 Short trip in April |
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Shaef Laura Post Count: 1 Msg: #1 262 days ago, February 26th 2009 | I have read some of the previous Spain postings. I am heading from the US to Madrid on April 28th. Unfortunately I only have until Monday, May 4th to visit. Here is my wish list...is this reasonable? Madrid for 2/3 days, drive to Bilboa (stopy in La Rioja area to visit a vineyard) and then hit San Sebastian. Drive to Barcelona and stay there for a few days and fly back to the US from BCN. Initially I was going to take trains and flights but thought doing a rental car would be easier and allow me to see more of the country. Thanks! |  The Travel Camel Shane Dallas Post Count: 1023 Msg: #2 262 days ago, February 26th 2009 | Hello Laura and welcome to the forum! | I visited Spain in April of last year and wanted to use the train system to get around. However, I found that trains tend to radiate from Madrid to all parts of Spain. Going between other major cities in the country can require you to return to Madrid, or to change trains - both a pain. For example, getting between Granada and Barcelona was much easier by car - and I'd imagine it would be the same for the San Sebastian and Barcelona leg of your itinerary. It was for this reason that I hired a car. You should find that the major car hire companies do not charge a one way hire for pickup in Madrid and dropping off in the Barcelona area. Also by having a car, you will have the bonus of taking a detour through the Pyrenees on your journey between San Sebastian and Barcelona - the scenery is wonderful. Give yourself a couple of days to go between the two cities and just find some quaint little village to sleep at overnight during the drive - there are plenty of them in the mountains. You will love Spain - it has an intriguing history, delicious food and a vibrant lifestyle. [Edited: 21:30 - The Travel Camel - Added photo] walksntalks Roy Arnold Post Count: 28 Msg: #3 261 days ago, February 27th 2009 | Distances and travel times: Madrid - Bilbao 415 km, plus 4 hours. Bilbao - Barcelona 630 km, plus 6 hours. (much more if you plan to visit Logroño (Rioja). Madrid - Barcelona 625 km, plus 6 hours. Unless you like driving a lot, I recommend you to concentrate on two cities only, Madrid and Barcelona. To me, the landscapes of La Rioja are relatively boring. I still like some of the Rioja wines (200 Monges and Remírez de Ganuza for example), but over-production is a big problem. That is why I would visit a vinyard in Catalonia, somewhere close to Barcelona. (D.O. Penedès or the cava houses in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia in southern Barcelona province). I would drop Bilbao because of the time loss and driving involved. And, I don't think it would add to your experiences much after visiting Madrid and Barcelona. Number of Users: 3 | Number of Posts: 3 | ||||||||||||
