So you're heading to Spain? Let's get it right.
We've put together the ultimate guide to visiting Spain — everything you need to know. The best cities to base yourself in and the ones to skip. The Camino, step-by-step. Where to stay, our favourite hostels, the pintxos crawl in San Sebastián, the running of the bulls done safely, La Liga tickets for the price of a movie, how to ride the AVE trains — and so much more. Over 1,000 hours of research, time on the ground and community submissions. This is the guide you need.
Every review is from a paying Aussies In member — unfiltered, unedited.
"The 'when to go' breakdown is worth the price by itself. We'd been planning August, god knows why. The guide talked us out of it, we went late September and saved a fortune."
Solo female traveller, late twenties. The getting-around and safety sections were practical without being condescending. Worth every cent. Bought the Italy guide before I'd even left Spain.
The pueblos blancos section sent us on a four-day detour through Andalucía that became the highlight of the trip. Wouldn't have known any of those towns existed otherwise.
The amount of detail on visas, ATMs, the menu del día trick. I've travelled a lot and I've never seen this level of practical depth in a paid guide.
Loved it. Marked down half a star because I wished there was more on Northern Spain (Galicia, Asturias). Still found enough other gems to justify it, would buy again in a heartbeat.
Reviews are from verified Aussies In buyers. Names abbreviated for privacy. No reviews have been removed or edited beyond grammar.
4 preview chapters are free below. 9 chapters — the bulk of the guide — unlock with purchase.
Most travellers spend 20–40 hours researching a trip like this — scrolling Reddit threads, saving Instagram videos, watching YouTubers in monetised content loops, comparing 12 blog posts that all say the same thing. This guide is what those hours should have given you.
"Knowing what to skip is worth as much as knowing what to do."
Madrid, Catalonia, Basque Country, Andalucía, Valencia, the Islands, Galicia & the North
Camino Francés, Portugués, del Norte — where to start, how far ahead to book, what to pack, when to walk
Madrid's tapas barrios, San Sebastián's pintxos Parte Vieja loop, Granada's free-tapa rule, with map lists
San Fermín, La Tomatina, Las Fallas, Feria de Abril, Primavera, Sónar, La Mercè, Semana Santa, San Juan
10 days, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 1 month, 2 months. Pick yours, copy the route
Real Madrid, Barça, Atléti — how to book direct, when fixtures drop, the best price-vs-view seats
Spain's easy on paper — visa-free, English-friendly tourist zones, top infrastructure — but the prep that gets you the most out of it is real. San Fermín and La Tomatina sell out months ahead, AVE high-speed trains are a fraction of the price at 60 days vs 7 days out, and the Camino needs a slot if you want a good albergue.
ETIAS (the EU's new pre-travel authorisation) is rolling out for visa-exempt travellers. Apply online (~€7, valid 3 years) before you fly. Confirm latest rules at etias.com closer to departure.
Camino Frances peak season (May-Sept) sees albergues fill by 4pm daily. Book your first 3-4 nights ahead via the Camino Pilgrim app or Booking.com. After that you can walk freely.
The Alhambra caps daily entry and times. Tickets sell out 2-3 months ahead in summer + at Easter. Plan your Granada dates around when you can get tickets, not the other way around.
Madrid → Barcelona, Madrid → Seville, Barcelona → Valencia are dramatically cheaper at 60 days out (~€25) than 7 days out (~€75). Use renfe.com or alternatives Ouigo + Iryo (cheaper).
The top pintxos bars (Bar Nestor, Casa Urola, La Cuchara) take walk-ins but the seated meals (Arzak, Mugaritz) need 2-3 months pre-booking. Plan accordingly.
Uber works in Madrid + Barcelona; Cabify is the local alternative often cheaper. English is reasonable in tourist zones but thin elsewhere — offline Spanish translation helps.
Spain's prepaid SIMs are fine but slow to set up. EU-wide eSIMs (Airalo, Holafly) work across Schengen — useful if you're hopping to Portugal, France, Italy.
You get 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the WHOLE Schengen area, not per country. The official EU calculator at ec.europa.eu/assets/home/short_stay_visa is the truth.
Spanish sun is no joke — 35°C+ in July/August across the south + Mediterranean coast. Reef-safe sunscreen is now required on many Balearic + Canary beaches; buying local at the airport is 3x the price.
Madrid's 10-trip Metrobus card or Barcelona's T-Casual (10 rides) saves you significantly vs single-ride. Both buy at any metro station.
Spanish dinner is late. Tourist-zone restaurants serve from 7pm; locals start at 9-10pm. If you're hungry at 6pm, hit a tapas bar instead — they serve all afternoon.
Spain has one of the best high-speed rail networks in Europe. Madrid → Barcelona in 2h 30, Madrid → Seville in 2h 30, Madrid → Valencia in 1h 50. Book direct on renfe.com (skip Trainline's mark-up). For islands and the north coast, budget airlines + ferries fill the gaps. The bus network (Alsa is the giant) covers everything trains skip.
Madrid is the hub. From there you're 2.5 hours from almost anywhere. Book direct on renfe.com — apps like Trainline add 10–15%. Two cheap rivals (Ouigo and Iryo) run alongside AVE on the Madrid–Barcelona corridor — compare all three.
TIP — Book 60+ days ahead for the best fares. €25-€40 BCN ↔ Madrid is realistic if you book early. Walk-up = €70+.
For shorter hops or routes AVE skips. Alsa dominates intercity (alsa.com). BlaBlaCar fills weekend coastal runs and routes the buses don't serve.
Vueling, Ryanair, easyJet to Mallorca, Ibiza, Tenerife, Las Palmas. Often cheaper than ferry once you're past 4-hour driving distance — book months ahead in peak summer.
TIP — Ryanair charges €60+ for carry-on if you don't pre-pay. Pay for the bag at booking or you'll get smashed at the gate.
Every mistake below is one this guide prevents. The numbers aren't theoretical — they're sourced from our community's actual reported losses on previous trips. Add them up and the math becomes hard to ignore.
You'll get every avoidance technique, every booking lead time, every scam-dodge, every Aussie-tested workaround. Lifetime updates. Money-back if it doesn't earn its keep.
Where to go. Where to stay. What to eat. How to get around. What to skip. Every answer in one place — researched by Aussies who've actually been.