Question about travel in Spain.

[Adsos Letter]

Last edited Sun Jan 21, 2018, 09:18 PM - Edit history (1)

My wife and I are planning a trip to Spain this September, in celebration of our 40th wedding anniversary. I know that there are several people who travel pretty extensively in Europe, and I'm wondering if you have any suggestions or advice on travel in Spain.

We are hoping to use some form of air B&B, but I've not used it before and I'm a bit nervous about it.

[dhol82]

1. I loved my trip to Barcelona. Fantastic city!

Lots to see and do. You will need three to four days just there.
Also stopped in Vigos which is on the Atlantic coast. Don’t bother, not much to see. It’s a start off point for Santiago de Compostela.
I have used Air B&B several times, all in France. Got good value and would use them again if I needed to find a place. Just be careful and check out where they are located and if you need a car or can just use public transportation.
Only word of caution I can give is to allow enough time at each stop to truly feel the energy of the place and the people. Do lots of research.

[CurtEastPoint]

3. Good advice. I've been guilty of trying to pack too much into a short time.

If you have a week, 2 cities or towns is enough. Remember you will be so tired on day 1 and will want to hit the sack around 9 or 9 pm and you lose that last day to travel.

If you have 10 days, 3 towns. Two weeks...maybe 4?

[dhol82]

4. Make sure you factor in distances and routes.

Depending on where you are going and how you are getting there it can take a day to arrive.
Some of my most wonderful memories are those where I was able to just sit on a bench in a park or stop at a cafe and watch the local life go by. Factor in those stops.
Max 4 in two weeks. Depending on where you are going maybe three.
Well, unless you want to do ‘If this is Tuesday it must be Belgium.’
Trust me, I have done those. Not nearly as satisfying.

[CurtEastPoint]

5. Agree on the sit and watch and enjoy the park, cafe, street life, market, etc.

[Adsos Letter]

7. Thank you so much for the reply!

I tried to answer you and CurtEastPoint in my post below.

[CurtEastPoint]

2. I have traveled in Spain to...

Madrid region (Toledo, Madrid, Segovia, Avila) and also to Barcelona, and to southern Spain (Seville and Cordoba and Granada).

Spain is wonderful and the people are super.

I alway stay in hotels and generally, if I have a car, I choose one kinda on the outskirts where I can park for free.

Bear in mind that B&B places may not have parking, or it may be difficult to navigate to. Of course, if you are doing the train, no problem!

I know a lot of folks use the Airbnb and love it. I just prefer the privacy and convenience (and standards) of a hotel. And i'm not extravagant...believe me!!

I know you will have a great trip. Have you decided what part of Spain you want to visit?

[Adsos Letter]

9. Thanks so much for your reply!

I tried to combine my answer to you and dhol82 in my post below.

Thank you for the advice on Air B&B. We have nothing at all against hotels, and may end up making plans to use them. I've stayed in lots of nice Bed & Breakfasts in our travels, but the Air B&B thing is a bit different, and I'm a little uncomfortable with the thought5 of it. My kids have used them in Paris and Rome, but I'm wondering if it is more appropriate for a younger clientele.

Good to know that the people are super. My wife speaks pretty decent Mexican Spanish, but I think Castilian Spanish is somewhat different.

[MLAA]

14. She will be fine...just make the cs sound like ths

Ie Barthelona 😉

[Adsos Letter]

6. First, let me say Thank You! to dhol82, and CurtEastPoint for your responses.

We have 13 days in September, including our air travel from California. My wife is really looking forward to seeing the Gaudi architecture in/around Barcelona.

One of my daughters and son-in-law are going to be biking through southern France and Italy during the time we're there, and we are thinking of taking the train to see some of the French countryside, and meet them for a day in France.

Other than that, we really don't have any plans, and sitting in a nice plaza, eating, drinking some wine, and people watching is just fine with us.

[dhol82]

12. Where in France are they going to be?

It’s a large country.
I just looked and the train from Barcelona to Perpignan is three hours.
Check out a map and talk to your daughter to find out their itinerary. France and northern Italy are not that close to you just to meet for lunch.

[Adsos Letter]

15. Thank you for the caution. Good advice.

I think we have allocated three days for the French portion of the trip. That would really cut us down to 7-8 days in Spain, not counting the air travel days to and from.

