Everything You Need To Know To Visit Spain!

We are an American family of 4 living in Spain and we have loads of inspiration for you.  We will highlight many things to do with kids in Spain, most of which can be done without kids too.  Sometimes the things we do and share are the obvious Spain adventures, but we are full of good luck too.  We have happened upon some amazing adventures during our time in Spain, so come along and travel with us when you visit Spain.

The Gorge Ronda Spain

When you plan your Spain vacation, you may want to be aware of what things may cost.  Of course we usually share our Spain Travel Expenses with you as well as our Cost of Living in Spain.  Just in case you are trying to figure out a budget and need a data point.  We have also enjoyed a few road trips in Europe and share that info too.

Please note this is not an all-inclusive list of everything on our blog.  Feel free to browse through our Spain Category here or on the navigation bar on the right side of the home page.

Let’s Visit Spain!

Tips and Tricks to know when you visit Spain

Merida Spain- Roman Ruins-Theatre

Planning to drive during your Spain vacation?

Check out our Driving in Spain ebook now!
Driving in Spain- Everything you need to know & more. If you are planning a trip to Spain and intend on driving, this is an essential book for you. We offer you a complete guide to driving in Spain.

Some of the best places to visit in Spain & things to do!

Estepona Spain - December 2013 Costa del Sol

Estepona Spain – December 2013 Costa del Sol

Andalucia Region and Other Spain Adventures

 Costa Tropical

Almunecar pirate ship

While I couldn’t possibly list everywhere we have been and explored, I can share a few highlights.  We love Spain, Andalucia and especially our town of Almuñécar in Costa Tropical!  We have experienced 3 Kings procession in Granada, Carnival in Cádiz and La Herradura, Seville, Water fight in Lanjarón , prehistoric caves in Ronda, awesome Thai food and caves in Nerja, multiple visits to Frigiliana, being covered with mud in Mar Menor, shredding in Zaragoza, visits to Madrid, Córdoba, Antequera, Estepona, Marbella, experiencing Fútbol in Málaga, Lavender in Lecrin Valley, Motril, Otivar and Anya dancing in La Herradura.  There is so much more, but we can’t cover it all.

If you are wanting to combine your trip to Spain with other countries in Europe, you should check out this article – When is the Best Time to Visit Europe?.  If you have a bit of adventure in you, we highly recommend checking out the rail pass with
GoldenPass Tour.

Organized Tours

If you don’t have the time to do all of the research and planning, then an organized tour is just for you!   We have some great offers through City Discovery, all over Spain. Check them out now!


Road Trip 2016 Spain & France

Getting Around Spain

  • Train – If you are wanting to explore Spain or Europe via train, Click here for Rail Europe deals.
  • Bus – There are many options for comfort levels and bus options,  you may click here to Discover Europe by Bus

Using public transportation in Spain

It is ver easy to make your way around Spain using trains, planes and buses. There are several different options for each mode of transportation.  The best way to view all options is to check with Go Euro.  They will seek out the best way for you to get from one place to another and then you may filter, but fastest, cheapest, shortest, and so on.  You can look between the different modes of transportation and see which works best for your schedule.  Click the image to begin your search.

Renting a car in Spain

  • Car – Rental cars are very inexpensive from the Malaga Airport and many other locations in Spain (excluding high season in July/August).  Do keep in mind that 90% of the rentals will be a stick shift (manual)  and likely a small car.  We always find the MPV to be the best deal for space, size, price.  They hold 5 people and loads of luggage.  We actually owned a Citroen Berlingo and loved it.  We often rent via Gold Car, but have found many other rental car deals using Easy Car.  We have rented a car for a few 28 day periods (not high season) for anywhere from €131 to €220 for the entire month!   Check prices today and just click on the image below:
  • 9 Useful Tips for renting a car in Spain
  • Málaga airport transfer – Solhop provide low cost private airport taxi transfers. Reliable, punctual drivers, excellent customer service and free upgrades to luxury vehicles – Book online today.

