Spain: Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Andalusia, best time to travel, getting there and costs 2026

Spain suits you if you want to combine islands, big cities and World Heritage Sites, in summer as in winter. 50 sites in the country are on UNESCO's World Heritage List (as of September 2026). In 2025 no other country abroad counted as many passengers from Germany (our own analysis, Destatis).

What is new in 2026 is above all the tourist tax in Catalonia: higher rates have applied since 1 April, and Barcelona adds a surcharge of €5 per person and night until 31 March 2027. Since 1 January 2026, only the new model counts in Spain as the V-16 warning signal in the event of a breakdown; the transition period for older devices has expired. And since 20 February 2026 the 172.5 m Tower of Jesus Christ of the Sagrada Família has carried the upper arm of its cross.

Spain is a poorer fit if you want to see cities in the south or the interior in high summer. At Seville airport the mean high in July is 36.0 °C (AEMET, 1981–2010 normals). The northwest, by contrast, gets a lot of rain, 1,787 mm a year at Santiago de Compostela airport.

Getting there from Germany

In 2025, 15,029,534 passengers whose last known destination was in Spain boarded at the 22 main German airports, not counting those changing planes abroad. That is 1st place among 211 destination countries abroad. Almost one in three flew to Palma de Mallorca (4,886,530), followed by Barcelona (2,008,043), Madrid (1,270,351), Málaga (1,044,149), Gran Canaria (975,099) and Tenerife South (914,444).

The most important departure airports were Frankfurt (2,479,127), Düsseldorf (2,081,936), Munich (1,967,747) and Berlin Brandenburg (1,718,796). The source is the Federal Statistical Office; totals, rank and breakdown by airport are our own analysis.

Palma de Mallorca (PMI): bus A1

The airport is 8 km from Palma. EMT line A1 runs into the centre, stopping at the terminal on level 0 at arrivals and on level 2 at departures. To other places on the island, TIB intercity buses run (Aena, as of September 2026). More about the island is in the Mallorca travel guide.

Barcelona (BCN): Aerobús or R2 Nord

According to the tourist board, it is 16 km north from El Prat airport to the city. According to the same source, the Aerobús runs around the clock and takes about 35 minutes to Plaça de Catalunya. According to the transport authority ATM, it costs from €7.45 and is not part of the integrated fare. Within the integrated fare, the commuter line R2 Nord runs from T2 about every 30 minutes, reaching Barcelona-Sants in about 20 minutes (as of September 2026). More about the city is in the Barcelona travel guide.

Madrid (MAD): Exprés bus for €5, taxi for €33

The Exprés Aeropuerto, EMT line 203, runs into the city centre every day around the clock. From 6:00 to 23:30 it comes every 15 to 20 minutes and runs via Cibeles to Atocha station; at night it ends at Cibeles. It costs a flat €5, payable on the bus by card as well, and in normal traffic takes 40 minutes from Atocha to T4. The taxi costs a flat €33 between the airport and any destination inside the M-30 ring road, or €8.25 per person for four (our own calculation, as of September 2026).

Málaga (AGP): train C1 in 12 minutes

From Málaga airport it is 8 km to the centre. The commuter train C1 takes 12 minutes to Málaga city centre and 34 minutes to Fuengirola, and the express bus to the centre costs €4 (Aena, as of September 2026).

Regions and destinations at a glance

Passengers from Germany: our own analysis (Destatis, year 2025). In brackets is the year of inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List (as of September 2026); climate: AEMET 1981–2010.

Toledo and Segovia are less than an hour by train from Madrid. For the Avant from Atocha, the city of Toledo gives 25 minutes and about one train an hour; in the Renfe timetable for 29 September 2026 the fastest takes 34 minutes.

According to Turespaña, Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic church building in Europe.

In the Canary Islands, winter is the high season: in January 2025, 296,078 passengers flew from Germany to the islands, in July 189,724 (our own analysis).

According to Turespaña, the Camino de Santiago ends in Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia. The fastest train from Madrid-Chamartín takes 3:02 hours to get there (Renfe timetable for 29 September 2026).

Best time to travel

AEMET climate normals for 1981–2010: mean high and low and precipitation by month.

At both stations October is the wettest month. At Tenerife South airport only 132 mm falls over the whole year.

Getting around the country

Train and bus

The table shows the fastest Renfe train from Madrid (Puerta de Atocha or Chamartín) and the number of connections on Tuesday, 29 September 2026. It is based on the Renfe timetable data of 24 September 2026 (our own analysis, excluding other rail operators).

