Heather's 21 Little Tips for Visiting Spain

1.       Street signs are hidden

a.       At best, there are plaque-type things on the corners of buildings that will say something like, “Calle de Miguel Hernandez.”, but some smaller streets don’t even have that. Plus, if you are new to the language, remembering street names is difficult. This means that it’s much easier to orient yourself based on stores, buildings, and plazas.

2.       Not all signs are in Spanish

a.       There are about three different Spanish dialects spoken in Spain, and public signs will switch languages based on the region you are in. Therefore, “calle” could be “caller” or some other variant.

3.       Ask the hostel receptionist for a map, and have them circle the hostel

a.       Even if you are directionally challenged and hopelessly lost in a city, you can frantically point at this and someone will be able to help you.

4.       Most people can’t speak English

a.       I’m not sure where I got the impression that the language barrier would not be an issue, because we were constantly relying on friends in our group who spoke Spanish. (Thank you Manny, Eddy, and Jesus!)

5.       Bathrooms are “aseos”

a.       Just sayin’

6.       Customer service isn’t a thing

a.       Servers aren’t going to be nice to you just because, and if a server does not like you for some reason, they will let you know by burning your croissant or charging you extra for bread. They are not going to ask you if you need anything else, and you will have to call them over if you want something. (BTW, I’m still pissed about the croissant)

7.       They will never ask you to leave

a.       You can stay in a café until they close before they ask you to leave. They don’t care if you sit there for 6 hours and only order a coffee, which is pretty cool.

8.       You don’t have to tip

a.       Even if you try to offer a cab driver more than the posted amount for a tip, they will look at you like they don’t know what you are doing. The few places that do have tip jars are tourist-ey, and you will notice that “tip” is only written in English.

9.       Don’t trust people working for public transit services

a.       I have had someone sell me a ticket to Granada from Madrid, saying it will stop in Guardamar (where I needed to be) when it didn’t. I have also heard of ticket sales people saying they were sold out for a group when they were not, and they might refuse to give you change, even if they have it. Know what you need before seeing them.  

10.   Bring a lock

a.       Most hostels have a locker for your valuables, so having a lock helps. It also gives you some peace of mind to be able to lock up your backpack when you are on a crowded train. Sadly, pickpocketers are common, and locking up your cell phone and wallet helps.

11.   Have sturdy, comfortable shoes

a.       If you thought walking around Berkeley for a day was intense, you are in for a wake-up call. You only need to walk half a day in a pair of uncomfortable shoes to understand the necessity of comfortable shoes. Make sure they won’t get slippery when your feet sweat, or cut up your ankle. A little padding is also nice.

12.   Drink lots of water

a.       You are going to be walking around all day in more heat than you are used to, and you are going to need more water than you think you do. Even though carrying around a 1 liter plastic bottle is equivalent to tattooing “tourist” on your forehead, it is much better than getting sick from dehydration, which takes a few days to recover from.

13.   Go to the chino store for your basic needs

a.       Seriously, they are cheap, open on Sundays and during fiestas, and have almost everything you need. Alcohol, nail polish, soap, toothbrushes, crackers, water, electronic converters, you name it, they have it. “Chino” (Chee-noh) means “Chinese” in case you were wondering.

14.   Every town turns into a ghost town during siesta

a.       Everything will close around 2 and open again around 5, and during this time, a Spanish town will feel like a ghost town. All the stores close, no one is walking around, and the only people out and about are confused tourists carrying plastic water bottles, cameras, and maps. (you)

15.   Work hours are different during a festival

a.       Public transit will have amended hours, as well as banks and stores. Banks may also choose to only do basic functions during a festival. Plan accordingly.

16.   Don’t bring hair dryers

a.       Or any electronic beauty product for that matter. Even with a converter, there is a good chance that you will short-circuit your hair thing and blow out the power of wherever you are staying. Then, you’ll be carting around all these electronics that are of no use to you. Most women embrace their natural hair texture here anyways, so you won’t stand out if you stop straightening, curling, and drying artificially.

17.   “Take care of your feet and don’t do anything stupid.”

a.       Lieutenant Dan knew what he was talking about. Be careful when you jump over fires (Manny), are walking around a pirate island (Noah), or get drunk in Barcelona, wearing flip flops, and don’t what happened but your foot is cut up (me). Basically, your feet are going to be in a lot of strange situations, and you are going to need them to be healthy more than ever before. Have some closed toed shoes, bring lotion, give yourself a foot massage, and be careful when you are walking through sketchy places.

18.   Make friends with strangers

a.       Sometimes, they are the people that will guide you to a good hostel, let you know where the best clubs are, and share the most interesting stories. The random people that you cross paths with could be the best part about your time abroad.

18a. Don’t make friends with all strangers

b.      They also might be the people who chase you around Marrakesh with two of their friends, leading you to fear for your life. Go with your instincts on this one.

19.   Consider bringing a towel

a.       Many hostels will charge extra for a towel, and some do not provide towels at all. When they do, towels tend to be thin, small, and not up to par with the large, fluffy vessels of comfort in the good ‘ol USA. It’s not a huge deal, but once you get your hands on a real towel, you just know.  

20.   Embrace the Spanish Lifestyle

a.       Sleep during siesta, take breaks, chill in a café, get tipsy in the middle of the day, stay out until sunrise, and do as the Spaniards do. Everything fits together and makes sense after a while.

21.   Go with the flow

a.       You probably will not have the exact experiences you have been dreaming about, and pre-determined expectations will prevent you from enjoying the experiences you do have. You are going to be in a lot of odd situations, and traveling can be stressful, but if you maintain a generally positive disposition and enter a new place open to experience whatever comes your way, you will have the time of your life.