It was the trip we’d dreamed about for years: two parents, two curious kids, and one grand tour across Spain, all on a budget.
As our plane descended into Madrid, I clutched our itinerary and hoped we could truly experience this vibrant country without emptying our savings.
Was Spain really a budget-friendly destination for a family?
Over the next few weeks, from the bustling streets of Barcelona to the quiet villages of Galicia, we set out to find the answer on a journey through Spain’s cities, coasts, and countryside.
Starting Off in Madrid
Our adventure began in Madrid, Spain’s capital. Big European cities often come with big price tags, but Madrid greeted us with pleasant surprises. We checked into a simple family-run hotel near Plaza España for about €100 a night – a clean, cozy guesthouse well within our budget.
Crucially, unlike some other regions of Spain, Madrid has no nightly tourist tax, sparing us an extra fee that can hit travelers in places like Barcelona (where such taxes can climb to €6-11 per adult each night in 2025). That alone made our stay feel like a bargain.
Getting around Madrid with kids was easy and affordable. We skipped expensive taxis in favor of the Metro, where a single ride cost us about €1.50 to €2 per person.
The metro system was not only budget-friendly but also clean and efficient – our children treated each ride like an adventure, navigating the colorful lines on the transit map. On our first day, we bought a pack of 10 metro tickets (a “Metrobús” pass) at a discounted bulk rate, and immediately felt like savvy locals.
Even when little legs got tired, hailing a cab or using the Cabify app within city limits was reasonable – most of our short taxi rides were around €7-10 each, a relief compared to fares back home.
When it came to sightseeing in Madrid, we found that many of the best experiences were free or inexpensive. Instead of shelling out for guided tours, we timed our museum visits for the free entry hours (the Prado Museum, for example, offers free admission in the evenings).
Our kids particularly loved the expansive Retiro Park, where we spent an afternoon boating on the lake for just a few euros. We quickly learned an important lesson: in Spain’s big cities, you can soak up a lot of culture and fun without spending a fortune – especially if you plan carefully and live a bit like the locals.
Dining with Kids in Tow
One of our greatest joys was discovering Spain’s food culture – and doing so affordably. We had heard that Spanish cuisine offers great value, and it turned out to be true.
In fact, many travelers note that Spain is “very reasonable on food outside the big cities”, and we found even in popular areas we could eat well on a budget. From bustling city mercados to small-town cafés, we fed our family without breaking the bank.
Our kids quickly fell in love with the Spanish approach to meals. Take breakfast: instead of pricey hotel buffets, we joined locals at neighborhood cafés. A typical morning order was tostada con tomate (crusty bread with olive oil and fresh tomato) or flaky croissants, plus coffee for us and hot chocolate for the kids – all for around €3-5 per person.
In Spain, many cafés offer a combo deal for breakfast, so for just a few euros you get a pastry and a drink. Watching our children happily dunk churros into thick hot chocolate (yes, chocolate for breakfast!) while we sipped café con leche was a sweet and affordable way to start each day.
For lunch, we discovered Spain’s best dining deal: the “Menú del Día.” Nearly every town had restaurants offering this fixed-price multi-course lunch on weekdays. One afternoon in Madrid, we wandered into a family-run eatery advertising a menú del día for €15.
That price bought us a hearty three-course meal – soup, a choice of meat or fish with sides, and dessert – including bread and a drink (wine for the grown-ups, soft drinks for the kids). In more modest locales, we saw these menus as cheap as €11-12 per person.
Even at a slightly upscale terrace in central Madrid, the most expensive menú del día we encountered was €18.50 – and that was considered splurging by local standards.
We often had our two children split one adult menú del día between them, as portions were generous. Spanish restaurants typically don’t have special children’s menus or tiny kids’ portions; instead, local families just share dishes.
This took some adjusting for us – we’re used to ordering separate kids’ meals back home – but it ended up saving us money. In fact, a Spain travel blog noted that it’s unusual to find kids’ menus; local kids simply eat smaller portions of adult dishes or share a plate. We embraced this approach, and our kids surprised us by devouring garlicky roast chicken and even trying bits of paella from our plates.
Dinner in Spain tends to be later and lighter, which worked in our favor budget-wise. Since we’d often had a big midday meal, we didn’t need an extravagant dinner.
On several nights, especially in Andalucían cities like Granada, we skipped ordering full dinners entirely. Why? Because of one magical word: tapas. In Granada, it’s customary that whenever you order a drink – be it a glass of local wine or a small beer – the bar brings you a plate of free tapas.
This isn’t a tiny bowl of peanuts; we’re talking real food, like a few slices of grilled chorizo, a scoop of savory stew, or a little sandwich. The first evening in Granada, my husband and I ordered two tinto de verano (refreshing red wine mixed with lemonade) for about €3 each, and along came enough complimentary tapas to call it dinner – much to the kids’ delight!
