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You are here: Experts > Food/Drink > Spanish Cuisine > Travel to Spain > Another question
Expert: Víctor Díaz - 9/13/2008
Question
QUESTION: Hello Victor, I am visiting Spain and Portugal in November and December this year and would really value your recommendation about the best trip I need to do...I arrive into Madrid at 1925 hrs on 13 November and I have been researching recommended day trips from Madrid...must-sees are (Toledo 1 day/Segovia 1 day/Avila 1 day/Granada(2 days)/Nerja(1 day)/Ronda(2 days) and Seville (2 days) - a total of 11-12 days (without transport)..I would then like to spend a 7-10 days in Portugal and the rest of the time in Barcelona before departing Madrid for Australia on 13 December. Do you think that want-to-do list is too ambitious or is it do-able without too much stress...I would really value your opinion and comments Victor...I need to get this itinerary formalised so I can feel satisfied that I've seen everything I should see with the least amount of fuss..I'm not looking to buy clothes or souvenirs cos I'm going to be travelling light..thank you Victor..regards Elly in Australia...ps..I'm probably at least old enough to be your Mum so that might help you to give me the best advice :-))
ANSWER: Hello Elly
I think you have time to visit everything you want.
Madrid daytrips are fine, i imagine that Andalucia are not daytrips from MAdrid.
Unless you have special interest in Nerja, i would change it for Cordoba as daytrip from Sevilla.
2 days are too much for Ronda, 1 day is enough, again daytrip from Sevilla.
You may add Malaga instead of Nerja if you want to visit the coast area.
If you have time you could do Avila as an stop in a 2 days trip to Salamanca.
El escorial is an interesting half day trip from Madrid.
Your itinerary could be as follows (haven't check wheter it's monday or sunday, that could be important to change the order of visits as in sunday and mondays many things may be closed).
1 -day 13: arrive madrid
2 -day 14: madrid
3 -day 15: daytrip segovia
4 -day 16: madrid
5 -day 17: daytrip el escorial, afternoon in madrid
6 -day 18: travel to granada in the morning
7 -day 19: granada
8 -day 20: travel to Malaga in the morning
9 -day 21: malaga, travel to sevilla
10 -day 22: sevilla
11 -day 23: daytrip to cordoba
12 -day 24: sevilla (possible daytrip to Ronda)
13 -day 25: travel to lisbon by bus
14 -day 26:portugal
15 -day 27:portugal
16 -day 28:portugal
17 -day 29:portugal
18 -day 30:portugal
19 -day 1:portugal
20 -day 2:portugal
21 -day 3:move to barcelona (low cost flight from Porto or Lisbon)
22 -day 4: Barcelona
23 -day 5: Barcelona half day trip to Montserrat
24 -day 6: daytrip to Tarragona
25 -day 7: Barcelona
26 -day 8: daytrip to Girona
27 -day 9: Barcelona
28 -day 10: Barcelona
29 -day 11: move to madrid in the morning
30 -day 12: daytrip to toledo
31 -day 13: return
i have added many days in Barcelona as you seems to be quite interested in this city.
In Andalucia you could do Malaga as daytrip from Granada if you don't want to move to another hotel just for 1 night.
2 days were too much for Ronda, it's not a big town, give it one day or daytrip from Sevilla.
There are 7 full days in Portugal.
Connection with Portugal from Sevilla is only by bus, and there are no low cost flights.
Other option to avoid the long bus trip from Sevilla to Lisboa is
move to Barcelona from Sevilla (low cost flight)
From Barcelona move to Porto or Lisbon (low cost flight)
From Lisboa or Porto flight back to Madrid on the 11 of december (low cost flight).
You may change any daytrip from madrid for the Avila daytrip or take
one day from other destination. the Salamanca+ Avila trip is interesting but you will be moving to another hotel just for 1 night.
You can borrow one day from Barcelona perfectly and add it to any other place.
To keep the stress at a minum, try to stay as much as possible in one place and do daytrips from there, i think that changing many times of hotel is very stressing.
As it's low season many daytrips can be arranged in the same day, no need to book tickets in advance for Segovia, Tarragona...
El Escorial is connected by commuter trains, no bookings on line.
Spain and Portugal are well connected by plane, there are low cost flying to Madrid and Barcelona. There is an overnight train from Lisbon to Madrid, and also buses.
Connection between the south of Spain and Portugal is only by bus, or expensive flight Sevilla-Lisboa.
Spain is big if compared with some other western europe countries, it's a big distance between Portugal and Sevilla to Barcelona, so i recommend flying for these connections.
