Spain Thread 1

[legal2shop]

Hello fellow Girltalkers!  Any recommendations for Spain, in particular Marbella?  Where to shop and eat?

And more importantly, how do I bring home a whole leg of jamon iberico? 

[JINJIN:*]

up ko lang to..

Any suggestion kung saan maganda mag stay sa Barcelona and Madrid?

I will book for the hotel soon. Kaso not sure where to start..i want sana malapit sa gimikan. Chaka sa tram.

Please help!

[legal2shop]

Try Jazz Hotel in Barcelona

[100%K]

I've an upcoming trip to Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Seville) in a couple of months.  We'll be mostly on tour and just have really limited free time to go around by ourselves.  Just wanna ask what are the must-buys and must-sees? TIA!

[Karrie]

Must buy are Spanish Fans.  You have to visit the Zara in Spain- I enjoyed the items for the home. 

[melodymedley]

I think this is the only Spain thread we have so I'll post my Qs na rin here.

1. Anyone tried shipping via LBC from Madrid or Barcelona? How are the rates?
2. How did you guys go around Barcelona and Madrid?
3. Anyone tried to travel via bus? Almost same lang travel time ng bus and train, but the bus is almost half the price ng train eh.

Sharing an excerpt of my EU 2013 itinerary: Comments are so much welcome.
Day 11: Very Early Arrival in Barcelona   Gaudi Day
01:40 Depart Athens   
03:45 Arrive Barcelona      
   Arrive in airport
   Train to Plaça de Catalunya/   N17 night bus
   
    La Rambla Walking Street
   Port Vell and Plaza Catalunya
   La Boqueria Market
   Plaza Catalunya
   Port Vell
   
   
Day 12: Barcelona   
   Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau
   Barri Gotic
   Sagrada Familia- Elevator to rooftop
   
   Montjuic
   Modern Arts Museum
   Miró Contemporary Art Museum
   Barcelona F.C. football stadium   
   Parc Güell
   La Pedrera
   Barceloneta Beach Boulevard
   
   
Day 13: Barcelona   Optional daytour
   Montserrat Monastery
   
Day 14: Barcelona to Madrid   3 hours train ride
   Arrive in Madrid after lunch
   Tourist Transport Season Ticket
   Puerta del Sol
   Plaza Mayor
   Gran Via
   
Day 15: Madrid   Teatro Real – Opera House
   Royal Palace
   Museo del Prado
   Reina Sofia Art Museums
   
Day 16: Madrid   Plaza Las Ventas Stop
   Royal Palace
   Flamenco Dancing
   
Day 17: Madrid   -Day trip from Madrid
   Segovia or Toledo ()
   Overnight in madrid
   
Day 18: Madrid to Granada   By train - 4.5hours, by bus, 5 hours
   Albayzin barrio
   Or Gran Via or Plaza Nueva
   
   The Granada Cathedral
   La Capilla Real
   Plaza Bib Rambla
   Alcaiceria
   Albayzín Barrio
   Mirador de San Nicholas
   
Day 19: Granada -Alhambra day
   Plaza Nueva/ Paseo de los Tristes
   Flamenco Show
   
Day 20: Granada to Seville   Train is 3 hours, bus is 3 hours
   Stay around Sta. Cruz Barrio
   Santa Cruz Neighborhood
   Casa de Pilatos
   Flamenco
   Bullfight
   
Day 21: Seville   Cathedral and La Giralda
   Seville Museum of Fine Arts

[Karrie]

Hi melodymedley- I only went to Barcelona but here are some tips...
1.  Try to buy tickets ahead of time for the sights you want to see.  I am lucky the hotel helped me with this when I wanted to see Sagrada Familia- when I arrived at the place the line for those buying tickets was soooo long.  So happy we bought tickets the day ahead.
2.  If you want to eat at La Boqueria Market, like sitting at the bar.  In my experience it took awhile before I was able to find a seat..some locals just sit there the whole day.
3.  I took the half day trip to Monserrat- if you want to see the statue, it takes about over an hour and a half wait in the line when I went- I thought the bus was going to leave us.  We didnt see anything else because I really wanted to see the statue.

[melodymedley]

Thanks sis Karrie! I appreciate your notes.
I'll definitely buy the Sagrada Familia tix ahead of time.

Did you use the Barcelona card to go around? I find it too expensive kasi. Parang hindi naman malaki matitipid ko. Convenient to use but quite pricey.

Monserrat - I plan to DIY this so I will probably have time to queue (if I don't get distracted and if I still have the patience, hehe). Gusto ko lang maiba sana yung surroundings.

[JINJIN:*]

Things to do:

Drink Sangria (magandang pasalubong to)
Eat Paella (must have)
Boots (Buy nice boots, kung pupunta ka ng Italy, sa italy syempre dapat, kung hindi naman pwede narin dito)
LV bag (Mas mura dito kung mahilig ka sa LV, same I think sa Italy)
Watch Madrid Football match (kung mahilig ka, kung hindi, magpapapicture ka nalang)
Watch flamengo dance (marami neto sa tabi tabing clubs)
Walk down the red light district and check out the local sex toys shop.
Big Bus Tour (this will tour you aroound Madrid, hindi ka lang makakapasko pero makikita mu ang labas so from there pwede ka ng pumili kung anong lugar ang babalikan mu.)

Sa Barcelona naman, pretty much the same sa food and drinks.
Just dont miss out the bike tour sa sagrda familia etc, 3 hours na bike tour yun and super sulit. Yun nga lang puro sa labas lang kayo makakapunta ng mga famous place, hindi kayo papasok like sagrada familia, pero its a good experience lalo na kung matagal ka ng hindi nag babike lol.

