Spain in July

Old Dec 1st, 2016, 01:53 AM
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Spain in July

Hi
I am planning a solo trip to Spain from the 6th to the 25th. I have planned an early sketch of my itinerary and I was wondering if I could get help with finalising it.

I arrive on the 5th to Barcelona at 9pm from Melbourne and I plan to stay in Barcelona for 6 nights inc the first night.
The following is the rest of the trip.
12th 14th in Pamplona
15th 16th in Toledo
16th to 20th in Granada
20th 26th in Madrid and flying out if Madrid to Melbourne.

Could I please get some advice on whether this all sounds OK?

I would like to know if I should include San Sebastian or will it be too rushed?
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Old Dec 1st, 2016, 03:51 AM
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Are you going to Pamplona for the Running of the Bulls? If so, fine, if not, then be aware of crowds at that time.
I ask because you are including Pamplona, but skipping Seville and Córdoba.
San Sebastián is only about an hour from Pamplona. You could easily include it for a day. You could also stay in or near San Sebastián and do Pamplona as a day trip.

Are you driving, taking trains? It would make more sense to go to Toledo just before Madrid, rather than before Granada.

Could you fly from San Sebastián (or Pamplona) to Granada (or Malaga, or Seville)?

You start off stating nights in places, then have days listed twice, once each in two different places, so that can't be nights. It is confusing. You can't be in both Toledo and Granada on the 16th, then in Granada and Madrid on the 20th. Either stick with listing nights or lay everything out day by day, including travel days and travel times.
Be sure to include time getting from your hotel to airports or train and bus stations as part of travel time.

Personally, I would cut 1 or 2 nights from Barcelona, 1 or 2 from Granada and 2 or 3 from Madrid. Where to put those days depends on your interests. There is more time in the North, Seville, Córdoba, Malaga, Segovia, Salamanca and many other choices.
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Old Dec 1st, 2016, 03:57 AM
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I would not miss San Sebastián. You have plenty of days to cut from Barcelona and Madrid to fit in a nice 3- or 4-day stay there.
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Old Dec 1st, 2016, 06:34 AM
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It is easy to make a day trip from Madrid to Toledo( 1/2 hour by train)
Some time on a beach in SS might be a nice break ( 2-3 days .) from the
hot weather in July.It is a very popular place in the summer !
...(not far from Pamplona)
2 nights is probably enough to time for Granada.

You better check transportation connections...
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Old Dec 1st, 2016, 10:29 AM
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You can take the train from Pamplona to Madrid and then on to Toledo, but you will have to return to Madrid in order to catch the train/bus to Granada (the new high speed line will probably not be ready by then).

You will not be able to book the train from Barcelona to Pamplona until Renfe updates the summer schedule, something around the end of May to early June.

But as it is late July, it will be very warm and crowded in the south. As already recommended, since you will be in the north, I'd head for the beach in San Sebastián-Donostia. I'd start looking for a place by first of the year. July and August are a very busy time of the year on the coast and accommodations are in short supply.

I would plan on spending more time on the coast, cutting a few days from your time in Madrid. 3 to 4 days would be fine. You can take the train from Bilbao to Madrid. The train from San Sebastián is too slow.
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Old Dec 1st, 2016, 02:12 PM
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Thanks I appreciate all the advice...

I think I was slightly confusing in my original post and I only noticed after I submitted it.

Based on the advice I have received I have gone with the following:
6th to 10th 5 nights in Barcelona

11th to 12th 2 nights in Pamplona for the running of the bulls.

13 to 15th San Sebastian 3 nights

16th to 18th Granada 3 nights

19th Toledo 1 night

20th to 24tg 5 nights

Leave on the 25th

My main interests are history, rural landscapes especially the medieval villages and experiencing the cultural atmosphere of the main cities.

I am just concerned if this itinerary feels somewhat rushed or is it spaced out enough?

When would be the ideal time to book hotels?

Finally is it worthwile in booking activities through an app like viator or is it better to book them as I go along when I am there?

Thank you for the help in advance
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Old Dec 1st, 2016, 02:29 PM
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It's a long days journey to get from San Sebastián-Donostia to Granada. No direct flights or rail connections, so be prepared.

The middle of the week is a good time for visiting Pamplona, but you'll need to book your accommodations well in advance and be prepared to pay a bit more then normal.

I would skip spending only one night in Toledo as it will take most of the day for you to travel from Granada to Toledo. You'll have to go by bus, or head to Madrid and back to Toledo by train.

Skip viator and pick up some good guide books, including downloading Maribel's Guides (Granada, Toledo, San Sebastián and Madrid). The tourist offices in San Sebastián, Toledo, Granada and Madrid all offer guided tours at a reasonable cost.

Book your accommodations as soon as possible. Most, but not all, are refundable.
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Old Dec 1st, 2016, 04:16 PM
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Thanks

Where would you suggest I travel to after San Sebastian? Is there anything interesting on the way to Madrid? Would it be better if I left out Granada?
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Old Dec 1st, 2016, 04:48 PM
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Do NOT leave out Granada !!
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Old Dec 1st, 2016, 05:39 PM
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Granada is wonderful - don't leave it out!

At present, I'm flying Granada to Madrid and then taking the train to Toledo. It'll take a while, but Toledo is fascinating too.
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Old Dec 1st, 2016, 06:17 PM
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I would NOT include San Sebastian -- its my least favorite place in Spain and IMO (others love it, though) and your original timing elsewhere made sense.

Your revised plan, including San Sebastian, seems to me to shortchange Barcelona (particularly because you will have jet lag while there), as well as Toledo (for which I wanted 2 full nights).

