How much spending money should I take to Spain?

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britishbuilder

Hello J'adore,
Spain has become more expensive since the introduction of the Euro.
However if you already have some of your meals taken care of, then you can have a great time without breaking the bank.
Eating out in Spain is fairly cheap, leather goods, glass, electrical items and clothes are still good value.
Basically most of the popular areas of Spain attract thousands of tourists every year, the Spanish rely heavily on the tourist for their living, but will not think twice about trying to rob you. I do not mean take your purse, they have many shops, stores and street vendors that will not display their price. The reason is, they have a two tier pricing structure, local price and tourist.
You may see a nice top priced up at lets say $40 if you are an American, you walk round the next corner and see the same item for $20. So now you make a purchase and feel pleased with yourself, but walk round the next street and someone is selling it for $10 lol.
To get the best deals,they expect you to haggle over the price.

You mention about a tour, Southern Spain is more expensive than the eastern shore, but you can still get a lot for your money, especially if you are away from the coast and buy clothing that is hand made by the locals.If you plan on drinking. here is another good tip, most bars and restaurants have tables and chairs outside, the waiter will greet you with a smile, and tender for your every need. You pay for the food and drinks at the end of your stay, the food might be priced, but the drinks are not, these places are the ones to look out for, you can order lets say four basic drinks and they want to tell you the bill is $60.

I am not a cheap person and give generous tips, but I hate being taken for an idiot or a fool, and once I refused to pay about $90 for five drinks.
I left the bar and placed down $30.
If you are going for 10 days and love to shop, I would say allow $100 per day, that should really be enough to cover everything. I lived in Spain for approximately four months, and soon learned the value of things and their ways. It is possible to spend much less per day if you keep away from the high end retail stores, same as any country. Spain has a lot to offer the tourist, and the nightlife is fantastic. Most stores and shops will open late during the day and stay open till late at night, around lunch time everything stops, while they have a sleep or spend time with their families. You will notice this more as you get away from the coastal areas.
If you plan on taking a day trip to Gilbraltar, be careful of the gypsies, when you leave Gilbraltar, a woman may approach you, and say here is a cartoon of cigarettes, its a gift from us to you, when you arrive back on Spainish soil, you will be approached by two thugs who now want the cigarettes. You are only allowed to bring back a certain amount of tax free goods, and if you are over the limit, the police will give you a heavy fine.
On the whole, Spain is a good fun place, great weather, nice beaches and the people are friendly and relaxed. Get them behind a wheel of a car, and they are crazy. Just make sure you really study the road before crossing.

I hope this information shall be of benefit to you, and have a great time.

Paul M

gary o

Take $1,000.00........... you can always wire for more. Better yet.......take a credit card.

dart

I agree with Gary...credit cards are best...that way, if you run out, you can pay it next month! (having about $1000 in the bank is a good idea, though). Bring a couple hundred, about $300 just to have cash in your pocket, or if you can bring a debit/direct withdrawal card, use that...rates are a bit cheaper.)

Gabi

OK, some of Paul's answeres are right, some are not. Southern Spain is actually one of the cheapest areas, mainly because, besides the tourist areas (Sevilla, CÃ³rdoba, Granada and MÃ¡laga) is one of the poorest in Spain. I have no idea where you're going, but the most expensive areas are Euskadi, Catalonia, Madrid and Cantabria. Obviously, the most expensive bars and restaurants will be in the most touristy areas. It's really worth it to walk a bit more and look for a more "Spanish" place. You can easily find menus for 10/12 euros, and drinks in clubs should be around 8 â‚¬, more or less. For a Spaniard it's reasonable to pay around 25 â‚¬ in a lunch. Pubs would be 7.5-8 and clubs could be 10 or even 12 if it's a v. posh place.

And about the shopping-no idea where you're from. But if you're English you will find clothes slightly cheaper while if you're American a bit less. I must say I took a 1500 euros for 10 days in Thailand and I spent all of it. And Thailand is much cheaper. Although I am a big big shopper, so it depends on what sort of things you want to purchase. Have fun!

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