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Spain--April 2018


Ghost of LL

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There are all the major sites in multiple cities, which have all been mentioned in this thread, but if you want some specifics let me know. I've been to many. But, if you have the time, and you really want to see the country, drive south from Barcelona around the country along the coast. Great scenery and a lot of towns to go through along the way. They all have unique things. Some have Roman theaters, some have moorish ruins, and each of them have great markets, food, and drink. The drive itself is gorgeous, but wandering through towns is great. You can take the road all the way around to Cadiz and then either go north to servile and Madrid, or keep going west to Portugal. I haven't done it, but you can also go north and west from Barcelona and see an entirely different country. Go through the Rioja region. Bilbao, Giron,and then down to Madrid, or keep going west to Portugal. 

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1 hour ago, Tailgate said:

Headed to Barcelona end of April. Family member studying abroad we are meeting and flying back with.

Have ~14 days. Thinking Barcelona for five or so….then what’s the must see city in Spain? Would be great to be near water and potentially do a dive. But view is fine also.

Maybe Portugal for a few days?

 Mallorca was amazing as was Seville and Toledo.  

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On 2/15/2023 at 1:08 PM, Grimas said:

First post-Covid trip back to Madrid for work.  Several of my favorite hole in the wall places didn't survive but this one did...  Getting 2 plates per beer so may skip actual dinner... (fried eggs, fries, melted cheese and jamon)

 

16764952669361629079198610594125.jpg

College Food!

Looks good, probably is good!

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18 hours ago, Mo Horn said:

There are all the major sites in multiple cities, which have all been mentioned in this thread, but if you want some specifics let me know. I've been to many. But, if you have the time, and you really want to see the country, drive south from Barcelona around the country along the coast. Great scenery and a lot of towns to go through along the way. They all have unique things. Some have Roman theaters, some have moorish ruins, and each of them have great markets, food, and drink. The drive itself is gorgeous, but wandering through towns is great. You can take the road all the way around to Cadiz and then either go north to servile and Madrid, or keep going west to Portugal. I haven't done it, but you can also go north and west from Barcelona and see an entirely different country. Go through the Rioja region. Bilbao, Giron,and then down to Madrid, or keep going west to Portugal. 

Ok, I’m liking the idea of heading South from Barcelona. What city/town would you recommend for a few nights of good R&R on the ocean from there. Might cut into Madrid after? Thanks for the thoughts.

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I'm pumped - we just booked flights to BCN and are renting a villa south of Barcelona this July - not sure where yet but my buddy's brother and parents have houses near Tarragona and we'll be renting something in that area.  Buddy also has an apartment in the Gothic Quarter so we have options of staying in BCN or at the rented villa.  (We've been to BCN a bunch of times when we lived in Europe so we've already done the "must see" places in BCN but the Mercado off La Ramblia will definitely be a stop.) 

A great way to see the city is to rent an e-bike - ride along the beach to the Olympic village, ride up the steep hill to Castell de Montjuec and then down to Park Guell as a good 1/2 day trip... And of course, La Sagrada Familia...

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2 hours ago, Tailgate said:

Ok, I’m liking the idea of heading South from Barcelona. What city/town would you recommend for a few nights of good R&R on the ocean from there. Might cut into Madrid after? Thanks for the thoughts.

Alicante is what I'd recommend. Great sandy beaches and city is a decent size to have a good choice of restaurants. There's a highway from there that will take you right to Madrid that will probably take you past some of the great white hill towns. If it does, take some time and get off the highway and explore them. Maybe even stay the night. Most have a parking garage at the edge of town. Park there and then walk through the town. They are gorgeous. 

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Been 30 Years since I was last in Spain.  Will be there in July for a family trip will kids(16 to 13) and their grandmother.  We have a half day in Madrid before the start of a booked tour and 1 day after in Barcelona.  Would love suggestions for lunch in Madrid with 8 people. Thinking of hitting plaza mayor and Retiro before. La Sagrada Familia after. Any other ideas would be appreciated. 

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I've never been all that impressed with Mercado San Miguel when it comes to food (I was there again a few weeks ago) but my favorite in the world is the one in Barcelona (and the floating market in Bangkok) so that's my baseline.  That being said, its a good place for a larger group to go and have drinks and some snacks as everyone can chose what they want to eat and meet up at a table.

