Following Spain being added to the US safe flight list, My Baggage has revealed the seven things every American should know before visiting Spain.
Being one of the most popular vacation spots in Europe, Americans haven’t wasted a second to book, with the search term ‘Spanish Vacations’ up by 103% and even the term ‘Moving to Spain’ up by 24%.
If you’re wanting to fit in with the Spanish culture, it might be best to carry a couple of snacks on you so you don’t go hungry!
Breakfast tends to be at the same time as in the US, but whereas we usually eat lunch around 12pm - 1pm, lunch is eaten in Spain at around 3pm. Dinner is again eaten much later, usually between 9pm - 10pm.
Spanish siesta is infamous around the world. After lunch, between 3.30 - 6pmit is customary to take a nap for a few hours to avoid the hottest time of the day. Depending on where you are in Spain, some towns take it very seriously with shops and restaurants closing between these hours so don’t get caught out if you need to pop to the store!
Ham and chicken are some of the main ingredients used in Spanish cooking, and many restaurants don’t cater to vegetarians. A tip is to either check the restaurant's menu beforehand or brush up on your Spanish terms so you can tell your water that you don’t want meat in the dish!
In the US, we all know that it's customary to tip 20% of the bill. However, in Spain, a 5% - 10% is much more common, or no tip at all if the service wasn’t up to scratch. Don’t worry, it’s not seen as rude!
In America, it’s pretty rare to carry around cash with you these days. However, in Spain paying in cash is still customary and some places don’t even accept debit cards. By always carrying some with you, you’ll never get caught in an awkward situation!
The overall pace in Spain tends to be slower, Spaniards like to take their time with things and they love to people watch. If you're caught staring in the US, it’s a bit awkward and some consider it rude, though they don’t consider it like that in Spain. If you catch someone staring, don’t worry, you don’t have anything on your face!
Spain is a much, MUCH older country than America. Over the centuries there have been some strange festivals celebrated that are now carried on as tradition. Some of the favorites are, Los Hombres de Musgo, where men cover themselves in moss to reenact the retaking of the town of Béjar from Moorish occupiers in the 12th century. La Tomatina, an annual festival where thousands of people participate in what is undoubtedly the largest tomato fight in the world. And, on the Spanish island of Palma, Los Indianos, where participants dress entirely in white and engage in a talcum powder fight! They are all grounded in history and tradition and are all great fun to get involved in.
For more tips on visiting and moving to Spain, check out the My Baggage Moving to Spain guide.
