Planning a vacation to Spain for next month and am looking for som suggestions. I've got roughly a week to play with am not interested in a whirlwind sampling of the country. I figure a week in either Madrid or Barcelona including their surroundings will be perfect. Any suggested itineraries? sites? cities? lodging?

Thanks.


AZJ

Both cities are nice.
When you go to Madrid, you should see Toledo, which is nearby.
I found a cheap and fast (bullet) train from Madrid to Seville, which is also a very nice town.
Remember: Most shops a closed from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM or so. And the Spanish people eat late, very late (10:00 PM ..).

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/000031.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/000040.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/000111.html

Madrid was fun. A good board for Madrid can be found at http://www.madridman.com/. When I was there I took a day trip, by bus, to Segovia. There are some aqueducts still standing there, and the Alcazar was interesting to tour. There was a self-guided walking tour of it in English when I went. Didn't climb the tower, though, as it was too twisty and claustrophobic for me.

Spain was my first international trip!

Madrid was terrific. I have not been to Barcelona, but those who have been to both cities recommend Madrid over Barcelona.

Latenight tapas and sangria (yum!!), cave crawling, the art (did not like the Prado, LOVED LOVED the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (Dali, Miro, Picasso))

Make sure to see some Flamenco dancing. One of the best known clubs and the one we went to is Cafe de Chinitas, calle Torija 7. You can have a dinner here then see the show or eat elsewhere and then come to view the show. I took some video and it is some of my favorite footage to watch of anywhere we've been.

Strolling through the Retiro Park is wonderful.

Maybe you will be there when the bull fights are in season. I was not.

A side trip to Segovia is neat w/sights like El Alcazar, Roman Aqueduct and various cathedrals. Slightly more than an hours drive from center of Madrid, renting/driving a car was a snap and I don't speak/read Spanish. There are numerous trains daily also, about a 2 hour trip.

Have fun!!!!!!!!

I was there in August. Here's a link to my recent trip report.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003022.html

Drop me a note if I can offer more information.

JP

Just got back from 10 days in Spain. We stayed in a small village near Granada (Montefrio) and just had the best time. Got down to Rock of Gibralter, the Alhambra in Granada and spent a weekend in Seville. Easy to rent a car, no problem driving.

Was traveling with my sister and her husband (their second trip outside US) and we had an excellent time.

Paella on the beach, several fiestas, etc.

Didn't spend more than 1 or 2 nights in any of the cities -- prefer the countryside.

Barcelona has far better clubs than madrid if you are in to that sort of thing. Montserrat near barceloan is also well worth a visit if you want to do a small hike up the mountain. If you would like to gamble in an old castle try Figueres and visit the Salvador Dali Museum while you are there.
Food in Madrid is much better that is true(especially if you like meat), though best seafood is in the small fishing villages near Barcelona. Barrio Gotico is worth a visit as is the Sagrada Familia and a paseo down Las Ramblas will give you a nice flavor of the locals. Place to stay in BCN is Hotel Arts if it is within your budget.

If you are mainly in to the fine arts then Madrid will be right up your street, more so than Barca. If you want more of a festive beach holiday with some very good cultural attractions (though not as many or as varied as Madrid) then Barcelona is your city.

Either way Spain is a great choice. Have a great trip!

[This message has been edited by Mvic (edited 09-22-2002).]

Spend your week in Barcelona and nearby Girona or along Costa Brava beaches like Tossa de Mar or Sitges.

BCN is like a Mediterranean version of Paris, without Parisian attitude. It's a very humane yet urbane city with a wonderful sense of style and creativity. It has great culture, beautiful architecture, fantastic food (Catalonian cuisine, French, Japanese, etc.), an active nightlife, and great shopping.

If you spend 4 days in BCN you can:
1. Stroll La Rambla;
2. See Sagrada Familia;
3. See Gaudi's La Pedrera aka Casa Mila and walk along the Modernisme Route (2002 is the International Year of Gaudi);
4. Tour the Bari Gotic (Gothic Quarter);
5. See the Picasso Museum;
6. Visit one of the many parks like Parc Guell or Parc de la Ciutadella;
7. Sit in a cafe and people watch on the Passeig de Gracia or Rambla de Catalunya;
8. Visit the waterfront areas of Barceloneta and the Port Olimpic;
9. Shop along Passeig de Gracia or on the Diagonal; and
10. Eat and drink at some fantastic restaurants, cafes & bars/bodgeas and party at clubs like Otto Zutz, Le Kasbah and Boadas.

