Spain was one of the rare countries we visited where we didn't take the metro at all. For one, many of the places we visited were walking distance from the hotel and if we needed to go further afield like to the train station or airport, it meant we had our luggage, so taking a taxi was easier. Taxis are not expensive in Spain, and considering there were three of us, it was just slightly more expensive (and a lot more convenient) than taking the metro.
Also, as I've mentioned, you can try Cabify or Uber to get around. Cabify is like Grab and frequently has €3 discount codes. What I like is that you don't have to attempt to explain to the cab driver (who may not speak English) where you're trying to get to, since you just key in your destination. You also pay a fixed amount and don't have to worry about traffic bumping up your fare (which can happen if you're right smack in the Sol area in Madrid where traffic can come to a standstill).
However, something to note about Cabify: sometimes, your driver can take a long time to get to you, so you need to buffer in that time. We've had instances where our driver was 18 minutes away and had to travel a longer distance to get to us than to where we were going!
We also relied on Google maps a lot. No more getting lost with this failsafe app. Andre was the navigator for most of the trip, guiding us to attractions and restaurants. Gone are the days of wandering helplessly down wrong alleys and through mazes trying to find the right place.
Transportation
We travelled from city to city on three types of transport: plane, fast train and bus. The AVE fast train is our favourite, as it's very comfortable. But as I've mentioned, they're very popular, especially during summer when it's the holiday peak season, so you should book your tickets as early as possible. Renfe is the main rail company in Spain and they don't release the tickets in any set order - sometimes 2 months before, sometimes a month. I booked the train tickets the day they went on sale and a week later, the tickets were already 25% higher. You can book via the official Renfe site, but it's all in Spanish, so I booked from the Trainline site instead. The prices are similar and at least you can read what you're booking!
The domestic flight we took was with Vueling. It's fast and hassle-free, though the plane is pretty basic. But it got us from Barcelona to Seville in 1.5 hours, a journey that would have taken 6 hours on the fast train (and a lot more expensive), so it's definitely a good option.
The inter-city bus we took was Alsa and it's also super comfortable, with a toilet on the bus, so no worries needing to take a leak on long journeys.
We've all heard the stereotype about Spanish transportation being laid back and unreliable, but I can debunk this right now. All three types of transport that we took were impeccably efficient and organised. Even the bus left and arrived to the MINUTE that it was scheduled for. The airport, train stations and bus stations are large, modern and clean. The check in processes are fast and smooth. Mark me impressed. Unless you're unlucky enough to be there during a strike, you shouldn't have to worry about unreliability.
Language
Spanish words are relatively easy to say because they're pronounced they way they are spelt, much like Malay. Just two exceptions: 1) 'j' is pronounced 'h', eg. jamon (ham) is pronounced "hah-mon".
2) Double 'l' is pronounced 'y'.
For example, you know the popular yoghurt brand Llao Llao? Well, the reason it starts with a double 'l' is because it's a Spanish brand. And it's not pronounced "lao lao" or "ee-lao ee-lao" but "yao yao". So now you know!In the larger cities like Madrid and Barcelona, most of the Spanish at least know a smattering of English, and restaurants in the tourist areas usually have an English menu.
Eating
The Spanish have, what is to us, very odd meal times. Breakfast is usually a pastry and coffee, lunch is only from 1.30pm, and dinner from 8pm. Making a dinner reservation at a restaurant for 10pm is more common than for 7pm!
This totally doesn't gel with our meal times, but in reality, this worked for us more than against us. Unlike Spain in the past where restaurants would close for a siesta and open only for dinner, most restaurants nowadays, especially in the city, open throughout. So if you're like us and wander into a restaurant at 6pm, chances are you not only won't have to wait for a table, you'll have the restaurant all to yourself. And you'll get the most fantastic service cos they're not harried!
A common misconception is that service is slow, that's why meals in Spain take such a long time. We found this to be completely untrue. The waiters are efficient and our food was generally served quickly, we didn't encounter any noticeable waits. We're usually out of a restaurant within an hour. Another misconception is that Spanish waiters are rude. That's also not true. Not every waiter was super friendly, but I wouldn't call them rude, more matter-of-fact. They're direct and their aim is to get you what you want, not make small talk (which suits us just fine!) If you ask them for recommendations, they're usually happy to oblige.
In terms of choice, you're in food haven in Spain. Especially nowadays with TripAdvisor and Google, you really have no excuse for eating bad food, since you can search ratings before you go to a restaurant. And compared to Singapore, eating at restaurants is very much more affordable in Spain, especially with regards to the quality of food. I won't go into detail about the food here since I've already raved endlessly about it in my posts (plus I'll start drooling on my computer). Just umm...a few pics.
Pickpockets
Before we left for the trip, we were warned by many people about pickpockets in Spain, especially Barcelona and in summer. I personally have friends who have been pickpocket victims. If you read all the encounters online, it's enough to make you think everyone in Spain is out to grab your belongings.
After having gone there, let me say this: be vigilant but don't be paranoid, especially to the point where the anxiety spoils your holiday mood. Similar to our experience in Paris, we found that our fears were unfounded and we never felt unsafe at any point.
Yes, pickpockets exist and we did have a close encounter on our last day in Madrid, but that's because we had let our guards down and were a little complacent. In general, it's safe and if you carry your bags in front of you, you should be fine. Don't do stupid things like leave your bag unattended or next to you when you're on your phone or distracted, that's just asking for trouble.
When we walked into a McDonald's in Barcelona to check out their chocolate doughnuts (yes, they have chocolate doughnuts in Spain's Golden Arches!), the restaurant manager came up to us and asked, "English?" When we said yes, she told us, "There are pickpockets in the restaurant, be careful." I thought was great of her to warn us. Soon after, we saw two police officers in the restaurant, she had probably called them. So the locals too, are on the lookout for potential crime, and there is heavy police presence in all the tourist areas we went to in Spain.
Shopping
If fashion is your thing, you're in for a treat in Spain. There are lots of mid-priced and budget labels sporting the trendiest styles. You have your famous Spanish labels like Desigual, Mango, Zara, and all the Zara-owned labels like Lefties, Pull & Bear and Bershka. There's also a giant five-storey Primark in Gran Via in Madrid. Primark is Irish, not Spanish but it's very popular because of its low price point. Very affordable and so much choice you'll wish you had a bigger wardrobe and more time.
If you're petite, you'll rejoice even more because Spanish women are surprisingly short. I had no trouble finding clothes that fit me. Even Lesley-Anne who's even shorter than I am and has trouble finding pants or jeans of the right length in Singapore, could go on a shopping spree there.
xxx
In conclusion, we enjoyed our trip to Spain very, very much. Even more than we thought we would, if that's possible. The country is simply beautiful with many picture-perfect spots. Heritage, art, culture, and modern cityscape - there's just so much to see, do and enjoy.
The culture is relaxed but without compromising on efficiency. The people can be a little err...expressive, but for the most part, we found them warm, friendly and helpful.
If I had to give one-liners to the three Spanish cities we visited, I would say that Seville has the best sights, Madrid has the best shopping, and Barcelona has the best food. And since the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, this makes Spain a very satisfying holiday destination indeed.
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