devashish

Hi,

This is my very first backpacking trip ( or should I also add a vacation outside my home country India ). I plan to go to Spain ( Reason- Cheap Air Tickets ). A basic sketch for the trip is:

I am a guy traveling alone. My trip will begin and end in Madrid from 1-13 October. I am interested in visiting places in and around Madrid and Barcelona. Main interests include visiting the Museums in Madrid and Barcelona, looking up the architecture and packing in as many places to see as possible in this short trip.

Not to mention I am on a very tight budget of around 600 euros for the whole trip ( plus airfare ). I am looking to stay in hostels and would love suggestions and reviews for the best hostels in this part of the world.

Any and every recommendations / tips and suggestions on how make my first trip outside home the most memorable are really very welcome.

Thanks a million in advance for all your comments.

ha20000

This forum there are not many back packers. I will try and answer your questions.
For hostel reviews the website seems best for this is.

http://www.hostelworld.com/

for transport -trains
http://www.renfe.es
buses
http://www.movelia.es/
for flights read
http://www.skyscanner.net
more information on the two cites
http://wikitravel.org/en/Madrid
http://wikitravel.org/en/Barcelona
plus search this forum for information too.

devashish

Thanks Ha20000 for the information provided. Will definitely have a look out on the sites provided.

suze

For more people who travel backpacker style, check The Thorn Tree, which is the discussion forum over at www.lonelyplanet.com

OHandrew

Hi there,

that sounds great that your planning on doing a solo trip to Spain. Once you arrive, you will realize just how amazing the country is and i'm sure it will be a very eduactional experience for you.

In regards to where you would like to go...seeing as you have 13 days to travel, then I would only recommend the 2 cities you have listed if you don't want to be too rushed.

With Madrid you could comfortably spend 4 days there exploring the city and make 1 or 2 day trips outside to perhaps Aranjuez which is an interesting small village located 47km from Madrid or Alcala de Henares which is antoher small village situated 30km from Madrid.
From there you could go to Barcelona whereby I would recommend at least 4 days to see all teh sites and get a feel for this amazing city.
Some day trips from Barcelona can simply be going up the coast to Costa Brava where there are a lot of little towns which you could stop off at.

And seeing as your on a tight budget, hostels would defintely be the way to go and because you will be arriving in October, this will be out of peak season and hostels a quite cheap then.

Anyway, i hope you have an amazing trip.

OHandrew

OH-Barcelona

Alec

If you are an Indian citizen, you'll need to sort out your visa. Getting a Schengen visa can be a real hassle, and unfortunately, Indians often have to jump through hoops to get one. You need to have an itinerary, booked accommodation for every night of your trip, medical insurance, sufficient travel money as well as return ticket. 600 euro over 13 days (46 euro a day) is really tight, as you'll pay at least 20-30 euro in a hostel (dorm) or hostal (single room), plus internal transport, food and entry fees. That budget may not be considered enough for you to get a visa.

devashish

Hi,
OHandrew, thank you for all the support and advice, really needed that. I was also planning to spend most of my time in Madrid and Barcelona with may be a day each in Seville and Granada.

Alec you are right, as an Indian I sure do have to run through all the hoops, however I have made all the necessary arrangements(Flights, Insurance and adequate Bank Account) hostel reservations have been done which I plan to cancel in the near future and have received an optimistic response from the Spanish consulate where I have applied for the Schengen visa.

Thanks for all your replies will keep this post updated with new information.

devashish

Hi,

Well I have jumped through all the hoops and have my air tickets and visa ready!!!

Finally I am going to Spain on 30th September for 13 days. Any tips advice and tricks to make my first solo backpacking trip the most enjoyable are welcome and necessary

Many Thanks in advance!!!
Devashish

samdriscoll

I am very new in this field dude.....so how can I recommend the travel insurance sites........I can recommend you the only blueinsurances.....
http://www.backpackertravelinsurance.ie/

kimhe

In Madrid, I think you should look for hostals in the Malasaña area. For example, you could stay in Hostal Las Murallas in a single room with shared bathroom for 22€. http://www.hostalmurallas.com/ingles.html

Great, central location full of young locals ready to give you the advice you are looking for. The Spanish are world champions also in having a good time while not spending too much money. Plenty of places where you could have a three course meal for lunch including drinks for 8-10€. At night, just go with the flow and by your drinks in a grocery store and go for a hearty bocadillo or a huge pizza slize for a couple of euros and join the crowd in one of the squares. Many bars would also have free tapas to go with each glass of beer, wine or whatever. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malasa%C3%B1a

The Reina Sofia modern art museum has got free admission from 7pm to closing at 9pm on Monday, Wedensday, Thursday and Friday and from 2.30 pm on Saturday and all Sunday (the second floor blew my mind away last year; Dalí, Picasso, other paintings, movies, photos and posters dealing with two major civilizational brak-downs of the 20th Century: the Spanish Civil War and WWII). Free admission to the Prado Museum From Tuesday to Saturday from 6 to 8pm and Sundays from 5 to 8pm. No free admission at Museo Thyssen-Bornemiza.

Perhaps go for a snack at the up-scale Mercado de San Miguel just off Plaza Mayor. In one of the bars in the northern end, they are small but tasty and just 1€.

If you're into jazz and the budget tells you to, there are live performances at Café Central (Plaza del Ángel, 10) every night from 10pm with top artists and an unbeatable atmosphere. Admission is 11€, and with a couple of beers, the night is yours for about 15€.

You might have a special lunch for 9€ on the sixth floor terrace at Casa de Granada, just off vibrant Plaza Tirso de Molina. http://www.tripfilms.com/Travel_Vide...ada-Video.html

SavikaShirleen

hey Devashish,

I don't know if you will get this message but I wanted to ask you how your trip was? I am planning my very first BP trip to Spain and just looking for some insight...

Please reply back,
Savika