Before arriving: Travel tips for Spain

After some very long processes, you have finally obtained your student visa and you are ready to come live in Spain and study at one of the Universities of Madrid. Or simply to travel to Spain. It’s possible that you’ve already looked at some tips and advice for the trip, posts, and videos about things you should know before coming but, as you’ve surely verified, the main part is centered in the culture, food… very touristy things that, although are good to know for when you have free time, they don’t necessarily help to adjust for the day to day.

Here we give you some tips and advice for a more practical trip and daily things so that you can travel to Spain prepared.

Each country, a distinct plug

In Spain we use the outlets of type C and F that have a voltage of some 220-240V. If you are from Uruguay, Chile, or Peru, it’s possible that you have or know of this type of plug but, we left a photo so that you can compare what type you have if you’re not sure.

If you’ve travelled to another country any time in the past and you’ve seen tv series or movies, you may have determined which plugs are distinct to each site. But did you know that those plugs, additionally, have distinct voltages? You should use an adapter when you want to charge your phone, laptop, hair dryer, or another small electric domestic item.

Bread, bread, and more bread…

It is a known fact that the majority of Spaniards love bread and this is why it is sold in many sites around the city. If you want bread of the best quality and you’re looking for something specific (without salt, without gluten, with seeds…) we recommend you look for a bread shop (panadería) since, apart from being specialized, they make the bread themselves.

If you don’t have a bread shop close to you, you can also visit a supermarket that will have enough of a variety of quality products and if you are not so demanding, or don’t have any of the aforementioned near you, there are smaller shops along the street that should sell many of the same food products (for if you need something fast like a sandwich or if you’ve run out of onions or tomatoes). And commonly they’re known as “chinos”, so don’t be surprised if they offer to you “let’s go to the chino”, they won’t take you to a strange place as these are just shops usually run by people from the country.

Be sure to visit this section to learn for more travel tips for Spain.