I'm going to Spain this summer and I just want to know what are some things that I'm accustom to in America that work differently there and what are some good brands of clothes to wear because I don't want to look like your stereotypical american tourist and if you know any good places to go see in Barcelona and Valencia that would be awesome too
Best Answer
BRANDS don't matter...they have their own popular brands of clothing.
Are you male or female? What age? You're going to look like a tourist, no matter what...their SHOES are completely different from ours, and you don't have time to break in a new pair, while you're there...why even bother spending the time in a shoe store, when you could be checking out the sights? Be comfortable. To be fair, every city has a different style, so...as you're probably on a tour with several cities, the styles will change a bit. For example...people in Madrid dress classically, they mostly look like they're going to an office, even those who aren't. In Andaluc?a, they dress up...more feminine, for women...dresses, not pant suits, more frilly. In Barcelona: anything goes. And you're not going to change your clothes twice a day, either.
They eat differently than we do. You're going to look like a fool, going into a restaurant at 6:00 and asking for a full meal. Meal times:
Early: Breakfast. Cup of coffee with milk, and toast. You can have porros or churros, if you're up for something like a donut. Toast may have ham, pat?, butter, or olive oil on it, depending on what they have in the bar/restaurant, and your tastes.
Mid morning (around 10 or 11:00): Most people will have a late breakfast that's actually more substantial than the first thing in the morning...more likely to have a ham sandwich or pastry.
Lunch: Lunch hour runs from about 1:00 (early) til 3:00. The busiest hour at a workman's lunch place is around 2 - 3. Lunch is usually a two-plate deal. First plate is soup, pasta or rice (this is when most people eat paella, which Americans think of as the national dish...make sure, wherever you have it, that it's made in the restaurant, and doesn't come out of a box). Second plate is a meat or eggs, and potatoes, or sometimes a vegetable. You can get this"men? del d?a" with a beer or wine, usually around 10 Euros, and if you pay a little extra, you can get soda.
Tapas: Late snack...usually, just about anything that might be served in a meal, only the plate is a saucer. In some places, there are limited times for tapas, in others, you can get them any time of the day. In Barcelona, they tended to be more little tasties on toothpicks for about a Euro each (so if you ordered a whole plate, it ran up there). In Granada, they wouldn't serve them until after 8:00 PM. You can make a meal out of a few tapas...and you get to taste more dishes that way. It can run you very cheap, or you can get more and it winds up costing as much, if not more than an ordinary, sit-down meal.
Dinner is usually served from 9:00 on, and busiest times are usually around midnight. If you're not interested in a huge, formal meal, you just forgo this.
Use your good manners, and no one will be mean to you.
I'm sure you can find your own good things to do and see...just look up the cities. You can probably even download and print tourist maps.
In Barcelona, if you're thinking about touring the Palau Musica, plan that first, as they sometimes close down for rehearsals, and you can't really get a schedule of that. It's an architectural marvel that you might be interested in.
Check in advance on tickets to the Science city in Valencia. I'm sure you can get caught in lines. Many larger, more popular places, it really behooves you to pay the extra to buy your tix online, and not have to stand in line at the window.
Also: carry water with you, and carrying snacks, for when you get tired and hungry, can help keep your costs down.
Are you male or female? What age? You're going to look like a tourist, no matter what...their SHOES are completely different from ours, and you don't have time to break in a new pair, while you're there...why even bother spending the time in a shoe store, when you could be checking out the sights? Be comfortable. To be fair, every city has a different style, so...as you're probably on a tour with several cities, the styles will change a bit. For example...people in Madrid dress classically, they mostly look like they're going to an office, even those who aren't. In Andaluc?a, they dress up...more feminine, for women...dresses, not pant suits, more frilly. In Barcelona: anything goes. And you're not going to change your clothes twice a day, either.
They eat differently than we do. You're going to look like a fool, going into a restaurant at 6:00 and asking for a full meal. Meal times:
Early: Breakfast. Cup of coffee with milk, and toast. You can have porros or churros, if you're up for something like a donut. Toast may have ham, pat?, butter, or olive oil on it, depending on what they have in the bar/restaurant, and your tastes.
Mid morning (around 10 or 11:00): Most people will have a late breakfast that's actually more substantial than the first thing in the morning...more likely to have a ham sandwich or pastry.
Lunch: Lunch hour runs from about 1:00 (early) til 3:00. The busiest hour at a workman's lunch place is around 2 - 3. Lunch is usually a two-plate deal. First plate is soup, pasta or rice (this is when most people eat paella, which Americans think of as the national dish...make sure, wherever you have it, that it's made in the restaurant, and doesn't come out of a box). Second plate is a meat or eggs, and potatoes, or sometimes a vegetable. You can get this"men? del d?a" with a beer or wine, usually around 10 Euros, and if you pay a little extra, you can get soda.
Tapas: Late snack...usually, just about anything that might be served in a meal, only the plate is a saucer. In some places, there are limited times for tapas, in others, you can get them any time of the day. In Barcelona, they tended to be more little tasties on toothpicks for about a Euro each (so if you ordered a whole plate, it ran up there). In Granada, they wouldn't serve them until after 8:00 PM. You can make a meal out of a few tapas...and you get to taste more dishes that way. It can run you very cheap, or you can get more and it winds up costing as much, if not more than an ordinary, sit-down meal.
Dinner is usually served from 9:00 on, and busiest times are usually around midnight. If you're not interested in a huge, formal meal, you just forgo this.
Use your good manners, and no one will be mean to you.
I'm sure you can find your own good things to do and see...just look up the cities. You can probably even download and print tourist maps.
In Barcelona, if you're thinking about touring the Palau Musica, plan that first, as they sometimes close down for rehearsals, and you can't really get a schedule of that. It's an architectural marvel that you might be interested in.
Check in advance on tickets to the Science city in Valencia. I'm sure you can get caught in lines. Many larger, more popular places, it really behooves you to pay the extra to buy your tix online, and not have to stand in line at the window.
Also: carry water with you, and carrying snacks, for when you get tired and hungry, can help keep your costs down.
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