By the second round of drinks, we had sampled rich meatballs and Spanish omelette without paying an extra cent. Our total “dinner” bill for four that night? Under €15, drinks included.
We learned that tapas culture varies by region – Granada is famous for free tapas, whereas in many cities like Barcelona you pay per tapa – but even when paying, tapas can be an affordable way to feed a family by ordering several small plates to share.
Of course, we didn’t eat out for every meal. Part of traveling on a budget with children is knowing when to self-cater. We mixed in trips to the supermercado for picnic supplies.
Spanish grocery prices were pleasantly low for staples: a crusty baguette loaf for €1, local cheese and cured ham for a few euros, and fresh fruit for pennies. I vividly remember our picnic in Seville’s María Luisa Park – we had a spread of bread, tomatoes, olives, and slices of jamón ibérico.
The ingredients from a nearby market totaled maybe €10 and easily fed all four of us. For perspective, everyday grocery costs in Spain are significantly cheaper than in many other Western European countries. Typical prices we noted: €0.80 for a liter of milk, €1.50 for a dozen eggs, and under €0.50 for a 1.5L bottle of water.
Cooking a simple pasta or making sandwiches in our Airbnb apartment on some evenings saved money and gave the kids a break from restaurant dining. It was a relief that even supermarket wine was inexpensive – a decent local table wine might be €3-5 a bottle – perfect for us parents to unwind on the balcony after the kids were asleep.
Dining out, we balanced those market picnics with occasional splurges. In coastal Galicia, known for its seafood, we treated ourselves to a marisquería (seafood restaurant). We budgeted for about €25-30 per adult for a seafood feast, as we’d read that in Galicia a mid-range seafood meal runs €25-35 per person.
Sure enough, for around €100 total we enjoyed a giant platter of the day’s catch – mussels, clams, fish, plus sides – while our kids happily munched on simpler chicken dishes that cost under €10 each.
It was a memorable meal, and far less than we expected to pay for such quality seafood. In general, we found that regional differences played a big role in food costs. In tourist-heavy areas (looking at you, Barcelona), a casual dinner for our family easily hit €45-60 including drinks.
But in smaller cities or rural towns, we sometimes ate dinner out for half that price. One family-friendly café in Madrid even had a kids’ menu (a rarity!) for only €6.90 at lunch – featuring kid-approved staples like pasta and meatballs – which our children loved.
The bottom line: by mixing menús del día, tapas, market picnics, and strategic restaurant choices, we found Spain’s food both delightful and budget-friendly. We never felt like we were skimping on flavors or experiences, yet we consistently spent less on meals than we anticipated.
Getting Around Affordably
Seeing a whole country in a few weeks meant we had to cover a lot of ground. Luckily, Spain’s transportation network is extensive and, to our relief, quite affordable – even for a family of four.
We sampled almost every mode of transit: high-speed trains, long-distance buses, a rental car for a road trip, and a couple of budget flights. Each came with its own adventures and cost-savings.
Our first intercity jump was from Madrid to Barcelona. We debated between the famous high-speed train (the AVE) and the cheaper bus. The train would have been faster (about 3 hours) but was pricier – around €40-€50 per adult if booked well in advance for this popular route.
The overnight train fares we checked were even higher, so we passed on those. Since we were not in a rush and wanted to save money, we chose a coach bus for the 7-hour journey. To our amazement, the bus fare was only €9 per person from Madrid to Barcelona – a promotional deal we nabbed online a week ahead. That’s not a typo: nine euros for a cross-country trip!
Even multiplying by four for our family, it was outstanding value (less than what one airport taxi would have cost us). The bus, operated by ALSA, was modern and comfortable, with reclining seats and onboard WiFi. Our kids settled in with their books and tablets, and we enjoyed watching the arid landscapes of Aragón roll by from the big windows.
We learned that booking in advance is key for such deals – showing up last-minute at the station could mean higher prices. Throughout our trip we made a habit of checking online a few days prior for both bus and train tickets, and it consistently saved us money.
In Barcelona, we got our first taste of Spain’s high-speed rail when planning a side trip to Valencia. The AVE trains are renowned for their speed and comfort, but they can be pricey on popular routes. For a family, the costs add up quickly – for example, a one-way AVE from Barcelona to Valencia was about €33 per adult.
Before clicking “buy” on four train tickets (which would have totaled over €130), I researched the alternatives. Sure enough, the bus again was budget hero: we found a coach from Barcelona to Valencia for just €12 each. The trade-off? A slower ride (about 4.5 hours by bus vs 3 hours by train).
We opted to save nearly €100 and take the bus, turning the longer journey into part of our family time – we played card games and even dozed off comfortably for an hour. Throughout Spain, we discovered that buses are an incredibly cost-effective way to travel: clean, with air-conditioning and even rest stops on longer routes.
