nevertooold

We are planning a 17 day trip next September to Spain and will be driving to Barcelona from Madrid.

We have already planned stays in Toledo, Segovia, Oropesa and Madrid and have 2 days to make our way by car to Barcelona.

So far I have not been able to find a nice town to spend one or 2 nights if I drive from M. to B., and it is somewhat frustrating.

We are looking for a spot with character - no holiday inns need apply - and, prefersably, a pool (a castle or convent parador-style hotel, but not necesarily a parador as we are already spending 5 nights in paradors around Madrid and will have used up our 5-day card).

Can anyone suggest something?

As always, many thanks for any help.

afterall

I could suggest somewhere but I sort of think people should find their owns spots. You have a map one assumes.

Otherwise what was once a quiet place found by intelligent research becomes a stop on every ignorant traveller's itinerary.

nevertooold

afterall - I have been both making suggestions and considering suggestions on this web-site for over 5 years and I must admit that I cannot recall such a self-absorbed, pompous and absolutely useless response to a bona-fide inquiry over that 5 year period.

My question is valid and was not made in anticipation of having some individual respond with a "do your own research" response.

One of the purposes of this site has always been to enable those who are knowledgeable about a location to provide insights and recommendations to others who are less so. Thank you for your assistance, and I will value the information which you have so graciously provided.

Now, if someone else could comment constructively, I would really appreciate any assistance.

Thanks.

JulieVikmanis

The map suggests that Zaragoza would be an ideal half way mark on that route. I know nothing about it, but maybe others can fill you in or you can check it out on line. If it doesn't look like the answer to your question, the thing I often do is consult a good hotel guide map to the area I'll be traversing to see if I can't find a resort-like place that looks like it would afford a very relaxing overnight, regardless of what the surrounding town or area might be. We did this when traveling from Barcelona to Rhonda. Settled on Hotel El Montiboli, a lovely Relais and Chateau property in Villajoyosa
not far from Valencia. The surrounding area was frankly the pits, but the hotel and its amenities made for a nice one night stay. That said, I consulted my Relais and Chateau guide and couldn't find a property of theirs on the route you're likely to take. Maybe other hotel guides will show something, however. Good luck with your planning.

Viajero2

The OP wrote: >>So far I have not been able to find a nice town to spend one or 2 nights if I drive from M. to B., and it is somewhat frustrating.<<...Hence the reason why El Puente Aereo (Iberia), Vueling, and the AVE train are so popular for that route!

IF you insists on driving this (boring) route, your best bet is Zaragoza, a beautiful city by the Ebro River. I would honestly leave that portion of you rtrip open. Don't make reesrvations, just be flexible. Another place I would stop on your way up is Tarragona.

nevertooold

Julie - thank you for your advice.

On e of the problems that I have been encountering is that, after visiting Italy 3 times in the last 5 years, I am so familiar with the areas there, that I may be trying too hard to find a "tuscany" or an "amalfi" in Spain, and it is becoming frustrating.

We are planning to be in Madrid for 4 days and in the Barcelona area for 6 days, with 5 days in different paradors around Madrid.

We are looking at different alternatives, one of which is to drive from Madrid to Barcelona, but there is nothing enroute that "grabs" me, and i absolutely hate wasting a day staying at a location just because it is "on the way" to somewhere else.

Another alternative is that we add 2 more days, drive to 1 or 2 more paradors, all of which do appear to be somewhat unique, spend 2 days in Seville and fly to Barcelona.

I will post another question on Fodors asking about comments between the paradors at Operesa, Plasencia, Merida and Zafra, and maybe the responses will help me to choose this route.

Thank you again for your advice.

ekscrunchy

The event is over, but here is an article about Zaragoza with some possibly relevant information:



http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/15...5journeys.html

nevertooold

Viajero - We will have the car, so far for 5 days and Autoeurope rates are the same for 7 days as for 5 days, so we are trying to maximize the use of the car.

Flying is absolutely an alternative (the rates on vueling appear to be somewhere in the 35 -40E area) but I am just not used to the rates for train travel - unless I'm not using the site properly, it appears that the rate for train travel for 1 person for Madrid - Seville is over 70E and the rates for Madrid-Barcelona exceed 100E.

To me this is exceptionally expensive especially when considering that the car will cost in the area of 280E for a week.

We are now contemplating keeping the car the entire 7 days, driving to Seville and spending 1 or 2 days enroute at 1 or 2 paradores.

Thank you for your response.

nevertooold

Thank you ek.

Unfortunately we have no desire to visit a larger city, and we are looking for what now appears to not exist - some tuscan/cinque terra style location between B. and M.

As an alternative, does anyione have any comments on the paradores and/or towns of Operesa, Plasencia, Merida or Zafra?

Viajero2

There are plenty regions in SPAIN that fit the Tuscany or Amalfi geographical, scenery, and historical contours. You are trying to find a Tuscany or an Amalfi BETWEEN Madrid-Barcelona and, honestly, by simply grabbing a map and looking at it topographically, you would know off the bat you have to recalibrate your expectations.

A car in Barcelona is a horrendous drag; to drive it in from Madrid takes the whole planning two notches further down....have you evaluated dropping the car in Madrid, hopping on the AVE train Madrid-Barcelona?

nevertooold

Viajero - we have now disregarded the Madrid-Barcelona drive entirely (and to be honest, I was only beginning to consider it this morning), and we will likely return to our first plan of making our way from the Madrid area by car to Seville, and then fly from Seville to Barcelona.

