Nothern versus Southern region of Spain

Old May 4th, 2016, 08:42 AM
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Nothern versus Southern region of Spain

Hi,
My daughter will be studying in Salamanca & Barcelona for 8 weeks this summer and I will be meeting her @ the end of her studies to travel through Spain. We only have 7 days not counting travel days @ end of July so I realize we cannot cover it all. I arrive in Madrid, and was contemplating going north by car: Madrid (1night) Salamanca (1 night) then drive to Leon, Asturias, Santander and San Sebastian (3 nights) then drive to La Rioja (1night) and then back to Madrid for last night.
Or I can go towards Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada, Cadiz and Ronda.
Am I trying to cover too much? Is driving thru the mountains treacherous in the midst of summer heat?
Thanks for your help.
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Old May 4th, 2016, 09:13 AM
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So apart from the inside of your car what of Spain do you really hope to see.
I get the feeling that you are doing a car race more than taking a vacation.
7 days?
Part in Madrid, part in Barcelona.
Train between 2 cities.
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Old May 4th, 2016, 09:31 AM
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Southern Spain is likely to be very very very hot at the end of July. I was there at end of June, beginning of July 2014 and felt half dead on some days. There are lots of beautiful places to see, but if it's too hot to move around you won't see much.

Haven't been to northern Spain, yet. Maybe 2018 or 2019. It should, at least theoretically, be colder than the south. But ribeirasacra is right about your itinerary sounding like a car race.
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Old May 4th, 2016, 10:32 AM
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She would have seen Barcelona and Madrid already so I wanted her to see other regions of Spain.
Can we take train to Sevilla (2 nights) then to Granada and Ronda (2 nights) then Salamanca (2nights)
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Old May 4th, 2016, 11:06 AM
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If you are into food, I'd suggest you go north - San Sebastian and that region. The bad thing about that part of Spain is that it rains quite a bit - but the country is more lush and beautiful there. If you had a car, you could explore more and even cross the boarder to France for day trips. But the food, the food in San Sebastian is just amazing.
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Old May 4th, 2016, 11:18 AM
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Good hotels in Donostia will be hard to get, as many madrileños and others summer there.

And I would not rent a car as the transportation in Spain is excellent and a car is more of a burden in the places mentioned except for Ronda.
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Old May 4th, 2016, 12:02 PM
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How about the beautiful Costa Brave area, 60/90 minutes north of Barcelna, beautiful scenery, food & places of interest...it's a very easy drive ( and I would rent a car)
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Old May 4th, 2016, 12:03 PM
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That should say Costa Brava ....
Places of interest Pals, Begur, Figures, Cadaques, Girona.....
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Old May 4th, 2016, 05:55 PM
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Tough call!

All three of your proposed itineraries would be too fast-paced for me, but YOUR interests and preferences are what matter. If you haven't already done so, I recommend that you get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, check their opening/closing times on the internet, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together.

You probably know 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. Plan accordingly!

I doubt that you will find it helpful, but you might take a peek at the trip report I filed after spending a month in the northern parts of Spain -- including the places you list for that option -- last May. Just click on my screen name to find it. I didn't file a report on my time in Madrid and Andalusia, but there are lots of reports on this board. If you opt for that route, do consider making time for magnificent Cordoba.

Hope that helps!
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Old May 5th, 2016, 06:06 AM
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Perhaps the Basque region (Euskadi), Belle Epoque San Sebastian and vibrant and cuting edge Bilbao, plus lots of nice villages along the fabulous and rugged coastline. And the best food in Spain, if not in all of Europe. The Spnsih and French elites started to go to this coastline more than 150 years ago because of the milder summer climate.
http://tourism.euskadi.eus/en/
http://tourism.euskadi.eus/basque-coast/
http://www.euskoguide.com/

Bilbao: http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...ilbao-tourism/
Donostia/San Sebastian: http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...stian-tourism/

"Is San Sebastian the world's greatest city for foodies?"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...y-for-foodies/
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Old May 5th, 2016, 06:10 AM
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IMO public transportation is not that great in the San Sebastian area - I almost always travel by train, but that is one area I think it would be very advantageous to have a car to explore. But you might have trouble parking in SS so I'd get a hotel that had that option.
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Old May 5th, 2016, 09:34 AM
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In the south typical highs are near 100 and can reach 120 degrees. Not something I would even consider in the summer unless you are sitting right on the beach/pool.

