Spain
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Votes for SpainThe short answer
Spain works almost all year if you move with the weather: the south in spring, the north in summer.
Seville and Cordoba are brutal in July. Head to San Sebastian, Asturias or Galicia instead, where August is the best month of the year.
When to go
Best months: Apr to May, Sep to Oct
What a day costs
Per person, not counting flights.
- Hostel bed$30
- Menu del dia and tapas$15
- Metro and buses$15
- Small hotel$80
- Eating and drinking out$45
- Trains and entry tickets$20
- Good central hotel$180
- Restaurants$80
- Fast trains and guides$40
What your whole trip would cost
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Votes for SpainHow far it is
- New York to Madrid7h 45m
- London to Madrid2h 30m
- Dubai to Madrid8h
- Getting aroundFast trains between the big cities, a car for the north
- When to avoidThe southern cities in July and August
Nonstop times from a few big hubs, to give you a sense of the distance. We have no idea which airport you are actually leaving from. Fares move weekly, so we leave those out.
When you land
- Airport to townMetro from Barajas takes about 40 minutes with a small airport supplement. Taxis to the centre are a fixed fare.
- Cash or cardCard for everything, including small bars. You will barely touch cash.
- Getting onlinePrepaid SIMs are cheap from any phone shop, and eSIM works well.
- What catches people outMenu del dia is the cheap set lunch. The same dishes at dinner cost double.
What not to miss in Spain
- Standing up in a tapas barOrder one thing, drink it, move to the next bar. Sitting down is the tourist version.
- Granada and CordobaThe Alhambra sells out weeks ahead. Book the moment you know your dates.
- Paella at lunch, in Valencia, never at nightIt is a midday dish, and the seafront places with photo menus are the ones to walk past.
- The green northSan Sebastian, Bilbao and the Asturian coast. Cooler, wetter, and the best food in the country.
Still deciding?
🧳 Plan your trip to Spain
Good to know
Curated with 
Nemo
Written and checked by hand. Nothing here about visas or entry rules: those change often and depend on your passport, so check an official source.