Reading and giving Spanish addresses and directions

Terms used

• Portal — The portal is the street entrance of an apartment building.
• Telefonillo — The telefonillo is the intercom at the building entrance, used to buzz a flat and let people in.
• Bajo — Bajo is the ground floor of a building.
• Entresuelo — The entresuelo is a low mezzanine floor between the ground floor and the first main floor.
• Ático — An ático is a top-floor flat, often with a terrace.
• Izda. — Izda. means izquierda, left, when you face the flats on the landing.

Key rules

• Address order: Write street, number, floor, door, then postcode and city, with the number after the street name.
• Ground floor: Bajo is the ground floor, and 1º is usually the first floor above it.
• Left and right: Izda. and dcha. are judged facing the flats from the landing.
• Postcode: The first two of the 5 digits give the province.

The order of a Spanish address

The street comes first, then the number, then the floor and door, then the postcode and city. The number follows the street name, unlike in English.

Example: C/ Mayor, 12, 3º B, 28013 Madrid (Madrid)

• C/ Mayor is the street type and name.
• 12 is the building number.
• 3º B is the floor and door.
• 28013 is the postcode, then the city. The province goes in brackets if needed.

The recipient's name goes on the line above.

Street abbreviations

• C/ or Cl.: calle (street)
• Avda. or Av.: avenida (avenue)
• Pº: paseo
• Pl. or Plza.: plaza (square)
• Ctra.: carretera (road)
• Trva.: travesía (side street)
• Rda.: ronda
• Gta.: glorieta (roundabout)
• Urb.: urbanización (housing development)
• Bº: barrio
• Pol. Ind.: polígono industrial (industrial estate)

You will also see s/n, short for sin número (no number). Ctra. de Toledo, km 12 gives a position along a road by kilometre, not a building number.

Floors

The usual order from the street up is: bajo, entresuelo, principal, 1º, 2º and so on, then ático, then sobreático.

• Bajo, or planta baja (PB), is the ground floor. You may see "bajos" for the ground-floor units.
• Entresuelo is a low mezzanine floor just above it.
• Principal is the first main floor. Older buildings are more likely to have entresuelo and principal.
• In many buildings 1º is the first floor above the ground floor, as in British usage.
• Ático is a top-floor flat, often with a terrace. Sobreático is a further level above it.

Numbering varies by building, so check the panel by the entrance.

Doors

A door is a letter (A, B, C), a number, or a position.

• Izquierda (izda.) is left and derecha (dcha.) is right. You judge this facing the flats when you arrive at the landing, usually after leaving the stairs or lift.
• Centro is the middle door.
• Exterior faces the street. Interior faces the inner courtyard.

Examples: "2º izda.", "3º B", "1º exterior derecha". If the viewpoint is unclear, check the buzzer panel.

Getting a visitor or courier in

Give the entrance, the floor and the door. Portal is the street entrance of the building. The telefonillo (also called portero automático) is the intercom. Escalera 2 means staircase 2, if the building has several.

Useful phrases:

• "Es el portal 5, tercero B. Llame al telefonillo del 3ºB."
• "Pulse el botón 3B."
• "Le abro desde el telefonillo."
• "Suba al tercer piso, puerta B."

Asking for directions

• ¿Cómo llego a…? (How do I get to…?)
• ¿Dónde está…? (Where is…?)
• ¿Para ir a…? (To get to…?)
• ¿Está lejos o cerca? (Is it far or near?)

Following directions

• Todo recto, siga recto: straight on
• Gire or doble a la izquierda/derecha: turn left/right
• La primera/segunda calle a la derecha: first/second street on the right
• Al final de la calle: at the end of the street
• En el semáforo, en la rotonda: at the traffic lights, at the roundabout
• Cruce la plaza: cross the square
• Enfrente de, al lado de, detrás de, en la esquina: opposite, next to, behind, on the corner
• A unos cinco minutos andando: about five minutes' walk

Use gire with strangers. With friends you will hear the informal sigue recto and gira a la izquierda.

The postcode

A postcode has 5 digits. The first two give the province, from 01 (Álava) to 52 (Melilla): 28 is Madrid, 08 Barcelona, 41 Sevilla. The last three identify the zone or delivery area.

The questions below cover the common doubts.

Frequently asked questions

Is 1º the first floor above the street in a Spanish address?

Usually yes, 1º is the first floor above the ground floor, like the first floor in British usage. In older buildings, though, bajo and entresuelo or principal may come before it, so 1º can be higher up than you expect. Check the buzzer panel if the count looks odd.

Which door is izquierda or derecha in an address like 2º izda.?

Izquierda (left) and derecha (right) are judged facing the flats when you arrive at the landing, usually after leaving the stairs or lift. Centro is the middle door. The viewpoint can differ, so look at the buzzer panel if you are unsure.

What does s/n or km mean in an address?

S/n means sin número, so the building has no street number. Km is a position on a road, as in "Ctra. de Toledo, km 12". Ctra. is carretera, meaning road.

How do I tell a courier which bell to ring?

Give the portal number, the floor and the door letter, and say which button to press. For example: "Es el portal 5, tercero B. Llame al telefonillo del 3ºB." The telefonillo is the intercom, and you can add "Le abro desde el telefonillo" if you will buzz them in.

What do the digits of a Spanish postcode tell me?

The first two digits of the 5-digit postcode give the province, for example 28 for Madrid, 08 for Barcelona and 41 for Sevilla. The last three identify the zone or delivery area within that province.