By the way, are the trains as expensive as they appear to be, or am I just not understanding how to arrange, ultimately, for reduced or discounted fares?

Thanks.

skibumette

Nevertooold: in all honesty there really isn't much between M and B. If you take the direct route, you just get it over with. Zaragosa is a decent overnight stop, but certainly not worth a couple of days.

At that time of year you might consider a swing through the Rioja wine region (the capital is Logrono) en route to Zaragosa? The vendemia (wine festival) there usually takes place about 9/20-27. Or head directly north from Madrid to Burgos (several Isabella-related stops in that area), then cut over towards Logrono (visit a couple of vineyards) and drop down to Zaragosa for the straight run to Barcelona? Haven't lived in Spain for 10 years, but there were some nice hotels along that route before.

Extremadura is lovely but Merida and Zafra are really in the opposite direction from where you are headed; not something you'd want to undertake for a couple of days?

nevertooold

skibumette - Merida and Zafra would be alternative stops when (if?) we choose to drive from the Madrid area to Seville, and then fly to Barcelona.

Can you comment on Merida and/or Zafra?

Yhank you.

Maribel

nevertooold,
Just to echo the comments above-
There is nothing "resort like", as JulieV notes, on the EXTREMELY tedious, stress- inducing, heavily trafficked (an endless stream of trucks) and boring drive between Madrid and Barcelona.

Again, it really isn't a pleasant or scenic drive. Other areas of Aragón do entice me, such as the gorgeous Tena Valley of the Pyrenees, and Catalunya is most beautiful, wonderfuly scenic above Lérida and the autovía, not around or below it.

I do a great deal of hotel/special lodging research, job related, and nothing on that direct route "grabs me" either-agree completely with Julie.

The last time we did this by car, not long ago, we cursed ourselves, swearing that we'd never make the drive again. "Why didn't we just take the train?", we asked every 5 minutes. Even more reason to take the train now, with the inauguration of the high speed AVE, which makes flying that route unnecessary.
We did overnight in Zaragoza at the 5 star Palafox hotel (really a 4 star in quality) and enjoyed our stay, revisiting the Basilica and other sites, dining well at their lovely Aragonia Paradís restaurant and purchasing ceramics from Muel (my passion). But from now on, we'll always, always take the train to Zaragoza and on to Barcelona.

I left an answer to your other question about paradors from Oropesa to Zafra on your other thread. Now that could be a very scenic and highly relaxing trip for you with delightful lodging on route.

PalenQ

Zaragoza makes a wonderful stop IMO - town all gussied up from the recent international fair or whatever was there.

Sassafrass

I know this isn't answering the question, but we once drove from Barcelona to Madrid, staying near Zaragoza, and would not do it again, so I offer a different idea.

If you haven't been there, I suggest going to Granada from Seville and flying from Granada to Barcelona. The Alhambra is a most alluring sight. It is a lovely drive from Seville to Granada and the mountains around Granada are beautiful. You might visit a white village or two on the way.

If not that, then just visit Seville and fly from there, or drive to Granada from Madrid and fly from there.

lincasanova

for anyone insisting or considering this drive, the parador at siguenza, although not halfway at all, is a GREAT stopover. its easy access frmom madrid allows you to spend more time in madrid, ( or stop in alcala de henares first) and miss the heavy traffic and still get there for lunch.

then anyone interested in architecture would find the "new" zaragoza quite interesting since the recent expo.

one must absolutely also see the arab palace from the 11th century in zaragoza. it is called the palacio de la aljaferia.

then before arriving in lerida, take the E90 for direct access to the villafranca del penedes wine region where you may want to overnight in a casa rural before heading to barcelona, perhaps via sitges.

www.turismevilafranca.com

Maribel

I think nevertooold's travel plans have changed since the original post, although we all seem to agree that the "new and regenerated" post-Expo Zaragoza makes a nice stopover for anyone who is determined to make the tedious drive from Madrid to Barcelona.

About Sigüenza,
We have used this city as a last night stopover many times driving from Pamplona to Madrid to spend the night before a 1 pm transatlantic flight the next day.

It takes us exactly 1 hr. 30 min. door to door with heavy commuter and truck traffic from the Sigüenza Parador to Barajas airport's T1.
Sadly, the Parador is in dire need of a complete makeover, as it's looking very, very tired. I hope it is soon put on the list for renovation since it has a fabulous setting and is a wonderful building simply in need of a complete renovation.

So if making the drive from Barcelona to Madrid, Sigüenza makes a good (although very quiet mid-week) stopping off point for a quick entry into Madrid the next day. But since it's so close to Madrid (90 minutes or less, 120 km.), it doesn't make a good half-way point overnight on the drive Madrid to Barcelona.

It will be interesting to see how (or if) Sigüenza changes when the Spanish Institute of Gastronomy (IEdeG), connected to the Culinary Institute of America, gets up and running in 2009. It's to be housed in the 17th century Seminario Mayor, currently being renovated. It's hoped that it will infuse the city with the economic stimulus that it needs. Sigüenza has really great potential as a major tourist destination.