Although still thought of as a budget destination, hotel prices
in Spain have increased considerably over the last ten years, and
if you're spending a lot of your time in the cities, you can expect
to spend almost as much as you would at home. However, there are
still few places in Europe where you'll get a better deal on the
cost of simple meals and drink.
On average, if you're prepared to buy your own picnic lunch,
stay in inexpensive pensiones and hotels, and stick to local
restaurants and bars, you could get by on £15-20/US$20-27 a day. If
you intend to upgrade your accommodation, experience the city
nightlife and eat fancier meals, then you'll need more like £40/$55
a day. On £50-60/$68-80 a day and upwards you'll be limited only by
your energy reserves - though of course if you're planning to stay
in four- and five-star hotels or Spain's magnificent
paradores , this figure often won't even cover your
room.
Room prices vary considerably according to season. In the
summer you'll find little below €12 (£8/$11) single, €15
(£9.50/$12.50) double, and €15 single, €21 double (£13.50/$18)
might be a more realistic average. Campsites start at around €2.40
(£1.50/$2) a night per person (more like €3-4.20 in some of the
major resorts), plus a similar charge for a tent and a car
respectively.
The cost of eating can vary wildly, but in most towns
there'll be restaurants offering a basic three-course meal for
somewhere between €4.50-9 (£3-5.50/$4-7.50). As often as not,
though, you'll end up wandering from one bar to the next sampling
tapas without getting round to a real sit-down meal - this is
certainly tastier though rarely any cheaper. Drink, and wine in
particular, costs ridiculously little: €6 (£3.80/$5) will see you
through a night's very substantial intake of the local vintage.
Long-distance transport , if used extensively, may prove
a major expense; although prices compare well with the rest of
Europe, Spain is a very large country. Madrid to Sevilla, for
example - a journey of over 500km - costs around €18 (£10/$15.30)
by bus or train. Urban transport almost always operates on a flat
fare of €0.75-1.50 (50p-£1/$0.65-1.30).
All of the above, inevitably, are affected by where you are and
when. The big cities and tourist resorts are invariably more
expensive than remoter areas, and certain regions tend also to have
higher prices - notably the industrialized north, Euskal Herria,
Catalunya and Aragón, and the Balearic Islands. Prices are hiked
up, too, to take advantage of special events. Despite official
controls, you'd be lucky to find a room in Sevilla during its April
feria , or in Pamplona for the running of the bulls, at less
than double the usual rate. As always, if you're travelling alone
you'll end up spending much more than you would in a group of two
or more - sharing rooms saves greatly. An ISIC student card is
worth having - it'll get you free or reduced entry to many museums
and sites as well as occasional other discounts - and an FIYTO
youth card (available to anyone under 26) is almost as good.
One thing to look out for on prices generally is the addition
of sales tax - IVA (usually pronounced "iba") - which may
come as an unexpected extra (currently seven percent for hotels and
restaurants, sixteen percent for other goods and services) when you
pay the bill for food or accommodation, especially in more
expensive establishments.