A few things I recommend you bring with you…
Common over the counter medicines like Paracetamol or Ibuprofen.
Whilst you can get these here (in the pharmacies marked by their flashing, green, medical crosses), they aren’t as easy to buy as popping into your local Boots or Superdrugs.
Sunscreen
It can be pricey compared to the UK. For example: Nivea Protect and Refresh F50, 200ml is around £9, but 16 Euro here!
GHIC Card These cards can help you receive basic healthcare and medical assistance, should you need it. You can order these for free via the NHS website
Travel Insurance
You never know what might crop up, so always worth having.
Currency
Withdrawing money from a cash point is pricey and you can expect to pay 7 Euros (and upwards) fee, per withdrawal! However, you may find that the local bank, Kutxabank, allows you to withdraw money for free or at a lower charge.
Opening hours of local restaurants and shops
Restaurants
You’ll find many bar cafeterias (not the typical drinking kind, but they do serve beers) open as early as 7.am, sometimes earlier. You can pick up the typical staple here of a ‘bocadillo’ (crusty bread styled sandwich) with a drink, or up until around 11:30.am, enjoy an ‘almuerzo’, a menu that consists of 2 courses with a drink. Otherwise a lunch menu is generally available from around midday up to 4:30.pm, when many local restaurants will either close/close their kitchen until 7.pm, or reduce their menu to serving drinks and snacks only.
Shops
There’s a very old-school approach to trading hours here in that many of the smaller, local businesses close between 2.pm and 4.pm for lunch and the (majority) of shops are closed on Sundays.
You’ll find the express shops (Carrefour Express, Charter) are open all week, including Sundays from around 9.am to 10.pm (though this has only recently been the case.
CV 