The sources consulted give no fixed rail fares. By coach, for example, ALSA runs every 30 minutes from Plaza Elíptica in Madrid to Toledo, taking one hour on the direct bus (as of September 2026).

Driving and roads

You drive on the right, and everyone in the car must wear a seat belt. For cars, the traffic regulations set 120 km/h on the autopista and autovía, 90 km/h on other country roads and, in built-up areas, 20, 30 or 50 km/h depending on the type of road. At most 0.5 grams of alcohol per litre of blood is allowed at the wheel; anyone who has held a driving licence for less than two years must not exceed 0.3 (2026 version).

On the great majority of roads you pay nothing; tolls are charged only on some of the motorways. On the AP-7 between Málaga and Guadiaro, a car pays €5.70 at the Calahonda toll plaza, and €9.25 from June to September and around Easter (2026 rates). With a valid driving licence from an EU country you may drive in Spain without exchanging it. According to Turespaña, anyone hiring a car needs a credit card, and cars with a manual gearbox are the norm (as of September 2026).

Money and costs

Payment is in euros. According to Turespaña, almost everyone accepts cash, and with a card, usually Visa or Mastercard, you can get a long way as well. Below about €10, however, a shop may insist on cash. Tipping is voluntary; in bars, restaurants, hotels and taxis 5 to 10% is usual (as of September 2026).

Tourist taxes

In the Balearic Islands, from 1 May to 31 October you pay between €1 per person and night in hostales, guesthouses and on campsites and €4 in a 5-star hotel. On top comes 10% VAT (as of September 2026).

In Catalonia, higher rates have applied since 1 April 2026, charged for a maximum of 7 days per stay; under-17s are exempt. In the city of Barcelona a municipal surcharge is added: €5.00 until 31 March 2027, then €6.00 and from 1 April 2028 €7.00. Until March 2027 you therefore pay €12.00 per person and night there in a 5-star hotel, €8.40 in a 4-star hotel and €9.50 in a holiday apartment (our own calculation).

Admission

Tickets for the Sagrada Família are available only online. Monday to Friday it opens at 9:00. Closing time is 20:00 from April to September, 19:00 in March and October, and 18:00 from November to February (as of September 2026).

For the Alhambra, advance sales end at 23:59 the day before. Your ticket states a fixed entry time for the Nasrid Palaces, and outside it you cannot get in there. Until 14 October it is open daily from 8:30 to 20:00, from 15 October until 18:00 (as of September 2026).

Practical information

The mainland and the Balearic Islands are on UTC+1, the Canary Islands on UTC+0. Daylight saving time runs from the last weekend in March to the last weekend in October. The official state language is Castilian (Spanish); where the statute of autonomy provides for it, other languages of Spain are also official regionally. You can reach the emergency services nationwide free of charge on 112, with telephone interpreting into several languages on request.

According to Turespaña, plugs with round pins to the European standard fit, and the mains supply is 220 volts and 50 hertz. With a mobile contract from the EU you make calls and use data at domestic prices. You can usually shop between 10:00 and 21:00, and on Sundays most shops are closed (as of September 2026).

The public holidays across Spain for the rest of 2026 are 12 October, 8 December and 25 December. All Saints' Day (1 November) and Constitution Day (6 December) fall on a Sunday. Many regions, including Andalusia and Madrid, give the following Monday off instead, that is 2 November and 7 December (BOE of 28 October 2025).

What applies to entry, safety and health is kept up to date by the German Foreign Office.

Who Spain is not for

• Anyone who handles heat poorly: In July the mean high at Seville airport is 36.0 °C, in Madrid-Retiro 32.1 °C (AEMET, 1981–2010).
• Anyone counting every euro on accommodation: In Barcelona the tourist tax costs up to €12 per person and night until 31 March 2027, after which the surcharge rises.
• Anyone who wants to head spontaneously for the big monuments: The Sagrada Família sells only online. For the Alhambra, advance booking is recommended because of demand, with sales ending the day before, and a fixed entry time applies to the Nasrid Palaces.
• Anyone who eats dinner early or wants to shop on Sundays: Restaurants usually serve dinner only from 20:00 (Turespaña), and on Sundays most shops are closed.
• Anyone who wants to drive freely into every city: Under the climate protection law, municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants had to set up low-emission zones by 2023.
• Anyone looking for dry weather in the northwest: At Santiago de Compostela airport 1,787 mm of rain falls a year over about 140 days, a good four times as much as in Madrid-Retiro.