Spain
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Language: Spanish (Castilian). English is spoken in tourist areas and major cities. Less so in rural regions. Catalan, Basque, and Galician are co-official in their respective regions.
Currency: EUR, credit cards accepted in most places. Smaller bars and markets may prefer cash.
Transportation:
Train: Renfe operates the AVE high-speed network connecting Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Málaga. Book early for best fares.
Bus: ALSA is the main intercity bus operator. Extensive network covering routes not served by train.
City transport: Madrid and Barcelona have excellent metro systems. Buy a multi-journey ticket or T-Casual card. Buses fill gaps. The Cercanías suburban trains connect city centers to nearby towns.
What To Expect
Spain is the country that lives outdoors. The rhythm of daily life is built around plazas, terraces, and the hours between lunch and dinner when the entire country seems to pause. Barcelona offers Gaudí's surreal architecture, the labyrinthine Gothic Quarter, and a beach in the same city. Madrid counters with world-class art museums (the Prado, Reina Sofía, Thyssen) and a nightlife that genuinely starts at midnight.
Then there is the south. Andalusia is the Spain of collective imagination: the Alhambra in Granada, the Mezquita in Córdoba, the flamenco bars of Seville. The Camino de Santiago draws pilgrims and hikers across the north. The Basque Country serves some of the best food in the world in San Sebastián's pintxo bars. And Galicia offers wild Atlantic coastline and seafood so fresh it was swimming that morning.
Spanish food is a lifestyle rather than a cuisine. Patatas bravas and a caña (small beer) at a corner bar. A late-night churro with thick chocolate. A plate of jamón ibérico sliced to order. Spain does not rush anything, including meals, and neither should you.