Those who have enjoyed many a European holiday will be familiar with the technical difference between the EU—a political union—and the Schengen Area of borderless travel within the EU. However, some people erroneously consider these terms to be one and the same. Such confusion has the potential to cause issues when visiting Melilla. This is because while Melilla is part of Spain (and consequently part of the EU), it is not part of the EU’s Schengen Area. Visitors travelling to Melilla from the EU’s Schengen Area (in all probability from another city in Spain) will still need to present official ID before boarding their ferry or plane. Those returning from Melilla to the Schengen Area (again, most likely to another city in Spain) will also need to clear border control with the appropriate documentation.

Melilla’s tap water is produced through a desalination plant run by the municipal government, and while it may be potable (depending on the quality of the pipes in the buildings delivering it), Melilla’s water contains high levels of mineral deposits which can make it quite unpalatable. For this reason, many locals rely on bottled water or water filters for cooking and drinking. Large bottles of water are available at the major supermarket chains in Melilla and just a few of these are likely to be sufficient for stays lasting several days to several weeks. For longer visits, jugs with water filtration systems can typically be purchased from hardware stores. For those staying in hotels, it is always worthwhile asking at reception before heading to the shops as hotels sometimes offer bottled or filtered water at no extra charge.

Melilla’s location on the North African coast makes the city susceptible to strong gusts of wind. Because strong winds make it especially difficult for takeoff, even if a flight is permitted to go ahead, weight restrictions can be applied to departing aircraft. This can mean that passengers leaving from Melilla who have booked and paid for tickets can still find themselves dropped from flights. These passengers are then typically forced to wait for long periods on standby which can result in them missing critical connecting flights. The best hope to avoid this is to check in as early as possible (including online), as the first passengers to check in are the first ones to be guaranteed a seat if weight restrictions are imposed on an aircraft.

Since 2017, mobile roaming has generally been free within the EU, provided someone is using a mobile SIM issued by an EU-based telecommunications provider. Melilla is part of Spain (and therefore part of the EU) so travelling to Melilla should allow users to benefit from the EU’s free roaming policy. However, visitors should take time to check this by contacting mobile providers first before arriving in Melilla in case the company has included an exemption for Melilla in its fine print. Visitors should also be very deliberate about when roaming is enabled; given Melilla’s small size, enabling roaming may result in a phone automatically connecting to a network across the border in Morocco. This could incur significant costs and pose a risk to data security.

Melilla is home to many of Spain’s most well-known, well-regulated, and highly sanitary food retailers, as well as a handful of Halal butchers and fishmongers. Unfortunately, the latter have a long track record of passing on hepatitis—specifically the “A” strain—through contaminated food products purchased from their network of suppliers across the border in Morocco. Because of this, many of the people in Melilla choose to get vaccinated to protect themselves against contracting hepatitis A. Of course, the choice to immunise oneself is always a personal decision, but visitors who choose not to get the hep A jab and who dine out on a dodgy meal do run the risk of taking some Maghrebi hepatitis home with them.