welovetravel

My husband and I are planning a trip to Spain, visiting La Rioja and the Basque Country before going to Barcelona. We will be touring La Rioja by car, staying in Laguardia for 4 nights the last week in September but unfortunately after the Sept 21 wine festival in Lograno. We want to visit some bodegas and drink without having to worry about driving.We considered hiring a guide for 1 or 2 days....but private tour guides are very expensive ( 300 euros/per person). We would like to visit some wineries in Haro, Paganas, Logrono and the wine museum Dinastia Vivanco but I'm still checking Maribel's guide to work on more of the specifics. I was wondering if anyone knew of any small group tours that we could join to visit several of the wineries. I can try to contact the tourist office in Laguardia to see if they know of any 1 day excursions we can join. Does anyone know if it is difficult to hire taxis? If we do it on our own, we may just have to have one DD (designated driver - that would be my husband) and one DD (designated drunk - that would be me). Thanks

ribeirasacra

It will not be difficult to hire taxis, just expensive.
Read this web page.
Maybe book the vino bus. It seems quite successful that other wine areas like the one I live in have copied the idea.
http://www.lariojaturismo.com/turism...gico/index.php

welovetravel

Thanks for your suggestion. The wine bus runs on weekends and at present, the commentary is only in Spanish. We will be in the area during the week, so it won't work for us this time. The more research I do on the area, the longer I want to stay.We love visiting small villages and with only 3 nights it clear that I'm not going to be able to see all I want. Are there any special restaurants or places we should include on our visit. Any "find" that made your visit special that you would like to share with us.

ribeirasacra

3 days for some is a luxury. A lot of posters only give palaces one nights and they certainly do not work. Some tours in the bodegas will also only be in Spanish so you may have to pick the correct one at the Maybe one of the official tourist guides maybe able to help. But if there is only 2 of you then again expect to pay a higher price than with a larger group.
http://www.lariojaturismo.com/guiaturistico/index.php

CathyM

I thought you had 4 nights, not 3. In any case 3 nights and days is a decent time to visit the highlights of La Rioja. I've visited this area in September (for San Mateo, the wine harvest festival) for the last several years. Some of the visits with a friend and a rented car but other visits solo and dependent on public transportation. So I can help a bit with the designated driver question and a Laguardia base. I honestly think you'll be best off just having a designated driver. I wouldn't depend on hiring a local taxi. During my first solo trip I learned the hard way. My first day I had planned on visiting the Marques de Riscal bodega in Elciego and was able to get a taxi from Laguardia easily - just walked to the small taxi stop in the village. The second day I had planned on taking the taxi to the somewhat nearby Ysios bodega. I waited for 30 minutes but no taxi - there is only 1 town based taxi! I went to my hotel and when they tried to contact the taxi it was hired out for the day. Basing myself in Laguardia I have visited the 2 cave bodegas in town and walked to Heredad Uguarte (in retrospect a walk not recommended but a nice bodega). I've also taken the bus to Samaniego to visit bodegas Baigorri (highly recommend this bodega along with the lunch overlooking the vineyards). You can get around bu bus but it's a challenge with infrequent schedules so you're waiting around alot and in villages where there's really not much to do for an extended period. You could base yourself in Haro for a couple of nights and visit the bodegas in town so you don't have to worry about driving. But I personally prefer Laguardia over Haro, which isn't the most atmospheric place. So this is why I'd just bite the bullet with the designated driver.

As for don't miss places you really can't beat Maribel's guides. They can be a little overwhelming though as she really makes it all sound so wonderful - and it is! Of the bodegas I have visited these are my favorites - Baigorri (including the lunch), Heredad Uguarte, YsiosLopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia (Haro). Pick a mix of modern and old bodegas. The Dinastia Vivanco museum in Briones is a must. I'd choose one of the cave bodega tours in Laguardia not necessarily for the wine but to see the underground cellars. Also the incredible lunch special at Hector Oribe in tiny Paganos next to Laguardia (and Heredad Uguarte) just down the road from Ysios.