Places To Stay In Spain

  • If you aren’t too thrilled with spending loads of time planning your trip to Spain, Travelove is a great new option. They allow you to build your own trip and then produce a custom guidebook and plan for you.
  • Travelove is giving our readers a 20% discount! This is only valid through mid November 2015, so check it out now! Here is the LINK with more info.

Agencies will only show you what they have on hand and many people don’t list with an agency, so look at all options.  Here are a few of the property search sites I have used for both long-term and short-term.  If you plan to visit Spain for more than 1 week or 1 month, you should be able to negotiate.

Road Trips from Spain

Please also view our Spain Travel category for all posts Spain!

Pin me to visit Spain later!
Visit Spain - Things to do, What to eat, and Places to Stay. Click to read more on WagonersAbroad.com

We have so much more to share with you and will update this page as we go along.  What would you like to see when you visit Spain?  Maybe we can make a visit and check it out.

Are you planning to move to Spain?  We have a wealth of information available to you for free! Click on an image below to go to the appropriate section.

We help you plan and adjust for your move to Spain. Read more on WagonersAbroad.com

Move to Spain Consulting

If you want a quick answer or someone to speak with, we also offer consulting.  Check out our Spain non lucrative visa consulting page now, for our latest offers!

Move to Spain Relocation Packages

From relocation planning and visa application, to residency and getting settled, we offer our expertise and knowledgeable advice.  We can help you with your move to Spain with children or without.  We also offer custom packages for your move to Costa Tropical.  Click here tor read more about our relocation to Spain packages.

Disclosure:  Some links presented on this page are affiliate links, for which we will receive a small % of commission if you purchase something.  This is always at no extra cost to you.

Sign up for the Wagoners Abroad Newsletter and for a limited time, receive your free ebook “Experience Spain – Getting Started With Spain Facts and Information”.

33 thoughts on “Everything You Need To Know To Visit Spain!”

  3. Honestly the information you offer is amazing. You should be the first port of call for anyone wanting a visit to Spain!

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    • Oh that is so nice of you to say Sarah. We do our best to provide useful information. We will be creating a couple of ebooks in the coming months as well.

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  4. Being Portuguese, I’ve visited Spain countless times. After all, it’s a neighbour country.

    There are certainly lots of things to see and do in Spain, and this is a great resource to find out exactly what and where.

    Cheers!

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    • Hey Hugo. Yes there is plenty to do. We love Portugal as well and have visited a few times. So many cool things to see.

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  6. Wow! What a great resource. Will bookmark your page so when we do get to Spain I will have a massive read through! Thanks!

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  7. You have covered so much here that my trip to Spain is going to be a breeze using the information you have provided.

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  8. The experts in Spain! I’ll be keeping track of this page for future travels to Spain. Its a place I’ve longed to visit for some time but it just hasn’t happened yet. Well done on making such a complete resource here.

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    • Oh thanks Jen. Yes, there will be more travels, as we are here for at least the next year. We are just about finished with an ebook too! Thanks for stopping by.

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  9. Such an amazing resource – thanks so much for putting all of this together! We haven’t managed to make it to Spain yet though it’s super high on my list, so bookmarking this right now to come back to when we book our trip. And thanks for the tip on most cars being manual; sadly neither myself or husband can drive a stick, though we do love renting cars for our own ease of transport when abroad. We might need to start learning fast!!!