The main provider, ALSA, has an easy English website for booking, which was a godsend for us. By the trip’s end, our kids were calling themselves “bus experts” and had favorite rest-stop snacks across the country.
Of course, sometimes the train made the most sense. When we traveled longer distances or needed to save time, we did splurge on the RENFE trains. Riding the AVE from Seville back to Madrid was a highlight – it felt like flying on land. We covered hundreds of kilometers in just 2.5 hours, and even the kids were wide-eyed watching the digital display hit 300 km/h.
This comfort came at about €40 per ticket for us adults (kids tickets were a bit discounted). In hindsight, we could have paid less by booking earlier; a fellow traveler told us some promo fares can be half-price if you snag them when they’re first released.
Still, even standard train fares felt reasonable given the efficiency. One pleasant surprise: our train from Granada to Barcelona offered a family area where we could all sit together facing each other, with a table for coloring and snacks.
It’s worth noting that Spain’s rail system offers various discounts – children under 4 can travel free on a parent’s lap, and there are often family or group discounts if you book as a group of 3-4.
We took advantage of a small family fare when buying our tickets from A Coruña to San Sebastián in the north (about €41 per person on a regular train). The slower “regional” trains are even cheaper than the AVEs, albeit with longer travel times.
We hopped an overnight regional train once, which saved us a hotel bill for that night – a classic backpacker trick that worked fine for our family since the kids can sleep anywhere!
For maximum flexibility, we decided to rent a car for part of our journey – specifically, to explore the smaller towns of Andalusia. The idea of a road trip through whitewashed villages and rolling olive groves was too tempting, and having a car would let us visit offbeat places at our own pace.
We picked up a rental car in Seville after turning in our train passes, scoring a weekend deal for about €30 per day for a compact car. Manual transmission cars are the norm and cheapest in Spain, but I only drive automatic – a preference that added a bit to the cost. Automatics are fewer in supply (and thus often book out first and cost more), so we had reserved one online a month ahead.
There were some hidden costs to car travel we learned along the way (more on those surprises later), but on paper the rental itself was affordable. Gasoline in Spain was running around €1.40 per liter (roughly $6.00/gallon) at the time, which is higher than in the U.S. but not outrageous by European standards.
Our compact car sipped fuel slowly; even after driving from Seville to Granada and onward to Málaga, we spent under €50 on fuel during our 4-day car excursion.
Driving also introduced us to Spain’s two kinds of highways: free autovías and toll autopistas. At first, I blithely followed our GPS onto whatever route was fastest – only to be met with toll booths asking for payments of €5, €10, even €20 at a time.
The cost of toll roads can add up shockingly fast. For instance, one day we considered taking the AP-7 highway part of the way from Valencia toward Barcelona – until we learned that route could cost about €40-€50 in tolls one-way for a car!
We quickly rerouted to a parallel toll-free road. After that, I researched and found that many major toll roads in Spain have a free alternative that might be slightly slower or less direct.
We became adept at selecting “avoid tolls” on Google Maps. The toll-free roads (autovías) were generally in good condition too – perhaps a bit more traffic or an extra half hour of travel, but we decided our time was usually worth the savings. Still, we did pay some tolls, especially in the Basque Country where avoiding them was impractical.
All told, we spent about €30 on tolls during our road trip portion – a manageable amount, but something that caught us off guard at first. If you plan to drive in Spain on a budget, it pays to research where tolls are and budget those in (or avoid them).
On the upside, driving gave us access to rural areas where public transport didn’t easily reach, like the hilltop town of Ronda and the wind-swept beaches near Tarifa. We could stop for a picnic in a sunflower field or detour to a castle on a whim – experiences worth a few extra euros in fuel.
We even tried a domestic flight once: flying from Barcelona to Málaga on Spain’s southern coast. With low-cost carriers abundant in Europe, sometimes flying can be cheaper than the train for long distances. We snagged a one-way fare on Vueling for about €50 each (our kids’ tickets were the same price as ours).
Considering the train alternative would have been much longer and not much cheaper, flying made sense for that leg. The flight itself was a breeze – just over an hour in the air – but we made sure to factor in the costs of getting to and from airports and the luggage fees that budget airlines often charge. By packing light (each of us had a carry-on backpack), we avoided extra baggage fees, keeping the flight cost truly low.
In general, we found that flights are worth it only for extra-long journeys or when time is short. For city-to-city travel, the trains or buses usually got us from one downtown to another for less money and almost equal speed once you add airport security time. But it was nice to know the option existed – and the kids got a kick out of saying they took a plane and a train and a bus all in one trip.
Overall, transportation did not bust our budget in Spain; in fact, it often became a fun part of the adventure. The key was flexibility – we compared options for each leg of the journey and weren’t afraid to try the bus or an off-peak train to save money.
Public transportation within cities was consistently family-friendly and cheap (many city buses let children under a certain age ride free or at a discount, and we often paid just €1-2 for local bus or tram rides).