[MLAA]

8. About five years ago I lived and worked for a year in Madrid

Trains are amazing and easy and you can get about anywhere in between 1 to 3hours. Some trains are high speed and some of the more local (Madrid to Toledo and Avila) are not high speed but only an hour long.

I suggest basing out of Madrid and taking these trips via train:

Toledo and Avila day trips

Granada spend one or two nights (must see Alhambra and the Arab area where there is a cool Mosque/Cathedral, it has been both over the years as most places in Granada went back and forth many times through the years.

Barcelona spend a night or two

Seville spend a night

Córdoba spend a night

Bilbao if you have lots of e tea time and want to see the Guggenheim there. This trip probably best with a rental car.

DM me if you have any questions.



If I was limited on time I’d go to Madrid and Granada. And try and squeeze in Toledo as a day trip. Though friends of mine were crazy about Barcelona.

[Adsos Letter]

10. Thank you so much for your advice.

My wife wants to see the Gaudi architecture in and around Barcelona. Other than that we are pretty much uncommitted. I will very likely approach you through PM, as I am certain to have more questions. I promise not to be a pest.

[MLAA]

11. Happy to assist. I absolutely loved Spain.

Warn your wife to start walking up stairs! When I went to the Gaudi Cathedral I 5houht no big deal, I can walk up all those stairs to look out the top of the steeple. And sure enough, taking the occasional break I had no trouble at all reaching the top and coming back down.

The next morning I hurt like crazy, I could not even step up a small curb. I have never been so sore!

[Adsos Letter]

16. I'll warn her!

Last edited Mon Jan 22, 2018, 12:34 AM - Edit history (1)

When we went to Switzerland a few years ago we visited Bern, and my wife and a friend of hers climbed to the top of Bern Cathedral. They did fine, but she was definitely feeling it, and she was a few years younger then.

I, on the other hand, sat in the square below and watched a very cool wedding party arriving. I have no illusions about those types of climbs; my oldest daughter thought I was going to have a heart attack when we climbed to the top of the Bunker Hill monument in Boston. I'm actually in better shape now than then, but I tend to leave that stuff for others, as I'm perfectly content to watch from afar.

[CurtEastPoint]

13. If you are venturing out from BCN, Montserrat is an easy train trip

Also, if you go to Figueres, on the way to Perpignan, France, there is a Salvador Dali museum there.

Also, in BCN, go to Tibidabo, a mount on top of which is a church and oddly enough, an amusement park. Fabulous views of the city and ocean.

[Adsos Letter]

17. Thank you so much for the suggestions, CurtEastPoint.

All of those things sound good. This is why I brought the question to DU. There are so many generous people here.

Thinking I might even leave the camera gear at home and just take the cell phone camera. I seem to do better with it anyway!

[Adsos Letter]

18. Gotta go now. Thank you for all of the advice and suggestions!

[mnhtnbb]

19. I have used a Trip advisor site called

Flip key to book apartments in Vienna, Berlin, and London. My youngest son and his partner have used air bnb in several European cities. We never had a problem.

To me apartments are so much more comfortable if you are going to be staying in the same place for more than 2-3 days. But we also were relying strictly on public transportation and not concerned with parking a car. Trains are a great way to travel in Europe between cities. Fast trains are very common and a great website to check train schedules--and even book your tickets before you go if you want-- is raileurope.com

I'm envious. Have not gotten to Spain and am hoping to do so in the next few years. Everyone I know who has been loves Barcelona.

I also generally go back and forth between Trip advisor and booking.com to choose hotels when traveling in Europe. I like being able to read reviews and also map exactly where a hotel is located in relationship to Subway stops and various things we want to see in a particular city.

[Adsos Letter]

20. The kids have used Airbnb in Europe many times, and have aleways had a good experience.

They are offering suggestions, and started a wish list for us on the Airbnb site. I'm probably a bit nervous about it simply because I've never used it, and I'm a certified (or certifiable, take your pick) expert at imagining nightmare scenarios. And, as I've gotten older, I've become a bit more cautious about some things. But, we are looking at some of the nicer places that have a lot of highly rated reviews, and I'm becoming a bit less nervous.

