{"id":464553,"date":"2025-10-01T01:48:25","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T01:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/464553\/"},"modified":"2025-10-01T01:48:25","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T01:48:25","slug":"spanish-pilot-reveals-why-you-should-never-order-sangria-in-spain-and-how-to-blend-in-like-a-local","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/464553\/","title":{"rendered":"Spanish pilot reveals why you should never order sangria in Spain – and how to blend in like a local"},"content":{"rendered":"

Millions of Britons head to Spain<\/a> every year and many of them stand out as tourists, not quite fitting in with the local culture.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, one Spanish pilot has revealed all the tips and tricks needed to blend in like a local.<\/p>\n

From eating habits to clothing choices, Vueling First Officer Maite Pag\u00e8s has plenty of advice to share.<\/p>\n

Sangria is a popular beverage Brits enjoy in the sunshine, but Maite describes it as ‘tourist bait’.<\/p>\n

‘We usually leave the sangria-sipping to tourists \u2013 that tempting ice-cold jug is pure tourist bait,’ she says.<\/p>\n

Maite encourages holidaymakers to avoid ordering sangria and go for more authentic Spanish drinks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘To get a true taste of Spanish drinking instead, try a Tinto de Verano\u00a0(red wine and lemon soda) or a refreshing Clara (beer with lemonade),’ the pilot adds.<\/p>\n

‘If you\u2019re in Valencia, you have to try the creamy, nutty Horchata\u00a0that even locals queue for and pair with beloved fartons (pastries dusted with icing sugar).’<\/p>\n

\"From <\/p>\n

From eating habits to clothing choices, Vueling First Officer Maite Pag\u00e8s (pictured) has plenty of advice to share<\/p>\n

\"Maite <\/p>\n

Maite encourages holidaymakers to avoid ordering sangria and go for more authentic Spanish drinks (stock)<\/p>\n

Sangria isn’t the only drink Brits needs to rethink, according to the pilot, iced coffee is off the cards too.<\/p>\n

‘Iced coffee might be your go-to in the UK, but in Spain, you’ll likely be handed a hot espresso and a glass of ice to DIY your drink,’ Maite explains.<\/p>\n

‘Embrace our local coffee culture and save the vanilla iced lattes for back home! We prefer our coffee hot, short, and strong, so try a caf\u00e9 con leche in the morning or a cortado for a boost in the afternoon.’<\/p>\n

Meals differ too, and while a sandwich and a packet of crisps is a typical lunch in Britain, in Spain it’s more of a ‘big deal’.<\/p>\n

‘To act like a real local, I would recommend taking at least an hour or two to enjoy your lunch sat in your apartment or a restaurant,’ Maite says.<\/p>\n

Locals tend to eat later, too, and ‘with style’ according to the pilot.<\/p>\n

‘If you want to blend in, I\u2019d suggest grabbing an aperitivo and wandering into a local spot \u2013 and prepare for a whole evening of eating and drinking,’ she adds.<\/p>\n

‘To be totally honest, forget booking altogether \u2013 the best meals are often found by drifting into tiny joints that don\u2019t even have menus.’<\/p>\n

\"Meals <\/p>\n

Meals differ too, and while a sandwich and a packet of crisps is a typical lunch in Britain, in Spain it’s more of a ‘big deal’ (stock)<\/p>\n

Sleep schedules differ between Brits and the Spanish, especially because of the bustling nightlife.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Maite warns, ‘Bars don\u2019t get busy until at midnight at the earliest, so don\u2019t expect to be rolling into bed until at least 3 or 4am!’\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the late nights and hot weather are rewarded with a nap or rest in the afternoon, which isn’t typical in British culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The pilot says, ‘Everything slows down in the afternoon heat. Between 2pm and 5pm, shops close, streets empty, and we like to rest up. It\u2019s a lifestyle!<\/p>\n

‘Embrace our slower afternoons and you\u2019ll have more energy to enjoy dinner the Spanish way; late, leisurely, and alfresco at 10pm.’<\/p>\n

Spanish style is very different to British, too, and the holiday essentials many tourists wear doesn’t quite match the local vibe.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Leave the flip-flops and sarongs at the beach,’ Maite urges.<\/p>\n

‘We take pride in dressing to impress, even if we\u2019re just heading out to grab some fresh bread.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Sleep <\/p>\n

Sleep schedules differ between Brits and the Spanish, especially because of the bustling nightlife<\/p>\n

‘A stylish yet comfortable outfit goes a long way towards blending in.’<\/p>\n

Though it might be comfortable, Maite also warns against wearing socks and sandals for Brits wanting to fit in.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘You might think you\u2019re rocking Euro summer casual, but locals probably won\u2019t agree,’ she says.<\/p>\n

‘If it\u2019s too chilly for sandals, wear shoes. If it\u2019s warm enough for sandals, your ankles can definitely handle the breeze!’<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Millions of Britons head to Spain every year and many of them stand out as tourists, not quite…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":464554,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5312],"tags":[92,2000,299,104,183,16833],"class_list":{"0":"post-464553","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-spain","8":"tag-dailymail","9":"tag-eu","10":"tag-europe","11":"tag-spain","12":"tag-travel","13":"tag-valencia"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115296397778021333","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=464553"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464553\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/464554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=464553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=464553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=464553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}