Spain suggestions please?

[Deleted]

I think our next trip is going to be Spain and I've vowed to plan this one way ahead of time so work schedules will be planned around vacation and not vice versa.

At any rate, I'd imagine we'll go for 8 days or so -- leaving on Friday night maybe, and coming back the following Sunday or Monday?

First of all, when do you think is the best time to go?

Second, where in Spain do you think you'd go with that amount of time? I imagine it won't be our only trip to Spain so we won't try to get too much in and we're fine with missing parts of the country, and we don't like to move from hotel to hotel too much. We'd also probably prefer not to spend too much time traveling from place to place. But when we do go from one place to another, planes, trains, or automobiles are all okay with us. I'd probably also like to see at least one of the major cities, but maybe some smaller places too.

Thanks so much for any guidance!

[anna7602]

Skip summer. It is an oven in most parts of Spain in summer. I would aim to go in spring or fall, regardless of what cities/itinerary you decide on. Unless you're really set on seeing the running of the bulls or something date-specific.

It's hard to make suggestions without knowing what you're interested in doing/seeing. You could combine pretty much any major city with some light traveling around it- Barcelona and the Catalan coast, Seville & Granada and some of the lovely towns in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada (we hiked this route about 6 years ago and also hit Ronda), Santiago & the Galician coast (really, really beautiful). Madrid makes for an easy starting point, since you can either take an express train or quick flight to the aforementioned regions. Although there are direct flights to Barcelona from NYC on Iberia.

[pittpurple]

I'm with Anna, what kind of trip are you looking for? Relaxing? Hiking? Museums?
And definitely skip the summer. We went to Spain in late October and it was perfect for us (living in Scotland we're think it's hot at 60) but I'd think the shoulder seasons are perfect for Spain (April/May or September/October).

[chicago]

Agreed about the dates - I'd go April/May or September/October.

I know a lot of people like Barcelona, but I really love Madrid. Maybe it's because I studied there for 6 months. For your itinerary, I'd either do Madrid and some day trips or maybe Madrid and Barcelona split.

[Deleted]

Sept 8, 2012 15:04:06 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Skip summer. It is an oven in most parts of Spain in summer. I would aim to go in spring or fall, regardless of what cities/itinerary you decide on. Unless you're really set on seeing the running of the bulls or something date-specific.

It's hard to make suggestions without knowing what you're interested in doing/seeing. You could combine pretty much any major city with some light traveling around it- Barcelona and the Catalan coast, Seville & Granada and some of the lovely towns in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada (we hiked this route about 6 years ago and also hit Ronda), Santiago & the Galician coast (really, really beautiful). Madrid makes for an easy starting point, since you can either take an express train or quick flight to the aforementioned regions. Although there are direct flights to Barcelona from NYC on Iberia.

I think the problem is that we don't know what we want to do/see. We mostly want to see stuff -- we don't want to hike or whatever, and we don't want to go to the beach. It is a big country with a lot of stuff, so we'd like to do at least one city (and do the museums/other sights/etc.) and then... I don't know what. Whatever is a nice itinerary from there.

Direct flights are a huge plus.

And I have NO interest in anything bullfighting-related -- definitely no sights or activities related to it!!!

[anna7602]

I am always wowed by the Alhambra in Granada, even though I've been 4 times already. The architecture, the scale, the feeling that time hasn't passed, walking around a town in which 1492 feels like it was just yesterday even though I come from a region of the world in which everything was just bushes and trees in 1492...

That said, if you can't make it to the South of Spain on this trip, seeing Madrid and Barcelona is perfectly reasonable for that amount of time and will offer you to plenty to see and, almost as importantly, EAT.

In Madrid, I would make sure to hit the Reina Sofia museum even if art isn't your thing, to walk around Gran Via (big avenue), the Plaza Mayor and spend some time in the Parque del Retiro, to go out at night around Plaza Santa Ana and experience the little tapas bars and good cervecerias (beer bars) there, to walk through the big Rastro (flea market) just to see it and to definitely go through Atocha train station, which has been remodeled beautifully since the 2004 terrorist attack.

