Frequently Asked Questions

We are custom itinerary specialists offering professional travel consulting, reservation management, and concierge services.  We plan your trip right down to the last nuts and bolts, working in any reservations you may have already made (such as international flights) and fleshing out your itinerary to make your dream trip a reality.  For more information on our process, please check out our How We Work graphic.

We can include all travel-related services in your package depending on what you need us to organize for you.  These are just some of the program elements we normally include in a custom itinerary:
  • International flights (if you haven’t booked them already!)
  • In-country transportation (air, train, bus, rental car with self-guided itineraries, private driver, airport transfers…)
  • Hotels & short/long-term rental properties
  • Privately-guided tours (or self-guided walking itineraries where appropriate)
  • Monument & museum entrance tickets
  • Restaurant recommendations & reservations
All of these services will be packaged together in your very own app / clickable digital itinerary format (downloadable to PDF) that will make your trip logistics a breeze.

Spain Savvy partners with Global Rescue to meet our clients’ trip insurance needs.  Global Rescue, based in the U.S., is the world’s leading membership organization providing integrated medical, security, travel risk and crisis response services to travelers worldwide.  Spain Savvy clients can enroll with them directly via our partnership link!  Global Rescue offers CFAR («cancel for any reason») insurance, which is highly recommended in the post-COVID travel era.

Yes, we charge a professional fee for our travel design services, ranging anywhere from 150-400€ per itinerary (the rate we quote you will primarily depend on length of trip and number of travelers).  When you receive your custom itinerary, we will price out all the different program elements so you can pick and choose exactly what you’d like to book with us.

Frankly, because our services are worth it!  Our fee covers our in-depth local expert knowledge, professional services, and time spent researching your travel experiences.  You are paying for us to professionally design your itinerary according to your specific needs and desires, packaging it in an attractive and user-friendly format in our very own app.  Whether or not you end up booking this custom-designed trip with us in the end is of course entirely up to you.  We are proud to state that 90% of clients who secure our itinerary design services end up booking their complete travel package with us.
Click here to read a Forbes article about how the travel industry is shifting towards a professional services fee structure.

You will be invited to download your custom itinerary in the «My Trips» app the first time it is sent to you, and it will be available to you throughout the proposal and trip execution process. Here is an article with some more information on how it works!  Our clients absolutely rave about this app and we are so pleased to be able to offer you this innovative tool.

We usually ask our clients to allow us 7-10 days to put together their custom itinerary, starting from when we receive our completed New Client Survey, the fee payment and our e-signed client contract. If it’s likely that we will take any longer due to holidays or high season, we will let you know. After you receive your custom itinerary, the review and revision process may take another week or two. Then, once the full payment is received, we can usually have your trip booked and confirmed within another week or two at the most.

We suggest anywhere from 3-6 months. We can do a last-minute trip (less than 3 months from departure), but in order to guarantee the availability of hotels and some special tours, and to give us the time to put your trip together properly, planning with some leeway is usually more advisable. Please note that we may or may not have the time to take on a last-minute trip and we appreciate your understanding. We may also take a bit longer than normal to work on a trip that is over a year away.

Our office is located at our home in a small village on the outskirts of Seville, Spain. Our company is run by an American expat who has been living in southern Spain for almost two decades, and we are fully in touch with the local area, culture, customs, etc. If your itinerary takes you to this area, we will do our best to meet you in person while you are in town!

We launched Spain Savvy in April 2017 but have a long history as cross-cultural professionals since we first stepped foot in Spain from the U.S. in 1998. You can read more about our founder’s background here.

Payments can be made securely on our website with Visa, Mastercard or American Express.  If you’re charging your trip balance on American Express, please include the 1.5% banking fee on top of your balance (we will specify this in your itinerary).  If you’re having any trouble making payments on our website, we suggest reaching out to your bank for pre-approval for the international charge.  Sometimes, because our site is based in Spain, American banks flag charges on our website – but our experience has shown us that this can usually be cleared up with one call to your bank.

Yes! Spain Savvy operates primarily in Spain, Portugal and Morocco but we are working on growing our network in other European countries.  As of March 2021, we are thrilled to be able to connect you with like-minded travel professionals in our network in France, Italy and Greece. If you’re interested in traveling to another country, please contact us and we’ll do our best to find someone to work with you!

Absolutely – sometimes a quick phone call is better than 20 emails! We just ask that you send us a quick email first to arrange a time – sometimes, with the different time zones and other life obligations, we are not available immediately for a phone call.

While our itineraries are all customized to our clients, and contain proprietary information, we are happy to share a couple of generic samples, which should give you an idea of what to expect should you decide to work with us.

You can check these government pages to see the most current data on the COVID situation in Spain and Portugal.

Restrictions related to COVID-19 currently remain in effect throughout Spain and vary widely by region.  They are usually reviewed every 15 days.  U.S. citizens should carefully monitor regional governments’ websites  HERE and local press reports for more information.  Ensure you are familiar with local requirements prior to traveling between regions in Spain and remember to follow the instructions of local authorities.  The most common restrictions in Spain include:

  • A nighttime curfew
  • Public or private gatherings limited to six people
  • Limited movement to and from many locations unless it is for a legitimate and essential purpose, such as work, medical reasons, education and training, returning to your residence, taking exams, helping the elderly, minors or disabled people, banking, insurance, legal, or administrative matters, and any emergency situations
  • Limited capacity in religious facilities, shops, restaurants, and bars

Countries with a high COVID rate are not currently allowed to enter the European Union for leisure travel.  There are some exceptions to this rule (for instance, if you are a student, or have a resident family member and get the proper permissions for entry from the country’s consulate in your home country).  For the latest info, check HERE.
As of March 2021, the United States remains on Europe’s high risk COVID list.  You can check this list at any time HERE.
It is suspected that vaccinated travelers will be the first to be granted entry as leisure travelers, so make sure you are in line for your jab!

Yes, as of November 23, 2020, travelers from countries with a high risk of COVID need to present a negative PCR test valid within 72 hours of your arrival in the European Union.
More information on what details are needed on the PCR test results can be found HERE. An updated list of countries that require a PCR test for entry can be found HERE.

ALL travelers must also fill out the required FCS Health Control Form 48 hours prior to travel available for download HERE via the app.  Once you have filled out the form you will be provided with a QR code to print and present to border officials upon arrival.

Effective January 26, 2021, all airline passengers to the United States ages two years and older must provide a negative COVID-19 viral test taken within three calendar days of travel. Alternatively, travelers to the United States may provide documentation from a licensed health care provider of having recovered from COVID-19 in the 90 days preceding travel. Check the CDC website for additional information and Frequently Asked Questions.

Click HERE for more info on where to get a PCR in Spain before your return to the U.S.

In Spain and Portugal, a mask covering your mouth and nose is mandatory while in any public spaces, except while eating or drinking.  Any modifications to this law will be updated here if applicable.