By trip’s end, we calculated that our average transport expenses (not counting the occasional flight) were about $25 (≈€23) per day for all of us, which aligns with budget travel estimates. Considering the distance we covered – from the Pyrenees to the Alhambra – that felt like a great deal.
And one more tip: whether train or bus, we always carried some snacks and water to avoid markups on board. A few €0.50 bottles of water and homemade bocadillo sandwiches in our bag saved us from the “I’m hungry” trap that can lead to costly impulse buys en route. Spain’s journey was as enjoyable as the destinations, and we did it without splurging on private tours or pricey rail passes.
The country’s transport system proved that a family can roam far and wide here, even on a limited budget.
Family Accommodation Across Spain
Finding comfortable, affordable places to sleep was perhaps my biggest worry before the trip. We needed family-friendly accommodations that wouldn’t torpedo our budget.
Fortunately, Spain offers a wide range of options, and with a bit of creativity we managed to sleep soundly (and cheaply) across the country.
In major cities like Madrid and Barcelona, hotels can be expensive if you only look at the flashy chains. But we discovered that Spain’s hotel scene has many budget-friendly gems.
In Madrid, our small hotel near the center cost about €150 per night for a family room (two double beds) – not exactly rock-bottom, but reasonable for a capital city in peak summer. If we had been a couple or solo, we could have found simple guesthouse rooms in Madrid for as low as €50-€80, but family rooms narrowed the field.
One trick we used was staying just outside the tourist core; a 10-minute metro ride from Puerta del Sol saved us significant money on lodging. Also, we booked well in advance.
By scouring booking sites 4-5 months out, we snagged early-bird rates. It appears the average hotel in Spain runs about $109 (€100) in low season and $203 (€185) in peak season, and we were traveling at the height of summer. Still, by being flexible on location and style, we often paid closer to the low-season rates despite traveling in July.
We also mixed in different types of accommodation. In Barcelona, where summer hotel prices are notoriously high, we opted for an Airbnb apartment for our four-night stay.
This not only gave us more space (a living room for the kids to spread out toys, and a kitchen to prepare some meals) but also saved money. For around €120 a night, we got a one-bedroom apartment in a residential neighborhood, far less than two hotel rooms would have cost.
We loved feeling like temporary locals – shopping at the corner grocery and saying hola to the neighbors in the elevator. Plus, vacation rentals can cut food costs: we had a full kitchen, so we made simple dinners on two nights, as well as every breakfast, which easily saved us €30-€40 each day.
One thing to watch out for, though, is the cleaning fee and the tourist tax added to apartment rentals in Catalonia. Our Barcelona Airbnb bill included an unpleasant surprise at checkout: about €3.50 per adult per night in city and regional taxes (Catalonia recently doubled its tourist tax, meaning visitors to Barcelona pay up to €7.40 for 4-star hotels or €8.50 for tourist apartments per person nightly as of 2025).
For our family, that was an extra €28 per night – not a small amount. We hadn’t known to account for it initially. This “extra” is something families should remember when budgeting for Barcelona or the Balearic Islands, where similar taxes exist. Many parts of Spain, however, have no tourist tax at all, so it really depends on the region.
In smaller cities and towns, we often stayed in family-run hostals (not to be confused with youth hostels) or budget hotels, which were both affordable and charming. In Granada, for example, we found a lovely pensión on a quiet street, just steps from the cathedral, for €80 a night – and that included an extra cot for the kids.
The room was basic but clean, and the owner treated us like family, handing out maps and tips. In Seville, a city known for being easier on the wallet, we splurged a bit on a four-star hotel that felt like pure luxury after weeks of travel. Yet even that “splurge” was only €126 a night – a rate unheard of for similar hotels in many other countries.
Andalusia in general was a bargain; cities like Seville and Córdoba had plenty of mid-range hotel options well under €100 if booked in advance. As one travel blogger noted, southern Spain is cheaper than much of the rest of the country, and that’s true for accommodation as well.
Our Seville hotel had a rooftop pool – a huge bonus in the summer heat, and something that kept the kids entertained for hours without any extra cost.
We did consider hostels at times, which are not just for young backpackers anymore. Spain’s hostels often have private family rooms. In fact, hostel prices are quite low: a bed in a dorm runs about €25 in most places (up to €40 in beachy tourist areas), and private rooms can be found for €45-80 depending on location.
We met a British family with teenagers who were staying in a hostel in Valencia – they had a private four-bed room for around €70 a night, which is fantastic value. We ultimately didn’t end up staying in hostels simply because we found affordable hotels/apartments that suited us, but it was great knowing that option existed, especially in a pinch.
Many hostels in Spain are super modern and clean, often with kitchens and laundry, which can be very handy for families.
