lyb

Putting together my trip to Spain and don't know anyone who's been there, at least within the last decade.... so I need help with hotels, I'm starting from scratch and feeling a litle overwhelmed...so many choices and so many potential bad choices.

Could I get recommendations for hotels in Madrid, Sevilla, Granada, Valencia & Barcelona.

I'm still working out my itinerary, and may skip Madrid, not sure.

I would like to spend no more than the equivalent of $125 - 150 per night, less is okay
I'm a single female traveling alone, so I'd like the hotels to be areas that I can feel safe walking about at night

BTW, here's my very first draft for my itenerary, any suggestions are welcomed:

Day 1 - Arrive in Madrid --- walk around city/city tour
Day 2 - Day trip to Toledo
Day 3 - Train to Sevilla
Day 4, 5 & 6 - Sevilla
Day 7 - train from Sevilla to Granada
Day 8 - Granada
Day 9 - train from Granada to Sevilla
Day 10 - Valencia
Day 11 - train from Valencia to Barcelona
Day 13, 14 & 15 - Barcelona

Thanks in advance

lyb

one more thing...I'll be going the first two weeks of this upcoming September

LunaBella

Hi lyb - I was in Spain for my first time in November. (Fell in love with it though, am going back next week!) In Madrid I stayed at Hotel Preciados and thought it was perfect. I too was a single female traveler and I never once uneasy in that area and was close to everything I wanted to see in the city. Very nice hotel, free minibar, quiet room, TWO sets of French doors and two balconies in my room, I loved it. It was my splurge of the trip...a great introduction to Spain!

For the other cities you may be visiting, I only went to Sevilla but as a day trip so can't comment - yet - on hotels. I'm going back to Sevilla next week and will stay there for 4 days at the Apartamentos Murillo and I'll also be travelling to Granada and Jerez.

Anyway if you happen to change your itinerary, I can give good solo female traveler recs for hotels in Toledo and Cordoba so report back if that's the case. Either way have a great trip!

lyb

Lunabella,

I have thought of staying in Toledo instead of Madrid, so would love to hear about the hotel in Toledo. And I did think about Cordoba as well, so would love to hear about a hotel there.

I'm having a hard setting my itineary because there are so many places I want to go, but with only 2 weeks and a few more days, I don't want to rush through the cities, which I already feel I am....ah, if only I could be a rich retiree

Egbert

Hostal Macarena in Madrid was very good. Hotel Puerta de Las Granadas was excellent. Both of those are perfect locations. Hotels in Seville are expensive!

Egbert

and Regencia Colon was good in Barcelona.

lyb

thank you, I'll check out those hotels this weekend.

Anyone with other suggestions on the hotels and itinerary?

lincasanova

Hotel Ayre Astoria, Hotel Melia Plaza, Melia Inglés, are a few I think you would be happy with in Valencia. Also the Vincci hotels downtown are nice.

CathyM

Is there a reason why you're returning to Sevilla from Granada prior to heading to Valencia?

You can take the bus or train from Sevilla to Granada. Costs and time are about the same. I prefer the bus due to the location of the bus station - avoid a taxi fare.

I'd consider skipping Valencia and spending the time in Barcelona. This will give you more time in Barcelona and an opportunity for daytrips (Montserrat, Girona, Tarragona, etc...).

HappyTrvlr

Look at www.maribelsguides.com for helpful answers to your questions.

lincasanova

I think day 9 is meant to be Granada- Valencia.

If you DO keep Valencia on the trip, I would be more than happy to help you find the special corners of the city.

primeranoche

Why don't you look on Tripadvisor? It has thousands of hotel user reviews, most within the last year, in all prices ranges, with a lot of detail. That beats anything you are going get posting on this board or reading maribelsguides.

I hate to add another destination to your plan, but a daytrip to Cordoba from Sevilla would be in order. The mosque in Cordoba is unique, one of the world's greatest treasures.

I'm not a fan of Barcelona, so I would be more interested in Valencia -- but neither if it meant I couldn't see Cordoba.

joe4212

lyb

I can recommend Hotel Casa del Capitel Nazari. Great central location, a former palace and our rates for a double room was 80e per night. Just checked and on Expedia this evening a double room is showing at between 90 and 110 dollars per night at various dates in September. If it interests you, book with the hotel direct and I bet you'll get it cheaper. Also, check out its reviews on Trip Advisor.

The hotel's website is here:

http://www.hotelcasacapitel.com/ingles/index.html

Joe

lyb

lincasanova, You are right, I meant Sevilla to Valencia.

primeranoche, I have looked on trip advisor as well, that's always one of the sites I check out, but since I'm not sure of the areas to stay in and trip advisor will have all the areas, getting the info from fodorite will narrow it down some.

primeranoche

Gotcha, so long as you are checking all reccommedations with tripadvisor. But I do note that most posters here aren't telling you the location of their recommendations -- or if they say it's a great location, they don't say why they think that. For instance, I stayed at the Colon in Barcelona and I didn't like the location. But somebody with a different reason for being in Barcelona.

This website gives you user reviews plus maps:

http://www.venere.com/spain/barcelona/

Booking.com also gives you maps and user reviews for most cities in Spain.

http://www.booking.com/hotels/country/es.en.html

Fodor's can be a good place to bat around ideas, but nailing down a hotel is best down with a wider database.

joe4212

>But I do note that most posters here aren't telling you the location of their recommendations -- or if they say it's a great location, they don't say why they think that<

OK. The hotel I recommended is in the Albaicín, the old Moorish quarter of the city, 15 steps to the narrow street Carrera del Darro which runs alongside the stream across from which and above is the Alhambra. To walk there from the hotel, 10 minutes, less than 10 minutes to the Cathedral.

I think the hotel is in a great location because it is central, quiet, close to the major sites, secure, no traffic noise, and restaurants close by. Oh, great rates too.

The map with the hotel’s location marked:

http://www.hotelcasacapitel.com/ingles/situacion2.html

Does all that help?

Joe

cruiseluv

In Madrid check Hotel el Prado. I have gotten great rates in their website, especially if you reserve in advance. The hotel has a very good and safe location, close to museums and old Madrid.

lincasanova

I second the trip to Córdoba. And Valencia is a very easy stopover on your way to Barcelona. You could even take the night train if you don't mind feeling like a zombie the next morning on arrival and having to "tour".

Otherwise, fly to BCN from Andalucía


example.. go directly to Valencia from Madrid by train.. then train to Granada, or FLY to Sevilla,train /bus to Sevilla/Córdoba or Granada, and fly to BCN from Sevilla/Granada to end the trip.

Egbert

Hostal Macarena is next to Plaza Mayor, across the street from Botin and a stonesthrow from cava baja, a famous street for tapas bars and restaurants. Puerta de las Granadas is at the bottom of the hill from the alhambra, 1 or 2 minutes from tapas bars and restaurants. How could someone say the Hotel Colon is a bad location? Across the street from the cathedral, locals dance the Sardana twice a week right in front of the hotel, not too close to Las Ramblas, in the heart of the Gotic quarter and a 3 minute walk to el Born?

lyb

thank you very much, so much to look into and to think about...this weekend I plan on being on the computer, researching and hopefully firming up my itinerary so I can start emailing hotels....getting excited!