Known by Spaniards as el Reino de España,this beautiful country evokes the passion of a flamenco dancer.

Where once Moorish and Catholic cultures collided, the nu nomad can marvel at ancient beauty juxtaposed against the most modern sights. From the Alhambra to Antoni Gaudi’s amazing achievements there is no end of interest for those who love architecture.

Of course, where there is architecture there is also art. Spain boasts some of the most well known artists including Dali, El Greco, Goya and Picasso.

It is no wonder Spain has the highest number of world heritage cities in the world. Food and wine are abundant and rich in flavor.

The beaches are long and sandy. The winter climate is mild although summers can be extremely hot in southern regions.

For the nu nomad there is diversity aplenty when it comes to lifestyle. Cities, countryside, beaches, mountains, it’s up to you!

Digital nomad ratings:

A: Very Good
B: Good
C: Just Okay
D: Poor
E: Very Poor

• Internet Access for the Nomad (ease in accessing it): C
• Internet Cost (from public to private service): C
• Accommodation Cost: D
• Eating Cost (restaurants and groceries): D
• Country’s Overall Affordability for the Nomad: C
• Transportation Access: B
• Transportation Cost: C

Basic Facts about Spain

• Language:

  Castilian Spanish (74%); Catalan, Galician, Basque (English is understood poquito.)

• Government:

  Parliamentary monarchy.

• Population:

  43,500,000 (over 5 million in greater Madrid).

• Climate:

  Mild winters. Southern areas can reach extreme temperatures in summer.

• Geography:

  504,782 squar kilometres.

• Neighboring Countries:

  France, Portugal (and Morocco is nearby). See map.

• Money:

  The Euro (click here to convert your currency).

• Mobile Phone Frequencies:

  GSM 900/1800 | 3G 2100.

• Electricity:

  230v (50 cycles) See plug type They use two plug shapes “C” and “F”.

• Daylight Savings:

  Begin last Sunday in March, end last Sunday September.

• Time Zone:

  GMT/UTC +1 (Current time.)

• Country Code:

  34

  City Codes:

  Madrid; 11 Guadalajara, Segovia; 18 Avila; 22 Canary Islands: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife; 23 Salamanca; 24 Badajoz; 25 Toledo; 26 Ciudad Real; 27 Caceres; 28 Canary Islands: Arrecife, Lanzarote, Las Palmas, Puerto Del Rosario; 3 Badalona, Barcelona, Sabadell, San Feliu de Llobregat, Tarrasa; 4 Bilbao, Vizcaya; 41 La Rioja, Logrono; 42 Cantabria, Santander; 43 Guipuuzcoa, Irun, San Sebastian; 44 Schinnen; 45 Alava, Vitoria; 47 Burgos; 48 Navarra, Pamplona; 5 Sevilla (Seville) (also/formerly 54″); 51 Almeria; 52 Malaga, Marbella, Melilla, Torremolinos; 53 Jaen, Linares; 54 Sevilla (Seville) (old code?); 55 Huelva; 56 Algeciras, Cadiz, Ceuta, Jerez de la Frontera, Rota; 57 Cordoba; 58 Granada; 6 Alcira, Alicante, Sagunto, Valencia; 64 Castellon de la Plana; 65 Alcoy; 65 (Alicante – likely a former or obsolete code); 65 Gandia; 66 La Cuenca; 67 Albacete; 68 Aguilas, Cartagena, Lorca (Marcia), Murcia; 71 Baleares (Is.), Ibiza, Mahon, Palma de Mallorca;72 Gerona; 73 Lerida; 74 Huesca, Teruel; 75 Soria; 76 Zaragoza; 77 Reus, Tarragona, Tortosa; 8 Asturias [7 digit numbers]; 81 La Coruna (plus Acoruna?); 81 Santiago de Compostela; 82 Lugo; 83 Valladolid; 85 Asturias [6 digit numbers], Aviles, Gijon, Oviedo; 86 Pontevedra, Vigo; 87 Leon; 88 Orense, Palencia, Zamora .

General Travel Information on Spain

Visa on Arrival (Schengen Visa): Bona fide tourists from the USA and other western countries are permitted entry upon arrival in Spain for 90 days stay. Longer term stays require special visa.

For complete information on Spain visas, visit Cooperation and Foreign Office of Spain in the USA or Ministerio de Asuntos Espana.

Note: The Schengen Agreement establishes a unified type of visa for short stays (up to 90 days) for the participant European countries (GERMANY, AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, DENMARK, SPAIN, FINLAND, FRANCE, GREECE, THE NETHERLANDS, ICELAND, ITALY, LUXEMBOURG, NORWAY, PORTUGAL AND SWEDEN).

Getting Around:

Train

:Eurail passes are available on-line or through your travel agent.

Buses

: Eurolines connects much of Europe cheaply and easily.

Planes

:STA Travel has some good bargains.

Where to Stay:

For NuNomad Guidelines on how to choose your nest, visit the NuNomadBlog.

Travel Insurance:

Don’t let your European adventure be spoiled. Get Travel Insurance. See our article Coverage Comparison of Travel Insurance.

Mailing in Spain:

Stamps may be purchased at post offices or tobacconists (estancos). Postal rates can be found at Correos . Spain has been working on the speed of their postal service but you may still expect mail within Spain to take 1-5 days and longer for international delivery.

Essential information about Spain

• WiFi Hotspots:

  For a comprehensive list of free and paid for hotspot locations throughout Spain.

• 
  

  Mobile Phone Providers/SIM Cards:

   

  Orange, Movistar, Yoigo,Vodafone.

• Internet Access via Mobile Phone

  : See NuNo Geek for GPRS info, or the Geekzone.com’s GPRS article, or Ross Barkman’s GPRS info page.

Internet and Telephone Communication

International Cell Phones:

While in Spain the most economical way to place a call is to do so with your unlocked international cell phone, using a Spain SIM card. SIM cards can be purchased at post offices, tobacconists and souvenir shops. If you don’t want to spend your travel time searching for a SIM card and don’t mind paying a little more for convenience, we recommend buying one before you go.Telestial is a great source to get your prepaid SIM card delivered to your door before your departure. One of the more common SIM cards is Vodafone. Expect to pay in the vicinity of $60.00 US for this card. It comes with $32 US airtime credit and free incoming calls as well as voice mail.

For GPRS capability your Vodafone prepaid SIM card will allow you to connect to the internet using your international cell phone.

Internet cafés can be found in every major city as well as some of the smaller towns. You can expect to be charged according to the amount of time you spend on the computer. However in some locations, the operators do not allow for you to connect your notebook computer directly to their Internet connection (via lan cable). Here is where WiFi service comes in handy.

• For more information on International Cell Phone basics, read our article on Cell Phone Basics.
• For more information on the various methods of connecting to the Internet, visit our Connecting to WWW page.

International Calling Cards:

If you don’t have a Skype account yet, get one. You can use “telephony” service with any hi-speed Internet connection, which most Internet Cafés will have. Otherwise, you’ll have to use land-line systems. If you’re staying at a location where you want to use a land line, it may be most economical to purchase an international calling card. These can be purchased at many common locations throughout the country.