r/spaintravel

Hi All. I am traveling to Donostia / San Sebastián area in October. It is my first time in Europe /Spain (I am 51 yo and just now traveling to Europe after all my kids turned 18) and I had a couple of questions.

1. A friend suggested I travel to Paris as it is a hub and easy to get to my destination. Thoughts? I am leaning to doing this and spending 2 days in Paris prior to taking the train to Donostia / San Sebastián. Is it better to fly into Spain (and if so, what Airport)? For reference, I am planning a 10 day trip.

2. I am looking at staying in either San Sebastian or Zarautz. I won't have a car and I am picking these two locations based off the surf. I am an avid surfer (shortboard) and wanted to see how easy it is to get to spots. I assume that Zarautz is cheaper, but I don't want to be isolated and I know that SS is the hub to all things.

3. How far is the Bilboa and Estella-Lizarra from either location? My mom's side of the family is originally from Estella-Lizarra (her maiden name it Estrella) and I would like to see this now deserted town.

4. Of course, looking for hotel recommendations for San Sebastian or Zarautz. I am going during shoulder season and I think prices should be lower, so would appreciate to know what a good rate might look like. If you know of hotels in Paris as well, I would take those. Primarily looking for 1 br/1bth.

I know that Europe has been slammed by a heatwave and tourism has gone down, so part of my travel is to show support, in a tiny way, to this region.

Thanks all! Hope someone replies.... .

Hi everyone! We’re a family of four currently living in Switzerland, seriously considering moving to Spain in the next 1–2 years. Our children will be around 6 and 9, and we’re torn between Madrid and Málaga.

Our main income would not depend on the Spanish job market, which gives us some flexibility. However, I’ve noticed that good-quality long-term rentals in both places can be surprisingly expensive sometimes not that far from what we’re used to in Switzerland. On the other hand, everyday family life seems considerably more affordable, especially children’s activities, eating out, services, etc., while potentially offering us a better overall quality of life.

We’re not looking for an expat bubble or international schools. Ideally, we’d like the kids to attend a good concertado school, integrate locally and learn Spanish properly.

What matters most to us is a safe, family-friendly area, good schools and activities, an open/social environment, good connections to the rest of Europe and modern or renovated housing – ideally an urbanización with a pool and green areas.

Madrid seems to offer much more in terms of schools, culture and opportunities, while Málaga attracts us because of the climate, sea and potentially more relaxed family lifestyle.

I’d especially love to hear from families who have lived in both or seriously considered both. Which would you choose for raising children, and why? And what surprised you after moving – good or bad? Thank you.

What are some must see places along the way. I’m mostly interested in quiet little beach towns

I am visiting Extremadura from Ireland this autumn and need some advice on what to see and do. Thanks for your help!

Day 1: Arrive in Madrid 10:00 and drive to Mérida. Visit the Roman Theatre, Amphitheatre, Museum of Roman Art, Temple of Diana, Plaza de Espana. Stay in Merida town centre.

Day 2: Visit the Roman Bridge and Aqueduct in the morning and drive to Trujillo for 10:00. Spend a few hours sightseeing and visit the Alcazaba. have lunch and drive to Cáceres. Check out all the Cáceres old town and go bar hoping in the city centre.

Day 3: Full day exploring Cáceres and enjoying the vibe.

Day 4: Leave early for Meandro del Melero and explore the scenery. Have lunch in Hervás and take in the old town. Stay in Plasencia and have a good look around the city.

Day 5: Leave early for Garganta de los infiernos and do Los Pilones route. Have lunch around Jerte. Leave for Madrid around 13:00 and spend the night in Madrid.

I’ll be in Madrid from 10 am to 5pm. What’s a realistic itinerary?

I come from a very hot region so 15 c is basically the cold winter I am used to ! I am thinking about trying to travel to madrid during these months , so will it be bearable cold ? I heard the air is very chilly ? does it mean tourism in these months is not realistic , as in sightseeing and nature and so on ?

thanks

I'm planning on flying out with my girlfriend on September 28th to Madrid, and she has to go back to work October 7th so I have 9 days to tour the area with her.

Two areas that stood out to me that I'd wanna see are Salamanca since it sounds gorgeous and the Ribiera del Duero (since I'm a bit of a wine geek and would love to see the vineyards). Other locations I've been thinking of are Segovia, Toledo, and Burgos, though I'm not certain whether the last one is too out of the way. And obviously Madrid. I want to know how realistic the schedule is. And obviously any suggestions on the route would be well appreciated as well. I'm more of the guy that loves to see the history of locations and learning all about it, as well as the food and wine culture, while she leans more towards beautiful nature so I'm trying to strike a balance here too so that it doesn't feel all too same-y.

My boyfriend and I are currently staying in Barcelona/l’hospitalet de llobregat. He thought he was just at the end of a mild cold when we got here, but since then his symptoms have got worse and we think he has tonsillitis/glandular fever.
I’ve been to the pharmacy for him but couldn’t get anything except throat soothing spray and some antiseptic+ local anhisthetic tablets.

Ideally we’d see a doctor and get penicillin/antibiotics for him, but I’m not sure what the best, quickest and cheapest way to do that is.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Madrid — 3 nights
Sevilla — 3 nights
Granada — 2 nights
Malaga — 2 nights
Barcelona — 3 nights

I’d love any tips on:

- Hostels that are social but not total party chaos (or let me know if I should just embrace the chaos)

- Must-do activities or hidden gems in any of these cities

- General first-time solo travel advice, especially anything you wish you knew before your first trip

Really excited but also a little nervous since this is my first time doing this alone. Any advice at all is appreciated!

