Timetables in Spain

Many Spanish people claim that “Spain is different”, and it is in many ways a particular country. What seems to stand out the most to expats is that, in Spain everything happens later than in other countries.

To begin with, school and work hours hardly ever start before 9 am, so you’ll find a lot of traffic on the road and in the cafeterias at around 8.30am. Don’t hurry too much though, shops open no sooner than 9.30 am or 10 am.

Lunchtime is usually at around 2pm. Don’t expect restaurants to be open before 1pm, but food is served until 3.30 or so! Shops, however, can have a 2-hour, or even a 3-hour break, meaning most medium and small businesses stay closed, at least, from 2 to 4 pm. Luckily, in the evening they’ll be open until around 8.00/8.30 pm.

 Dinner is so late. Many afterwork activities (such as sports clubs or art classes) last until as late as 8.30/9.00 pm, so we rarely have dinner before 9 pm, and therefore most restaurants open just after 8.30pm (but close at about 11.30pm).

If you’re thinking about going shopping at the weekend, make sure it’s Saturday morning, because only big shopping malls and businesses in the city center are open on Saturday afternoon. Also, shops are closed by law on Sundays (with a few exceptions), but restaurants are open, as their days off are usually Monday or Tuesday. 

What differences are there with your country? 

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