8 Days to wander in Spain

Old Jul 21st, 2016, 12:26 PM
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8 Days to wander in Spain

I have vacation from Sep 25- Oct 11. I've decided to go to Spain for 10 days (8 if you count the ones lost in flying). I'm at a loss as to where to go. There's so much to see, do, eat and drink that I'm driving myself crazy!! I'll be travelling alone (done it many times before to Europe, with no problems). Which offers more bang for you buck, the coastal region (Barcelona, Valencia) or central Spain (Madrid, Segovia, Salamanca)? I could spend hours in museums, exploring old castles and historic sights, as well as just people watching and checking out the local area. I would really like to avoid renting a car, if possible, and just travel by train. You've done it before, so I know there are some saavy travellers out there with tips on where to start. Thanks so much in advance!
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Old Jul 21st, 2016, 01:14 PM
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For what you describe, Madrid with day ( or longer)trips sounds right.
Toledo, Segovia, Salamanca......plus great Madrid museums .
Excellent fast train connections .
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Old Jul 21st, 2016, 05:13 PM
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I'm inclined to agree with danon. FWIW, I think an "ideal" trip to Madrid and surrounds for those who enjoy museums, history, and people watching would be 9 or 10 days on the ground (at least 4 for Madrid, at least 2 each for Toledo and Salamanca, at least 1 for Segovia, another day for Avila or El Escorial or whatever), so if you can squeeze in an extra day or two, great!

That said, you don't have a bad choice here, IMO -- Barcelona and Valencia, with a day trip or two, should also be quite lovely.

When planning your time, keep in mind that many things in Spain are closed on Monday, and often for all or part of Sundays too; and many things in Spain will also be closed daily for a very long mid-day break.

Hope that helps!
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Old Jul 22nd, 2016, 01:16 AM
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Thanks so much for the info!!
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Old Jul 22nd, 2016, 02:08 AM
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we have visited quite a bit of Spain over the years [though sadly not enough] and though i love it all, Valencia and the area around it really impressed us, not least because of the lack of tourists. Not that there weren't any, but it wasn't overwhelmed as some parts of Spain can be.

There are plenty of museums, castles you can visit by easy train journeys, wonderful food, and a real beach edged by excellent restaurants selling really local dishes.

A combination of Madrid and Valencia could make a fine trip.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2016, 02:45 AM
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We spent 2 weeks in Spain last year starting in Madrid and ending in Barcelona. We travelled the whole way by train. We had 2 nights in Madrid, 3 in Seville, 1 in Cordoba and 2 in Barcelona. We spent the rest of our time in a small village near Ronda. The trains are clean and efficient and also not too expensive.

Cordoba is a charming place with sooo much history and lovely cobbled narrow streets to explore. The Mesquite is amazing. Also loved Seville where we did a very interesting FREE walking tour. Madrid is a wonderful city where we did a Segway tour - also a great way to get around and learn about the history of the place. Finally Barcelona was lovely but had far more tourists than the other cities we visited.

Enjoy Spain, its a great country to visit!!
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