# Spain

How to choose a region in Spain for what you want to do, how to get between regions by train, car or plane, when to go to each one and what it costs.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## Datos clave

| Dato | Valor |
|---|---|
| Mejor época | April – June · September – October |
| Cómo moverse | High-speed train between cities; car for the countryside |

## Which region should I pick?

Spain isn't something you see in one trip: you pick a region and come back for another. Each one is a different country in landscape, climate and food. Here is what you will find in the ones we have covered so far.

Green mountains and a cold sea: Asturias. The Picos de Europa, sandy beaches between cliffs, fishing villages and cider houses. It is small and can be explored by car from a single base. For a first visit, stay in Llanes on the eastern coast, with beach and mountains half an hour apart. If you want a village for a sunset stroll, try Cudillero. If you have no car or the rain catches you out, go to Oviedo.

From the Pyrenees to the Costa Brava: Catalonia. Mountains, coves and medieval villages one or two hours from Barcelona. For stone walls and moats, Peratallada and Pals, in the Empordà; for a Romanesque bridge and the volcanic Garrotxa, Besalú; for climbing and a reservoir, Siurana.

Proper high mountains: Aragon. The wildest and least developed part of the Pyrenees. The Ordesa Valley is the way in: a glacial canyon with waterfalls that you reach by bus from Torla.

Sun, whitewash and mountain ranges: Andalusia. White villages perched on gorges, monumental cities and two seas. For something you won't have seen anywhere else, Setenil de las Bodegas, with whole streets under the rock.

Water everywhere: Galicia. Estuaries, rivers and hot springs. In Ourense you can bathe for free in thermal pools by the Miño, and you get there by train from Madrid.

A mountain range above the sea: the Balearic Islands. In Mallorca, the Serra de Tramuntana starts half an hour from Palma. To go without a car, choose Sóller, with its wooden train from Palma, the tram to the port and the boat to Sa Calobra.

If you can't decide, choose by the calendar: the north (Asturias, Galicia, the Pyrenees) is for summer and autumn; the south is for spring, autumn and winter.

## How do I get between regions?

By high-speed train, almost always via Madrid. The network fans out from the capital: to Barcelona via Zaragoza, to Seville and Málaga via Córdoba, to Galicia via Zamora and Ourense and to Asturias via León. Renfe gives its best time as 3 h 12 min from Madrid to Oviedo, since the Pajares bypass opened in 2023, and about 2 h 15 min from Madrid to Ourense. A few direct AVE trains avoid Madrid, such as Barcelona–Zaragoza–Málaga or Barcelona–Zaragoza–Granada. In 2026 there are temporary speed restrictions on several lines, and Renfe no longer compensates for the delays they cause: leave a margin if you are connecting to a flight.

By car you can reach everything, and it is almost essential for villages, valleys and the coast. The network of dual carriageways (autovías) is free; some stretches of toll motorway remain. In Catalonia, the AP-7 between La Jonquera and Tarragona and the AP-2 between Zaragoza and El Vendrell stopped charging tolls in September 2021, and since then the AP-7 has been very busy in summer.

By plane it pays off for crossing the peninsula from end to end, for example from Barcelona or the Mediterranean to Asturias, Galicia or Andalusia, where the train means changing in Madrid. Always compare with the train: the airport is usually far from the centre, while the train drops you right in it.

By bus you reach many villages the train doesn't serve, but with few departures a day: it works for a single destination, not for linking several in a weekend.

## When should I go and what does it cost?

April to June and September to October are the months that work in almost all of Spain: long days, mild temperatures and fewer people.

July and August are for the north and the mountains. In inland Andalusia and the Ebro valley the midday heat makes anything impossible, and on the coast prices rise and you need to book well ahead.

From November to March the north is rainy and short of daylight, but the cities, Andalusia and the Ourense hot springs keep going, and the Pyrenees have snow.

Spain sits at a mid-range budget for Europe. What weighs most is where you sleep: in August, at Easter and on long weekends, coastal prices shoot up and the best places sell out. Eating out remains reasonable if you order the set lunch (menú del día) on weekdays. The high-speed train is cheap if you buy ahead and expensive at the last minute.

## Consejos

### Book the train as soon as you have a date
High-speed tickets rise in price as the train fills. Weeks ahead they cost a fraction of the last-day price.

### Eat at local times
Lunch is between 14:00 and 15:30 and dinner from 21:00. Outside the cities, many kitchens close in between.

### Avoid the long weekends if you can
On the long weekends of May, August, October and December the roads out of the cities jam up and small villages fill.

### One base per region
Distances are deceptive: between Asturias and Andalusia it is a day's drive. Pick one base per region and take day trips from it.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Which region is best for a first trip?
It depends on the season. In summer, Asturias or the Aragonese and Catalan Pyrenees. In spring or autumn, Andalusia or Catalonia. Galicia works from May to October.

### Do I need a car?
To go from one city to another, no: the train is faster. For villages, valleys, beaches and nature parks, yes, or you will have to fit around a few buses a day.

### How many days do I need per region?
Three nights for a specific area, such as the eastern coast of Asturias or the Empordà. A week to explore a large region such as Andalusia or Galicia without rushing.

### Where is the weather good in winter?
In Andalusia, especially on the coast. The north is rainy and cool from November to March, though it has clear days and very few people.

### Can I combine the north and the south in one trip?
Yes, but with a flight or a train in between. By car it is many hours: better to make two separate trips.

### Are the motorways toll roads?
Most fast roads are free dual carriageways (autovías). Some toll motorways remain on certain stretches; the Catalan AP-7 and AP-2 have been free since 2021.