Highlights in Spain
Best places to visit in Spain on a quick 5-7 day trip?
N Posts: 11
Forgive me if this has been asked too many times... I am flying into Madrid in the middle of April, and I was wondering what parts of Spain are must see's on a short 5-7 day trip. I'm also not sure about the easiest ways to travel inside the country... Bus? Train? I am going alone... Any tips about the weather from the people that already live there? Thank you for the help. Reply to this
N Posts: 6
Your first time in Spain? Welcome!
I think Spain is an easy country to stay and visit but Madrid is a big city and you have to understand it characteristics. You grow up in Peru, so i think you will not have problem with language. Madrid have a very complete public transport system. You can use the "Metro" from de airport (Barajas Airport), the only problem is that now in the airport they are a new Terminal (T4) that is a little far from the rest of the airport (T1, T2, (most of domestic flies) and T3). T4 it almost a new airport, and the metro arrive to the main airport (de old one).
Here you have information about airport in Spain.
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite?pagename=Home (Spanish and English)
If you take a Taxi, (in the same door of both airports) and you to the centre of Madrid, it will cost arround 20,00 (from T1, T2, T3) or 25,00/30,00 from T4..
More information about transport
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite?pagename=Estandar%2FPage%2FAeropuerto&MO=1&SMO=1&SiteName=MAD&c=Page&cid=1049727006245
To travel inside the country you can use train :
http://www.renfe.es/ (good to go around Madrid and to Sevilla an West Andalucia and Cataluña) Example: 2,30 h. to Sevilla using AVE Train (Hith velocity train)
or Bus
http://www.auto-res.net/index.html?a ( to go to east and west)
http://www2.alsa.es/portal/index.asp (to go to the North and other areas)
To advice you what part you must see, I have to know when exactly you will arrive because in the first week of April is Semana Santa:
The most famous is the Sevilla's one http://www.semana-santa.org/
but they are "procesiones" in almost all the cities in Spain and each have its own "personality"
near Sevilla they are an small village called Lebrija that I think its most authentic because Sevilla is too much big.
Near Madrid you can see it in (Madrid of course) Toledo , Segovia , Avila,
Beautifull cities are too, Salamanca , Zamora, Cáceres (West)
They are too a Mountain system (Sierra de Guadarrama y Sierra de Gredos) where you can skiing, climb, trek..
But too if you know Perú my be you like to know the region and village where Pizarro was born, his village, Trujillo (in Caceres Province and Extremadura Region) is a very beautifull place with a nice Arabic Castle and a lot ot monuments, they are too "procesiones" of Semana Santa. And near it is Cáceres, whith a good medieval city and a very good Natural Park The Monfragüe Natural Park.
In general you can go everwhere in Spain...
I love too Andalucía, and the North Coast, but it depend on what are you looking for...
about weather ... well springtime In Spain is a little crazy , Spain usually is a sunny country but as the proverb say "In abril aguas mil".
Good luck
Juan Valera
www.liveinmadrid.es
Apartments in Madrid
Reply to this
I think Spain is an easy country to stay and visit but Madrid is a big city and you have to understand it characteristics. You grow up in Peru, so i think you will not have problem with language. Madrid have a very complete public transport system. You can use the "Metro" from de airport (Barajas Airport), the only problem is that now in the airport they are a new Terminal (T4) that is a little far from the rest of the airport (T1, T2, (most of domestic flies) and T3). T4 it almost a new airport, and the metro arrive to the main airport (de old one).
Here you have information about airport in Spain.
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite?pagename=Home (Spanish and English)
If you take a Taxi, (in the same door of both airports) and you to the centre of Madrid, it will cost arround 20,00 (from T1, T2, T3) or 25,00/30,00 from T4..
More information about transport
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite?pagename=Estandar%2FPage%2FAeropuerto&MO=1&SMO=1&SiteName=MAD&c=Page&cid=1049727006245
To travel inside the country you can use train :
http://www.renfe.es/ (good to go around Madrid and to Sevilla an West Andalucia and Cataluña) Example: 2,30 h. to Sevilla using AVE Train (Hith velocity train)
or Bus
http://www.auto-res.net/index.html?a ( to go to east and west)
http://www2.alsa.es/portal/index.asp (to go to the North and other areas)
To advice you what part you must see, I have to know when exactly you will arrive because in the first week of April is Semana Santa:
The most famous is the Sevilla's one http://www.semana-santa.org/
but they are "procesiones" in almost all the cities in Spain and each have its own "personality"
near Sevilla they are an small village called Lebrija that I think its most authentic because Sevilla is too much big.
