Best Places to Travel in Spain for The Weekend

Living in Spain for 2 academic years has given me a  lot of time to figure out the cheapest and most efficient ways to travel around the country. Here are my tips and tricks for traveling on a budget + the best cities to travel around to on the weekends. 

Best places to travel:

Madrid: Museo del Prado, Reina Sofia, Plaza Mayor, Royal Palace, Gran Via

Tenerife: Beaches!! Black sand beaches, hiking, snorkeling

Segovia: Roman aqueduct, cathedral

San Sebastián: Beaches, seafood, 

Toledo: "City of three cultures: Christians, Muslims, and Jews"

Mérida: Roman Empire Ruins

Granada: Cathedral, Alhambra, Islamic architecture

Gibraltar: Monkeys! Hiking, Moorish castle, "Little England" 

Sevilla: Cathedral, tapas, the River, Feria, Semana Santa, La plaza de España, torre del oro

Malaga: Beaches, Museo Piccaso, Ancient ruins

Córdoba: Mezquita-Catedral, Jewish quarter, Roman and Islamic architecture

Salmanca: Cathedral, old city

All of these cities are some of my favorite Spanish cities and have been so easy to travel to for a weekend. They all have a different vibe and have allowed me to explore Spain in a deeper cultural way. I have been exposed to a variety of different architectures, traditions, festivals, religious buildings, and histories. These are some cities that were super memorable for me. 

Depending on where you are, travel time may vary.  First, I would see where each city is located to your host city. I would then look at busses, trains, and flights. In the south of Spain, if using Sevilla as home ground, busses tend to be the cheapest option OR ride-shares. There is an app called BlaBla car where you can see where people are travelling for the weekend and their price! Anywhere that seems far, a flight would definitely be the cheapest. Using the app Kiwi, I saw a lot of cheap flight options. Make sure to book in advance for the cheaper (I mean 1-2 months could make the $$ significantly cheaper). There are so many cheap airlines in Spain and europe such as Vueling, Ryanair, Easyjet, etc. Seviila, Madrid, and Barcelona have a lot of flights going literally anywhere in Spain and frequently! Those are the top 3 I used.

Once you have the logistics of your travel figured out (whether you are taking a train, bus, or plane) to make it as cheap as possible, plan everything out. Think about how many meals you will be having, if you will want snacks, souvenirs, to go shopping, if you will need to take ubers, taxis, what museums you want to go to, housing expenses, etc. There are a lot of things that go into traveling and expenses that are so easy to slip your mind! For museums, I would check out the website before to see if they offer free or discounted admissions for students. For taxis/ubers try your best to WALK, but if you can't, there is an app called Cabify that tends to have cheap options. Never walk if you do not feel safe or know the area! For food, I would look at menus before you go to restaurants. A lot of places are tourist traps and seem cheap but are not. I would ask locals for their recommendations. I also would look up popular places to go eat that give you a cultural/traditional experience of the city you are in! Before travelling, really look at where you are going, what to do, and try to pull together a budget!