Another accommodation strategy was taking advantage of off-peak nights and deals. We noticed that in resort areas along the Costa del Sol, weekend rates soared in summer, but mid-week nights were cheaper. So we timed our beach stay in Nerja from Monday to Thursday, avoiding the pricier weekend.
Additionally, we joined a free membership on a hotel booking site, which gave us an extra 10% off a couple of bookings. In one case, that knocked the price of a family room in Zaragoza from €90 down to €81 – every bit counts!
One memorable stay was at a casa rural (country B&B) in Galicia. Driving through green hills, we arrived at a stone farmhouse where the owner rented out a couple of rooms. We paid €70 for the night, including a big homemade breakfast.
Our kids played with the host’s dogs and ran around the garden – a welcome break from city sightseeing. Stays like this proved that some of Spain’s best experiences come with a low price tag. The hospitality we encountered at family-run places was heartwarming.
In one pension, the proprietor brought us extra blankets and oranges from her own tree; in another, a small inn, the manager gave our kids free Spanish comic books as souvenirs. These human touches don’t show up on price comparison websites, but they made our trip richer and didn’t cost a thing.
To sum it up, our nightly accommodation costs averaged out to around €100, sometimes a bit more in the big cities and a bit less in the provinces. We certainly could have done it for cheaper – by staying exclusively in hostels or budget pensiones we might have averaged €60-€70 a night – but we balanced frugality with comfort and the needs of traveling with children.
By Spanish standards, our choices were mid-range, yet they felt economical compared to prices in, say, France or the U.K. (For perspective, a recent budget guide pegged the average double-occupancy hotel room in Spain at about €147 per night, and we mostly stayed at or below that.)
We never had to resort to the ultra-cheap options like $20/night hostel bunks or couchsurfing – those are there if one’s budget is really tight, but thankfully we didn’t need to go that far for savings.
Importantly, every place we stayed felt safe and welcoming for our family. And every euro we saved on a room was a euro we could spend on experiences like a flamenco show or extra helado (gelato) for the kids.
In a country as tourist-friendly as Spain, we learned that with a bit of planning, a family can find accommodations to fit any budget, from high-end hotels to humble hostels – and sometimes the cheaper stays were the most memorable of all.
Tourist Traps and Timing
With its world-famous attractions and sunny summer allure, Spain can get expensive in peak season – unless you strategize. We quickly discovered that when and where you choose to visit can dramatically affect your budget.
Our family journey took us through major highlights like Barcelona’s Sagrada Família and quieter gems like medieval towns in Castilla, giving us a clear view of tourist traps to avoid and smart timing to adopt.
Our time in Barcelona was a lesson in the “tourist tax” – and I don’t just mean the official tax on hotels. In peak summer, Barcelona’s popularity meant higher prices on everything from accommodations to paella. We arrived in July, shoulder-to-shoulder with crowds on La Rambla, and immediately saw how supply and demand worked against our budget.
Hotel and Airbnb rates were at their annual highs (double what they might be in winter), and famous attractions required pricey tickets booked well in advance. For instance, visiting La Sagrada Família set us back €26 per adult in entry fees (kids were free, thankfully).
Park Güell was another €10 each. Multiply that by two or three major sights, and a single day’s sightseeing in Barcelona could easily top €100. To save money, we took a tip from seasoned travelers: choose just one “pay” attraction per day and enjoy the rest of the city for free.
One morning we splurged on Sagrada Família tickets (truly awe-inspiring, worth it for us), but skipped going inside the Casa Batlló (Gaudí’s famous house) which would have been another €25+ each.
Instead, we admired its fantastical facade from the street and then headed to the Gothic Quarter, where simply wandering the ancient alleys and popping into old churches (mostly free) entertained us for hours.
We also sought out free alternatives or discount times for popular attractions. Many museums in Spain have weekly free hours – for example, Barcelona’s Picasso Museum is free on Thursday evenings.
We adjusted our schedule to hit these times, joining some lines but saving a nice chunk of change. In Madrid, the Prado and Reina Sofía museums have similar free entry windows (usually the last two hours of the day).
By being flexible and patient, we accessed world-class art collections without spending a euro. Our kids particularly enjoyed the Reina Sofía, where we saw Picasso’s Guernica for free on a Sunday.
Perhaps our favorite cost-saving move was simply enjoying Spain’s attractions from the outside. This might sound odd, but hear me out: some of Spain’s most iconic sights can be appreciated without an entry ticket. A fellow traveler had confessed that he’d “never paid to enter the Sagrada Família, but was awed by the exterior”.
Inspired by that, when we swung through Bilbao in the north, we didn’t enter the Guggenheim Museum (entry fee was about €15 each and modern art isn’t really our kids’ cup of tea). Instead, we spent an afternoon enjoying the astonishing architecture of the museum’s exterior and its outdoor artworks.
The kids loved the giant flower-covered Puppy and the famous “Maman” spider sculpture looming by the river. We snapped photos beneath the spider’s legs – a free experience that they talked about for days.
