Hi! My family and I will be visiting Spain in September and I'm just wondering what kind of reception we'll get. We were in Mexico earlier on this year and found the people cordial but coolish.....Also, how best to tip the locals, in dollars or european currency? Thanks. Laura

We found Spaniards to be quite friendly. Two examples stand out in my mind: I was trying to withdraw cash from an ATM late at night and a nice gentleman told me nicely in Spanish that it wasn't working before I inserted my ATM card. Another one was at a small restaurant where the waiter didn't speak any English. We tried our best in our Spanish and he was very patient in explaining what the different dishes were.

One thing I did note was that you'll find less people who are willing to speak English to you (as compared to Italy). So, I would suggest learning as much Spanish as you can before the trip.

As for the tipping, of course you need to tip in Euros! If you gave them dollars, they would have to pay a fee to exchange the money.

We were in Madrid this April (soon after the Atoche tragedy). We were completely comfortable there. We found the people warm & gracious. In fact, my son bought a soccer jersey there and people would chat with him about soccer and sports, ask him where's he's from, etc. when he wore it (which was almost everyday!).

I would tip in Euros.

I found the Spanish people to be wonderful - warm and friendly.

Would you like to be tipped in Euros? That should answer that question!

Have a great trip.

Karen

I think it would be insulting to tip in dollars. And I expect the people being tipped would think so as well.

I was in Spain this year and I found the people to be wonderful. It's a shame you received that reception in Mexico because they have always been very warm and friendly to me.

If you read just about any thread on using US dollars in Europe, you will find that most people who ask that question will get blasted by at least a few people on this board. But do not fear, I will explain as kindly as possible.

People who have never travelled outside North America tend to think that the US dollar is a universal currency because it is so widely accepted in Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean islands. This is not true in the rest of the world, with the possible exception of some very poor countries with a soft currency. This is not the case in Spain, therefore it's really not cool to tip in anything but euros. If you do, they will have to go to the time, trouble, and expense of exchanging. Suppose you were working at a restaraunt or hotel in the US and someone tipped you in a foreign currency. Would you really like this more than getting money you can readily use? Make sure to use euros, and have a great trip.