mrt

My wife and i want to go to Spain in Sept. or October. We have never been there and would like to start in Barcelona and stay in one or two more towns or cities. We are interested in seeing the sights both old and new but are not interested in focusing on churches or museums although we may want to see one top museum. I would not want to travel any farther south than Madrid,(other than perhaps a day trip to Toledo. I do not know enough to decide whether Madrid is worth visiting. I have read that Valencia is a good destination but are there other places that are more interesting. Realistically, for 10 -11 nights what would be a good itinerary.

Robert2533

"although we may want to see one top museum" The top museum in Spain can be found in Madrid, the Prado, as are several other important museums.

With 10 to 11 days on the ground, and wanting to see sights both old and new, then I would stick with 3 to 5 days in Barcelona, head down to Valencia for a couple of days, then finish up in Madrid, including a day trip to Toledo. All this can be done by train.

Of course September-October is harvest time in the wine regions throughout Spain. Are you interested in food and wine? Or something else?

mrt

Thank you Robert. Before I saw your response i was thinking that perhaps the easiest itinerary would be exactly what you outlined. I was thinking that about 4-5 days in Barcelona, with a day trip to Montserrat, 3 in Valencia and 3 in Madrid with a day trip to Toledo. We do like wine and would enjoy a day trip to a wine region if possible (tour a winery?)- I just do not know where to go.

Is 3 days in Madrid too much if museums are not that important.

violetduck

Last October we were in Madrid, Toledo, Sevilla and Barcelona. If at all
possible try to spend at least a couple of nights in Toledo. It is worth so much
more than a day trip just for the atmosphere alone. We stayed at Carlos V Hotel.
It was an excellent value, perfect location and very nice breakfast. Happy travels!

ribeirasacra

Organised day trips to wine regions are best taken from Barcelona. Several reasons. The wine from near BCN is considered to be better than the ones from near Madrid. The other is the wine regions "near" to Madrid are further away from the city so takes a longer day and cost a lot more.

kja

"Is 3 days in Madrid too much if museums are not that important" -- it really depends on what you want to see and experience! There are certainly things to see and do in Madrid other than its magnificent museums, but if museums aren't your thing, and with only 10 or 11 nights, you might want to pick somewhere else -- you have a wealth of options!

You might want to spend some time with guidebooks, particularly those with a lot of high quality photographs (e.g., the National Geographic Traveler, Eyewitness Guides, or Insight Guides) to see what inspires you -- you should be able to do that at your local library.

Good luck with your planning!