Custom travel to Spain

Spain is a country-continent where every region reveals a strong character: Castilian Madrid and its world art, avant-garde Gaudí Barcelona, Moorish and flamboyant Andalusia, gastronomic Basque Country, Celtic Galicia, Mediterranean Balearics, volcanic Canaries. From the Camino de Santiago to Alhambra palaces, evening tapas to Andalusian ferias, the country offers a diversity of landscapes, flavors, and traditions that makes it one of Europe's most complete destinations.

Highlights

• Madrid: Prado, tapas, nightlife
• Andalusia: Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Moorish heritage
• Barcelona and Catalonia: Gaudí, beaches, Costa Brava
• Basque Country: San Sebastián, pintxos, exceptional gastronomy
• Balearics: Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca

Sample itineraries

When to go

Spain can be visited almost year-round depending on the region. April–June and September–October offer the ideal balance everywhere: mild temperatures, fewer crowds, reasonable prices. Summer (July–August) is extremely hot in Andalusia and Madrid (40 °C) but stays pleasant in the Basque Country, Galicia, and Asturias thanks to the Atlantic. Winter is mild in the south (ideal for Andalusia without crowds) and cooler in Madrid. The Canaries enjoy a year-round springlike climate.

• Spring (April – June), Green Andalusia, Easter in Seville, empty beaches
• Summer (July – August), Basque Country, Galicia, Pyrenees, Costa Brava, Balearics
• Autumn (September – October), Harvests, Madrid without crowds, cooler Andalusia
• Winter (December – March), Andalusia without crowds, skiing, Canaries at 22 °C

Practical information

Spain is very safe, main risks are pickpockets in tourist areas (Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Madrid metro). A few cultural codes are worth knowing: meals are eaten VERY late (lunch 2-3pm, dinner 9-10pm) and shops often close 2-5pm for siesta; tapeo is practiced in groups and standing at the counter; tipping (5-10% in restaurants) is appreciated but not mandatory. Tap water is drinkable. A few Spanish words (gracias, por favor, hola) are always appreciated.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time for a Spain trip?

Spain can be visited almost year-round depending on the region. April to June is ideal almost everywhere: mild temperatures of 18-25 °C, blooming gardens, Holy Week in Seville (April), and Andalusian ferias, while still avoiding summer heat. July-August is extremely hot in Andalusia and Madrid (35-42 °C, up to 45 °C some days in Seville), but stays very pleasant in the Basque Country, Galicia, and Asturias thanks to the Atlantic, not to mention Pamplona's bull-running festival (San Fermín) in early July. September-October is our other favorite period: mild temperatures (20-28 °C), golden light, grape harvests in the Rioja vineyards, and an Andalusia that becomes bearable again after the summer heat wave. Winter (December-March) stays mild in the south (15-18 °C, Andalusia without crowds), cooler in Madrid, with skiing possible in the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada near Granada. The Canaries enjoy a springlike climate year-round, around 22 °C, a good option for a sunny winter.

How long for a Spain trip?

Allow 8 days for the Andalusian Golden Triangle, our most concentrated itinerary: 2 nights in Madrid, a stop in Cordoba for the Mezquita, 3 nights in Seville, and 2 nights in Granada for the Alhambra, all linked by AVE trains. For a fuller immersion combining Moorish Spain with Catalonia and the Basque Country (Sagrada Familia, San Sebastián pintxos), allow 14 days, our most chosen itinerary. To explore green, Atlantic Spain, Basque Country and Galicia, far from Mediterranean clichés, with Bilbao, San Sebastián, Santiago de Compostela, and the Rías Baixas, plan for 12 days. To miss nothing, combining several of these itineraries or adding the Balearics or Canaries, allow 16 to 21 days. Under 8 days, it's better to focus on a single region, Madrid and Andalusia, or Barcelona and Catalonia, rather than multiplying train journeys.

What budget for a custom Spain trip?

For 8 to 10 days at Comfort level, well-located 3-4★ boutique hotels (Madrid, Seville, Granada, Barcelona) and a night in a historic parador, AVE trains between cities, and 3 guided experiences (Alhambra, flamenco, tapas), expect from €1,400 per person, excluding international flights. At Premium level (12-14 days), you stay in hand-picked 4★ boutique hotels and exceptional paradores, with a private French-speaking guide on key stops and more intimate experiences like a private pintxos crawl in San Sebastián; budgets start at €2,500 per person. At Exclusive level (14 to 21 days, fully bespoke), addresses like the Mandarin Oriental Barcelona, the Hotel Alfonso XIII Seville, or the Belmond La Residencia in Mallorca, with a private driver and privileged access (after-hours Alhambra, private Costa Brava cruise): expect from €4,500 per person. On top of this come international flights, between €80 and €300 per person for a Paris-Madrid or Paris-Barcelona round-trip in Economy.