I recommend dinner at Bodega de los Secrets which isn't too far from Playa Major. Make sure to ask for a tour as it's in the basement of the old Madrid city wall and booze used to get smuggled by the monks (if I recall correctly) into the city via these tunnels...

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  • 5 weeks later...
On 3/11/2023 at 1:43 PM, VABuckeye said:

If you want to be on the water I’d do Mallorca. Valencia’s beaches are like mud.  The east coast of Mallorca is awesome. 

Ok, thanks for this post…we are now looking in Mallorca for our second stop. How close are decent restaurants around the island? I’ve seen some good Airbnb spots east, west and south near the main city. Does it take long to get around by taxi? We likely won’t be renting a car on the island.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 2/21/2023 at 11:08 PM, ATXhorn17 said:

Headed to Spain in a few weeks. I've booked 3 nights in Sevilla, 3 nights in Granada and 3 nights in Madrid:

Day 1: Land in Sevilla (~9am)

Day 2: Sevilla (visit the Royal Alcazar)

Day 3: Sevilla (Ronda day trip?)

Day 4: Sevilla --> Cordoba for the day --> Granada for the night

Day 5: Granada (visit the Alhambra)

Day 6: Granada

Day 7: Granada --> Madrid

Day 8: Madrid

Day 9: Madrid

Day 10: Fly out of Madrid in the AM

For those who have been -- is it worth doing a day trip on Day 3 to see Ronda and some of the other white villages? We'll have access to a car in Sevilla (just for this portion of the trip, using high speed rail for the rest), but I've heard such great things about the city itself that I'm worried about sacrificing a day there (when our time is already limited). Also, wondering whether we should use one of the days in Madrid to see Toledo and El Escorial. Curious to hear y'alls thoughts!

How was the trip?

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  • 4 weeks later...

So, about 5 years before my dad died, he proclaimed to my mom "I'm not going on another GD vacation until we go to Spain."  Well, his ashes eventually made it to Sevilla....  I have not quite thrown down that gauntlet, and it isn't clear yet that the calendar will line up for next summer, but I've gotten the OK on Spain as our next big trip and am ready to start studying/planning.  Mom died in 2020, and It's time to get the parental band back together....

If we can only do two weeks, I think we will limit things to Andalusia - Granada, Malaga, Ronda, Jerez/Cadiz, Sevilla, and Cordoba.  I could be convinced that Gibraltar must be included, but, for now, its exclusion is intentional.  If we can find more time, I'd love to start in Barcelona and stop in Valencia on the way to Granada.  We like art, old shit, hiking/scenery, wandering villages/towns, and food and wine.  That said, Grimas's accurate comment above that a church is a church is a mosque is a church, also applies to Roman ruins and paintings of Jesus.  We are unlikely to spend time on the beach.  And, we are too fucking old for real nightlife.  The main reason for trying to squeeze in Barcelona would be to hit the Picasso and Miro museums.  And, I'm intrigued by a video I found about a paella excursion from Valencia that sounded akin to a bayou trip and crawfish boil in the Delta.  Other than maybe taking trains between Barcelona/Valencia/Grenada, we would have a car.  if we skip the train and rent the car in Barcelona, we would want to make pit stops along the way, such as Peniscola and Alicante or Murcia.

No real questions at this point, but feel free to point out - with Surly flair - anything glaringly stupid or missing.  And, its never too early to collect reports that "the best fucking meal I ever had was at x."

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grammer shit
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18 minutes ago, Tonesky said:

the best fucking meal I ever had was at x."

In spain, a plate of top of the line Jamon Iberico, and a glass of rioja wine. OK, not a "meal", but there's not much better anywhere. I've put several things in this thread, and have been to a lot of the places you mention, so if you have any specific questions I'll do my best to share. 

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1 minute ago, Mo Horn said:

In spain, a plate of top of the line Jamon Iberico, and a glass of rioja wine. OK, not a "meal", but there's not much better anywhere. I've put several things in this thread, and have been to a lot of the places you mention, so if you have any specific questions I'll do my best to share. 

I've read the thread - twice, and your comments have been very helpful.  Hook 'Em.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
On 6/16/2023 at 10:35 AM, Mo Horn said:

I simultaneously love and hate people who post about their trip in Spain. Our plan is to move there when we retire in less than 3 years, and I cannot wait. Enjoy. 

A lot of Spain experts but you seem to be at the forefront. We’ve just solidified with another family that we’re going this summer.
 