I would definitely head to San Sebastian so you have decent weather and see a different part of Spain.
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Old May 5th, 2016, 11:22 PM
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Re San Sebastian and public transportation. Have lived here and visited almost every year since the late 80's, and I've never had any trouble finding the bus to even the tiniest village.

A dozen underground parking houses in San Sebastian, so parking is usually not a problem. It can be expensive though (some 25€/day), but many hotels offer substantial discunts.
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Old May 6th, 2016, 06:01 AM
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ooops, discounts...
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Old May 6th, 2016, 01:15 PM
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I concur that Northern Spain or Costa Brava would be your best options at that time of year. Your initial itinerary is pointed in the right direction but does probably need to be cut back a bit to maintain sanity. We did a one night stop in Leon enroute from Madrid to Northern coast with a stay or 2 days in Ribadesella at the beautiful Villa Rosario and day trips from there, then 2 days in Bilbao, followed by 2 in Logrono and a train from there back to Madrid or a flight out of Bilbao if your airline flies that route. Still pretty ambitious but doable IMO. Alternately, go from either Barcelona or Madrid to Logrono, head from there to San Sebastian and then to St. Jean de Luz in French Basque country and possibly fly out of Bordeaux or Bilbao, again depending on the connections you can find.

Otherwise Costa Brava with a night in Barcelona, a stay of two days in a coastal city like Llafrance, then another stay of two days in Cadaques or cross the board into France and stay in lovely Collioure, and return via inland routes through Figueres and Girona and fly out of Barcelona.
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Old May 6th, 2016, 01:46 PM
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Definitely head north, otherwise you will melt. Agree about the use of public transport, the new Spanish trains are very comfortable, especially in Preferente class.

Pay attention to kja's warnings about timing. Plan on a siesta and eating dinner late. Or tapas.

For my TR for northern Spain (traveling by train and bus), start here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...omment-9399168
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Old May 6th, 2016, 02:15 PM
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Another vote for the north at that time of year as much as I love Andalusia (and every other part of Spain that I've seen so far)!

Here is the link to my pictorial TR from northwestern Spain from August 2013. It may help you decide where you want to go.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...n-pictures.cfm
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Old May 6th, 2016, 10:31 PM
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We head back to The Costa Brava for our 6th trip in 4 years, it's a magical part of Spain and so easily reached from Barcelona.
There is a STUNNING cliff side botanical garden just out side of Llanfranc, well worth a stroll round. The medieval village of Begur is close by ( with its wonderful restaurants.) There are some lovely coastal walks too.
Pals is worth a visit this is a restored inland village and not far from there is Pubol, where you can visit the house of Dali's muse and wife Galia, which has all the eccentricities you would expect being connected to Dali.
Head north to the Dali museum in figures and the spend a day in the town of Cadaques.
You could go to Girona on the way back, I like Girona it's got some lovely old buildings, is a nice spit for lunch ( we are very lucky to have snagged another reservation at El Cellar De Can Roca!)
I would say a car is essential but it's very easy to drive in the part of Spain,baddie from the major cities the roads are almost empty!
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Old May 6th, 2016, 11:42 PM
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re eating in Spain, we typically sightsee in the morning when it's coolest, have a long late lunch when everything else is shut, a nap or a drive in a nice air-conditioned car and then more sightseeing followed by tapas in the evening.

This fits in well with the Spanish rhythm of life, and means that we are not sitting down to eat at midnight which would not suit our constitutions. [even though at home we often don't eat until 7-8 pm, starting dinner at 11pm or midnight is not for us].
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Old May 6th, 2016, 11:43 PM
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another point, most places offer a menu de dia at lunchtime which has by law to be reasonably priced so you can save money that way too!
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