Do I need a visa to travel to Spain?

Spain is part of the European Union and the Schengen Area: no visa is required for French, Belgian, Swiss, and other EU citizens, a simple valid ID card is enough. For British, American, and Canadian citizens, no visa is needed either for a tourist stay up to 90 days per 180-day period, but a valid passport is required (an ID card alone isn't enough outside the EU). No vaccine is mandatory and tap water is drinkable throughout the country. Tipping (5-10% in restaurants) is appreciated but not mandatory, service being generally included.

Should I rent a car in Spain?

A rental car is particularly useful for exploring rural Andalusia and its white villages (Ronda perched on its cliff, Frigiliana, Vejer, Setenil de las Bodegas), the wild Basque coast, Galicia and its Rías Baixas, or to move freely around the Balearics once you've arrived by plane or ferry. However, it's unnecessary, even a hassle, for linking major cities: the AVE network is faster, more comfortable, and drops you off right in the city center (Madrid-Barcelona in 2h30, Madrid-Seville in 2h20). I recommend a compact car with full insurance, booked only for the days you leave the big cities, rather than for the whole trip.

How do I get around in Spain?

The AVE network, one of Europe's best, links Madrid to Barcelona in 2h30, to Seville in 2h20, and to Valencia in 1h50, with frequent, comfortable trains, about five times less CO₂ than an equivalent domestic flight. I systematically build itineraries around the train for major connections, the car only stepping in to explore rural Andalusia, the Basque Country, Galicia, or the Balearics. To reach the islands, domestic flights remain the most efficient way to the Balearics and Canaries, with ferries possible from Barcelona or Valencia to Mallorca and Ibiza if you prefer to take your time. In big cities, the metro is fast and cheap (Madrid and Barcelona in particular), complemented by abundant taxis and ride-hailing.

How to pay in Spain: card or cash?

Cards are accepted everywhere. Cash remains useful for markets, traditional tapas bars, and tips. Spain is part of the eurozone.

Is Spain suitable for a family trip?

Absolutely. Safety, warm welcome for children (Spaniards adore niños), kid-friendly experiences, family beaches, paradores with pools. Children particularly enjoy Spanish cuisine and ferias.

Can you do a honeymoon in Spain?

Spain is an exceptional honeymoon destination. Between historic paradores, romantic Mallorca boutique hotels, Basque starred dinners, and intimate Seville flamenco shows, experiences for two abound.

Are there cultural rules to know for a Spain trip?

Meals are eaten VERY late (lunch 2-3pm, dinner 9-10pm). Shops often close 2-5pm for siesta. Tapeo is practiced in groups and standing. Tipping (5-10%) is appreciated but not mandatory. Covered clothing in churches.

Do I need to speak Spanish to travel to Spain?

French isn't widely spoken outside the most touristy areas, but English is generally understood in hotels, restaurants, and tourist sites in big cities (Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, San Sebastián). In more remote villages, in rural Andalusia or Galicia, a few basic Spanish words (gracias, por favor, hola) are always appreciated and greatly ease exchanges. Note that several languages coexist in Spain depending on the region, Catalan in Barcelona, Basque (euskara) in the Basque Country, and Galician in Galicia, but Spanish (Castilian) is understood everywhere. My private French-speaking guides, available in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Granada, and Cordoba, remove any language barrier if you'd like.

Which region to choose for a first trip to Spain?

For a first trip, the Andalusian Golden Triangle, Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, and Granada, remains the most obvious choice: it concentrates the essentials of Moorish and Castilian Spain (Alhambra, Mezquita, Real Alcázar) in 8 days, with fast AVE connections. If you prefer a more urban and artistic immersion, Madrid for its museums (Prado, Reina Sofía) and Barcelona for Gaudí and the Mediterranean make a great duo in one week. For a decidedly gastronomic first trip, the Basque Country, Bilbao and San Sebastián, its world capital of pintxos, is a safe bet. If you're traveling for more than two weeks, I recommend combining Andalusia with Catalonia and the Basque Country to discover the country's diversity in a single trip.