What itinerary/cities would you recommend? We’re looking at 10-11 days to give time for travel mishaps. 
 

2 sets of adventurous parents. 
 

10 year old and 13 year old girls

13 year old, 2 15 year olds and a 16 year old boy. 
 

My wife will want some nice beach time at some point. 
 

Go!

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28 minutes ago, Boss Hogg said:

A lot of Spain experts but you seem to be at the forefront. We’ve just solidified with another family that we’re going this summer.
 

What itinerary/cities would you recommend? We’re looking at 10-11 days to give time for travel mishaps. 
 

2 sets of adventurous parents. 
 

10 year old and 13 year old girls

13 year old, 2 15 year olds and a 16 year old boy. 
 

My wife will want some nice beach time at some point. 
 

Go!

With that criteria my first recommendation would be Barcelona. Great city for adventure with a lot of options, depending on interests. Sagrada Familia, picasso museum, cathedrals, etc if that's what you enjoy. But also great neighborhoods, shops, and food, if you just want to wander. Montserrat is also a good day trip. Barcelona has beach options, but since it's a big city, there will be more people. Tons of options for a quieter beach all along the coast as you go south between there and Valencia. Tarragona is about an hour south, which would make a nice day trip from Barcelona. You could spend your whole time in eastern Spain along the mediterranean, and do a bunch of different things, if you wanted. 

I love Madrid. Big city with some of the best art museums around, if you like that. Also the palace, cathedral, and other cultural things. Also great food from street food to Michelin star restaurants. You could day trip to Toledo.

We spent 2 days in Grenada because we wanted to see the Alhambra. We loved it. Not a whole lot more to do there, but there are markets and tapas places there.

Seville is fun with cathedral and moorish alcazar the two main attractions. But also a great city with narrow walkways to wander through. You could do a day or so there and then head south to Cadiz, which is on the southern coast. Could do beach time there.

Those would be places to start looking at, but depending on what you're looking for, you could look at the rioja region in the north and visit Bilbao. That would be close to Pamplona and San Sebastián, which is on the northern coast. There would be hiking and other outdoor options there. 

I've done trips where I rented a car, and others where we've done only public transportation. Trains are great.

I'm happy to provide more specifics, or share what I can on places I didn't mention, that you might be interested in. 

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7 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

With that criteria my first recommendation would be Barcelona. Great city for adventure with a lot of options, depending on interests. Sagrada Familia, picasso museum, cathedrals, etc if that's what you enjoy. But also great neighborhoods, shops, and food, if you just want to wander. Montserrat is also a good day trip. Barcelona has beach options, but since it's a big city, there will be more people. Tons of options for a quieter beach all along the coast as you go south between there and Valencia. Tarragona is about an hour south, which would make a nice day trip from Barcelona. You could spend your whole time in eastern Spain along the mediterranean, and do a bunch of different things, if you wanted. 

I love Madrid. Big city with some of the best art museums around, if you like that. Also the palace, cathedral, and other cultural things. Also great food from street food to Michelin star restaurants. You could day trip to Toledo.

We spent 2 days in Grenada because we wanted to see the Alhambra. We loved it. Not a whole lot more to do there, but there are markets and tapas places there.

Seville is fun with cathedral and moorish alcazar the two main attractions. But also a great city with narrow walkways to wander through. You could do a day or so there and then head south to Cadiz, which is on the southern coast. Could do beach time there.

Those would be places to start looking at, but depending on what you're looking for, you could look at the rioja region in the north and visit Bilbao. That would be close to Pamplona and San Sebastián, which is on the northern coast. There would be hiking and other outdoor options there. 

I've done trips where I rented a car, and others where we've done only public transportation. Trains are great.

I'm happy to provide more specifics, or share what I can on places I didn't mention, that you might be interested in. 

We did Seville last December. Got an apartment for a month and absolutely loved it. Was amazing time to be there because every night there were thousands of people in the streets and there was so much to do during the Christmas season. We were able to do short trips to Cordoba, Carmona, Cadiz, Ronda. But I had heard summers can be pretty miserable. If I was going in the summer, I would definitely keep that in mind.

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1 hour ago, Mo Horn said:

With that criteria my first recommendation would be Barcelona. Great city for adventure with a lot of options, depending on interests. Sagrada Familia, picasso museum, cathedrals, etc if that's what you enjoy. But also great neighborhoods, shops, and food, if you just want to wander. Montserrat is also a good day trip. Barcelona has beach options, but since it's a big city, there will be more people. Tons of options for a quieter beach all along the coast as you go south between there and Valencia. Tarragona is about an hour south, which would make a nice day trip from Barcelona. You could spend your whole time in eastern Spain along the mediterranean, and do a bunch of different things, if you wanted. 

