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You are here: Experts > Food/Drink > Spanish Cuisine > Travel to Spain > Where to go?
Expert: Víctor Díaz - 9/2/2008
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.
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