Hi Everyone,

Me and my sister are completing a tour starting from Paris and ending in Barcelona on Sep 26. I booked my flight out of Barcelona on Sep 30.

Appreciate any advice on things I could do within those 4 days to see other parts of Spain. Any (mini) tours, hotels, and other value-drive ideas! Right now it's a bit confusing for me.

So request for any pertinent information; and once again, appreciate anything.

NOTE: This is NOT spam or AI. Genuine tour operators or folks can DM me for contact info.

Looking for recommendations of those moderately priced hotels or local accommodations that you just loved.
We have 3 nights at the end of this September to spend in the city and there are so many interesting areas to explore!

Hi all! I’m travelling from Liverpool to Malaga Airport on the 20th August to the 25th! i’m staying in Cordoba.

I didn’t book transfers as I was planning on either hiring a car or using public transport. I’ve driven on the Left once before and it was uneasy for me but i’m willing to give it another go as i believe you have to practice to get better lol. I’m unsure on which is the best option. I read driving in Cordoba is really difficult to drive in (there is no parking in our hotel) although I see there is a 24 hour car park 11 minute walk from the hotel we’re staying in. there is also a train station 8 minute walk. I see the beach is about an hour and a bit away on public transport and I’m just trying to get a feel for how it would be.

any recommendations would be really appreciated thankyouuuu (:

My wife and I are in Valencia for a week like we do every summer. My wife has a birthday and we are going to visit Peñiscola. Can you recommend me restaurants that are suitable for such an event? I have been looking at Google Maps for the past two hours, and most places even very high rated look like tourist traps.
We do not care so much for the view, but more for the cuisine and overall setting and experience.

I’m writing this to warn you so you don’t make the same mistake I did. Stay away from them.

I planned my trip for the 2026 solar eclipse almost a year in advance and rented a car in October 2025. I arrived in Spain on August 11, 2026, with the eclipse happening the next day.

When I went to pick up the car, I found out that the rental company had emailed me one day before the eclipse, while I was already in Spain, saying they would not provide the car. No explanation, no real reason.

They almost completely ruined my holiday. Thankfully, I managed to find a last-minute train ticket to the path of totality, but the whole situation was incredibly stressful. There was literally one train available, with still 3 free seats available. If I waited 15 minutes more the seats would be gone.

I honestly don't understand how a company can treat a customer this way after having a reservation for almost a year, only to cancel it at the worst possible moment.

If they treated me like this, there's a good chance they could do the same to you. Be careful when renting from them.

https://preview.redd.it/zw3m9968yijh1.png?width=956&format=png&auto=webp&s=756d46d3c0ed7c5d98e92458e930571cc59f146c

My sister and I are visiting Barcelona for the first time. We arrive on August 25 and leave on the morning of August 30 for Madrid, so we’ll have 5 full days in Barcelona.

We already have tickets for Park Güell and Sagrada Família on the same day — Park Güell first thing in the morning, and Sagrada Família later in the evening. We’re also planning to visit Casa Vicens.

I’m trying to figure out the rest of our itinerary and would really appreciate some advice.

1. Would you do a day trip with 5 full days?
We’re considering Girona or Montserrat, but we’re not sure if it’s better to use all 5 days for Barcelona itself. Is Girona worth a full day? Is Montserrat a must-do, or more of a nice extra?

For context, we’ll also visit Madrid afterwards and plan to do a day trip to Toledo from there.

2. Beach day — where should we go?
We’d like to have one beach/swimming day. My sister wears modest swimwear, similar to a burkini, so I wanted to ask about this from a practical point of view.

Is this generally fine on beaches around Barcelona? I know there have been issues/bans in some places in France, so I don’t want to assume. Are there beaches where it might attract unwanted attention, or is it something people generally don’t care about?

For the beach itself, we’d prefer somewhere relaxed and family-friendly, not a party beach, but also not a tiny isolated cove. We won’t have a car, so it needs to be reachable by train or bus. So far we’ve looked at Ocata/El Masnou, Castelldefels, Sitges and Tossa de Mar.

3. Casa Batlló or La Pedrera?
Since we’re already doing Sagrada Família, Park Güell and Casa Vicens, would you still recommend going inside Casa Batlló or La Pedrera? If yes, which one would you choose?

4. Any other tips?
If you had 5 days for a first visit, what would you recommend? Neighbourhoods, food spots, practical tips, places that are overrated/underrated, anything you wish you’d known before your first trip, I’d love to hear it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 🙏

I’ve travelled a bit within India, but this is going to be my first-ever international trip. I’ll be travelling to Spain from Paris, and honestly, everything feels expensive right now because of the euro and all the different rules and regulations (I had no idea I’d have to pay extra just to make train reservations even though I already have a rail pass😭).

I’m also a little skeptical about safety as a solo female traveller. I’ve travelled around India before, so I’m fairly confident I can manage, but international travel is obviously a different experience, and you never know.

I’d really appreciate some guidance on the dos and don’ts, common mistakes to avoid, and anything else you think would be useful for a first-time international traveller. Any advice from people who’ve travelled around Spain or Europe would be greatly appreciated!

(I'm also going for La Tomatina festival so helpppp)