Not only did this save money, it kept everyone engaged without museum fatigue. Sometimes the best memories cost nothing: We skipped the pricey museum interior in Bilbao and enjoyed the free public art outside – including this colossal spider sculpture that made the kids squeal with delight.
By focusing on what truly interested us and recognizing that not every “top 10 must-see” is mandatory for our enjoyment, we avoided the trap of overspending just because something is famous.
Timing our visits was another crucial factor. We learned that seasonality can make or break a budget. Peak tourist season in Spain is roughly June through August (plus Easter week in spring), when flights, hotels, and even attraction tickets are at their priciest.
Our trip coincided with part of this high season, but if families have the flexibility, traveling in the shoulder seasons or off-season can yield huge savings. According to travel experts, the cheapest months to visit Spain are typically late winter – think January or February – or the late autumn. During these times, airfare and lodging can be much cheaper, and some tourist-heavy spots are blissfully uncrowded.
For example, that Barcelona apartment which cost us €120/night in July might go for half the price in November. Some costs drop even within summer: when we extended our stay into late August, we noticed hotel prices in a coastal town easing up slightly as the European holiday rush began to wane.
We consciously planned certain expensive destinations for weekdays or off-peak times during our trip. For instance, we hit the Costa del Sol beaches in early September rather than July – not only did we find a seaside resort deal (rooms that were €200/night in August fell to €120 in September), but the beaches and restaurants were less crowded and generally a bit cheaper.
In contrast, we accidentally visited Granada on a weekend when a big festival was in town – rooms were scarce and prices spiked; we paid more for a pension that Saturday night than for our nicer Seville hotel on a Tuesday. It was a good reminder that local events and seasonality affect prices, so it’s worth checking a region’s calendar.
If a city is hosting a festival, convention, or popular local fiesta, you might face “surge pricing” on stays and even restaurants. Had we known, we might have tweaked our itinerary to avoid that crunch.
Tourist traps themselves were relatively easy to spot. We quickly learned to be wary of restaurants right next to major attractions. In cities, any eatery directly facing a famous sight often had inflated prices and sometimes mediocre quality.
One day in Toledo, we nearly sat down at a café overlooking the cathedral, until we saw the menu: €18 for a basic paella and €5 for a soda – no gracias! We strolled two blocks into a quieter lane and found a little tavern where the paella was authentic and priced for locals at €12, and a whole jug of sangria cost €10 (not €5 for a single glass like in the tourist zone).
Likewise, in Barcelona we avoided eating on Las Ramblas – the most infamous tourist trap strip. Instead, we sought out markets and neighbourhood joints.
One of our best lunches was at the Mercat de Santa Caterina, a local market hall where we perched at a counter with fresh-made plates for much less than a sit-down place on the main drag. The lesson: go where the locals go, especially in big tourist cities, and you’ll often spend less and eat better.
For attractions, we found that some pricey experiences have cheaper or free alternatives. Instead of paying for an expensive panoramic viewpoint in Madrid (like a skyscraper observation deck), we went up to the rooftop terrace of the Círculo de Bellas Artes for a small €5 fee – granting us a fantastic view of the city’s skyline and the sunset over the metropolis.
In Valencia, rather than spend on the big Oceanogràfic aquarium (impressive but quite costly for four people), we spent an afternoon at the free science park playgrounds in the City of Arts and Sciences complex, marveling at the architecture from outside.
And in many cases, nature was the best free attraction: the golden beaches of Cádiz, the mountain trails in Picos de Europa, or simply evening paseo (stroll) through a historic quarter. These experiences cost us nothing and are just as integral to Spain’s charm.
One thing we did splurge on despite the cost was a flamenco show in Seville. We felt it was a cultural must-do. The tickets were about €25 per adult (kids were half-price), so it was roughly €75 for our family – not cheap, but the performance was electrifying and intimate.
We balanced this by having a light tapas dinner afterward instead of a full restaurant meal. In travel, it’s all about trade-offs: we were willing to allocate funds to unique experiences like flamenco, and save elsewhere by skipping, say, an overpriced theme park or touristy flamenco-for-tourists dinner that can cost twice as much.
In summary, we navigated the tourist traps and seasonal pricing by staying informed and flexible. We researched free museum days, traveled slightly off-peak when possible, and didn’t fall for every “must-do” that guidebooks tout (because sometimes the best times were when we simply wandered on our own).
By doing so, we kept our costs down without feeling like we missed out. If anything, our experience was richer for mixing the iconic sights with the lesser-known local angles. Spain rewarded us for stepping a bit off the beaten (and expensive) path.
Hidden Costs for Families
No matter how meticulously you plan a budget, there are always a few sneaky expenses that pop up during travel.
In Spain we encountered our share of hidden costs and unexpected fees – some minor, some that made us gulp – and learned to adapt quickly.
