Guest Post: Tips for Traveling to Spain

We asked our friend Pauley if he'd like to be a guest writer on our blog covering anything about our trip to Spain with him. He accepted the challenge. This is what he had to share:

Tips for Traveling to Spain

by Pauley

Pauley reflecting on his trip to Spain

If you struggled with jet lag as much as I did, coffee will be your friend in Spain. Fortunately, there are an abundance of coffee shops and bakeries. You usually won’t have to walk more than a block in most parts of Madrid to find one.

Often times most of the coffee shops won’t have menus, but you can easily order an espresso or coffee with milk (café con leche). Unless you otherwise specify, they will likely assume that you will be drinking your coffee there. If you’d like to take your coffee with you, simply say “Quiero un café con leche para llevar, por favor.”

Another item to note is that if you plan on drinking your coffee in the store, they will not give you your bill unless you ask for it. This also applies to restaurants. You can ask for your bill by saying “La cuenta, por favor.” I had a slight embarrassing experience at a coffee shop where I was handed my coffee and I stood there for about 30 seconds with a 20 Euro bill in my hand while the staff pretended I wasn’t there. I finally took my coffee and sat down.

Another difference I noticed is that the Midwestern friendliness didn’t translate. Greetings here are often, “Hi, how are you?” Early in my trip, I would often greet the store clerks by saying “Hola, como está?” I learned that was often followed by a blank look from the employee. Sticking with just a simple “Hola” seemed to be more acceptable.

Culture differences can be awkward and difficult at first, especially if you don’t have anyone to walk you through them. Once learned though, it becomes pretty easy to fit in.