening with a word of greeting in the local language warms the reception immediately. It is not a requirement — it is courtesy.
Tone Spaniards speak more directly, without elaborate pleasantries. This is not abruptness — it is economy of language.
Meal times Lunch from 2pm to 4pm, dinner no earlier than 9:30pm. Walking into a restaurant at 7:30pm means eating in a near-empty dining room.
Greeting Two kisses between women or between a woman and a man; a handshake between men in formal settings. First-name terms are immediate.
At the table Tapas are small dishes, not starters. The bill does not arrive unasked — you must request it. The toast is made with eye contact.
Places of worship Shoulders and knees covered in active cathedrals. No photography during Mass. At a flamenco show, applause comes after the singing is done.
Sensitivities Do not haggle in shops. Do not call Catalan or Basque a dialect. Historical memory and bullfighting are polarising — better not to raise them with strangers.
01 · Capital
3–4 nights