Segovia, Madrid and Granada may have cold (sepecially by night) weather due to altitude and nearby mountains, Avila is considered the fridge of Spain, a bit colder than the rest. But even with altitude and mountains is not as cold as other northern countries.
November may be not cold yet but expect some rainy days.
PD:i'm not as young as you may think, closer to the 40 than to the 30 ;-)
you may ask me again whenever you want.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hello again Victor..I've had another look at your perfect :-))and generous itinerary (13/9/08)above and agree about the 7 days in Barcelona..do I need that many?.I didn't have anything planned there so I'm flexible about 'length of stay'...could you reassess and maybe recommend other trips (or trip) somewhere else in amongst those 7 days..maybe I should just extend the Portugal trip by a day or two or perhaps visit another must-see in Spain..I'll look forward again to your expert advice Victor ..regards Elly in Australia
Answer
Hello again Elly
The number of days needed in Barcelona depends also on your preferences, for some people a couple of days are fine, for others a week is not enough!.
Personally if you are not interested in modern art museums, even a couple of days could be enough, let's say 3 days to allow citysightseen without rushing. Add one day if you plan visits to museums, i think it just may worth Picasso museum, but if modern art bores you, then skip it.
Some of the days in Barcelona may be used as a base for daytrips, Montserrat monastery is am easy to do half/daytrip that you can plan and do just in case you find yourself with nothing else to visit in Barcelona. No bookings needed for this daytrip.
Tarragona is also a recommendable one day trip from Barcelona, easy to reach by train, and Girona/Gerona is also a typical daytrip.
Here you may find information about this places so you can make a decission if you are interest or not in doing these daytrips
http://www.tarragonaturisme.cat/
http://www.ajuntament.gi/turisme/
http://www.montserratvisita.com/
With 3 days for Barcelona and another one at least for a daytrip, you can use 3 borrowed days from Barcelona elsewhere.
Portugal may worth adding one or two days more, depends which places you want to visit, daytrips...
One of the days from Barcelona could be spent as follows
8 -day 20: travel to Malaga late in the afternoon, giving you more time in Granada to enjoy this city.
9 -day 21: malaga all the day
10 -day 22: travel to sevilla in the morning
so you get more time to visit Malaga without rushing
http://www.malagaturismo.com/home.jsp
or travel to Malaga in the morning and the following day do a visit to Nerja from Malaga as you wished in the first question.
Buses from Malaga:
http://www.estabus.emtsam.es/
this doesn't mean you loose time for Sevilla
11 -day 23: sevilla
12 -day 24: daytrip to cordoba
13 -day 25: sevilla or daytrip to Ronda, leave this trip planned, and do it in case you feel there is nothing else of interest for you in sevilla, but i bet you'll stay in Sevilla
http://www.turismo.sevilla.org/paginas_es/portada.asp
http://www.sevillatour.com/
http://www.patronato-alcazarsevilla.es/
http://exploreseville.com/
http://www.turismoderonda.es/
14 -day 26: travel to lisbon by bus
15 -day 27:portugal
16 -day 28:portugal
17 -day 29:portugal
18 -day 30:portugal
19 -day 1:portugal
20 -day 2:portugal
21- day 3:portugal
22- day 4:portugal
23 -day 5: move to barcelona (low cost flight from Porto or Lisbon)
24 -day 6: Barcelona
25 -day 7: Barcelona possible half day trip to Montserrat
26 -day 8: daytrip to Tarragona
27 -day 9: Barcelona
28 -day 10: move to madrid
29 -day 11: daytrip to toledo
30 -day 12: daytrip to Salamanca??? or Avila???
31 -day 13: return
You also planned in the beginning a daytrip to Avila, you could include it this time. Salamanca is also a possible daytrip but it's more tiring as it's far, i have done Salamanca at least 3 times as daytrip but by car. By train you should take an early train and leave late in the afternoon, that could be stressful and more after being so much time travelling around, you will probably find yourself tired of daytrips.
Take a look about what to see in Avila and Salamanca
http://www.avilaturismo.com/
http://www.salamanca.es
There are many pictures of spain and cities you plan to visit here, so these could help you choose to visit a place or not.
Notice some are artistic type pictures others more realistic.
Spain
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=565193
Madrid
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=621026
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=629701
Barcelona
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=701066
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=20002108#post20002108
Girona
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=408383
Granada
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=661172
Sevilla
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=584502
Cordoba
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=568844
Malaga
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=182062
Ronda
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=507691
Salamanca
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=158908
Avila
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=245635
i hope this helps a bit.
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