jmjmstaug

Will be in Spain for a month hopefully during Holy Week next year. We are trying to decide if we rent a monthly apartment in Madrid and use that as a home base or do weekly rentals in 4 different areas. We are not opposed to doing one or two night trips from Madrid to see different areas of the country. Would like to do most of our traveling via train. Any suggestions?

BigAleinstein

I would spend a week each in different parts of Spain, since Spain is really six or seven different regions with different languages, histories, cultures, and foods. You can both enjoy that city and explore the region.

Madrid

Barcelona.

Sevilla

San Sebastian/Donostia

These would be my choices all for different reasons. Look at some guide books and the extensive postings here for more detail

SusannahT

As much as I love Madrid, I would split your bases, maybe in two or three.

I would rather see Segovia, Salamanca & Avila from a place near there.

Aranquez palace is an easy trip just out of Madrid and is quite delightful with beautiful gardens, even in winter.

Haven't been to Seville & Granada or Barcelona but they are on my list.

Enjoy planning

Underhill

Why is this tagged for the U.K. when the topic is Spain?

BigAleinstein

I would venture a wild guess, that this egerious error is mistake by a first timer.

ribeirasacra

What are you aiming to see whilst in Spain, ie likes and dislikes Spain is a huge country which for ease can be broken up into about 4 or 5 regions.
Travelling by train is a good idea, especially if you want to only visit major cities. If you want some countryside then a car would be more useful.
Breaking the trip is a good idea, and I would try and cut this down into say 3 different regions.
Semana Santa will be high season and you can expect to pay the prices to match. Train will also be busy...well that is if the crisis doe not bite even more!
For more ideas look at the national tourist site of http://www.spain.info/
or here on Fodors www.fodors.com/world/europe/spain/
Let us know when you have some ideas and we can give some feed back.

BigRuss

(1) Spain is not in the UK.

(2) You cannot day trip all over the country from Madrid. Spain's too large.

(3) There's no need to "see Segovia" from anywhere other than Madrid - it's a 1/2-hour train ride away. Salamanca and Avila are further.

(4) Far too much to see and do in Seville and Barcelona for you NOT to stay a while in each if you have 4 weeks.

bobthenavigator

Pick 4 locations and be sure to include the " S" towns.
Seville
Segovia
Salamanca
San Sebastian

Pegontheroad

If you're going to be in Spain during Holy Week, I suggest you go to Málaga for Holy Week. They have wonderful processions and the hotels don't double their prices as so many do in Sevilla.

I think some of the above ideas are reasonable.

ribeirasacra

Bob; you forgot Santiago!

jmjmstaug

Thank you. Yes I am a first time user and sorry for my confusion. I lived in Puerto de Santa Maria in the early 70's. My husband has never been to Spain and I did not travel much past the Costa del Sol area at that time. We would like to get a better sense of the country and the people. I am just starting my research so I am not sure on what I want to see. I would like to see some of the "must see's" but would also not like to do the typical touristy things. We are not big on the commercial tourist sights. Trying to find the more authentic sights. Thank you for your imput.

bobthenavigator

Of course---blasphemy !

CathyM

You may consider spending 2 weeks in Andalucia, one during Semana Santa and another the week before or after. The weather "should" be nice during April and 2 weeks would give you a mix of large and small cities allowing you to visit the "must's" - Cordoba, Sevila, Granada and also giving time to perhaps visit Ubeda/Baeza,Cadiz, Malaga, white villages, sherry triangle, Priego, Osuna, Antequera, and other more off the beaten path places. For the other 2 weeks you could divide one week each in Madrid, Barcelona or San Sebastian. Or if you think you will be coming back then spend an entire 2 weeks in the Basque Country and La Rioja. You could come back and visit Madrid and Barcelona. I must disclose that my favorite (and very different) parts of Spain are Andalucia and the Basque Country + LaRioja so I am biased

Either way I'd definately break the month up in 2-4 regions.

BigAleinstein

We are not big on the commercial tourist sights. Trying to find the more authentic sights. Thank you for your imput.
________
Some of the most popular sights are popular for a reason such as the Alhambra, Sagrada Familia, Prado. To dismiss them in an off-handed way would be selling yourself short.

BigRuss

>

What does that mean?

Is the Sagrada Familia or the Prado a "commercial tourist sight"?

kimhe

Semana Santa in Málaga is a great idea if you're looking for autenticity. As Pegontheroad says, it's huge here but not by far as many tourists as in Sevilla during this most important celebration of the year almost all around Spain. In Andalucía there is fiesta and devotion hand in hand almost 24/7 for a whole week. The highlight of the year.

Here is the actor Antonio Banderas doing the opening act (pregón/announcement) of Semana Santa in Teatro Cervantes in his native Málaga in 2011. An honour he used to give what many have called the best pregón of the past hundred years in Málaga. This small excerpt from his speech gives you an idea of the importance of Semana Santa for the malagueños: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpjeDKTnKQQ