Day 3: Tenerife in autumn and winter – soaking up the sun when it’s grey here
Vanessa is a fictional character created by Reiseblase. Her stories are made up – we check facts, rules and advice against official sources.
Dear all, it’s been really grey outside for the past few days – and here at the travel agency, I notice it straight away. Almost every other enquiry sounds the same at the moment: “Vanessa, I need some sun. Where can I go in November or December without spending ages on a plane?” And very often, we end up with Tenerife.
I’ve never been there myself – as you know, I plan the most wonderful trips and then end up back at my desk. But what my clients tell me when they return always sounds a bit like wanderlust to take away. Lea, for example, stood in front of me last week with a sunburnt nose and said: “I had breakfast on the balcony in a T-shirt, but still needed a jacket in the evening.”
That’s how many people describe it to me: more like a mild spring than the height of summer, with a few surprises thrown in. To keep your break relaxing, today I’ve gathered what my clients experience time and again – and what you really need to know before you fly.
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Take Jonas and Mira, for example – both in their early 30s – who flew to the island to go hiking. Their big plan: to climb all the way to the top of Mount Teide. Only once they were there did they find out that they would have needed a permit for the final stretch to the summit. Permits for the summit trail are issued online via the Spanish National Parks booking portal or via Tenerife ON (1). So my advice is: sort this out before you fly.
Sabine, who was travelling with her daughter in November, had a very different experience. In the middle of her holiday, a yellowish haze suddenly drifted over the island; the air was dusty, and everything looked as if someone had put a sepia filter over it. That was Calima. According to the German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt), sandstorms like this occur several times a year in the Canary Islands and can be particularly hard on people in risk groups (2). Sabine took the two days in her stride and simply played and read indoors with her daughter.
And then there was Tobias, who wanted to bring back a few cartons of cigarettes and several bottles of rum – “it’s Spain, after all, so it’s the EU”. On arrival in Germany, he got an unpleasant surprise. Although the Canary Islands are part of Spain, they lie outside the EU’s VAT and excise duty territory. Goods from there are therefore subject to the same restrictions as imports from non-EU countries (2)(3).
My Tenerife checklist for autumn and winter
- ID: German nationals can enter with a passport, provisional passport, identity card or child’s passport. A provisional identity card must still be valid (2). Check the expiry date anyway: you need a valid document for flights (2).
- Customs on the way home: from the age of 17, the duty-free allowances include 200 cigarettes and 1 litre of spirits over 22 per cent or 2 litres of drinks up to 22 per cent, plus 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer (3). For other goods, the limit for air travel is 430 euros per person, or 175 euros for travellers under 15. You may not combine the limits of several people (3).
- Health insurance: take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with you. It is valid with public healthcare providers under the same conditions as for locally insured people; private providers and transport back home are not covered (4). The German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) also strongly recommends private travel health insurance that covers transport back home (2).
- Mobile phone: in other EU countries, roaming is charged at domestic prices, but providers may apply a fair use policy (5). On ships and planes, satellite networks without EU price caps can get expensive, so it’s best to switch to flight mode (5). If in doubt, check with your provider beforehand how your tariff is billed in the Canary Islands.
- Teide: apply online for the summit trail permit in good time before you go (1).
- Sea and weather: especially in spring and autumn, the Canary Islands can see severe storms with strong currents and very high waves. Pay attention to the beach flags and the lifeguards’ instructions (2).
- My clients’ packing list: sun cream, sturdy shoes and a warm jacket for the evenings and for trips into the mountains.
My conclusion after many stories from people who’ve come back: for many of you, Tenerife is the perfect sunny break in the grey half of the year – provided you sort out a few things beforehand. If you’d like to explore the island by car, you’ll find tips on what to look out for in our car hire guide (advertisement). And if you’d rather use an eSIM instead of your own mobile plan, have a look at our eSIM guide (advertisement).
See you tomorrow,
Vanessa
Please note: This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Rules can change – please check the latest official information before you travel.
Sources
- Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales: Online Booking Office (accessed on 13 October 2026)
- German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt): Spanien: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise (as at 13 October 2026; accessed on 13 October 2026)
- German Central Customs Authority (Generalzolldirektion) – Zoll online: Reisefreimengen (accessed on 13 October 2026)
- European Union – Your Europe: Gesundheitsversorgung bei vorübergehendem Aufenthalt (accessed on 13 October 2026)
- European Union – Your Europe: Roaming: Smartphone-Nutzung in der EU (accessed on 13 October 2026)