You can also take a day trip to Girona and can then spend 2 days relaxing on the beach in Tossa de Mar, Blanes or Sitges.

Spending a week in Catalunya will give you a reason to return to Spain...to see Madrid.

MadridMan's ALL SPAIN Message Board is really an.. umm.. ALL SPAIN Message Board but it does center itself on Madrid.

With only a week to "spend", Madrid might well be your best choice for October. October is a fine month for central (and southern!) Spain. From Madrid, as others have said, you can visit such wonderful towns as Toledo, Segovia, Chinch�n, Aranjuez, El Escorial, & even Avila or Salamanca as daytrips.

You could also easily spend that one week in Sevilla making day trips to Granada, C�rdoba, and some of the "White Villages".

Here's a wild suggestion that I doubt no one would make: Go to Santiago de Compostela in Galica (NW Spain). YOU WON'T REGRET IT! Use it as a base and take daytrips to La Coru�a, Combados, Corcubi�n, Noia, Fisterra, the R�as Baixas/Altas, and some of the beautiful fishing villages. If this is a long-shot possibility, read my 2002 trip's Daily Online Journal about it. You can also see my photos of same trip on ClubPhoto.

Have a GREAT time in Spain! And yes, don't try to do too much. Base yourself somewhere "smart" and make 1 or 2 daytrips while REALLY getting to know your "base". Of course, I can't say enough about Madrid but then I'm biased.

Saludos, MadridMan

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Visit MadridMan's Yankee Home Page &
MadridMan's Spain Message Board @
http://www.MadridMan.com

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 09-24-2002).]

Hi MadridMan - nice to see you on FT! (I post on MM as MAD for Madrid) It is a great site and quite helpful.

I live in Madrid (transfer from NYC) and love it! MAD is a great place to use as a base for day trips. You can take the bus/train to Segovia, El Escorial, Toledo, Sevilla (the AVE is great), etc.

Madrid also has a TON of things to do: Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofia museums, tapas crawls - try the area down behind the Plaza Mayor (calle cava baja, etc.), Royal Palace, Parque de Buen Retiro (although there is currently a lot of restoration and construction going on in it), clubs, etc.

Feel free to email me for more details or ideas.

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I Love New York -- Viva Espa�a

So far, I second the Madrid suggestions. If you like seafood, I also recommend the paella.
We really liked the ice creams there. El corte ingl�s is a big department store in which you can buy almost anything that you could need and souvenirs ( They had god prices). I haven't been in Barcelona yet but I have my next Spain trip planned for the summer so I can benefit from the Barcelona tips too.

Viajera, in no way do I mean to slam, my spelling is atrocious (sp?)!!!

I just thought for a few moments how much God would pay.

El Corte Ingles is also in Barcelona, and can supply you with anything you should forget (like socks ). They did have a very good gourmet grocery in the downstairs.

And, MadridMan, welcome! Your board was indispensible in planning my trip this summer!

JP

WOW - I'm getting more info that I ever dreamed of getting here! Thanks. But both cities sound so great. The problem is that I don't really know what I want to do. I have been all over Europe and have realized I am not a huge fan of museums - except the Rodin in Paris of course. I'm not really into the club scene anymore but am into the bar scene - like a quaint tapas bar where i would have fun struggling with the Spanish. Thankfully, I speak French and my buddy speaks Spanish (parents are from Argentina). I also want to be as least tourity as possible. What I really want to do is soak in the Spanish culture as best as possible given my short time frame. I want to eat, drink, eat, drink, drink, drink and eat. I am all about gastronomy (on a tight budget) and trying new things. I want to basically explore a new culture.

Will the beaches be worth it in October? Won't it be a bit cold?

Thanks again for all the suggestions... but honestly, I'm not sold on either city! They're running neck and neck as for which one to see. I thought for sure there would be a hands down winner - but I guess both cities are amazing.

Instead of nonrevving I think we're going to buy tickets as they're all about $500 from the east coast - and can't beat that! Though $250 standby in business class would be nicer.

AZJ