Rick Steves' Favorite Time To Visit Spain Has Lower Prices And Fewer Crowds

Since international travel has made a post-pandemic comeback, more people are spending extra on it, and Europe is right in the middle of the buzz. According to UN Tourism, Europe welcomed 625 million international tourists between January and September 2025, 4% more than in 2024. Spain, one of the best countries for retirees, is responsible for a lot of those visits and recorded up to 94 million international travelers in 2024. With the majority of the traveling population fitting their trips within the same window, there's less availability and inflated tickets, making the trip even pricier.

Rick Steves, an experienced traveler and author, says in his RickSteves.com blog that one way to avoid the high prices is to visit in the spring and fall, when the weather is less humid, and crowds are much smaller. The tourism data from Spain seems to support Steve's choices too. In the first eight months of 2025, the country welcomed almost 66.8 million international tourists, and a whopping 11.3 million of those travelers made that trip in August. Compared to March, with 6.6 million, and September, with 9.7 million, the summer months (July and August) tend to draw the largest crowds. 

The large crowd drives demand higher, and you get sold-out hotels, overpriced Airbnb listings, and rising ticket prices. Compared to months like April and September, hotels and other accommodations tend to be at full capacity, and entry ticket prices at attractions are inflated due to increased demand. All of these extra expenses add up, making Spain one of the more expensive tourist destinations in Europe.

Vacationing during these shoulder seasons doesn't just mean you get to enjoy a calmer trip; it's also lighter on your pocket. Accommodation is where it starts, and according to Reuters, the average hotel prices have risen by 23% over three years to an average of €131 ($153.80) per night. During peak travel seasons, the numbers rise even higher. Historical data from Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE) reports the average hotel price in April 2025 at €116.6 ($136.89), after which the numbers rose by about 34% to €155.7 ($182.80) in August 2025. If you took a three-day trip in April instead of August 2025, you could save approximately €117.3 ($137.4) in just hotel costs.

Air travel and flight ticket prices follow the same pattern, rising in the summer and falling in late fall. According to one travel guide blog, June to mid August is the most expensive time to fly to Spain, with round-trip tickets ranging from $740 to $950 and, in rare cases, as high as $1,000. In comparison, flights booked between late fall and early spring (November to March) tend to be the lowest, with rates between $500 and $600 per round trip.

When it comes to sights and attractions, the pattern is the same, and most summer travelers end up paying more than the standard ticket prices. The Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic church and popular tourist spot, prices its general admission tickets at €26, while the Prado Museum's tickets start at €18. In the summer, most of the available time slots fill up super quickly, forcing tourists to pay for exclusive/premium options such as skip-the-line guided tour tickets, which range from €33 to €160.