MinnBeef

CathyM or others:

I really would like to stay in LaGuardia but as a solo traveler, a designated driver is not an option for me. The scarcity of taxis in LaGuardia is helpful information, but can anyone provide a link to bus schedules within the region? I would be particularly interested in bus schedules from LaGuardia to Haro and back again, as I definitely would like to visit 2 or 3 bodegas in Haro.

joannyc

Bookmarking... even if it is an old thread. Good info!

ribeirasacra

MinnBeef, what makes you think that any bus will stop at a bodega(s)? most will only serve areas of population.
http://www.larioja.org/transportes/e...nos-municipios
an up date to the link I posted on the 14 of july
https://lariojaturismo.com/comunidad/larioja

kja

@ MinnBeef: When I looked in 2015 – and I did look! – I did not find bus connections between Laguaria and Haro. That doesn’t mean that they don’t exist…. Seriously, consider sip & spit. You could do worse!

MinnBeef

@kja: I have yet to master the discipline of sip and spit. <G>

@ribierasacra: what gave you the idea I was expecting g busses to the bodegas? My question, which kja understood, was about busses from Laguardia to Haro. I am certainly capable to walk to the bodegas as I'm sure Haro is a small town.

ribeirasacra

Why? because this must be a region where the bodegas are not in the campo, where the wine is grown.
Grapes get easily damaged when transported. Cut down the damage by having the bodega near the product. Makes for a better product.

ribeirasacra

I now see from this thread that you hijacked, are now thinking about renting a car.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...mment-10021136
So no bus then?

joannyc

Hijacked??? I don't think that is the appropriate term for a thread that was revived.

I was happy to see this thread revived as I will also be visiting this area in September.

bilboburgler

Haro is a small town and yes you can walk easily to the station (NB the town is long and thin with the station in the valley below so walking back is a climb) where most of the tasting places are, you need to book and there is a charge. Certain days are especially dull (I think Monday) as most close. If you follow my name back about 4 years I did a visit report).

Police are especially vigilent (do they get a bonus?) looking for drunks and anyone crossing a white line in a car so sip spit may not be enough.

However, you will also find that the local bars offer a very good service selling some wonderful wines at reasonable prices with nibbles. So you can do pretty well standing up in a bar. Note closing times, those places that focus on selling wine tend to close by 7, those that are real bars stay open late.

ribeirasacra

hijackeing: Why have two threads asking about the same things? This one should have been left off to die.

***the tasting places***

Could you please clarify what you mean by this? Do you mean Bodega or just a shop where you can taste then perhaps purchase a bottle or two? At a bodega one would expect some sort of presentation about the wine etc.

MinnBeef

@joannyc: I'll look forward to reading about your experiences. Do you plan to rent a car or utilize taxis or some other form of transportation? I read that there are only 2 taxis in Laguardia, which is where I really hope to stay.

kja

I'm not sure why bilboburgler questions sip & spit, since the whole point of it is to avoid consuming alcohol when tasting wine…. You would, I think, have to sip & spit a LOT to end up with any appreciable alcohol in one’s system.

joannyc

Minnbeef, I will have a car. I'm planning to stay 2 nights each in both Laguardia and Haro. I'm sure that will ruffle the feathers of many Fodorites being that the two towns are in such close proximity!!! LOL!!! But, it is my vacation and I am not seeking their advice. I haven't even tried to master the art of sip and spit!

bilboburgler

"I'm not sure why bilboburgler questions sip & spit, since the whole point of it is to avoid consuming alcohol when tasting wine…. You would, I think, have to sip & spit a LOT to end up with any appreciable alcohol in one’s system."

Great point kja but you would be amazed how much alcohol your body absorbs through the mouth. 0.5mg of alcohol is the limit in Spain and you'll get close to that limit with say 10 wines each with 3 sip and spits.

I think staying in both places makes a lot of sense, they are very different. Don't forget to try and see some of the modern bodegas out in the countryside

kja

Wow – thanks for that info, bilboburgler! I was well under that count when I visited, but I can see how it might add up!