7 Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving to Spain
Man, I made some really dumb mistakes when I was moving to Spain. It’s a completely different culture that I wasn’t used to, so it’s totally rational! Here are a few things I’ve realized on the way that will hopefully help you in your experience:
Life in Spain
1. Spanish tortillas
Let’s be clear about something: I am Texan. I grew up with a lot of Mexican culture. I live, eat, and breathe Tex-Mex food. So when I got off the plane in Madrid and immediately ordered a ‘tortilla con patatas,’ I was not expecting THIS. (Still 10/10 though)
Disclaimer: I love Mexican tortillas and I love Spanish tortillas but can we please pick another name for one of them?? This is just way too confusing
2. Spanish meal times
Breakfast is around 11. It’s very common to have a beer with your breakfast. Lunch is at 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Dinner is at 9 or 10 o’clock at night. If you get hungry between lunch and dinner, there’s a ‘merienda,’ which is basically a formal way of saying afternoon snack time. To each their own!
This is a concept that can be a bit hard to grasp when you first arrive. If you show up to a restaurant at 6 pm, no one will be there and they may not even serve you!
3. Casual conversations
Spaniards are very casual with their conversation. They hardly ever use the formal way of speaking (‘usted’) and will instead always call you ‘tu’. They tend to use a lot of cuss words, just in everyday conversation, and like many other Spanish speaking countries, will call you pet names even when just meeting you.
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4. Siesta
Siesta is amazing and also annoying. It’s amazing because there’s a designated nap time! The whole country basically just shuts down between the hours of 3:00 and 5:00 PM so you can relax or take a nap at home. I love it. However, it’s also annoying because shops will also close during this time, especially in the smaller towns. Try and get your shopping done in the morning or whenever the shops open back up. Sundays also tend to be a day when stores are closed.
5. Where to buy things
In the US, you can go to Walmart and buy almost everything in one place. Not so much in Spain (although Corte Ingles normally has it all). Here’s a short list to help you get on your feet and collect all your essentials:
Electronics– Fnac, El Corte Ingles, Darty
Supermarkets – Mercadona, Carrefour, Dia, Consum, Supercor
Department Stores – El Corte Ingles (this place has everything from clothes to food to electronics to furniture. However, the products offered may be divided into separate buildings such as the one in Madrid)
6. Different accents
Spain is a vast country and as such, there are many different dialects and accents. You can’t expect Castilian Spanish to be the same in every single city. Andalusia has a very thick accent for example, and regions such as Galicia, Valencia, and Barcelona of course have a completely different language. Catalan is NOT Spanish.
7. Nightlife
Drink lots of coffee before a night out in Spain. Bars will be empty until about 1 or 1:30 in the morning. Nightclubs won’t even open until 2, but show up at 3 or else you will be alone. Just the way that it is so expect to come home during the early hours of the morning! When I come back to Texas, I’m always surprised by how early everything closes.
While there are several other things I realized when moving to Spain, these were the most prominent. What shocked you the most about moving to a new country?
I would definitely have to get used to the different meal times. I like eating early with tea . I guess I’ll be staying in most nights because I’ll be alone in the clubs . These are great and helpful for someone wanting to visit or relocate.
Just take a nap before or after dinner! I would sometimes take a nap at 10 pm, wake up at 12 am, and meet friends at 1 hahaha
And “usted” should not forget about the basque language in the Basque country. (#6)
Love the site btw.
Yep!! Yet another example. I was surprised to find how different the language was compared to Latin based languages
I love reading about people’s “mini culture shocks” when first visiting or living in another country — it helps me understand and prepare for my trip better. I’m a night person, so I think the meal times in Spain would suit me very well!
I also just loved having a nap time! Normally I’m so exhausted coming home from work, but in Spain I can take a nap and still have time to do everything!
Haha, the last time we were in Spain we were always the only people in the restaurant because I get hungry at like 5 or 6pm. I was in bed by the time most of the locals were eating! It’s funny how different the daily routine can be in different countries, isn’t it! Thanks for sharing this list, a few of these made me chuckle!
Hahahaha typical mistake! It takes awhile to get used to for sure!
I’m still not used to the meal times. Eating a large lunch and a small dinner is the complete opposite to what I’m used to, so I feel your pain with the paella!
I guess it makes it easier to digest a small dinner when you’re eating so close to bedtime!
I love Paella, I had no idea it’s not for dinner! Great tips!
Was so upset when I found out
Interesting post! It’s easy to not think of the subtle variations in each country and even within each country. Different traditions, different foods. Kind of like ‘not ordering a cappuccino in Italy after 11 am!’ Who would think that unless you live there?
UGH YES! My friends make fun of me so much for doing that hahaha
Visiting Spain for at least a month or two in 2022 and this is super helpful. Saving this so I can refer to it again before we leave. Thank you for putting this together – such a lifesaver! – Linzey @thefamilyfuntour
The culture is such a big part of visiting a new country and Spain has a vibrant culture! Enjoy your trip!
I haven’t been able to find out the story about the different languages in Spain. What is Catalan? Do Basques speak Spanish or English? How does one communicate with everyone?
Catalan is similar to Spanish, French, and the other Romance languages, but is still completely different! However, if you speak Spanish you’ll be able to understand most of Catalan. In many regions of Spain, it’s only the older generation who still speaks the original dialect. In Catalonia, where Barcelona is though, Catalan is widespread!
The Basque region speaks Spanish and Euskeda, which is another language that isn’t even close to Spanish! However, the dialect is being used less and less so many people, especially younger, only speak Spanish.