Spain Travel Guide
From the sun-drenched beaches of Andalusia to the rain-battered coast of the wild north, Spain offers up everything you can ask for, and more.
City lovers can spend days exploring stylish metropolises, outdoors enthusiasts can hike and bike from the jagged Pyrenees to the gentle Sierra Nevadas, beach bums can lounge on over 8,000 kms of coastline, and history buffs can marvel at ruins left by the Phoenicians, Romans, and Moors, as well as imposing citadels and palaces built by European empires.
And with an excellent network of roads and rail, getting around is a breeze whether you’re road tripping or hopping the train.
Come see for yourself!
Weather & when to visit
While our favorite time for a visit is in the months of September, October, and November, there really is no bad time to come to Spain.
If you want to combine sightseeing with beach time, come in the summer and enjoy the chaos! If you’re looking for good weather, but fewer crowds, plan on a shoulder season visit; late fall or early spring. And if you’re looking to experience Spain like a local when there’s barely another visitor around, a winter trip lets you see our cities at their festive best.
Regions
Spain has 17 autonomous regions, known as comunidades autonomas. 15 of them are on the mainland, while two (the Canary Islands and Balearic islands) are island chains.
They’re a bit like states in the United States of America in that they’re all part of Spain, but they have long had a degree of autonomy to make local decisions, laws, etc. This means that they can feel surprisingly different from each other, which is one of the pleasures of visiting Spain.
Regions of Spain - Galicia - Cantabria - Asturias - Basque Country - Andalusia - Costa Brava - Northern Spain
City guides
With cosmopolitan capitals, medieval strongholds, bustling ports, sleepy mountain villages, beach towns, and so much more, there are dozens of cities in Spain worth visiting. We can’t cover them all, but we’ve covered a lot!
San Sebastían - Bilbao - Pamplona - Zaragoza - Gijón - Oviedo - Santander - Segovia - Ávila - Toledo
Itineraries
For a first trip to Spain, we really recommend spending at least two weeks. This gives you enough time to see 3 or 4 major cities and take a few day trips to lesser-visited places, natural areas, or the beach. With 14 days, you’ll be able to see Madrid and Barcelona, a nice bit of Andalusia, and even a little bit of Northern Spain.
If you can’t swing two weeks, 10 days is still enough time for a good introduction. Just know that you’ll need to plan a return visit to see everywhere that you missed!
Where to stay: hotels & accommodation
When booking your accommodation in Spain, you have loads of choices. You’ll find local pensiones that often offer half board (dinner included in the price), family-run B&Bs and guesthouses with a lot of local flavor, hotels at every price point, and short-term apartment rentals.
The main cities and popular beach resorts can get a bit expensive, but there are plenty of good deals to be had. And compared to much of the rest of Europe, prices are quite reasonable. If you come in shoulder season or off season, you can find absolute bargains.
To give you a rough idea about prices, expect to spend 75-150 USD per night for a nice 3-star hotel in a decent-sized city during the busy period. In less desirable neighborhoods, smaller cities, and towns in the countryside, you can sometimes still find decent accommodation for as cheap as 60 USD.
More Spain travel ideas
How to plan a trip to Spain - 16 places to visit in Spain - 10 beautiful places in Northern Spain
Spain Trip Planning with Local Experts
You’ve got a lot of info to look through on this page, but we couldn’t include everything you need to know.
So, if you could use some help planning your itinerary and deciding where to go, how long to spend, the best activities, ways to connect with locals, and lots more, connect with one of our Spain Local Experts for a one-on-one travel consultation!
Meet some of our Local Experts below!
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![Palermo local tour guide and Sicily travel planner Gaetano addressing a group of travelers while on a guided tour in the countryside near Palermo.]()
Luis
Spain travel expert based in Gijón, Asturias
Specialties: Road trips, family travel, authentic experiences
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Alfonso
Spain travel expert based in San Sebastían, Basque Country
Specialties: Road trips, active & outdoors travel, Northern Spain
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![Spain trip planner Dolca]()
Dolça
Spain travel expert based in Girona, Catalunya
Specialties: Art & culture, itineraries, Catalunya and the east
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![Spain trip planner Marijn]()
Marijn
Spain travel expert based in Madrid
Specialties: Art & culture, central Spain, cycling