I love Madrid. Big city with some of the best art museums around, if you like that. Also the palace, cathedral, and other cultural things. Also great food from street food to Michelin star restaurants. You could day trip to Toledo.

We spent 2 days in Grenada because we wanted to see the Alhambra. We loved it. Not a whole lot more to do there, but there are markets and tapas places there.

Seville is fun with cathedral and moorish alcazar the two main attractions. But also a great city with narrow walkways to wander through. You could do a day or so there and then head south to Cadiz, which is on the southern coast. Could do beach time there.

Those would be places to start looking at, but depending on what you're looking for, you could look at the rioja region in the north and visit Bilbao. That would be close to Pamplona and San Sebastián, which is on the northern coast. There would be hiking and other outdoor options there. 

I've done trips where I rented a car, and others where we've done only public transportation. Trains are great.

I'm happy to provide more specifics, or share what I can on places I didn't mention, that you might be interested in. 

Thanks. That’s a good start. In my head I had pictured starting in Barcelona and ending in Madrid it vice versa so that makes sense. I’ll check back in as questions pop up. 
 

49 minutes ago, po elvis said:

We did Seville last December. Got an apartment for a month and absolutely loved it. Was amazing time to be there because every night there were thousands of people in the streets and there was so much to do during the Christmas season. We were able to do short trips to Cordoba, Carmona, Cadiz, Ronda. But I had heard summers can be pretty miserable. If I was going in the summer, I would definitely keep that in mind.

Makes sense, although heat doesn’t really bother us. Thanks for chipping in. Appreciate any and all input. Spain is one of those trips we’ve wanted to do for a while, but had to wait until kids got mature enough. 

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i like mid sized cities for the vibe and walking around.  barcelona and madrid are a bit too busy and populated.  salamanca - short ride from madrid is just the perfect size.  basque region is nice and bilbao has some spectacular buildings to see.  ive never been disappointed in any regions of spain, perhaps pamplona/navarre is less spectacular than others.

taking my kiddo to malaga next month

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I need to plan a Spain trip for next summer. 12 to 14 days with a small group. Want to move about the country. Also thinking about a day or two in Morocco. Has anyone taken the ferry across the Straight to Tangier?

Thinking:

  • Fly into Barcelona—stay three nights
  • Train to Valencia—stay two nights
  • Train to city further south (Alicante, Murica or Cartagena)—stay two nights
  • Train to Malaga or Seville—stay two nights
  • Get to Tangier—stay two nights
  • Fly home

 

Any advice is appreciated. Have travelled all over but never to Spain/North Africa

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4 hours ago, squib said:

I need to plan a Spain trip for next summer. 12 to 14 days with a small group. Want to move about the country. Also thinking about a day or two in Morocco. Has anyone taken the ferry across the Straight to Tangier?

Thinking:

  • Fly into Barcelona—stay three nights
  • Train to Valencia—stay two nights
  • Train to city further south (Alicante, Murica or Cartagena)—stay two nights
  • Train to Malaga or Seville—stay two nights
  • Get to Tangier—stay two nights
  • Fly home

 

Any advice is appreciated. Have travelled all over but never to Spain/North Africa

Nice plan. On number 4 I'd pick Seville over Malaga, unless you want the beach. I have not done the ferry, but I hear it's really easy. 

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58 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

Nice plan. On number 4 I'd pick Seville over Malaga, unless you want the beach. I have not done the ferry, but I hear it's really easy. 

Thanks. Need to work out the details in the next 30 days. Travel will be in July. Will it be miserably hot (I know it will be hot--but miserable?)  Was in Greece for most of July this year and it was...warm...miserably warm at times. 

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8 hours ago, VABuckeye said:

Two night in Seville isn't enough.  It's a great city.  I would do Mallorca over Valencia.  We were not impressed with Valencia and loved both coasts of Mallorca.

Agree with both points. Beaches are less than ideal in valencia, but more activities and different things to do. Their itinerary had those number of days and just said Seville was better. More days there would be great. 

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Good to know. I added Valencia only because of paella—not kidding. Easy to add time to Seville for sure. Someone had told me that Seville was the Lubbock of Spain. As a current Lubbock resident, I was not excited about that description. 

