Spain remains as popular as ever to visit. Many people are fascinated by it diverse cultural heritage and many places to see. If you are planning on visiting the real Spain then listen to a few of these tips first.

I guess it's an obvious first tip, but if you plan to get off the tourist beat then you should learn Spanish. Indeed, even if you want to spend most of your time in the big cities, speaking Spanish will improve your stay.

Many people in Madrid and Barcelona will speak English but many more won't speak English. Speaking simple phrases will make you day to day life easier. If you have a good command of the language then you can even make friends and acquaintances on your travels. You may even get insiders or local knowledge on good things to see or do. You may get better deals too as they know you are not a naive tourist.

Next, try to get a plan of your travels together. Whilst it is more romantic to be spontaneous and travel here and there on a whim, it will also be more expensive. If you are back packing, your money may be tight so you want to limit the expensive. If you have a plan of where you will be on such a date you can pre-book trains, planes and buses. You can save upwards of 50% on advance bookings if you do this. Saving money means more time can be spent in Spain which is even better.

It has been known to rain in Spain, despite the best intentions of vocal coaches. This is more a case in the north of the country and in high ground. If you don't want your trip to be ruined by the weather then go to Spain in the spring or early summer. With this said, the south of Spain is probably one of the sunnier parts of Europe so you should be okay there. Best advice is start at the north and work your way down.

It goes without saying that Madrid and Barcelona are must do venues. You could spend more than a few weeks in each place and still not see everything they have to offer. But if time is not a luxury, write down all the places you want to see in these two cities and get organized. You don't want to leave Madrid with seeing the Prado or Leave Barcelona without seeing the Sagrada Familia.

With this said, there is much more to Spain than these two great cities. And Spain is a large country. The best way to see other parts of Spain is to use the fast train. You can get from one end of the country to the next in a matter of hours and still get to see the countryside as you go. This is something that you miss out on in an airplane.

Spain is a great place to visit and you will have a wonderful time if you make some simple plans before hand.

Spain has been a popular tourist destination for over thirty years now. This idea of mass tourism is mainly aimed at many northern European countries where people are anxious to get a bit of sun, sea and sangria at a good price during their summer holidays. However given the cheap cost of airfares these days, many Spanish destinations are also popular for weekends or short breaks.

So while most people may think of Spain as a place to recharge their batteries on a nice sunny beach, there is much more to the country than that.

Plenty To Do And Plenty To See

Moorish culture dominated Spain in the middle ages until Christian kings removed much of their influence. Two of the principal monuments that have survived are the Alhambra and the mosque in Cordoba. These are must see sites if you are interested in Moorish style and architecture (or even if you just like looking at old castles)

The Spanish capital, Madrid, is located in the center of Spain. It is a world famous destination with plenty to see and do. Two must do things are to visit the museum and art gallery that is the Prado. There are many galleries of painting that you have probably seen in books before. Many famous artists like Goya, El Greco, many impressionist painters and Bosch are found here. You can spend a whole day looking at the paintings. Or maybe spend a couple of days there. Another thing to do if you like to witness a great atmosphere is to visit the Bernabeu stadium and watch Real Madrid play football.

Toledo is another popular visit if you are based in Madrid. It's about 45 minutes on a train from Madrid. Toledo is a fortified city that features a large castle. It was famous in the middle ages for making swords and armor or knights. It is a popular day trip for tourists nowadays.

The second city in Spain has to be Barcelona. Barcelona is the principal city of the Catalan province. Barcelona is not far from the Pyrenees (3 hours) so if you like to ski or partake in winter sports then you can get have the sea and the snow in one package. Skiing lasts from around December through to March.

The city itself is famous for surrealist architecture such as the Sagrada Familia church and the park Guell that were created by Antoni Gaudi. This gives the city a unique look that you won't find anywhere else in Europe. Much of the action in Barcelona happens on La Rambla. This is a street that starts at the Placa Catalunya and ends at the harbor. It is a pedestrianized street that has all sorts of tourist shops and bars. Street entertainers and other shenanigans will grab your attention as you walk down the street.

Other places to check out include Andalusia, the biggest Spanish province and the coast of this part of the country that comprises places such as Cadiz and Malaga as well as Huelva and Almeria and even Granada are truly spectacular.

There are also many islands that are part of Spain. They are popular for beach and party holidays. The Balearic islands, particularly Ibiza, are world famous as a party destination. The Canary Islands are also part of Spain, even though they are some distance form the main land. Again they are popular for tourists hoping to get a bit of sun and beach. They feature some impressive rock formations and landscapes as they are the located on dormant volcanoes.

Learning a bit of Spanish can make your stay in Spain so much better.