Spain Travel Guide for Americans

Buy a Vodafone, Orange, or Movistar SIM card at any supermarket (Carrefour, Lidl) or phone shop immediately upon arrival — costs €10-15 with 5-10GB of data included. All three carriers have identical coverage and pricing. Don't bother with eSIM unless you're tech-savvy; physical SIMs are easier and faster. A 15GB plan costs €20-30 for 30 days, which is overkill for most travelers (10GB is plenty). Vodafone's prepaid Lite plan is usually cheapest: €10 base with €15-20 for data add-on lasting 30 days. Top up at any tobacco shop (estanco) or pharmacy. Roaming within EU is covered if you're on a European plan, but getting a local SIM guarantees faster speeds. WiFi is everywhere — all cafes, hotels, most restaurants have strong signal. Calling back to the US via WhatsApp/Telegram is free with WiFi or your data plan, so you don't need international calling credits. Buy your SIM at the Barcelona/Madrid airport upon landing if possible, or wait until your first train station or hotel (signal is excellent nationwide).

Spain doesn't have a tipping culture like the US, but here's the reality: service staff earn living wages and don't depend on tips, so tipping is genuinely optional and appreciated but never expected. In restaurants, locals round up to the nearest euro or leave 5% for excellent service; 10% is generous and unnecessary. Leave €1-2 for a €10-15 meal if the service was notably good, nothing if average. Taxi drivers expect no tip, though rounding up €0.50-1 is fine. Hotel housekeeping: €1-2 per night if staying 3+ nights; not required. Bar staff and café servers: no tip needed for counter service, €0.50-1 if someone was attentive. Tour guides and travel service workers: €5-10 for group tours, €15-20 for private guides, but this is optional. The key: Americans over-tip out of habit and make locals uncomfortable. Tipping doesn't increase service quality in Spain like it does in the US. If service is poor, you're not obligated to tip, and that's normal. Spanish restaurants don't include gratuity automatically, so you'll never be surprised. Bottom line: never feel guilty skipping the tip in Spain. Leave cash tips if you do (cards don't have an easy tip option in most restaurants), because it goes directly to staff.

Spain is genuinely safe for tourists — violent crime against visitors is rare, and you won't experience the pickpocketing chaos of Paris or Rome. Barcelona and Madrid have occasional petty theft (phone snatching, bag slashing on crowded metro), but it's totally avoidable with normal precautions: don't flash expensive phones on the metro during rush hours, keep bags in front of you, avoid La Rambla in Barcelona late at night (it's sketchy after dark, period). Southern Spain (Seville, Málaga, Granada) feels safer and more relaxed than Barcelona. The metro is safe 24/7, though late-night (after midnight) can feel sketchy — just stay alert like you would in any major city. Pickpockets sometimes work in tourist clusters (Sagrada Familia lines, Alhambra entrances), so don't carry your entire wallet there. Avoid flashing expensive jewelry or cameras. Spanish police (Policía Nacional) are professional and helpful; they sometimes stop tourists for ID checks but it's routine, not concerning — just carry your passport or a photocopy. Areas to legitimately avoid: the outer neighborhoods of Barcelona (Raval, certain parts of Sants) after dark, and some outskirts of Madrid, but tourists have zero reason to go there anyway. Regional separatist tensions in Catalonia are political theater and pose zero risk to visitors. Overall: Spain is safer than major US cities and vastly safer than you'd expect from news coverage. Use common sense, don't be stupid with valuables, and you'll be completely fine. Millions of Americans visit yearly without incident.