Spain is safe for solo female travellers, as safe as any other destination in the world. You'll get to have a whole lot of fun eating, drinking, beaching, and sightseeing your way around this Iberian gem.
The most popular islands for expats are Tenerife and Gran Canaria, as they offer cheaper living and housing costs. These larger islands are also home to International schools, some of which follow the British curriculum, while the Spanish state schools also have a good reputation.
Best Places to Visit in Spain
- Barcelona.
- Seville.
- Madrid.
- Granada.
- Mallorca.
- Bilbao.
- Ibiza.
- Canary Islands.
Prominent places include Javea new and old towns, famous Alicante, and Benidorm. As you can see pinpointing where expats live in Spain reveals major cities or towns along the east and south coast are the most popular.
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- Barcelona is the best place to live in Spain. Urban jungle meets sandy beach: it won't need a more convincing argument to see why Barcelona takes the spot as the best city in Spain ahead of Madrid.
- Madrid is the second-best city in Spain to live in.
- Valencia.
- Málaga.
- Alicante.
In spite of this, Spain is still one of the best places to retire in 2021. Moving abroad and enjoying a relaxed retirement as a British expat is an attractive option for many and there are countless options for those who have already retired or see retirement coming on the horizon.
American? We recommend you, first of all, to make sure that you have the right documents for driving in Spain. US citizens are usually required to have a valid passport and a US driver's license. We suggest you apply for the International Driving License (IDL) to be on a safe side.
Spain driving rulesSpain drives on the right-hand side of the road. Your car hire will be set up for right-hand driving, with the steering wheel on the left side of the car.
Visitors must be aged 18 or over and hold a full, valid driving licence to legally drive in Spain. Riders of motorcycles up to 125cc must be aged 16 or over. Driving licences issued in EU and EEA countries are accepted. International driving permits are recognised, but not required.
Scenic drives for your Spain road trip:
- Coastline in Andalusia.
- Mountain roads to El Chorro.
- From Santander to Gijón.
- Montserrat Mountain Road.
- The Basque Circuit.
- La Valle del Jerte.
- The Costa da Morte road trip.
While the Spanish "PARE" or "ALTO" are used on stop signs in Spanish-speaking countries once colonized by Spain, "STOP" is used in the mother country of Spain (the result of European Union rules specifying English as the language of road signs in order to standardize road travel across EU countries).
5 Safety StatsSpain is the fifth safest country to drive in the EU with 36 deaths per million inhabitants which makes it safer than the EU average at 51 (which is the same as France). Portugal is a little below the EU average with 61 deaths per million but still ahead of places such as Belgium and Greece.
Mentioned in this answer:
- Parque del Retiro (attraction)
- Puerta del Sol (attraction)
- Plaza Mayor (attraction)
- Royal Palace of Madrid (attraction)
- Plaza Cibeles (attraction)
- Gran VÃa (attraction)
- Puerta de Alcalá (attraction)
- Almudena Cathedral (attraction)
10 Days in Spain, Itinerary for First-Timers
- Day 1 Barcelona. Where to stay in Barcelona.
- Day 2 Barcelona. Sagrada Familia.
- Day 3 Barcelona. Park Güell.
- Day 4 Barcelona – Madrid. Where to stay in Madrid.
- Day 5 Madrid. Retiro Park.
- Day 6 Day trip to Toledo. The Toledo Cathedral.
- Day 7 Madrid – Seville.
- Day 8 Seville – Granada.
The average price of a 7-day trip to Spain is $1,092 for a solo traveler, $1,745 for a couple, and $1,721 for a family of 4. Spain hotels range from $49 to $209 per night with an average of $73, while most vacation rentals will cost $150 to $500 per night for the entire home.
Madrid to Barcelona by train
| Journey time | From 2h 30m |
|---|
| Distance | 314 miles (506 km) |
| Frequency | 17 trains per day |
| First train | 06:30 |
| Last train | 20:40 |
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory. The Office of the Governor supports the Governor and Commander-in-Chief in carrying out his constitutional role and duties as Her Majesty's Representative in Gibraltar.
Regular leaded petrol has an octane rating of 92; the octane rating of super is 97. Unleaded petrol is called gasolina sin plomo.
Here are the most basic Spanish dining etiquette rules to keep in mind. No sorbas (Don't slurp): While in other countries such as Japan, this is considered polite, it's rude to slurp in Spain. No eructes (Don't burp): Just like slurping your food, burping is considered rude in Spain.
The custom in Spain is that you use shorts only at the beach and not in the city. If you wear shorts in the city everyone will know you are a tourist, which is not a good thing because you may call attention from pickpockets. However there are no rules.
Spain is one of the safest countries in EuropeGenerally, Spain is considered to be a safe place to visit. In fact, Spain ranks as one of the top 10% of the safest countries in the world. Locals tell us that you should exercise the same kind of caution you would anywhere else.
SPAIN DON'TS:
- Do not complain about smoking.
- Do not get involved with any drugs.
- Do not wear shorts in public, except to the beach.
- Do not eat with your hands.
- Do not walk around at night alone.
- Do not cross the eight lane roads anywhere except at the crossings.
Stacks of women travel solo around the country, so if you're planning a solo trip to Spain, you're not alone. Violent crime against tourists is scarce in Spain, but petty theft is unfortunately common, so while you shouldn't be paranoid while wandering, you do need to stay alert.
Moving to Spain as a non-workerIf you would like to reside in Spain, but not work in the country (for example, your spouse may be employed but you are not), you will need to: Apply for 'permiso de residencia no lucrativa' (non-profit visa) Prove you have money to live on (a consistent, permanent income)
Taboos: Do not talk about religion. The Spanish have a strong sense of religious pride. Do not expect dinner in the evening to be any time before 9pm.
A typical breakfast might include café con leche (strong coffee with hot, frothy milk), bollos (sweet rolls) with jam, toast with jam or mild cheese, or simply "Maria" crackers dunked in hot milk. Some might enjoy sweet and lemony magdalenas (think French Madeleines) from the neighborhood bakery.