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On 8/30/2023 at 7:35 AM, squib said:

I need to plan a Spain trip for next summer. 12 to 14 days with a small group. Want to move about the country. Also thinking about a day or two in Morocco. Has anyone taken the ferry across the Straight to Tangier?

Thinking:

  • Fly into Barcelona—stay three nights
  • Train to Valencia—stay two nights
  • Train to city further south (Alicante, Murica or Cartagena)—stay two nights
  • Train to Malaga or Seville—stay two nights
  • Get to Tangier—stay two nights
  • Fly home

 

Any advice is appreciated. Have travelled all over but never to Spain/North Africa

I've taken the ferry from Tarifa to Tangier on a day trip from Sevilla. The ferry ride is less than an hour to get across the Straight of Gibraltar. Have your passports ready on the ferry as they will be checking them. What else do you want to know? 

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On 3/10/2023 at 6:52 PM, Mo Horn said:

There are all the major sites in multiple cities, which have all been mentioned in this thread, but if you want some specifics let me know. I've been to many. But, if you have the time, and you really want to see the country, drive south from Barcelona around the country along the coast. Great scenery and a lot of towns to go through along the way. They all have unique things. Some have Roman theaters, some have moorish ruins, and each of them have great markets, food, and drink. The drive itself is gorgeous, but wandering through towns is great. You can take the road all the way around to Cadiz and then either go north to servile and Madrid, or keep going west to Portugal. I haven't done it, but you can also go north and west from Barcelona and see an entirely different country. Go through the Rioja region. Bilbao, Giron,and then down to Madrid, or keep going west to Portugal. 

This (minus Portugal part) was literally our honeymoon trip in the late 90's.  Finally ended up in Granada before taking a train back to Madrid and home. We went back a few times since and always gravitate to Granada for some reason.   I'm going back again when flights drop below $600 to start shopping for a small house somewhere in Granada or Malaga or somewhere in-between.

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  • 4 months later...

I’m already trying to plan a trip after our next trip. I want to do Spain & Portugal if possible. I’ve been to Barcelona, but my wife wants to see Spain, and I want to visit Portugal. 
 

Anyone done a Madrid to Seville to Lisbon?

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18 hours ago, BeardIP said:

I have 2 days to putz around before work meetings in/around Madrid next month.

Questions:

  • Can you see a bull fight anywhere in February? I'd be willing to travel a few hours to do so. Cursory glances it seems to be out of season?
  • Should I stay in Toledo? Is there enough to putz around with there versus Madrid proper?
  • I'm reading Don Quixote, since La Mancha is known to be that area of Spain. Any tours or stations of the cross type outings anyone done like that?

 

 

Take the high speed train from Madrid to Toledo and make a day trip of it. I got on one of those hop-on/pop-off tour busses from the Toledo train station and after the tour, got off and walked around town for a few hours before taking the escalators down and catching the train back to Madrid.  It’s a pretty small town to see in a day.

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12 hours ago, Neonmoon said:

I’m already trying to plan a trip after our next trip. I want to do Spain & Portugal if possible. I’ve been to Barcelona, but my wife wants to see Spain, and I want to visit Portugal. 
 

Anyone done a Madrid to Seville to Lisbon?

There is an overnight train that leaves Madrid at midnight and arrives in Lisbon at 7am. I’ve been planning to take it on one of my Madrid trips (for work) but haven’t done it yet so can’t vouch for the experience…

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2 hours ago, Grimas said:

Take the high speed train from Madrid to Toledo and make a day trip of it. I got on one of those hop-on/pop-off tour busses from the Toledo train station and after the tour, got off and walked around town for a few hours before taking the escalators down and catching the train back to Madrid.  It’s a pretty small town to see in a day.

One more nice day trip from Madrid is taking the train to Segovia - a roman aqueduct, Gothic cathedral in center of town and one of the castles that "inspired" one of the Disney castles.

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14 minutes ago, Grimas said:

There is an overnight train that leaves Madrid at midnight and arrives in Lisbon at 7am. I’ve been planning to take it on one of my Madrid trips (for work) but haven’t done it yet so can’t vouch for the experience…

Per my google, this overnight train was discontinued. It seems you can still do a Madrid to Lisbon but it’s three separate trains. Will need to do more research 

https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/madrid-to-lisbon-by-train.htm
 

 

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