AboutVíctor Díaz Expertise I live in Madrid,and travel frequently to Valencia. I have also travelled to many places all over spain, if haven't been there i'd try to help anyway providing my knowledge and links.
I enjoy trekking in the mountains, and know pyrinees, Picos de Europa and mountains in the center.
We – my partner, 1 year old and myself - are going to Spain 29 Sept – 5 Oct 2008. We will have just spent 2 weeks in Switzerland (with friends living there which obviously makes it all much simpler). We have not traveled in Europe very much and after much web surfing have trouble deciding what would be best for us. To drive? Or bus and train?
We have compiled the following driving itinerary:
29.09.08 – arrive Madrid Airport 14h00, overnight Madrid. I have not as yet booked accommodation in Madrid – any suggestions would be lovely. Our budget is max Euro 100 per night for the 3 of us for all accommodation (with the odd exception). I am contemplating booking at either of these; Plaza Mayor http://www.h-plazamayor.com/index.english.html or Hostal Santo Domingo http://www.hostalsantodomingo.es/.
We were then thinking of then possibly driving to Teruel, staying at Hospederia El Batan (www.elbatan.es). It looks amazing but haven’t booked it as yet and I am struggling to find an email address for them. Can anybody give any feedback on this? Nice, fantastic, never heard of? Email address?
I have booked at www.caltet.com in Girona for 01.10.08 and at Gat Xino http://www.gataccommodation.com/ in Barcelona for 02.10.08. This looks very nice, clean and modern - however it seems pricier than the hostals I am reviewing in Madrid - would there be any similar hostals you would recommend with cheaper rates?
We thought we would then drive to Zaragoza 03.10.08. I have sent an email enquiry to Monasteria Piedra http://www.monasteriopiedra.com/default.aspx?info=0000E5 but haven’t had a response as yet. Has anybody stayed here? Any feedback welcome.
Leave for Madrid 04.10.08 and fly out of Madrid night of 05.10.08. Our last day in Madrid is a Sunday and we only need to get to the airport by 22h00.
My dilemma – would car hire be most comfortable, affordable method of travel in which case would this be a good route to do? We will have baggage from Switzerland to consider (in terms of hopping on and off trains or busses). We have been told that car hire would be the most economical option. However we will need to pay parking it seems (not usual here in SA), I have been quoted Euro 15-20 in Barcelona, in which case maybe the train or bus are not that much pricier? Though I have also read on a forum – that if you pre book electronically you still need to queu for your actual ticket for train journeys – is this generally a problem?
Alternatively – should we focus our time in Madrid, Girona and Barcelona. Train or bus it to these places or drive Madrid to Girona then train / bus to Barcelona and back to Madrid? Or hire a car just for the return to Madrid?
We don’t need to see many tourist attractions, just really wanna hang out and get the feeling of wherever it is we are.
I am very excited and look forward to your response.
Many thanks
Candice
Answer Hello Candice,
i can see that you have worked in your itinerary a lot, and it's almost done, and well done.
"To drive? Or bus and train?"
Depends in several factors, budget and destinations are the main. Budget, compare prices of public transport tickets witht he cost of a car, the cost of tolls (not many in spain, but depend in the area), and the cost of gas, currently about 1,30euros/liter for diesel.
If destinatios are between main cities, and don't plan detours to see the countryside, the a car might be a problem, rather than a solution, as parking in big cities is not easy, is not cheap and traffic isn't also easy, but depend also in your driving skills and what you are used to.
May be a combination of public transport + hired car is what you need.
"We were then thinking of then possibly driving to Teruel, staying at Hospederia El Batan (www.elbatan.es). It looks amazing but haven’t booked it as yet and I am struggling to find an email address for them. Can anybody give any feedback on this? Nice, fantastic, never heard of? Email address?"
