Spain Thread 1

[sparklingjewel]

I read here that it's recommended to have 10 days to see most of the cities.. and if 5 days only, to just stay in Madrid. I don't think we have 10 days for Spain alone as we're hoping to make it a 3-4 country-hopping honeymoon.. that said, if I can give Spain maybe 5-6 days, what are the top cities to pick apart from Madrid and Toledo?

Hi Chili1113 haha fancy seeing you here :-) Early honeymoon planning phase!

[mama squeak!]

^I think letters_to_cleo have already shared in the thread most of the top cities that can be visited in Spain. You can also visit her blog for detailed itineraries and tips. Got some tips from her when I visited another city (not in Spain though).

[sparklingjewel]

^I know, but because of the many many choices cited it's hard to pick which ones are the ones you really cant miss, hehe. Took me hours to read the entire thread. We're going for our honeymoon and although it should be a bit more relaxed than usual, my fiance and I love travelling at a good pace and we love being able to cover a lot of new places.

Chili1113, did you create your own itinerary? Thinking of asking some travel agents also but we're going to be booking separately.

[mama squeak!]

^Yup, I know what you mean. So many choices, too little time! Since you will be allocating less than a week's stay in Spain, pick a base then tour the nearby cities. Madrid would be a good one as lots of places around that you can day trip. If you miss anything, then just go back. It's very easy to go to Europe nowadays as the fares are getting cheaper plus more choices in accommodations (you're no longer stuck with hotels).

[shegie_285]

^ sparklingjewel Day trip to Segovia from Madrid. Its pretty though it's small compared to Toledo. But the cochinillo is really good. Yum!  I find there's not a lot to see in Madrid so kahit 2 days siguro dun pwede na (if you just want to see the main places) then you can do two day trips if you're there for five days.  Having said that, I love Madrid dahil sarap ng food and ng wine. Relax and tambay tambay lang ginawa namin.

If you want to see more places, and you have 6 days in Spain, you could do 3 days Madrid and 3 days Seville or 3 days Madrid and 3 days Barcelona.

But kung relax phase, I'd stay 5 days in Madrid and do two day trips. I saw your other post sa Euro thread, i'll add a day or two sa Paris.

[sparklingjewel]

Thank you so much for all the tips! I did more research and found out that these are the top places I want to visit. Of course it won't all fit in a week, so i'll still have to cut down! I think ang sure ko palang is Madrid and Barcelona. Having a hard time choosing which of the sidetrips to drop!
- Madrid (2 days)
- Segovia
- Salamanca
- Granada
- Seville
- Barcelona (3 days)

Maybe I'll drop Andalucia muna and save that for another trip since andaaami ko din gusto sa South, namely Malaga, Nerja, Ronda, etc!

[Chili1113]

Hello Sparklingjewel!! =) Btw you can also do Bacelona-Valencia (can even be a long day trip from Barcelona if via high speed train) then Madrid =) Leaving next week! Ill let you know if the Andalucia portion of the trip is worth the extra effort to go there =)

[letters_to_cleo]

If I have only six days, I would choose either Madrid or Barcelona as base and plan the side trips from there.  I can help more if Madrid is the base because I was based there until just recently.

with Madrid as base, I'll spend two days in Madrid to get the Madrid experience -- go to Retiro Park, have a tapa crawl, visit one of madrid's mercados, visit the museums, shop along gran via/outlets/ nuevos. and have a prototypical madrid day - eat churros con chocolate for breakfast, have a heavy but affordable three course lunch menu (menu del dia) and have a light dinner of either a calamares sandwich or plates of tapas .  I used to go on weekend breaks from madrid to get away from work stress and the monotony of living in the city. and i do think that the most convenient daytrips from madrid are either toledo, avila and segovia (choose any one) so you can spend one day in one of these cities.  my favorite cities for weekend breaks though are salamanca and valencia. i usually leave madrid on friday evening or take the first train on saturdays and come back to madrid sunday night, so do allot 2 days and one night at least, if you plan to go to valencia or salamanca. valencia, for me, is like a cleaner, smaller and better version of barcelona. it has the beach, its own mercados and stunning architectures, plus it is still laidback and not too touristy.  Salamanca is beautiful too, It's such a walkable city, and its plaza mayor is the most beautiful square in europe for me. Between valencia and salamanca though, and for a tourist with limited time, i would think, you'll get more mileage and wow factor from valencia.

you can check my blog for things to see/do in thecities mentioned above.

[Chili1113]

Just got back from a 1 week stay in Portugal and 2 week stay in Spain. Just want to say THANK YOU to sis letters_to_cleo for all the tips you gave esp regarding Madrid, and the day trips from there.

In Madrid we based ourselves in Hotel Europa in Puerta del Sol and it was such an ideal base. Everything in the city was walkable, public transport was right outside the hotel, and we were surrounded by all the shops imaginable! It wasn't luxurious by any means but clean and comfy.

We did Malaga, Granada, Ronda, Sevilla, Cordoba, Toledo, Madrid, Segovia, and Avila. Barcelona we did in 2013 so we left that out this time. We also didnt have enough time to do San Sebastian, Valencia, Pamplona or Santiago de Compostela. But Spain is huge and it is difficult to cover everything.

My family's favorite is Granada and Seville =) We enjoyed Madrid more than when we visited Barcelona in 2013. This is because we enjoyed the day trip options from Madrid VS what can be done from Barcelona. Also, we felt safer in Madrid as compared to Barcelona where there are many more pickpockets. Although most people I know enjoy Barcelona more.