From Madrid, you can do day trips to Toledo, Segovia and/or Avila. I think Segovia is my favorite of those.

It has been a lot longer since the last time I was in Barcelona, but just walking around the old part of town and taking the funicular and going to Parc Guell are all things I remember enjoying. Montjuic and Tibidabo were also quite nice. The town of Figueres, Dali's birth place and home to a great Dali museum, are a quick bus ride away.

And, of course, the food. There are a ton of internationally-renowned restaurants in Barcelona. I also remember that there are a lot more vegetarian food options there than in Madrid. If I am not confusing you with another poster, I think you're vegetarian, right? If so, just be really inquisitive about dishes you get in Spain. They tend to sprinkle ham bits on salads and forget that the soup they're selling you is made with beef or chicken broth.

ETA: If you DO decide to travel south, I would also recommend Seville. There's a high-speed train line from Madrid to Seville that makes the trip about 2.5 hours or so.

[pittpurple]

Our trip to Spain combined Madrid with Andalucia - Cordoba and Granada. We skipped Seville since we didn't want to rush. I absolutely loved Cordoba and Granada, the Alhambra is amazing and Granada was just a lovely city in general. We did 3 days in Madrid, 2 in Granada and 3 in Cordoba, but we just live in Scotland so it's short flights.

I would look at where you can fly to easily and plan a trip from there. I haven't been to Barcelona yet, but it's really high on my list - everyone I know who has been has loved it. So if its easier to fly into Barcelona, I'd start from there. You can't really go wrong with any of the options.

[dulcemariamar]

It would probably be easier and cheaper to Madrid from the States.

From Madrid there are several cities that are connected by high-speed train. You can get to Barcelona in under three hours. There are also high-speed connections to Seville, Cordoba, and Malaga.

First, I would decide if I would rather visit the north or the south. Even in October it can be still quite warm in the southern cities.

[osumelissa]

We went in May 2011 and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. We like to go to Europe in May because it's not completely slammed with tourists and the weather has always been pleasant (maybe we have just gotten lucky though...)

Madrid and Barcelona have completely different vibes which makes for a good contrast on vacation. You could fly into one city and leave out of the other. We also loved Granada - the Alhambra is really freaking impressive.

[neonpink]

I was in Barcelona for two weeks in August for my Honeymoon. We had a great time. Barcelona has a lot to see and do. Museums, great food, the beach. You can also take a few day trips to other cities.

Last year my husband and I did a 2 week road trip through Spain starting in Madrid at the end of February-march. It was a little colder with jackets required but It was nice to travel in the off season. We stayed in Madrid, Toledo, Granada, then drove up the coast to Valencia and ended in an apartment in Barcelona. We really enjoyed our time in Barcelona. it is one of our favorite cities.

If you are going for 8 days I would probably focus on one part of the country. If you stay in Madrid, explore the city but take a day trip to Toledo. It's amazing. The cathedral is breathtaking. If you go South hang out in Granada, and Seville. Like other posters have said Alhambra is phenomenal. Also in February/March Granada was really warm high 60's. Madrid was a bit rainy while we were there and in the 40-50's. Barcelona was 50's and a bit windy on the coast. Spain is amazing and you'll have fun where every you go. Please eat Jamon for me.

[msamyfarrahfowler]

During a 2-week excursion, I flew into Madrid and stayed there for most of my vacation. I took the train for day trips to Segovia, Avila, and Toledo. Out of all the day trips, I liked Segovia the most. The cathedral is breathtaking, the Roman aqueduct is impressive, and there's a church believed to have been built by the Knights Templar. I also loved Avila, which has a very well maintained Roman wall that you can walk for miles and miles. It's a cute town that's not overrun by tourists.

[ondaflipside]

We're going in May to Barcelona; so I'm tagging this. Thanks!

[Deleted]

Thanks so much guys! This is really helpful.