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Travel advice for Costa del Sol

Everything you need to know before you travel

Facts about Costa del Sol

Currency

Euro

(EUR)

Language

Spanish

Time zone

GMT +1

Flight duration

2 hours 45 minutes from Gatwick

Marbella

Best time to go to Costa del Sol

The name of the Costa del Sol is a weather report in itself. Spain’s southern coast gets an impressive 320 sunny days a year, so it’s a great year-round destination. In summer, daytime temperatures don’t tend to stray from the 30s. In the spring and autumn, meanwhile, you can expect highs of between 18 and 22 degrees.

Passports & Visas

British citizens don’t need a visa to enter Spain but must have a valid passport. You can check your passport’s valid for Spain using our handy tool. For the most up-to-date passport and visa info, visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain/entry-requirements.

Don't forget to arrange your travel money and insurance before you go.

Health & Safety

You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance to cover you while you’re away. If you’re travelling to the EU and you apply for a card now, you'll get a new UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) instead of an EHIC. This entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Spanish nationals. It won’t, however, cover you for medical repatriation, ongoing medical treatment or non-urgent treatment. Visit www.nhs.uk/ehic for full details on what it covers. You do not need to apply for a GHIC if you already have an EHIC. Your EHIC remains valid in the EU until it expires. An EHIC or GHIC is free of charge. For the latest health and safety information, visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain/health

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