ceekay126

Hello,

My husband and I are planning our first trip to Spain and/or Portugal in late May/early June. We have heard amazing things about Barcelona and Porto in particular from friends with similar interests and would love to visit both, but realize that with only 2 weeks time may be a bit tight.

I have been doing some reading through the forums and have been a bit overwhelmed with all the different possibilities - I was hoping to get some guidance on which areas to hit in our trip so that we can do some more focused research! My husband has already been to Malaga before so is not too keen to go again, but otherwise we are open to other ideas. Barcelona is a must, and from what I hear for first-timers so is Madrid - but from there we are unsure whether to just focus in Spain and try for 3-4 cities in 2 weeks, or maybe just Barcelona and another city in Spain and then go straight on to Lisbon and Porto. Is the travel time worth it? Are the areas very similar, dissimilar in feel? We have been reading so many different opinions it's hard to narrow things down!

We are a young couple that really enjoy food and wine, walking, some museums and architecture, and a bustling nightlife. We would love to visit some wineries/wine regions somewhere in the trip. Would also love to do at least one nice hike. We do enjoy city life and think that we would like to start and end our trip in the city, but in the middle think we would like some relaxation and downtime on a beach, and/or quaint towns and nature.

We really appreciate any input! Thanks in advance

StefanieKB

My boyfriend and I are planning to travel for 13 nights in Spain this July/August.

Our itinerary is -

Day 1 - Land in Madrid + sightseeing (3 nights)
Day 2 - Madrid sightseeing
Day 3 - Madrid OR Day trip to Toledo (30min Train away)
Day 4 - Madrid + afternoon train to Valencia (2hrs approx)
Day 5 - Valencia (4 night)
Day 6 - Valencia
Day 7 - Valencia
Day 8 - Valencia + afternoon train to Barcelona (3hrs approx)
Day 9 - Barcelona (6 nights)
Day 10 - Barcelona
Day 11 - Barcelona
Day 12 - Barcelona
Day 13 - Barcelona
Day 14 - Barcelona

I hope this helps! I no it's not very specific but I found at least for us it was cheaper and more relaxed to make a few places as possible and then do day trips! Especially if you have a car it works perfectly. Have a great trip!

kja

None of us can tell you how to make your trip work for YOUR interests -- you are going to have to make some very difficult decisions! My advice is to consult some very good guidebooks to decide what YOU most want to do -- because honestly, you can't do it all. The good news is that you'll have a great trip no matter what you decide, and perhaps an even better trip if you keep time in transit low relative to time on the ground.

FWIW, given your stated interests, I can imagine a fantastic 2 weeks that would include Barcelona (and maybe a day trip or two from there) and Madrid, with a night or two in Toledo and a few other day trips. ALL of these places have different feels -- VERY different! Visit the cava wineries outside of Barcelona; hike some of the trails on Montserrat (time it so you can hear the ethereal voices of the boys' choir there), take time to enjoy the amazing Modernisme architecture in Barcelona and the extraordinary collections of art in Madrid; plan on time to get lost in the ancient walled streets of Toledo, consider a night in the lovely beach town of Tossa de Mar; consider a night or two in Salamanca, with what might be the most beautiful public square anywhere and a vibrant dynamic driven by one of the world's oldest universities; and don't forget the magnificent Roman aqueduct in Segovia...

Really, MORE than enough in Barcelona, Madrid, and surrounds.

Good luck and enjoy!

ceekay126

Thanks for your responses! StefanieKB - that itinerary seems very realistic and well thought out. Can I ask what made you choose Valencia in particular?

kja, all your suggestions sound amazing. I had heard of Montserrat and had considered an itinerary going north towards Bilbao and San Sebastian, which could include a stop in Montserrat. What do you think of Barcelona -> Montserrat-> San Sebastian -> Bilbao -> Madrid?

The other itinerary I hear often suggested for 2 weeks, especially for first-timers to Spain, is Barcelona -> Madrid -> Cordoba -> Seville. I know these two itineraries are completely different, and I'm sure either would be amazing - I'm just struggling with deciding which direction would be the better pick for us. Any thoughts on pros/cons for these two itineraries?

Thanks again all!

kja

I think that in general, trying to see Barcelona AND Madrid AND Cordoba AND Seville in two weeks is too much, particularly because if you go to Andalusia, it would make sense to include Granada, too. Madrid and Andalusia, maybe. And you could MAYBE fit in Barcelona, Montserrat, San Sebastian, Bilbao, and Madrid, but depending on your interests, that could be too much, too.

IMDonehere

First of all, unless there is a direct flight from BCN to Oporto, you will wasting a lot of time. With two weeks it easy to be consumed in Spain. I for one, would not go to Valencia on my first trip to Spain, unless you have a friend or relative you want to visit.

Nightlife in Madrid and Barcelona does not start until midnight and you will wonder when people sleep.

There are a number of worthwhile towns like spokes from Madrid, that will give you a taste of Spain. Among them Toledo, Salamanca, Avila and the AVE to Cuenca.

Barcelona is a world unto itself.

ceekay126

Thanks for the input IMDonehere, I agree, we've decided against trying to go to Portugal this trip. The towns you've suggested look beautiful and we'd love to try to fit at least a couple into our trip. kja, while I do realize it might be a bit of a whirlwind trip I think we'd love to try and fit as much in as we can (without going TOO crazy) since we don't know when we will ever get the chance to come back to Spain However, my husband has been to Granada relatively recently and so we may skip that area this time if that helps to cone down the trip?

