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The Hemispheric, at the City of Arts & Sciences, Valencia, Spain
The Hemispheric, at the City of Arts & Sciences, Valencia, Spain
Author: David Iliff (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)


Spain Budget Travel Guide gets you ready for your vacation in Spain. In simple, easy-to-understand language, I want to unlock the beauty and mystery of everything that makes Spain such a marvelous travel destination, and a great vacation choice for budget travelers. All the principal cities of Spain are listed, along with its major tourist attractions.





Central arcade at Plaza de España, Seville
Central arcade at Plaza de España, Seville
Author: Anual (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

About Spain

The Kingdom of Spain is a constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy and member state of the European Union. It is located in southwestern Europe, occupying the majority area of the Iberian Peninsula. Spain has a total area of 504,030 square kilometers (195,364 sq miles), and a population of 46 million people (2010 estimate). Its capital, Madrid, is also the largest city in Spain.

Spain is today one of the major tourist destinations in the world, receiving the bulk of visitors from neighbouring European countries. There are more UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain than any other country except Italy. Spain is also renowned for its exotic food, picturesque landscape, great beaches, vibrant nightlife, culture, performing arts, fine arts and beautiful cities.

Due to its geographical location, Spain enjoys an extremely diverse climate that ranges from Continental Mediterranean in the inland areas such as Madrid, to Oceanic climate in places like Bilbao, to Semiarid in the southeast, Mediterranean climate from the Andalusian plain to the Pyrenees, and to cities such as Barcelona, and finally to a Subtropical climate in the Canary Islands.

Fast Facts about Spain

  • Official Name: Spain
  • Capital: Madrid (4,512,500)
  • Population of Spain: 40,341,500
  • Languages: Spanish (Castilian), regional languages include Basque, Catalan, Galecian
  • Time Zone: UTC+2
  • Currency: Euro
  • Religions: Roman Catholic (95%), others
  • Size: 547,030 sq km (211,248 sq miles)
  • Continent: Europe



    • Interior of the Church of Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona
    Interior of the Church of Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona
    Author: Xavier Caballé (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5)

    Budget Travel to Spain

    Spain is a member of the Schengen Agreement, meaning entry to Spain get you to other Schengen Agreement countries without further border controls. As of January 2010, nationals of the following countries do not need a visa for entry into the Schengen Area: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, additionally persons holding British National (Overseas), Hong Kong SAR or Macau SAR passports. By Plane There are many international airports in Spain, depending on which city you will be visiting: Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Murcia, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Bilbao, Alicante, Santiago de Compostela, Vigo or the Canary Islands. I will describe each in due course.

    Check out the low-cost carriers for budget flights to Spain: Vueling, easyJet, Ryanair, Blue Air and Jet2.com.

    Budget Travel within Spain

    By Train
    Trains in Spain are now modern, reliable and punctual. All train lines radiates out of Madrid, like a spider web, so unless your base is Madrid, it might not be convenient to reach two places that are otherwise geographically close. Your alternative is to take the bus.

    By Bus
    The bus is an attractive option for budget travelers. It is also a good way to see the countryside. The road network has vastly improved in the past two decades, and there are a lot more private bus companies offering routes at very competitive prices. As a guide, it will cost you €8 for every 100 km of bus travel.

    Useful Links

     Church of San Antón and Old Bridge, Bilbao
    Church of San Antón and Old Bridge, Bilbao
    Author: Paula Rey (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)

    Principal Cities of Spain

    1. Madrid
      The capital as well as biggest city in Spain, within the third largest metropolitan area in the European Union.

    2. Barcelona
      Second biggest city in Spain and the capital of Catalonia.

    3. Valencia
      Third largest city in Spain, home to the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences.

    4. Seville
      Fourth largest city in Spain and capital of Andalusia.

    5. Bilbao
      Largest city in the Basque Country and capital of the province of Biscay.

    6. Málaga
      Sixth largest city in Spain and the southernmost large city in Europe

    7. Murcia
      Seventh largest city in Spain, renowned for its baroque buildings and local cuisine.

    8. Zaragoza
      Former capital of the Kingdom of Aragon, a city on the river Ebro.

    9. Cadiz
      Oldest continuously-inhabited city in the Iberian Peninsula.

    10. Granada
      City in Andalusia, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada.

    Tourist Destinations in Spain

    1. Costa Brava
      Coastal region in northeastern Catalonia, popular destination for package tourism among Europeans.

    2. Palma de Mallorca
      City and post on the island of Majorca, today a tourist destination.

    3. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
      Most populous city in the Canary Islands.

    4. Ibiza
      Tourist island on the Mediterranean, renowned for its riotous nightlife.

    5. Tenerife
      Largest of the Canary Islands and a major tourist destination.

    6. Córdoba
      City in Andalusia with many heritage sites from its medieval past.

    7. Pamplona
      Cities famous for its "Running of the Bulls" fiesta.

    UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain

    1. Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada
    2. Burgos Cathedral
    3. Historic Centre of Cordoba
    4. Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid
    5. Works of Antoni Gaudí
    6. Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain
    7. Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias
    8. Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches
    9. Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct
    10. Santiago de Compostela (Old Town)
    11. Garajonay National Park
    12. Historic City of Toledo
    13. Mudejar Architecture of Aragon
    14. Old Town of Cáceres
    15. Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville
    16. Old City of Salamanca
    17. Poblet Monastery
    18. Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida
    19. Route of Santiago de Compostela
    20. Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe
    21. Doñana National Park
    22. Historic Walled Town of Cuenca
    23. La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia
    24. Las Médulas
    25. Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona
    26. Pyrénées - Mont Perdu
    27. San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries
    28. Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula
    29. University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares
    30. Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture
    31. San Cristóbal de La Laguna
    32. Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco
    33. Archaeological Site of Atapuerca
    34. Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí
    35. Palmeral of Elche
    36. Roman Walls of Lugo
    37. Aranjuez Cultural Landscape
    38. Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza
    39. Vizcaya Bridge
    40. Teide National Park
    41. Tower of Hercules



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    Find lowest price for your Hotel Room

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    The form below is a Research Engine. It doesn't take bookings. Instead it lets you find the hotel booking website that offers the room you want at the lowest price. You can see and compare what different sites are offering, and then click to choose the one with the best price. Do this, and you're guaranteed to save a whole lot of money on your room reservations!



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