You had to decide if you go to Teruel or not, because this is the main reason to hire a car, this capital of province is one of the tiniess, it's almost a big town rather than an small city, the province have done many efforts in promoting tourism and asking for the goberment to invest in their province 'teruel exists'. Teruel city is known by the examples of Mudejar architecture, i will discover it this summer as a daytrip from Valencia. Is definetly out of most of tourist routes, but still deserves a visit.
This hostal is located near Albarracin, a must see place in your route to Teruel.
i have found three reviews on internet, two are nothing special, and one says the place is excellent but complains that bokkings are only available by phone.... and you must rely that the person in the other side of the phone have taken correctly your data. http://www.redaragon.com/turismo/alojamientos/default.asp?accion=pagina&Alojamie...
So, no email to contact them, and this place is not too big, but a monday or tuesday in late september, who knows if it will be booked or not, probably is more a plce for weekends.
For Monasterio de Piedra, i have visited this place a couple of times, lovely. The hotel looks great too. Haven't found any interesting feedback about the hotel, most people just do this place as a daytrip from Zaragoza or Madrid.
"My dilemma – would car hire be most comfortable, affordable method of travel in which case would this be a good route to do?"
If you do Teruel, a car is recommendable. Also to get to Monasterio de Piedra. It will be a problem in Barcelona, no parking in the streets, need to pay for a parking... you could return the car in Barcelona and then rent another one to get to Monasterio de Piedra... wait, it's just for one day in Barcelona, isn't it? then just pay parking or park in the outskirts.
" However we will need to pay parking it seems (not usual here in SA),"
Apart of pay for parking, the fact is that you can't simply park in the center of Barcelona, as have restricted parking for residents or for a limited time for non residents, so you have to find a public parking and pay for the full day, or an hotel with parking.
You won't use the car in the city. No problem for L'estartit and Teruel.
In Madrid it would be a problem, but this is the place to just pick up the car or return it as soon as you get there.
Another option is to park out of the center, in a place with a metro station to get back to the hotel.
List of parkings, near your hotel are Illa Raval, Paralel, Pza dels angels, Urgell, http://www.bsmsa.es/mobilitat/en/a_subterranis.html
charge 33euros/day
The problem is moving from Estartit to BArcelona, no trains, only buses, i still recommend the car, you'll need to get to Monasterio de Piedra. Just for one day i would pay that parking or park about 8 metro stations from the center, where there will be no need topay to park in the streets.
"Though I have also read on a forum – that if you pre book electronically you still need to queu for your actual ticket for train journeys – is this generally a problem?"
In some cases the printed ticket is enough, or so i have read, in others there are machines to get the real tickets with the location number, depends on the station.
"Alternatively – should we focus our time in Madrid, Girona and Barcelona. Train or bus it to these places or drive Madrid to Girona then train / bus to Barcelona and back to Madrid? Or hire a car just for the return to Madrid?"
The alternative should be moving directly from Madrid to Girona and then to Barcelona and return to Madrid, the problem is getting to Estartit, probably a train to Gerona and then a bus with some local company, i could look for this information. But then you should remove Teruel and Monasterio de Piedra from your travel.
That depend on your interest, i think that Madrid and Barcelona deserves more time, but if you plan a travel in the future focusing in main cities then is ok not to spend more time there.
Other option is hiring a car to get to Girona from Madrid, doing monasterio de piedra in your wat rather than Teruel. Then return the car in Barcelona and move from Barna to Madrid by train or plane, you can use the borrowed day from Teruel either in Madrid or Barcelona. This option looks better to me, not so many km, Monasterio is right in the direct route to Barcelona, Teruel means more km by conventional roads and definetly you have not many days to do this.
It could be as follows:
29.Madrid
30.Madrid hire a car and move to Monasterio
1. Monasterio move to Estartit
2. Estartit to Barcelona in the evening, return the car
3. Barcelona
4. Barcelona move to madrid by train/plane
5. Madrid
I have found yor initial plans very interesting, adding Teruel and Monasterio makes your choice different of any other typical trip to spain.
