According to topb2bwebsites, Spain (English: Spain, Spanish: España) is a country located partly in Europe and partly in Africa. Mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands (Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera) are in Europe. The Canary Islands (El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, La Palma, Lanzarote and Tenerife) and the Spanish exclaves of Melilla andCeuta are in Africa. Spain borders France, Andorra, Portugal and Gibraltar. The Spanish exclaves of Melilla and Ceuta only border Morocco. The capital of Spain is Madrid. A number of major cities in Spain are: Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza and Las Palmas.
Spain is known as a real holiday destination. Everything one is looking for in a holiday can be found in Spain: sun, sea, beach, nightlife and culture. Tourists often come for the cultural cities of Barcelona and Madrid or look for the wide sandy beaches on the long coastline for sunbathing or diving. The landscape is mostly hilly with several mountain areas. The most famous mountain areas are the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada. The country has many National Parks, mostly located on the Canary Islands. Spain is also known worldwide for its many historic buildings, bullfighting, flamenco dancing, tortilla, Paella, tapas and major football clubs (including FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia). See toppharmacyschools for Spain higher education.
Autonomous regions and cities of Spain:
Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Catalonia, Ceuta (autonomous city), Extremadura, Galicia, Castile-La Mancha, Castile and León, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla (autonomous city), Murcia, Navarra and Valencia.
Where is Spain?
Travel information of Spain
Official name: Kingdom of Spain
Continent: Europe and Africa
Area: 505,992 km²
Capital: Madrid
Country code: ES, ESP
Population: 50,015,792 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy
Highest point: 3,479 m (Mulhacén)
Distance (Amsterdam – Madrid): 1,482 km
Flight time: approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Spain that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs in Spain, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Spain. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Spain?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Spain at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Spain has a Mediterranean climate on the coast and on the islands, a continental climate in the interior and a maritime climate in the north. The temperatures are around 30 degrees in the summer months and around 15 degrees during the winter months.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Spain can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Spain can be found at Climate info.
Current snow depths in Spain can be found at Winter sports enthusiasts.
Best time
May, June and September are the best months to travel to Spain. In these months you will not be bothered by mass tourism in addition to the summer temperatures.
Language
Spanish is the official language in Spain. In addition, there are four official regional languages: Catalan, Basque, Galician and Aranese.
Would you like to translate from or into Spanish for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Spain: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulates in Spain: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Spanish Embassy in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Spanish consulates in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Spain.
Money and Currency
In Spain, payments are made with the euro (EUR).
An overview of all ATMs in Spain can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Spain are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -23% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (34% cheaper), food (18% cheaper), imported beer in catering (28% cheaper), cigarettes (20% cheaper) and public transport (48% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Spain it is customary to give a tip. Good service is about 5-10% tip.
Time difference
There is no time difference with the Netherlands.
Summer time in Spain is equal to that in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone for Spain can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Spain you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Spain.
There are toll roads in Spain. An overview of all toll roads in Spain can be found on ANWB.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Spain.
Electricity
In Spain the same plugs and sockets are used as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity in Spain can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112
– Fire: 112
– Ambulance: 112
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap because of the high chlorine content.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Spain can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Spain can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Spain end in.es.
Spain’s official website: spain.info.
Telephony
The country code (international access number) to call someone in Spain is 0034 or +34.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Spain? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Spain Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Spain.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Spain.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Spain.
Holidays and school holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Spain can be found on Beleven.org.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in Spain in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Spain, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travel reports
Are you looking for a travel report (travel story) about Spain?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Spain. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Spain can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Spain can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Spain? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with Spain, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Spain, including: opportunities, Sudan and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in Spain? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, accommodation, scholarships, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Spain.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5 (0.3 for novice drivers up to 2 years old).
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know…
…The April 1 jokes in Spain are on December 28?
…Heineken is the largest beer brewery in Spain?
…63% of Spaniards do not speak or understand English?
…Spain is one of the most visited countries in the world?
…The national anthem of Spain has no lyrics?
…More than 410 million people worldwide speak Spanish?