Yes, I agree that a small apartment sounds better for the length of time that we will be there; plus, a friend of ours from Switzerland will be joining us for a couple of days, and that will give us all plenty of room. We are trying to decide between a place in the old center of town, or one somewhere on the outskirts. We will be relying on public transportation, and each has its positives and negatives.

We have decided to add a couple of extra days at the beginning of the trip. The flight to Barcelona that we are looking at doesn't leave Boston until evening; it's a non-stop, and arrives mid-morning their time. Our time from San Francisco to Boston is a bit over 5 1/2 hrs., (not counting the time at the airport in S.F.). We'll spend a couple of nights in Boston to explore the city, and leave us less burned out when we get to our final destination.

Yes, I used Trip Advisor, in combination with Google Earth, to plan a 14-day road trip through the Southeastern U.S. about 5 years ago. The reviews helped immensely, and were accurate, and dropping into street-view mode on Google Earth helped me scope out the areas I was interested in.


So glad you commented, and offered some tips. I hope you will be able to make this trip in the future, as well. I always follow your posts in the Photo Group. You are highly regarded in that group, and your beach photography is always wonderful. Can I ask what camera you use? I hope you are well. Give some pats to Snowy for me.

[mnhtnbb]

21. I have two Canon cameras

One is my little point and shoot that I now carry in my coat pocket. It is a PowerShot A2100 IS and I have used it for many, many sunrise photos on
the beach. If I'm traveling it is always in my handbag. My other camera is a Canon G15. I bought it because it was lightweight and I could carry it in a tote bag on trips. I did not want to have to carry a big camera when traveling, but I wanted something better than the point and shoot. It is the camera I use when I specifically go out to shoot.

I am doing ok. I separated from my husband last November after 32 years of marriage, which is why I'm at the beach now. In March Snowy and I will move
to a high rise apartment building in downtown Raleigh. We will walk everywhere and it will provide opportunities for more city focused shots. Should be
interesting!

[CTyankee]

22. I always say that my trip to Spain changed my life...

Because of my interest in art I visited the Prado in Madrid (amazing but HUGE.Get a game plan before you go) and see some of the greatest art of western civilization. My trip over the Pyranees was a revelation, truly. I felt a mystical feeling come over myself mainly because of their history: Isabella exiled the Jews and France took them in. In the 20th century Franco exiled them from Spain and they went over those same mountains to France. Then Franco became more or less more liberal and the Jews came back over those same mountains. It's an inspiring story.

Also go to La Reina Sofia in Madrid. It's the modern art museum. First rate. Picasso's Guernica is there. Wonderful.

you will love Spain. It has art, wine, cuisine and a fabulous history.

[Adsos Letter]

23. I can understand why you loved Spain, CTyankee.

Your interest in art has been evidenced in the many quizzes you have posted on DU over the years.

As you can imagine, the conundrum we face (albeit a happy one) is deciding what to see and do while there, given our time constraints. We both enjoy art, although neither of us are particularly educated in it. The Prado sounds promising, after my wife satisfies her desire for Gaudi architecture in Barcelona, and I thank you for the suggestion. El Escorial is a place I've wanted to see ever since being introduced to it in a college History course.

Your experience in the Pyranees sounds like something great trips are made of. I experienced something similar, I think, while on a solitary cross-country road trip back to the West Coast after delivering my oldest daughter to college in Philadelphia, although the quality of inspiration in the backstory was of a different nature than that which you described. It was a warm, late summer afternoon/early evening at Shiloh, on the banks of the Tennessee River. I arrived two hours before the park closed, and had the whole place to myself until the ranger finally ran me out and closed the gate. Having been something of a student of our Civil War, it proved something of an emotional experience for me.

I fully intend to enjoy Spain, and for all of the reasons you listed.

[CTyankee]

24. Barcelona is a real treasure! Your wife will love it if she likes Gaudi.

I also went to Pamplona, but not during one of the times that they have the running of the bulls. I found Pamplona t be a lot different than what I was expecting. I thought of it as a kind of rough place. But its people were amazingly gracious and actually a bit formal and "just so." It was one of those "just wow" kinds of city. Just don't try to visit during the two times when they run the bulls...people pay huge amounts of money for the privilege of attending it and it's crazy.

You will be knocked out by the wine and food, too.