Eating, shopping and transport scripts

It is for anyone thinking about moving to Spain, planning the move or already living there. After reading, you will know what to say and what you will be asked in these everyday paid situations, including the queue customs that catch newcomers out.

Start with "Ordering at a Spanish bar or café". It is the errand you will repeat most, and the phrases carry over to the other pages. From there, go to the restaurant page for the set lunch menu and the bill, the supermarket and market page for buying by weight and joining a queue, the shops page for sizes, payment and returns, and the transport page for tickets, platforms and taxis.

Meal times and food culture, consumer rights and online shopping, and driving rules are covered elsewhere.

Key rules

• Paying at a bar: In most bars you pay at the end, when you leave, though some busy or tourist bars ask you to pay on each round.
• Shop returns: There is no general legal right to return non-defective goods bought in a shop, so any return is the shop's own policy, often 15 to 30 days with the ticket.
• Legal guarantee: Faulty new goods, including electronics, are covered by a legal guarantee of 3 years from delivery.
• Allergen information: Restaurants and bars selling non-prepacked food must give you information on the 14 regulated allergens for every dish, free of charge and before you finish buying, in writing or by speaking to staff.
• Politeness: Say "por favor" when you order and "gracias" when you are served.
• Who is last: At a stall or small shop with no ticket, ask "¿Quién es el último?" and remember who answers "yo".

Eating, shopping and transport scripts: the whole process, step by step

From first coffee to the taxi home

• Order drinks and snacks at a bar or café, then pay when you leave (Ordering at a Spanish bar or café): Any time of day; most bars expect payment at the end

• Eat the set lunch menu (Eating at a restaurant, from set menu (menú del día) to bill): Weekdays, Monday to Friday, roughly 13:00 to 16:00, busiest from 14:00 to 15:00

• Ask for the bill at the end of the meal (Eating at a restaurant, from set menu (menú del día) to bill): After you finish; waiters rarely bring it unasked

• Buy groceries by weight and ask who is last in the queue (Shopping at the supermarket, market and food counters): On your shopping trip, before you reach the counter

• Ask for a full invoice (factura) if you need one (Buying clothes and electronics, paying and returning items): At the moment you buy, before you leave the shop

• Return or exchange an item with the ticket (Buying clothes and electronics, paying and returning items): Often 15 to 30 days after purchase, depending on the shop's own policy

• Hail a taxi, give your destination and ask for a receipt (Buses, metro, trains and taxis in Spanish): When the roof light is green; ask for the receipt at the end of the ride

Documents you may need

• Full invoice — Buying clothes and electronics, paying and returning items

• Ticket from the shop — Buying clothes and electronics, paying and returning items

Eating, shopping and transport scripts: questions that cross several articles

Can you get a menú del día at the weekend or in the evening?

Usually not, because the menú del día is mainly a weekday lunch from Monday to Friday, roughly 13:00 to 16:00. At weekends many places drop it or swap it for a pricier weekend menu. Read Eating at a restaurant, from set menu (menú del día) to bill for how to order it.

Do you pay more for a drink on a terrace than at the bar counter?

Yes, terrace and table prices are often higher than counter prices, typically by around 10% or 10 to 20 cents per drink, and more in tourist spots. See Ordering at a Spanish bar or café.

How do you ask for the bill in a Spanish bar or restaurant?

Say 'La cuenta, por favor', or 'Cuando puedas, la cuenta' in a relaxed place, and catch the waiter's eye or mime writing in the air. See Ordering at a Spanish bar or café.

How do you order dishes to share in Spain?

Say 'Queremos pedir varias cosas para compartir', or ask for a ración, a full plate, or a media ración, a half portion. See Ordering at a Spanish bar or café.