I didn't get to score any wedding souvenirs because I was too lazy to bother having to pack them in a balikbayan box hehe. But I did get to score my wedding shoes in the Gucci outlet!! It was originally 750 Euros, but I got a big discount! Also bought some Spanish fans in Museo del Prado for my female entourage which I kinda find too expensive, but it was my fiance who pushed for it. O well!!

Again thanks to all who gave tips especially to Letters_to_Cleo!! =)

[letters_to_cleo]

Hi Chili!  I am glad you enjoyed your Spain trip!  Where did you get your gucci shoes?! haha meron nang gucci sa las rozas?!  I miss Spain!  I hope to visit in mid January in time for the  winter sale haha!

[Chili1113]

^Yes sis letters_to_cleo! They already have Gucci in Las Rozas! It is only a few months old. I went to the outlet 2x and just got lucky on the 2nd time, because the Chinese sales rep was super duper nice and she brought out these shoes hidden in the back room not on display. So there, I was able to buy the shoes for my wedding at a reasonable price!!

Thanks so much again sis! BTW super LOVE reading your blog! Can I just tell you? I was on the fence about including Turkey in my honeymoon trip next year. But since I read your posts regarding Istanbul, I am super excited and convinced now to experience Istanbul and Cappadocia! =)

[m_lim]

any recommendations for first timers in Barcelona?

we only have 2 full days.

saan area kaya maganda mag stay?

[wokwhiskyarn]

We are planning our first ever Europe trip. I have chosen spain-specifically Madrid para makapagdaytrip =) then we plan to go by train to Barcelona. Questions po hopefully someone can help me? =)
1. We will be there from march20 - 30, 2016. So smack in the middle of holy week! May mapupuntahan/magagawa ba kami?
2. We plan on staying sa ibis/accor hotel. kaso ang dami pala na branches! How will I know which one to choose? also how come they always say max of 2 adults and 1 kid? paano kami 2kids (5 and 11)? Ayaw naman naming magbook ng 2rooms
3. can you do a day trip to Salamanca/Valencia? ayaw kase ni hubby nang palipat-lipat ng hotel so we were thinking lahat daytrip para ang balik pa din naming same hotel. I know avila daytrip talaga pwede.
4. Do I need to book all my daytrips in advance? the train ride, entrance pass, etcc.. or pwede doon na lahat??
5. How do you book the Madrid-Barcelona train? I am using the renfe website pero lagi niya sinasabi sa akin wala daw available na route??
Thank you!!!

[Chili1113]

^Are you a devotee of St. Therese of Avila? It is nice naman there because of the city walls. But for me the best day trip from Madrid is Segovia-- even just to see the aqueduct and eat cochinillo. The Toledo is much nicer than Avila also. In Toledo taking the tourist hop on and on train is a must, because some of the best sights in Toledo are outside where you get a view of the entire city.

Re-- Valencia. I was supposed to do a day trip there from Barcelona via fast train in 2013. However, we missed our train because we woke up late! And super mahal the tickets if you will purchase on the same day. It is doable BUT since you will be travelling from Mardrid to Barcelona anyway--- I suggest you overnight in Valencia. It is halfway between the two. Plus you have kids with you, and Valencia has those awesome aquarium and museums, housed in these buildings designed by Calatrava!! (These Calatrava buildings are a must see if youre a modern architecture fan)

Re booking a ticket via Renfe... when is your trip? Sometimes you cannot book way ahead of time. You can only pre-purchase within a month if I am not mistaken.

[wokwhiskyarn]

thanks sis chili1113! =) March 20-30, 2016. Got 10days. Honestly I am thinking twice about going to Barcelona since I have to book twice and lumalabas mahal siya compared kung return ticket nang Madrid lang ang ibook ko. Not a devotee. Sa Renfe lang ba pwede magbook ng train tickets? kumusta ba ang train rides? maganda ba ang views?

[Chili1113]

Depends where you're going but we enjoyed taking the train for our day trips!! Very orderly =)Better to book directly from Renfe =) But kaya walang lumalabas na tickets for you because March pa your trip. Try booking renfe tickets in January na. Baka pwede 2 months before departure.

[m_lim]

how about sa Barcelona mga sis? any tips for 1st timers?

we'll be staying at Hotel Jazz.. malapit sa Las Ramblas... sabi ng iba tourist trap, but we only have 2 full days =(

[Chili1113]

Las Ramblas is a good spot because its near La Boqueria-the market with lots of local food choices. It is near public transpo too. It is walking distance to the old quarter of Barcelona where the Picasso museum is, and this old Gothic church-forgot the name.

BUT please be careful of where you book in Las Ramlas. Avoid booking anywhere far from the main drag, and in dark corners in small side streets. Las Rablas is super delikado!!! Super dami dyan pick pocket and magnanakaw. As in lalapitan ka talaga and they will distract you while someone picks your pocket.

It is one of the most delikado places in Europe --according to Rick Steves hehe =) You will most likely get pickpocketed in Las Ramblas than any other place in Europe.

[m_lim]

naku, natakot naman ako! ano ma recommend mong hotel sis?

[Chili1113]

m_lim: Don't be scared sis!! Just be careful lang. Don't bring a lot of money while walking, and don't stop to talk to strangers.

I checked Hotel Jazz on tripavisor and the location pala is at the end of Las Ramblas near Place de Catalunya. Thats a safer area =) Mas delikado the streets near La Boqueria especially the ones at the back. There are tons of dining options in Placa de Catalunya including your typical McDonalds, Burger King... hehe theres a huge H&M and Zara there.

Don't forget to check out Zara. Super cheap! Their regular priced clothes are parang 30-50% cheaper than the regular priced items here. Usually 50% off actually.