What are your thoughts on this itinerary:

Madrid: 4-5 days (daytrip to Toledo? Salamanca? both?)
Cordoba: 1 day
Seville: 3 days
Barcelona: 5 - 6 days

Much appreciated

jamikins

When allocating your time don't forget that you need 2 nights to get 1 full day. So you are looking at:

5-6 nights in Madrid
2 nights in Cordoba
4 night in Seville
6-7 nights in Barcelona

You also need to allocate travel time - a general estimate is 1/2 day each time you move.

I think a lot of people think that seeing lots of different places = seeing a lot. But when you consider how much time you spend moving vs how much time you spend experiencing the places you do get to we prefer to spend more time in less places. You will see the same amount of things, if not more if you slow down. The things you see will just be in fewer locations.

kja

My reaction to the realization that I might never return to an area seems quite different than yours: Rather than trying to cram a lot in (my take on your itinerary), that realization makes me want to maximize the time I have to actually see and experience the places that I choose to see, while minimizing the time spent traveling between places (unless, of course, the point of the journey IS the time in transit). Rather than skimming the surface and spending time getting from place to place, I choose to skip some places entirely, even if I am sure I would enjoy them. I’m most likely to skip or skimp on places that have international airports, because those are the ones that I can most readily visit again. I’ve also realized that if I can return to a region, the LAST thing that I am likely to want to do is spend my time re-tracing all that extra travel time so that I can go back and finally see the things I skipped the first time. In fact, I might end up not returning specifically because it would mean wasting so much time going from place to place!

Just my opinion, though, and there are a lot of different and very legitimate ways to think of it.

ceekay126

jamikins and kja, thanks for the feedback. I do see your point in trying to maximize the time spent in each place, and it's an ongoing discussion that my husband and I are having about what our priorities are for this trip. I think we have decided to save southern Spain for another trip, and instead are thinking about focusing on northern-central Spain as we would like to spend some time exploring the wine regions there.

What are your thoughts on the following cities:

Madrid -> La Rioja or Logrono or Haro -> San Sebastian -> Barcelona

With possibly a couple of day trips from either Madrid or Barcelona?
Unsure how to divide up the days between the cities, and what the best modes of transportation are...we're currently looking into flights flying into Madrid on May 21st, and leaving Barcelona on June 5th.

Again, feedback much appreciated!

kja

With 2 weeks, this new plan could work quite well!

Depending on your interests, you might / might not have time for some day trips from either Madrid or Barcelona. FWIW, if you go this route and can NOT fit in all your desired day trips, you might consider skipping some of the day trips from Madrid (and even, perhaps, skimping on Madrid) because you might have to (or might find it convenient to) fly into Madrid for the trip you take some day in the future to explore Andalusia. And if you fly into Madrid, do give it at least a few days, if for no other reason that to recover from jet lag before moving on.

I visited La Rioja, San Sebastian, and Barcelona last May into June -- you might (or might not!) find some useful information in my trip report; just click on my name to find it.

I rented a car, but then, I wanted to visit a bunch of things that aren't part of your plan (and would be hard to fit into your plan). For most (if not all) of what you are proposing, you could manage quite well with public transportation -- check rome2rio.com and / or the Rough Guide.

Enjoy!

StefanieKB

The reason we picked Valencia was because of multiple friends and family members suggested it and said it was their favourite city.

Our trip is 6 weeks longs so our time in Spain,we've decided will be more on the relaxed side, since we have a ton of travelling to do. Mainly Beaches, Dinning, Night life, few select hikes and excursions based on time and priorities.

As well as it's a great route to Barcelona, as that is where we will be leaving from.

I agree with Kja, it really depends on what you want your trip to be!

kja

@ StefanieKB -- thanks! I'm not sure it helps, but I thought Toledo worth 2 full nights / 2 full days. I'm not sure your plan allows for that much time there, but thought I should mention it since I don't know your other constraints. Enjoy!

jamikins

ceekay I think that looks like a fabulous trip! We loved both Barcelona and San Sebastian...the food was amazing.

Our pics from Barcelona: https://flickr.com/photos/[email protected]

And from San Sebastian:
https://flickr.com/photos/[email protected]

ceekay126

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I think this is the winning itinerary

For the days spent in each city, what do you guys think about the following:

Madrid: Land May 21, leave May 25th (4 nights)
Logrono: May 25th - May 28th (3 nights)
San Sebastian: May 28th - May 30th (2 nights)
Barcelona: May 30th - June 5th (6 nights)

jamikins I loved your photos! Both cities look so beautiful. I'm especially excited about the beaches in San Sebastian! kja, I will definitely be looking over your trip report for ideas once we have our cities finalized

kja

Sounds like a nice plan to me, ceekay!

Robert2533

I would only do two nights in Logroño, adding the extra night in San Sebastián-Donostia. With two full days in the Rioja, you will be able to visit up to three bodegas each day, but make sure you have reservations.

Six nights in Barcelona may be a bit too much. I would look at spending a day or two in Bilbao, something you will not regret. You can then fly fro Bilbao to Barcelona to finish yor trip.

Check Maribel's Guides to the Rioja and the País Vasco for additional planning information.