skedoo

We are planning a trip in May to Spain & Portugal. We would appreciate any trip reports. We are going to be rushed as we are going to try and do it in eleven days.

Any help on an itinerary would be appreciated.
Skedoo

Aduchamp1

I would not do both in 11 days. Enjoy one country.

amsdon

There are many trip reports just filter Spain and type in trip reports.

Can you give any more info about your plans and tastes so we can offer help?

EmilyMB

I think it would depend on your airports- are you looking to make a loop or do you have different arrival/departure airports?

Due to having to fly in and out of Lisbon/Madrid (frequent flier point limitations), we're also planning a 10-day trip to Portugal/Spain in May. We chose one area to focus on- the Algarve- and are renting an apt for a week in Lagos. From there we are either going to fly/train to Madrid for the weekend, or train to Seville one night and Madrid the next. Returning flight is at 7am out of Madrid airport, so we'll definitely be in Madrid our last night. Want to see Seville, but not thrilled about 2 one-night hotel stays back to back. Still undecided there....

Anyways... we've called Delta to check on changing the return flight out of Lisbon to minimize travel hassle. If we do, after our week in Lagos we want to either loop back to Lisbon from central Portugal or try out a wine trail- just saw a Rick Steve's special on Portugal and there seems to be so much to explore!!

lobo_mau

11 days is not enough to let you see a small fraction of Spain.

skedoo

Thanks. We're defintely going to rethink both countries.

Just one other thing. I have read where the Alhambra is partially closed. Has anyone experienced this.
Thanks

Nikki

Trip reports, you say? Here are mine:

Spain and Portugal, July, 2006:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34841123

Photos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-fvnw8i

Barcelona, February, 2007:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34955177

Photos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-o3uxdp

Lisbon, Alentejo and Madrid, August, 2007:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35062668

Photos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-9tois1

indiancouple

Skedoo,
We did cover Spain and Portugal in one trip a few months ago. You can view our trip report at:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...amp;dirtyBit=1

Hope you find it useful

Zernahiduzu

Hello!,

I think that 11 days are not enough time to see both countries. It would be better to concentrate in one of them, for recommending you an itinerary, you would have to say how you will travel: by train, by plane, you will hire a car,.....

All the best,

Michael

Here's my trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34875899

thursdaysd

My trip reports for Spain and Portugal are at wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004/index.html - 3rd, 4th and 5th entries. I agree that eleven days is pretty rushed unless you just want to do, say, Lisbon, Madrid, day trips, and one other place.

NEDSIRELAND

Do not plan to pick up a rental car in Spain and drop off in Portugal (or vv). That would cost you lots of Euros.

I like Portugal, mostly north of Lisbon and I love northern Spain (Vizcaya, Cantabria, Principality of Asturias and Galicia); I'm not a great fan of Andalucia as are most people who post on this forum.

My wife is Madrileña - her father was Gallego; so I must include those two areas among my favorites

Decide on what you want to see and sketch out a tentative itinerary and you might get some good guidance here.

ComfyShoes

Skedoo, I am not making any other comments because you already got many but consider visiting this for a fair bit of related information:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34954915

beachman

Hi! In October 2006, my wife and I flew from the States to Lisbon, meeting lobomau and enjoying the Lisbon Dining club. If that is still active, look them up & you will have a very pleasant evening. We were in Portugal & Spain for just a little more than 2 weeks. We saw most of the well known sights in Lisbon & Belem and traveled to Tomar, spending a night or 2 there & very much enjoying that town. We then went to the Algarve, using as our base a condo that we received in exchange for a time-share in Mexico. We saw Sagres, Tavira and other towns. Then we drove to Seville, seeing the Cathedral, enjoying lunch there, and driving onto Granada. The Alhambra was wonderful. We stayed in a lovely old place at the foot of the Alhambra, with our own little balcony where we could stand & see it at night illuminated. It was grand. We drove back by a different route, over mountains & through the "bread basket" of Portugal, stopping only briefly at a town that erupted out of the plains, with its own church and fortifications. We enjoyed this so much, that we too are planning a trip back to Portugal & Spain in May. We have again exchanged a time-share, this time for one on Madeira. This will be our second week, or a vacation to recover from the first week of our vacation. The first week we shall be arriving in Lisbon, driving onto Evora and Estremoz where we luckily secured reservations to stay in pousadas. Then, we shall be driving onto Toledo, staying one night at the parador there just outside of the town, where there is a famous view of Toledo (or so I have read), and then staying 3 nights in Madrid. Then, we plan to drive back to Lisbon, staying at a hotel right by the airport, so we can catch our "shuttle" to Madeira. We are very much looking forward to our return to Portugal & Spain. I hope that these recollections and plans may give you some ideas. I would be interested in yours, or others, although I have finalized the itinerary as described for this May. I am always interested in suggestions for good places to eat. We love museums, gardens, and old churches. We were in Rome for just a week in January. It was great, but only whetted my appetite for more travel to Europe. I just wish the exchange rate was more favorable. Oh, well, enjoy!

Slot

Hi
Why don't you go to Tenerife in Spain.
You will be guaranteed good weather and the mountain Teide is worth seeing.
In addition to that I would stay at Ritz Country Club - Tenerife. They have from studios to 3 bed villas.
It's a very good hotel, friendly staff, good food and the prices are reasonable.

Slot

skedoo

Thank you so much for your responses. I'm going to study them and hopefully come out with a plan.

Thanks again for all the information.
Skedoo