trixitoo

is there anyone out there who prefers staying in apartments when they travel and doesn't want to rush around from city to city like a maniac.last time we travelled we stayed for 3 weeks just in barcelona,and i loved it.and we don't travel that much either.now i want to go to andalucia for 3 weeks ande
ty.has anyone stayed in an apartment in any of the cities and can anyone give any advice about a leisurely itinery for andalucia????there are 4 of us travelling.

Tiptoe

Hi trixitoo. Loads to do in that region. You must have a car though. I'm in the U.K. and have relatives who live in a tiny village called La Roya which is typical of the region. 1 road in, out 1 church, 1 resturant(not bad either) and lot's of cat's n dog's.
For something more international try Puerto Banus, Marbella & Granada. All well worth a visit for different reasons. Have a good trip.

annetti

I love staying in one place for an extended period of time. Much pleasantner than constantly packing and unpacking your suitcase. You only do that unpack once. You get more of a feel for an area and if you stay in an apt. you can visit the local market, do shopping and enjoy the area. We buy the Michelin guides which help us select an area and also give us detailed information on sight seeing, then we never run out of things to do. We also, spend many an afternoon, just walking, browsing shops, perhaps a small museum and a nice lunch somewhere. Perhaps a drive or a short train excursion to a nearby sight is fun and relaxing, too. No, you are not alone in your planning. There are lots of us out there who are not packing three "must sees" into one day. I'm an aging baby boomer now, but even in my 20s, I never packed that much into one day or enjoyed running from place to place. Perhaps, if you put out a post for apts in Andulucia, (sp?)you will get some suggestions.

Judi

We are slow travelers as well. If we do not rent an apartment we usually stay at a hotel for a week, sometimes a bit less and sometimes longer.

We love Nerja and spend two weeks there every year. It is a rather small town and you might not want to stay there three weeks but I think you may like it for a week. You could spend an additional two weeks in a larger city like Seville possibly.

We often rent from a very reliable company, http://www.inter-sol.com/
It is owned by a Canadian woman and an English man, both very kind and helpful. An apartment on Carabeo will give you sea views. We have stayed at 70,72 and 68 Carabeo.

If you want to know more, post here and I will give you my email address.

Underhill

You might also want to check out the slowtrav.com web site, aimed at people just like yourselves.

mdtravel

Yes you are all alone.

tuscanlifeedit

I like both, but the rushing can't be too rushed. I do sometimes really enjoy a bit of touring, and sometimes enjoy staying still.

rubytwo

Several years ago we rented a chalet in Switzerland and stayed there for several weeks. We took our grandson who was 7. It is a great way to travel with a child. Same bed everynight makes rest a breeze. He loved Switzerland, and climbing the snowbanks, and the museum in Martingy with the outdoor sculptures he could touch was a memorable day for all of us. Further, walking to get a baguette in the morning at the same shop, stopping to talk to people, sitting in a local cafe, meant that we really got the feeling of the area. After that trip, we have done the same here in the states. We rented an apartment in NYC and did the same and really enjoyed the city. I like staying in one place long enough to really "SEE" it..so, you are not alone. There are probably more of us than you imagine.

RufusTFirefly

It all depends on what we are trying to accomplish on a particular trip. Sometimes we move around (2-4 days in each place). Other times we stay a week or two.

Don't know that I'd want to stay 3 weeks in one place--seems like I'd end up doing the same stuff I do at home (grocery shopping, dry cleaners, putting the trash out, laundromat) for a lot more money. But one or two weeks is fine at times.

trixitoo

hi Underhill,i checked out the slowtrav.com website ,thanks its great & i found a great website for apartments in seville there.now i'm thinking of staying about 4 days in madrid,taking train to seville staying there for a week, hiring a car at some stage but not sure where to go from there.any suggestions??

MikePinTucson

We just returned from a trip to Costa del Sol. It was an "extended vacation" with Grand Circle Travel (www.gct.com).

We stayed at the Bajondillo Apartments for the entire time and took "day trips". Here are some ideas of places to visit:

Granada -- the Alhambra is pretty spectacular.

Ronda -- a beautiful mountain town.

In Seville, we went through the Cathedral, which is beautiful, and took a walking tour of the old quarter (Santa Cruz). Then went to a flemenco show in the evening.

We also visited Jerez de la Frontera, visited the Sandeman winery there, then saw the "dancing Horses" show (definitely not to be missed).

Gibraltar, you can take a cable car up the mountain, see the monkeys, and visit the Saint Michael's cave.

There was also a trip to Morocco (overnight) which we passed on). There is a ferry that takes about an hour.

dncee11

We like to rent a place for a week at t time, 2 summers ago we rented in the Granda area 1 week and Asturias for 1 week. In between we saw Madrid of course, Seville briefly and Barcelona a couple of nites. It was a lot of jumping around but the full week gives you a chance to unwind.

sebti

www.houseinjerez.com has info regarding an apartment rental in Jerez de la Frontera, which is perfectly situated to take in all the offerings of that corner of Andalucia, the Serrania (Arcos, Ronda, and the Pueblos Blancos), the coast (Puerto, Sanlucar de Barrameda, and the Costa de la Luz) easily connected to Seville and Cadiz and an hour away from Gibraltar....

Underhill

Try the slowtrav.com web site to find other like-minded people.

lucielou

I know exactly how you feel trixitoo, I love to just arrive in one place and then relax for about 2 weeks. We have been going to Nerja for 5 or 6 years now, and we absolutley love it, we rent out the same villa every year for the past 4 years, the first year we went with on a package deal, but we didnt like the apartment we got, so the following years we booked out own flights and our own villa and it all went great. A great site to rent from is www.ownersdirect.com or www.thisisnerja.com. That way you know you are renting direct from the owner, not an agent who is only thinking of commission. Nerja is beautiful and very convenient for travelling to Rhonda, Granada, Sierra Nevada, Frigliana, and if you are really adventureous, you could spend two days in Seville, staying over night, its really beautiful. Frigliana is really quaint, its beautiful to sit outside a little cafe or restaurant with a glass of wine and watch the sun go down, over Nerja.There is a great supermarket just a few miles away in Velez-Malaga, called El Ingenio, we go there once a week and stock up on all our food, drinks and what every you need. My teenage daughter thinks she is in heaven with Zara ( a clothes shop that is madly expensive in Dublin, but very cheap in spain)!! Burriana beach is only a 10 minute walk from Nerja town, and really lovely, its not over crowed or huge, there are some lovely restaurants on Burriana. Sierra Nevada is a vast mountain range which you can ski on in winter, but there is always snow still at the top in summer months, its a lovely day trip, the drive is about one and a half hours and well worth it.
Nerja is relatively unspoilt, there are no high rise, no lager louts, and no yobs. Its for families, and older people alike, there is a nice sedate pace to life. There are numerous restaurants, lovely little beaches and coves, and getting from Malaga airport is a doddle, infact its a straight road into Nerja, which only takes about 45min to an hour max. I would highly recommend Nerja for two weeks,its a really lovely town and has a special place in my heart.