Rehearse your Spain trip before you go

Entry rules by passport

Checked Oct 2026. Rules change: check the embassy or official site before you travel.

Traps travellers fall into

In the game these hide among the recommendations. See if you can spot them.

• Paella on a Plaza Mayor terrace MadridPaella is a Valencian lunch dish. Picture menus on famous squares are usually for tourists
• Mercado de San Miguel MadridSan Miguel is pricey and touristy. For local flavour try Mercado de San Fernando or La Latina's bars
• Paella and sangria on La Rambla BarcelonaTerrace tables on La Rambla are tourist-priced. Eat a street or two away, or at a market
• Fruit cups at La Boqueria's entrance BarcelonaMarket entrances charge tourist prices. Go deeper inside, or to a neighbourhood market
• Terrace restaurant facing the Cathedral SevilleRestaurants facing landmarks charge for the view. Eat one street back
• A big flamenco dinner show SevilleSee flamenco in a small venue and eat elsewhere; it's far more rewarding
• Touting terraces on Calle Navas GranadaGranada's free tapas are best where nobody is touting. One street over makes the difference
• Touted restaurant beside the Mezquita CórdobaSkip restaurants touting by landmarks. Check whether bread and drinks are included
• Cliff-edge restaurant facing the bridge RondaAt view restaurants you pay for the view. Eat at the bars in town
• Paella for dinner on a main square ValenciaValencians don't eat paella at night. Picture-menu paella at dinner is usually for tourists; have it at lunch, booked

Month by month

• JanuaryJanuary in Madrid is about 10°C; Seville is sunny at about 16°C. 6 January is Three Kings' Day.
• FebruaryFebruary in Madrid is about 12°C; Andalusia reaches 18°C as the almond blossom opens.
• MarchMarch reaches 16–21°C. Valencia holds Las Fallas (15–19 March); Holy Week at the end of the month packs Seville with processions.
• AprilApril reaches 19–24°C: Seville's spring fair season, flowers everywhere, and the loveliest time of year.
• MayMay reaches 24–28°C; Córdoba's patio festival opens its flower-filled courtyards.
• JuneJune reaches 30–33°C; Andalusian afternoons get fierce. Sunset after 9:30 p.m.
• JulyJuly sees 40°C+ in Andalusia; people and shops rest at midday, and towns come alive in the evening.
• AugustAugust is scorching. Madrileños leave on holiday and many independent shops and restaurants close; San Sebastián and Bilbao stay a comfortable 25°C.
• SeptemberSeptember reaches 27–32°C as the heat starts to ease; grape harvest.
• OctoberOctober is a pleasant 21–26°C; 12 October is the national day.
• NovemberLate November: Madrid around 12°C by day, Andalusia 15–18°C.
• DecemberDecember in Madrid is about 11°C with 2°C mornings; Andalusia reaches 16–17°C.

Sample routes

• ClassicClassic: Madrid & BarcelonaTwo great cities: art and Gaudí.Madrid → Barcelona
• DetourDetour: three Andalusian citiesMezquita, Alcázar, Alhambra: tracing Moorish Spain.Madrid → Córdoba → Seville → Granada
• DetourDetour: via Valencia to the MedReal paella at lunchtime in a lakeside village, then on to Barcelona.Madrid → Valencia → Barcelona
• Off the pathOff the path: the Basque coastFrom Bilbao's Guggenheim to the pintxo bars of San Sebastián.Madrid → Bilbao → San Sebastián
• Off the pathOff the path: cliff townsAfter the Alhambra, the gorge town of Ronda, ending in Seville's back-street bars.Madrid → Granada → Ronda → Seville

Hidden gems

• San Antonio de la Florida MadridA small chapel on the edge of town, its dome painted by Goya, who is buried here.
• Sant Pau Recinte Modernista BarcelonaDomènech i Montaner's flower-like hospital pavilions, contemporary with Gaudí.
• Casa de Pilatos SevilleA noble house with tiles and courtyards to rival the Alcázar, minus the crowds.
• Sacromonte Caves Museum GranadaCave homes dug into the hillside: Roma life and the roots of Granada's flamenco.
• Palacio de Viana's patios CórdobaCórdoba is famous for flower patios; this palace has twelve.
• Path down to the gorge floor RondaA path from the old town down to where you see the bridge from below.
• Real paella in El Palmar on the Albufera ValenciaIn El Palmar village on the Albufera: Valencian paella with chicken and rabbit, cooked to order for two or more. Closed Wednesday.
• Local pintxo bars in Gros San SebastiánAcross the river near Zurriola surf beach, and calmer than the Old Town.

37 more to find in the game.

Before you go

• Install a travel eSIMMaps and translation from the moment you land
• Look up Spanish mealtimesTwo to three hours later than you're used to