Travel To Spain

Travel to Spain could not be easier, requiring little more than a valid passport, in order to enjoy the history, cuisine and culture of this Spanish speaking country. When traveling to some countries, Americans may be inconvenienced by the travel requirements and paperwork, but traveling to this country has very few restrictions. Americans making plans to travel to Spain do not need a visa; they need only a valid passport and a return ticket home. The exception to this is if the traveler is intending to stay for longer than three months. Stays exceeding 90 days from date of entry do require a visa stamp; date of entry begins when travelers enter any of these nations before traveling in Spain: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

When someone travels to this country, they should be aware of certain factors that make the country unique. For example, travelers will want to know that the currency used is the Euro, which is slightly stronger than the dollar so the cost of dining and other things may seem high. The best time to travel to Spain to avoid the crowds and the heat is either May or October. Spring and fall offer travelers beautiful weather with fewer crowds, and the cities in the South are still warm. Of course Spanish is spoken throughout the country, though English is widely used in tourist areas.

The food and wine is a delight to many tourists who travel. Those travelers who are exploring the Spanish country are no different. When in Madrid, travelers should be sure to experience a meal of tapas. Tapas are appetizer-sized foods that guests pick up with toothpicks. The idea is to take a bit of food and drink in one establishment and then move on to the next to have more. At the end of four or five stops, diners have had enough for a meal. The energy and delicious food found in tapas bars make them a must-do for anyone making plans to visit Spain.

In addition to the food, Spain offers visitors history, beauty, culture and, of course, the running of the bulls, an event often on the schedule for those who visit. Bull running is an event that occurs during the day, but precedes a night of bullfighting. Opinions differ widely about the impact bullfighting has on an unprepared tourists, but the bull running is an interesting event to watch from a distance. Those tourists who are interested in partaking in this Spanish tradition, can make sure to research which city and dates the bulls will run, and make plans to visit on those dates.

Whatever anyone decides to do when traveling to Spain, they should take time to learn about the Spanish culture before the trip. For example, in this country it is common to kiss someone on both cheeks when greeting and bring a small gift when invited as a guest in someone's home. By educating oneself on some of the common cultural practices, travelers can avoid being offended, or better yet, avoid offending someone else. When planning to travel to Spain, however, people do not need to get overly concerned about fitting in. After all, people are people the world throughout. "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein" (Psalm 24:1).