And BTW, if you want any day trips from Barcelona or Madrid, your current plan doesn't allow them.

BUT those are just my thoughts, and it's your trip. ;-)

If you haven't already done so, i strongly recommend consulting the Michelin Green Guide and Rough Guide
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Old Dec 2nd, 2016, 01:22 AM
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Seems like kja has got a hang-up on San Sebastián after a couple of days visit. She must have got it all wrong. Like most others that know the place and keep coming back here year after year, I of course strongly recommend San Sebastián after a couple of days San Fermín festival in Pamplona, that's the way my San Sebastián love affair started some 30 years ago.

San Sebastián and the Basque Country has got a very distinct culture that people take great pride in, also a dramatic history and stunning rural landscapes, and the food capital of Spain and Europe. http://tourism.euskadi.eus/en/home-b/
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Old Dec 2nd, 2016, 03:01 AM
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Your plan has you zigzagging across what is really a pretty large country. Even if you really want just a 'taste of' different regions, you still have a rather skewed ratio of traveling vs being in a place.

Granada is wonderful - but not for this trip. Just way out of the way, very hot in July, and no time to see any of the other wonderful cities in the area. Save it for another trip.

You still have only 19 nights to split between 5 places. If you feel that's too slow a travel style for you then plan some day trips which you can take or not take once you get there depending on how you feel. But five 'bases' is more than enough for that time period. And Granada is the one that doesn't 'fit'.
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Old Dec 2nd, 2016, 04:24 PM
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To respond to kimhe's comment:

Yes, my experience in San Sebastian was only a few days, during which I had some very nice moments. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend 7.5 weeks traveling through magnificent Spain, and of all the places I’ve been privileged to see, San Sebastian is – without question -- the one location I liked least. (And it isn’t about Basque Country – for example, I loved Bilbao.)

I don’t think I got anything wrong. I think I just have an opinion that differs from kimhe's and – as I acknowleged – from that of many others. But it is an opinion that I believe I’m allowed to have and to express, and – I thought – to do so on Fodor’s without facing pejorative remarks as a consequence. But perhaps kimhe didn’t realize that calling it a “hang-up” is insulting?

I think it’s a good thing that people have different preferences. IMO, life would be quite boring if we all liked the same things. Viva la difference!
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Old Dec 2nd, 2016, 04:26 PM
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Thanks again for the advice

I'm getting the sense I should focus more on the northern part of Spain and leave the south for another trip.

Kja what didn't you like about San Sebastian?

Isabel how would you allocate the 19 days assuming we left out the south?
Can u recommend any hidden treasures in the north?
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Old Dec 2nd, 2016, 04:53 PM
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I think that there was too large a difference between my expectations of the things that drew me to San Sebastian / Donostia and what I actually experienced, and too many of my experiences there were, frankly, disappointing.

There were a some things that I thought very well worthwhile – the Museu San Telmo and the El Peine de los Vientos stand out quite positively in my memories. And the city certainly has some lovely gardens (at least when I was there, in mid/late May) and some beautiful waterfronts. But little else grabbed me, and unfortunately (and in a very rare experience for me) I was often reminded of comparisons that put San Sebastian in a light that was, for me, less favorable than other places I’ve visited

I did eat very well in San Sebastian (thanks, in large part, to kimhe’s recommendations), but I’ve eaten at least as well elsewhere in Spain, and in many other parts of the world. Note, however, that I didn’t dine at any of the Michelin starred restaurants in the city itself.

To put my remarks in context, I should note that I don’t travel for beach time or down time. I suspect that San Sebastian probably has a FAR greater appeal to those who travel for these reasons. Too, I was there as a solo traveler. I suspect that people who are there for a romantic getaway, or a family vacation, might experience it very differently.

To emphasize: JMO.
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Old Dec 2nd, 2016, 05:09 PM
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BTW, if you are thinking of skipping the Alhambra (one of the two sites in Spain that are, IMO, most magnificent -- among the world's treasures, not just Spain's) and are looking for places in the north to explore, you night consult my recent trip report. Just click on my screen name and then scroll down the page to the section on trip reports.
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Old Dec 2nd, 2016, 05:13 PM
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I'm wondering whether it has a unique atmosphere. Is it a city that is worth visiting purely because of its layout and geography or would you only visit it for practical reasons ie food, relaxation, beaches etc

I enjoy the idea of entering a city and feeling a unique vibe and atmosphere. Does it have it's own distinct beauty different from other beach cities?
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Old Dec 2nd, 2016, 05:47 PM
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IME, almost any city, town, or village, just about anywhere in the world, can have a unique feel – a unique “vibe and atmosphere” – if one is open to it. I definitely experienced a “unique atmosphere” in San Sebastian and I found many things to enjoy and even treasure about that atmosphere.

I don’t normally visit beach cities, and so can’t speak to general similarities or differences, but I believe that San Sebastian is known for the distinct beauty of its layout and geography and I agree that it is stunningly situated.

I would also suggest that food, relaxiation, and beaches are not necessarily “practical” reasons, but also – for at least some travelers – essential features of “atmosphere.” I would also add that I loved the attitude toward food that I experienced in San Sebastian and elsewhere in Basque Country – an attitude that I found part of the “unique atmosphere” of this fascinating area.

BTW, when responding, be sure to check for posts that are entered between the time you see something to which you are replying and your actual response – IME, its easy for those comments to get lost!
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Old Dec 2nd, 2016, 08:16 PM
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Thank you for your informative responses.

I will have a read of your trip report and hopefully gain some valuable insights on the region.

If you wanted to spend 19 days in the north inc Toledo how would u go about it?
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