Near Madrid you can see it in (Madrid of course) Toledo , Segovia , Avila,
Beautifull cities are too, Salamanca , Zamora, Cáceres (West)
They are too a Mountain system (Sierra de Guadarrama y Sierra de Gredos) where you can skiing, climb, trek..
But too if you know Perú my be you like to know the region and village where Pizarro was born, his village, Trujillo (in Caceres Province and Extremadura Region) is a very beautifull place with a nice Arabic Castle and a lot ot monuments, they are too "procesiones" of Semana Santa. And near it is Cáceres, whith a good medieval city and a very good Natural Park The Monfragüe Natural Park.
In general you can go everwhere in Spain...
I love too Andalucía, and the North Coast, but it depend on what are you looking for...
about weather ... well springtime In Spain is a little crazy , Spain usually is a sunny country but as the proverb say "In abril aguas mil".
Good luck
Juan Valera
www.liveinmadrid.es
Apartments in Madrid
Reply to this
N Posts: 11
Muchisimas gracias por el "post". I arrive on april 23rd, so probably after Semana Santa, which is a shame. The idea about going to see Pizarro's home town, Trujillo (a Peruvian city too), sounds really great. My last name is also Spanish (Centeno), and someone told me it was maybe from a town north of Madrid... Any leads? Thanks again! Reply to this
N Posts: 6
Centeno, ehh? Is a cereal ¿rye? , I don't know the twon you speaks about. But near Trujillo (http://www.trujillo.es/) , there is a little village called Adeacentenera (http://www.aldeacentenera.net/) "Village where grow "centeno""
Have a good trip...
Juan Valera
www.liveinmadrid.es
Apartments in Madrid
Reply to this
Have a good trip...
Juan Valera
www.liveinmadrid.es
Apartments in Madrid
Reply to this
N Posts: 4
Don't forget to visit Barcelona.
It's different from Madrid and Andulcia.
The trains in Spain never run punctually.
I recommend you to take a bus.
Reply to this
It's different from Madrid and Andulcia.
The trains in Spain never run punctually.
I recommend you to take a bus.
Reply to this
N Posts: 6
Well,
I agree, that Barcelona is a good cultural option too, and all Cataluña is a very interesting área to visit, good landscapes, mountains, beautifull coast, food ...
But I don´t agree about the trains, If you use Hight Speed train, and it have 5 min. delay they pay back your ticktet... and I never get a free ticket, so they where extremely punctual. You can go by this kind of train to Andalucia and Catalunya I use both and they have a good service: restaurant, audio-video, WC,...
May be, nieves22 speak about "cercanias" train in Barcelona, It seems not to work properly lately.
Regards..
Juan Valera
www.liveinmadrid.es
Reply to this
I agree, that Barcelona is a good cultural option too, and all Cataluña is a very interesting área to visit, good landscapes, mountains, beautifull coast, food ...
But I don´t agree about the trains, If you use Hight Speed train, and it have 5 min. delay they pay back your ticktet... and I never get a free ticket, so they where extremely punctual. You can go by this kind of train to Andalucia and Catalunya I use both and they have a good service: restaurant, audio-video, WC,...
May be, nieves22 speak about "cercanias" train in Barcelona, It seems not to work properly lately.
Regards..
Juan Valera
www.liveinmadrid.es
Reply to this
B Posts: 17
I tried to google this high speed train and I have been all over the Spain tourist sites but I can't find a link to buy that high speed ticket, ayudame por favor? Or is a 5 hour train ride considered "high speed" in Spain, because I found that website. Thanks! Reply to this
N Posts: 6
You have to look in:
http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/ingles.html#
click in AVE . Example Madrid - Sevilla (532 km) by train 2,30 h.
More information (in spanish ) http://www.renfe.es/ave/index.html
Interantional phone: - 34 902 243402
Regards
Juan Valera
www.liveinmadrid.es
Reply to this
http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/ingles.html#
click in AVE . Example Madrid - Sevilla (532 km) by train 2,30 h.
More information (in spanish ) http://www.renfe.es/ave/index.html
Interantional phone: - 34 902 243402
Regards
Juan Valera
www.liveinmadrid.es
Reply to this
B Posts: 17
Yeah that is the website I found, it looks like a 5 hour train ride to Barcelona, but it's not so bad I'd like to see the country side.
Thanks! Reply to this
Thanks! Reply to this
N Posts: 40
The high speed line Madrid-Barcelona is not finished yet. Right now it reaches from Madrid to Tarragona but not at full speed. That's why it takes 5 hours for an 'Alvia' or 'Altaria' train (commercial name of Renfe Railway Company for a common train running on high speed lines and able to change between different rail widths) to do the trip. The line is expected to be finished by the end of 2007, then it will take 2,5 h. Bring your iPod or a book. :) Reply to this