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    • Hey Meg! Thanks so much for stopping by. Yes, bookmark this bad boy. Of course we will continue to add to it, but loads of good info. You better start practicing on those stick shift cars, there are plenty of hills around too. Ha! Or be prepared to spend a bigger chunk of money for an automatic and peace of mind. 🙂

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  10. Thanks for compiling all this info bits of my country! It looks like you guys have visited lots of interesting spots here 🙂

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  11. Hi Heidi,
    Great information here. I can’t believe how cheap the car rentals are through gold car. I will definitely use them on our next trip to Spain which I hope is soon. I have sort of an off the wall question for you. We are U..S citizens with U.S. passports but will be on a one year non-immigrant visa to Thailand. Do think it is possible to apply for a non lucrative visa to Spain from Thailand or do you believe that we will have to return to the U.S. to apply from there? If you have any thoughts on this I would appreciate it.
    Thanks,
    Louis

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    • Hey Louis, Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.

      Oh how we loved Thailand, you are going to have a blast. Check out all of our guides to Thailand too. We spent almost 4 months in Chiang Mai, as well.

      Now on to your question. Fortunately it is an easy question, unfortunately the answer is, you need to apply in your country of residence! We do have a link from our home page all about moving to Spain and especially the Non Lucrative Visa Applicaiton. Just click on the image “Move to Spain“.

      When I say you need to apply in your country of residence, it would be the USA for you. Now if you had a “resident” visa in Thailand, but you were from the USA, you would be able to apply from Thailand. It looks like you have a “non immigrant” or a type of tourist visa.

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  12. sweet Heidi!
    I am very impressed with your posts and believe it’s the most informative site I have visited about overseas.
    Where do you recommend as a small town that has historic charm and is cost effective and close to a big city that is not too humid or hot?(tall order)!
    My husband and I are planing to get a non lucrative visa and move to Spain in less that a year.
    I wish you a great life full of joy and health.

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    • Hey Vida! Thanks so much. Wow, you will be amazed at how many places will fit the bill for you. There is so much coastline in Spain, so your desires for winter temps and summer temps may dictate the area for you. The south is hot and humid in July/Aug, but if you are on the coast you almost always have a breeze. In the winter they are more mild, maybe 50’s during the day. That said up north is milder in the summer, but still humid and colder in winter.
      The Atlantic (west and north) are “windy” so better for waves and surf, the med side can be more mild.

      I guess all of this to say, you will need to determine your real priorities down to the detail and then narrow things down. Of course we do offer consulting to really narrow things down or help you with your visa or move too.

      Here is our Moving to Spain info and also read how to decide where to live in spain.

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  13. So far I have only fond memories of travelling to Spain. Ok, it has so far only been to 3 major cities, Barcelona, Valencia and Zaragoza. But it has for sure been nice trips. The favourite of those three is actually Zaragoza. Barcelona was way to turistic and Valencia had sadly to many unfinished building projects. Zaragoza was just a good mix of good food and nice sights. 🙂

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    • Hey Jesper! Thanks so much for checking out our posts. We just love Spain and Europe for that matter. We did enjoy a few days in Zaragoza on our way back from our 6 week European Summer Road Trip. We really had a nice time there and the city is beautiful with all of the lights at night. How often do you visit Spain?

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  14. Hi we have been planning to visit barcelona and madrid with my wife and little girl. Would you recommend a budget hotel for family ? thank you in advance hope to see your reply

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  16. Indeed you have put together a fantastic guide for those wanting to live in Spain. But there is one topic you seem not to have addressed — one which is critical for most Americans. Spanish taxes and the 182-day rule of financial residency.

    Income taxes in Spain are 2-3 times higher than in the US and include world-wide income. After an intensive search of accounting firms all over Spain, we did not find any gestor familiar with IRA investments. We were only able to determine that they are treated as pension income. But no one was willing to provide us with a paid estimate of what we would pay if we have residency. Therefore, we advise potential retirees to Spain to investigate this issue very carefully before getting a residency permit. Tip: Portugal apparently has a much lower and more relaxed tax situation – alas, we discovered this too late.

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    • Hi Carole. Thanks so much for your comment. Thanks for your compliment and yes we have intentionally excluded the topic of taxes. It is very different for every individual or family, so we won’t even try to cover such a can of worms.

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