Spain — where to go and when
5 destinations covered
Six places, six genuinely different holidays, and that is the useful thing to know about Spain before booking anything. Madrid is a high inland capital of painting collections and late dinners; Barcelona pairs architecture with a working port and a beach; Seville is Andalusian, ceremonial and unbearably hot at the wrong moment; Mallorca is a mountain island that happens to have resorts on its edges; Tenerife is a volcanic Atlantic island whose weather ignores the European calendar; and the Balearic and Canary archipelagos both require a flight or a ferry. Costs sit roughly a quarter below French levels on our index, which is the single biggest reason Spain absorbs long trips so easily: the same budget buys more nights, more meals out and more days. The country suits travellers who eat late, walk a lot and understand that the middle of the afternoon is not for sightseeing. Choose one region, not the map.
When to go
Spring and autumn carry the country: April, May, June, September, October and November. Heat is the reason. Seville reaches 37.2 °C at its summer peak and Madrid 34 °C, which makes July and August a matter of endurance inland, while Barcelona stays more tolerable at 30 °C beside the sea. Tenerife ignores the whole argument, with a comfortable window running through all twelve months and just 29 rainy days a year. Mallorca, at 16.7 °C by day in the coldest month, stays usable in winter too.
The places we cover, side by side
| Place | Favourable months | Warmest month, avg. high (°C) | Coldest month, avg. high (°C) | Rainy days a year (≥ 1 mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | May, June, July, August, September, October | 30.0 | 14.7 | 52 |
| Madrid | May, June, September, October | 34.0 | 10.3 | 62 |
| Mallorca | April, May, June, September, October, November | 31.5 | 16.7 | 53 |
| Seville | March, April, May, October, November | 37.2 | 16.5 | 50 |
| Tenerife | January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December | 30.0 | 21.9 | 29 |
Figures measured at the weather station nearest each place, then averaged over the warmest and the coldest months of the year — not over a fixed calendar season. Each destination page carries its own month-by-month table, its station and its sample size.
Getting around
High-speed rail is the backbone: Madrid connects to Barcelona and Seville in a few hours, faster than flying once airport time is counted, and cheapest booked well in advance. Mallorca is reached by ferry from the mainland coast or by a short flight, while Tenerife realistically requires flying, as it lies off north-west Africa. On the islands, buses cover the main routes but a hire car opens the interior. City transport is cheap and comprehensive everywhere here.
Budget
Country price level compared with France : −24 %
Price index for restaurants and hotels, France = 1000, from European purchasing power parities. It is a country average: it says nothing about one hotel in particular.
Destinations in Spain
BarcelonaThree cities share one strip of Catalan coast here: a medieval core of narrow lanes, the strict nineteenth-century grid of the Eixample with its chamfered corners, and a…
MadridSpain's capital stands inland on the Castilian plateau, high above sea level and a long way from any coast. It has no great river, no harbour and no…
MallorcaThe largest of the Balearic islands runs from a limestone mountain range along its north-west shore to a flat, farmed interior and a south-east coast cut into dozens…
SevilleAndalusia's capital lies on the Guadalquivir, an inland river port that once handled the trade of the Americas. Its centre is a compact tangle of whitewashed lanes and…
TenerifeTenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands, Spanish territory sitting far south of the mainland, off the African coast. It is really one big volcano with beaches…Frequently asked questions
Which month should I avoid in the south?
August, and July is not much better. Seville peaks at 37.2 °C by day in high summer, which turns the historic centre into somewhere you cross at dawn and leave alone until evening. Prices drop because demand does. If summer is your only option, move to the coast or to the islands, where sea air takes several degrees off the same month.
Is Spain still cheap?
Compared with France, clearly so: our index puts it about a quarter lower overall. The saving is real in food, drink and transport, and weaker in coastal accommodation during July and August, where resort pricing dominates. Inland cities, shoulder-season island stays and set-price lunch menus are where the difference shows up most plainly.
Updated on 21 September 2026