Hi all

Was hoping for some help with how many days/nights might be appropriate for any of the cities below. We're a couple in our mid-40s, and we mostly like to walk around and look at cool buildings. We might go to a museum or two in the course of a week, but mostly it's walking the city center, getting out to any obvious stuff not super centrally located, and eating. So we go through cities pretty fast. For example, we saw most of what we wanted to in Paris in about three days. For another example, in September we did Dubrovnik/Mostar/Split/Hvar/Korcula/Sibenik/Trogir in a little more than eight days (two nights in Dubrovnik, three in Split, which was our base for the day trips to the two islands). We walked around Dubrovnik and Split twice, although I'm definitely not complaining about it.

Anyway, these are the cities:

Segovia
Salamanca
Valladolid
Avila
Either Burgos or Leon

If you've been to any of these cities, how long would you suggest we stay in it?

Thanks very much for any guidance.

troy

Three nights in Salamanca.

If you can do Paris in 3 days and see most everything that interested you, then the following might work as all are much smaller than Paris:

Segovia - overnight
Salamanca - overnight
Valladolid - overnight
Avila - half a day at the most, if you arrive early
Burgos - half a day should work
León - requires more walking, so at least one night (Léon is in the Landes)

All can be visited by rail using Madrid as a base.

Thanks very much for that. I think most of the cities are a little far away from Madrid for us to use that as a base, but you're probably right that we should base ourselves somewhere, like Valladolid, and day-trip from there, with maybe an exception for Leon. Are you saying the sights there are more spread out than in the others, so it will take us more than a day to see them?

IMO, the highlights are Salamanca, Leon and Segovia

Hi boyreporter:

If you click on my name, I have a WIP trip report for the area that might be helpful.

Regards .. Ger

I did Segovia for 3, Salamanca also 3, Avila was a day trip, Burgos 3 and Leon 2. Have not been to Valladolid. I was happy with the amount of times I spent in each, but I like to take my time, although I do get bored. Was not bored with any of those. If my time was limited I could have been satisfied with 2 nights in each (Avila still a day trip), although if I had unlimited time I could probably have kept myself amused for 4. By comparison, my last trip to Croatia was almost exactly the same as yours, in the same amount of time. On the other hand, I've been to Paris seven times and still haven't seen everything.


Here's my photos of the Castile y Leon cities - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p551756686

https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p898177329

From what you say of your interests and travel style, I think Robert2016 has given reasonable estimates, except that I'd say 2 nights for Salamanca. FWIW, I wanted MUCH more time in each of these locations.

Ive been to all of them, except Valladolid. I woud recommend 2 nights (at least) Salamanca, and 1-2 night Leon.Avila and Segovia can be done as day trips from Madrid, that's how Ive done them. You might want to check out Zamora , between Salamaca and Leon. We stayed there overnight at the Parador and enjoyed it.

You waste your time by trying to visit all these towns in day trips from Madrid. You will spend way too much time in trains, buses or cars and not enough in all these gems. We enjoyed to dine and sleep in medieval city centers like (walled) Avila, Salamanca or Merida....

I did all these cities in an open top sports car in 3 weeks, but I included a few non-cities as there are some very interesting things out in the countryside.

I struggle to imagine how one can do Paris in three days, but hey...

For a quick trip I would want two days/three nights for Salamanca. At least two nights for Leon, one for Burgos. Haven't been to the others.

For my 2015 trip to Leon, Burgos and Salamanca start here (links at the top of the page): https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...n-got-popular/

Thanks very much, everybody. Very helpful, including the trip reports and photos. Will be aggregating everyone's advice and following it.

From my secret notebook: some bars to eat tapas in those cities.

Cuzco Bodega on Calle Juan del Rey 5. Salamanca. Try the "milhojas de solomillo" (slices of pork tenderloin and foie).
Ipan Ivino on Calle Felipe Espino 10. Salamanca. Try the "tosta de chipiron" (toast topped with baby squid and eggplant cream).

Cervantes Gastrobar on Calle Cervantes 10. León. Order the house vermouth and try the "garbanzos" (chickpea stew)
Entrepeñas. Plaza de San Martin 1. León. The specialty is charcuterie. Try the "chorizo" and the "cecina" (beef jerky).

Jero on Calle Correos 13. Valladolid. Try the "moncón" (Iberico loin, roasted peppers and poplar mushroom)
Villa Paramesa on Calle Calixto Fernandez 5. Valladolid. Wine, cheese and creative tapas.

Los Herreros on Calle San Lorenzo 20. Burgos. Wide array of classic Spanish tapas.
La Mejillonera on Calle Paloma 33. Burgos. Try the "patatas bravas" and the "mejillones" (mussels).

El Sitio on Calle Infanta Isabel 9. Segovia. A nibble comes for free with your drink. Local tapas.

Gredos on Calle Comuneros de Castilla 4. Avila. A nibble comes for free with your drink. Local tapas.