Hope this help

[letters_to_cleo]

 I live in Madrid but I haven't been to Barcelona.  Aside from Madrid, I've gone to to Toledo, Avila and Segovia. Eto yung mga pwedeng i-daytrip from Madrid. All three are maganda and very convenient puntahan.
I actually like these cities more than Madrid haha.  Will spend the holy week sa South of Spain (Granada, Sevilla, Cordoba)  then the Labor Day weekend sa Balearic Islands (Mallorca), balitaan ko kayo after the trips. Anyhow,
LBC is okay naman to use as a forwarder. I used it na ( I have an online shop kasi kaya ganun haha)
and ayos naman. Kaso maliit ang box ng LBC compared sa normal balikbayan box. 95Euro yung LBC BB box.

Ang museums sa Madrid free on weekends (though may oras), so if you like to visit the Prado and Reina Sofia, do these on the free days if you like  :-)
If mahilig ka magshopping may two big outlet shops sa outskirts ng Madrid :-)

About Jamon, masarap ang Jamon Bellota. Also mura ang mga pate dito so nice silang ipasalubong.

Ayun lang, hehe, will write more pag may naalala pa ako and when I come back from my trips.

[mama squeak!]

^sis, would a week basing in Madrid be enough to see the city plus the day trips you mentioned? Or better to 3 overnights instead of day trips then 4 nights in Madrid?

As early as now, I'm pre-planning our Spain-Portugal trip with a quick stop in Paris and the most we can be out is 21 days because of hubby's work.

[letters_to_cleo]

^Hi sis,  I feel enough na ang four days sa Madrid then pick one overnight na lang either sa Toledo or Avila-Segovia.

Central Madrid is really small and walkable --- Gran Via, Puerta del Sol, Prado, Reina Sofia, Cybeles kayang gawin in one day because close to each other lang sila, sa City Center naman sila lahat.

Yung Royal Palace is labas ng city center, sa Aranjuez, but siguro five -six hours including travel time is enough na.


Segovia and Avila you can do in one go. Magkalapit lang sila, you can get a hotel sa Segovia and from your base in Segovia, pwede nang magvisit sa Avila.

Take note that most shops and Museums sa Segovia, Avila and Toledo either short working hours or closed pag Sunday so choose a weekday to tour these.

I spent a night in Toledo and it was great, walled city kasi ang Toledo so kahit anlapit nya sa Madrid ibang iba ang ambience and very picturesque. I recommend a night here and a night in Segovia (then daytour sa Avila).

If you want shopping, alot a day din if you want to go to outlet shops because they are not in Madrid's City Center.  The closest outlet shop is about 45 minutes by bus from Plaza Castilla Station and yung isa, the one with the
Burberry Outlets and other highend stuff, is Las Rozas, about 1.5hour away.

Rebajas (Sale) Season in Spain is January -February and  July-August :-) 

I hope this helps! 

[mama squeak!]

^Those are great tips! Thanks so much!  Great blog you've got too. It will definitely help me in my IT planning.

 

[letters_to_cleo]

^You're welcome! I'll post tips here when I remember new stuff and after my trips hehe!

[beahero]

I finally got my Visa yesterday. I'm leaving in 2 weeks and I'm super excited! I'll be living in Salamanca to study pero arranged na ang weekend trips ko to Madrid, Segovia, Avila, Granda, Sevilla, Merida, Cordoba and Portugal! Sayang lang, I don't have enough weekends to visit Barcelona. Next time!

From what I've read and heard, grabe raw ang nightlife sa Salamanca, since mostly students talaga ang population doon. So excited to party!! hehe.

Aside from Spanish fans and food, what are other pasalubong suggestions?

[letters_to_cleo]

^How long are you staying in Spain beahero?   Leather Shoes/Bags of good quality are okay sa Spain.  Bimba and Lola yung medyo ayos na brand for me price wise. Also if you like medyo cutting edge but pretty designs, anything from the Brand Desigual. Pasalubong staples are anything from Zara, Mango (go visit their outlet shops, cheaper dun talaga).

[beahero]

^ One month lang sis, I joined a summer program offered by our school. Thanks sa suggestions! Will google those brands. Sana meron niyan sa Salamanca.

[letters_to_cleo]

Aw ang ikli! Enjoy Spain!  I went to Granada during the holy week. Nice sya, more laidback than Madrid. I am sure meron yang mga brands na yan sa Salamanca. As these brands are loved by uni students as well :-)  Let me know when you are in Madrid ha and you need a guide haha!

[shegie_285]

hi Girls!

Hubby and I are going to Spain for a wedding in September, so we decided to stay na for 9 days, bakasyon na din.  Wedding place is 40 minutes away from Madrid. We plan to stay longer either in Seville or Barcelona (the latter if FC Barcelona has a match). Question, for those who've been to Madrid , did you like it - hubby kase said its not maganda daw and he wanted to stay lang for a day just for me to see.  He prefers to stay in Seville because he hasn't been here. For those who've been to three or two of these places what's your favourite and why? I've only been to Barcelona. ok lang sa akin walang shopping, i have separate shopping trips. we want this trip to be relaxed lang so we're thinking going to three places is too much! plus me wedding pa nga. Thanks in advance!

[aquacharly]

LETTERS TO CLEO.. Yes, the day trips out of Madrid are good & efficient.
I really wanna slap myself for not doing a journal.
Where is that place with the impressive viaducts or aquaculture was it?
Valle de Los Caidos  was humbling.

But the 3 museums  in Madrid are really impressive: Prado,  Thyssen & what's the other 1? 
Madrid s really a jewel of a city.

We are supposed to swing by Madrid & Barcelona again in June -- but may cut it out -- baka magkagulo or strike because of their simmering unemployment

Have you been to Valencia?  I find it the most  relaxing place in Spain, we stay there for almost 2 weeks just de-stressing. .