Here are the main culprits that caught our family off guard, and how future travelers can prepare for them.
1. Tourist Taxes
I’ve mentioned it already, but it bears repeating because it was the single biggest surprise. Arriving in Barcelona, we were unaware of the hefty tourist tax in Catalonia.
When our accommodation host explained the extra charge per night per person, we initially thought there was a mistake. As it turns out, in regions like Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, governments impose a nightly fee on visitors to fund local infrastructure. Barcelona’s combined city and regional tax in 2025 can be up to €15 per adult per night in top-tier lodging (less in simpler accommodations).
We were in an apartment, so our rate was around €8 per adult per night. For a week in Barcelona, that added about €112 to our costs – money we’d rather have spent on say, a day trip to Montserrat. Kids were exempt (many places only charge the tax for 16+ years old), but still – it stung.
And Barcelona isn’t alone. The Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Ibiza, etc.) also have a tax of €1-4 per person per night (varying by season and hotel type), though children under 16 don’t pay. While much of Spain has no tourist tax (we paid nothing extra in Madrid, Andalusia, or Galicia), those regions that do can significantly impact a family budget.
One article we found later noted that a family of four could pay an additional €308 for a week in the priciest taxed destinations. The takeaway: know where these taxes apply, and factor them in early so you’re not caught off guard at check-in.
2. Tips and Service Charges
Coming from the U.S., we’re used to budgeting a hefty 15-20% tip at restaurants. In Spain, tipping culture is different – it’s appreciated but not as expected, and amounts are lower.
However, a couple of times we encountered something called “cubiertos” or service charge on the bill (especially in very touristy restaurants). This is basically a per-person charge (a few euros) for bread, silverware, etc., and it can appear whether or not you noticed nibbling the bread on the table.
We wised up and if we didn’t want bread, we’d politely decline it when we sat down, which usually meant no charge. As for tipping, we generally left small change or rounded up to the nearest few euros for normal meals. At one nicer dinner we tipped about 10%.
A travel guide we read suggested leaving around 5-15% tip for restaurant service, which seemed in line with what we saw locals do at restaurants. The hidden cost here was minor – certainly less than we budget for tips at home – but we mention it so families from non-tipping countries know to have a little cash for tips (especially for great service or for hotel staff who help with bags, etc.), and Americans know they don’t need to overtip in Spain.
3. Road Costs, Tolls and Parking
Our rental car freedom came with a few unanticipated fees. Tolls we discussed earlier – we avoided the worst of them, but still, tossing €5 here, €7 there into toll booths (or hearing the rental car’s beeper if it had an electronic transponder) was a new expense for us.
In one day around the Costa Brava, we unknowingly hopped on a short toll road that cost €7 for a 15-minute ride – oops. By the end of our driving stint, we’d spent roughly €30 on tolls.
Not devastating, but a line item we hadn’t budgeted in advance. Similarly, parking fees in cities caught us off guard. In Granada, our pension didn’t have its own parking, so we had to use a public lot – at nearly €20 per 24 hours. In Sevilla, we cleverly chose a hotel with free parking which saved a lot.
But anytime we drove into a historic city center, parking was either metered or in paid garages. We learned to look for the outskirts Park-and-Ride options, or at least factor in an extra ten or twenty euros for parking when driving into town.
If we were truly pinching pennies, we might have skipped the car rental entirely, but the experiences it afforded were worth the added costs to us.
4. Water and “Extras” at Restaurants
One might laugh, but one unforeseen cost was bottled water. In Spain, it’s common in restaurants to ask if you want still or sparkling water, and what they bring is bottled – which you’ll be charged for (usually €1-3). Tap water (agua del grifo) is perfectly drinkable, but it’s not always proactively offered.
We started requesting tap water to avoid paying for multiple bottles each meal. Some regions have even passed laws requiring restaurants to provide free tap water if asked (to reduce plastic waste).
When we remembered to ask, we saved a few euros each time. Similarly, we had to train ourselves that those tempting plates of bread or olives placed on the table weren’t always freebies – in some restaurants they’re add-ons that appear on the bill for a euro or two per person.
Not a huge expense, but if you’re watching every cent, you can decline them. Our approach became: enjoy the Spanish dining customs, but be aware what you’ll be charged for.
5. Currency Exchange and ATM Fees: We primarily used credit cards (which gave good exchange rates), but for some cash we used ATMs. Our home bank card hit us with a $5 foreign ATM fee and the local Spanish bank charged about €3 on one withdrawal – that was nearly €8 ($9) extra just to get cash. After that, we were smarter: we took out larger amounts at once to minimize fees, and used a bank ATM network that waived some fees. This is more a general travel tip, but it definitely counts as a hidden cost. Over a long trip, bank fees can quietly erode your budget. If traveling from outside the Eurozone, it’s worth finding a low-fee card or planning withdrawals strategically.
