Drinking age in Spain

[holidayfriend]

i make it super simple for everyone, i went to spain near benidorm, at age of 15 i didnt get stopped going into one pub or club or buying my own drinks,
What i got told out there about the law.. but agian they dont stick by it was you can buy one drink under 18 then after that over 18 year old must buy for u and you are there responsiblity... but they dont stick to that even.

in barcalona i went when 16/17 cant remember which. i got ID in one cafe/pub which was by a english bar man. which probably only reason he ID/ed us. lol

[steve89]

hi ill be going to Benidorm in 1 weeks time with 2 girls. Im 18 myself so ill be fine but the 2 girls are both 17 they manage to get in clubs in England so do you think they will be fine??
Also in the unlikely event of getting ID'd what should i show, i dont fancy carrying my passport around with me and i dont have a driving licence?? Do you think a photocopy of a passport would be enough??
Thanks i appreciate your replies.....if i get any haha =]=]

[bigal73]

I have lived in Spain for over two years and am not sure of the age limit for drinking. What I can tell you in my time here I have only seen one young person drunk. She was a girl who was with an older boyfriend and was well and truly drunk but still got served.

However, I am a keen fan of Spanish football and have watched a lot of games on TV in local bars. A lot of young supporters also frequent these places but I haven't found any of them drinking alcohol. Most are happy with Coke etc, even during 'derby' games or World Cup matches. They can be a wee bit noisy but unlike supporters in UK they don't go in for violence or damage, it is all good natured.

[MCD]

The rules of buying or drinking alcohol in Spain are very different than in the United Kingdom or the States. For a start, you don't neccesarily need ID to buy alcohol as long as you look the legal age of the area you are in. However in Europe, most alcohol vendors do ask for passport identification and driving license if you are not from the area. Also, if you are caught driving with after drinking any alcohol, currently there is a 2 year jail sentence - in Spain especially they are clamping down on alcohol comsumption.