6. Souvenirs and Kid “Extras”
Traveling with children, there are always those unexpected pleas for treats: a €5 Gaudí lollipop, a €10 flamenco dress for their doll, a €3 coin-press machine at a museum.
We set a small souvenir budget for the kids at the start (they each had €20 to spend on whatever they wanted for the whole trip). Even so, we found ourselves occasionally springing for an extra gelato or carousel ride. These costs weren’t huge individually – €2 here, €4 there – but anyone with kids knows they can add up if unchecked!
Our strategy was to channel those impulses into meaningful souvenirs. For example, in Valencia we skipped the pricey aquarium but bought a $5 postcard book of ocean creatures which our son loved just as much. In Toledo, instead of an expensive sword replica, we got a small toy knight for €8. Keeping the little splurges within reason helped protect our overall budget.
7. Phone Data and SIM Cards
We decided not to get local SIM cards since our U.S. plan had free roaming at slow speeds. But we met other travelers who bought Spanish SIMs for data – typically around €15-20 for a month’s package of calls and data.
That’s actually not bad, but it’s a cost to consider if you need reliable connectivity. Many cafes and hotels have free Wi-Fi, which we relied on for maps and communication to avoid any unforeseen phone charges.
Interestingly, one thing that didn’t hit us as a hidden cost was safety or health issues – we thankfully had no medical incidents (we carried basic travel insurance just in case), and Spain felt very safe.
We weren’t pickpocketed or anything, but we remained vigilant especially in busy areas. Had something happened, that could’ve introduced emergency expenses, but we were lucky on that front.
Final Tips and Budget Assessment
After weeks roaming Spain’s cities and villages, indulging in paella and flamenco, and tallying up every receipt, it was time for the verdict.
Did Spain live up to its reputation as a budget-friendly destination for our family? Absolutely – with some caveats.
In raw numbers, our spending in Spain was significantly lower than on comparable trips to, say, France or the UK. We averaged roughly €150-€200 per day for our family of four, covering accommodation, food, local transport, and activities.
Considering that many travelers spend more than that per person in Western Europe, I’d call that a win. Spain proved that a family can travel comfortably here without luxury prices, especially if you follow a few golden rules.
Let’s distill our experience into key tips for families eyeing Spain on a budget:
- Plan Around the “Menú del Día”: Make lunch your main meal and snag those fixed-price menus. For around €12-€15 each you get a feast at midday – we often fed two young kids off one menu’s ample portions. It’s both economical and culturally immersive (you’ll dine among locals this way).
- Embrace Public Transport: Spain’s trains, buses, and metros are clean, efficient, and cheap. Use them! An intercity bus can be a fraction of the cost of a train (e.g., our €9 Madrid-Barcelona bus). City transit cards and walking saved us money and hassle over renting cars in urban areas. Treat car rentals as optional and plan for tolls and parking if you do drive.
- Mix Your Accommodations: Don’t default to hotels only. We balanced mid-range hotels in cheaper regions (Andalusia) with an Airbnb in Barcelona to save on food costs, and sprinkled in family-run pensiones. This gave us a great cost average and varied experiences. Book early for the best deals, and remember off-season rates can be dramatically lower.
- Time Your Trip Wisely: If possible, avoid the peak summer crush. Spring and fall offer pleasant weather and better prices. If summer is your only option (as it was for us), consider late August or early September when tourism dips slightly. Also, sightseeing early in the day or mid-week can help dodge price hikes and crowds. Off-season (like late January) is the absolute cheapest time to visit Spain, if your schedule allows.
- Prioritize and Alternate Splurges: Spain has countless temptations – you can’t do them all on a tight budget. So pick your must-dos (we chose a flamenco show and the Alhambra) and offset those costs by enjoying free pleasures (beaches, parks, festivals). Many attractions have free hours; plan around those to save. And sometimes, viewing from outside (like the **Alhambra’s gardens or a Gaudí building’s exterior) is nearly as rewarding as paying for entry.
- Beware of Hidden Costs: Little fees can nibble at your budget. We learned to account for tourist taxes in certain areas, and we always asked “agua del grifo, por favor” (tap water) to avoid bottled water charges. Factor in some contingency for toll roads, parking, and the occasional treat for the kids. Knowing about these in advance means they won’t catch you off guard.
So, is Spain truly a budget destination for families?
Of course, “budget” is a relative term. In our case, we weren’t living on a backpacker’s $50 a day; we found a happy medium that maximized value.
Spain accommodated that beautifully. For roughly the cost of a domestic vacation in the U.S., we gave our kids (and ourselves) an unforgettable international journey.
In the end, we left Spain with hearts full, bellies full, and wallet… not empty. ¡Olé! As we boarded our flight home, sun-kissed and smiling, our ten-year-old proclaimed, “Can we come back next summer, too?” We glanced at each other, mentally calculating, and honestly, given how kind Spain was to our budget, we just might say sí.
