quiltingmamma

After 10 months of planning, my 3+ weeks in Spain is coming up later October, and I am looking at a plan B and plan C for my final journey leg (Nov 14 - 18). It is Granada - Sevilla - Cordoba - Toledo - Madrid - then Barcelona. If things are not somewhat settled there before I leave for Spain, I plan to pull the plug on the Barcelona segment. It isn't a fear factor, I am not an inexperienced solo woman traveler, but I am not interested in the stress of figuring out what I can do day to day and having that hanging over all my days elsewhere in Spain. I can always make a stand alone trip back to Barcelona at a later date and this is meant to be a vacation.
I have no problems departing from BCN as per scheduled, but am not interested in visiting during upheavals. They don't need more stressed or confused tourists on the ground while they adjust to whatever 'norm' is coming down the pipe.
So, I see this as an opportunity to try something different, but without a lot of planning time. I see my last days being spent somewhere with history, a lot of green spaces and opportunities to relax. Valencia first came to mind as I see there is a direct train or bus to BCN airport. My intent would be to arrive at an airport hotel evening of Nov 17 for ease of flight the next late morning.
I have skimmed ekscrunchy's excellent trip report, but it needs more detailed reading than I have time for right now and I note some links are closed or head to some anime website that is all boobs and butts...not Spanish ones, by the way. Those need to be reviewed some other day.
I am considering the Turia area because of the parks and close proximity to bus or train, but all of ekscrunchy's foodie bits and seafood/paella raves has me wondering if I should stay somewhere different. If it matters, I have an average accommodation budget of ~$100 Cdn, or about 68E. For more than 2 nights I prefer apartments with kitchens, but for short stays, a hostal is suffice.
I will have spent days in museums and architectural wonders and ruins for some time before this so a more relaxed pace is good. I am a bird watcher so Parque Albufuera has some appeal - but by public transport or tour, if I can figure that out.
With 3.5 days in November, is Valencia enough? Do I do an overnight in Cuenca?
I also have a prepurchased ticket to Barcelona from Madrid on Nov 14 - I am not sure whether it stops in Zaragosa, but if it does, do I consider spending the time there?
Las option would be just stay in Madrid and do either day trips, or a number of castle towns by bus with overnights then moving on. Part of me is interested in that option only because it has me near an alternative airport should I be able to change my return flight airport.
By this time on my trip, I am also prepared to 'wing it' after arrival in Madrid, as none of my time needs to be planned to the minute, and accommodations seem ample.
I would appreciate any suggestions or recommendations or perspectives that I have totally missed.
Thanks to all.

danon

Since you only have a few days to consider at the end of your trip,
why not " wing it".
The weather in Valencia will probably be warmer than Madrid.
Trains from Madri to Barcelona normally stop in Zaragoza.

quiltingmamma

Danon, there is 'wing it' and 'wing it' ;-) I am normally not the 'winging' kind so some basic information helps. Perhaps I should define that 'winging it' in my vocabulary is not having accommodations and travel booked. haha Arriving in Madrid and then deciding 'hmm, I feel like castles' or 'hmm, I feel like paella and some bird watching' still takes a little bit of knowledge - and no knowledge or a teenie bit is all I have right now. However, it would be a good test of my comfort zone. Thanks.

kja

IIRC, you expressed a strong interest in art, and I recommended that you give more time to Madrid than you ended up planning. If so, my recommendation still stands.

Segovia makes for a delightful overnight or daytrip from Madrid. I missed Cuenca, but would have loved to see it, and you can now get there much more easily than when I was in the area. Salamanca is also very easily reached from Madrid these days, and IMO, easily merited 2 full days – truly a lovely city.

IME, you shouldn’t have trouble finding excellent food anywhere in Spain! JMO. ;-)

Hope that helps!

cdnyul

Zaragoza is definitely worth a visit, it is Goya's birthplace and there is a museum dedicated to his early work.

The Siguenza Cathedral has a great art collections.

quiltingmamma

Yes, kja, if I find that travel to Barcelona is running smoothly from Madrid, I can easily add days there. I have an article on castle towns in the area, and there is one with a palace and lovely gardens that is on my wish list, so that is an easy decision when the time comes.
I could even combine with a day in Zaragoza.
Thanks.

ekscrunchy

Valencia is underrated as far as tourism from abroad, I think. There is a fast train from MAdrid, and you can then take another grain to BCN to go home.

Valencia is beautiful, easy to walk around, has great food, one of the best, if not THE best, food markets in Spain.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...e-blossoms.cfm

annhig

We loved Valencia when we visited a couple of years ago and if anything 4 nights/3 days were not enough, though that did include a day trip to Segunt.

i much preferred it to Barcelona, not least because it has not yet been overwhelmed by tourists, and retains its own atmosphere are integrity. It also has a gorgeous real beach backed by some very nice bars and restaurants and the food was almost universally excellent, unlike in Barcelona where the excess of tourists has led to a drop in standards. Then there are the historic centre, the Science park, the art gallery, the markets - IMO you can't lose.

kja

??? I was not talking about adding time to Barcelona – all my comments were suggestions for adding time in/around Madrid -- which seems to be an option you were considering.

quiltingmamma

kja, sorry if my comments confused readers. Yes, I understood that you were commenting on Madrid environs and my reply was also about Madrid, but I guess there was a dangling participle or some important sentence structure that I messed up. The 'there' following 'Barcelona' meant Madrid, but rereading it, I realize that was vague. So, your suggestions of Segovia, Salamanca definitely match extra days in Madrid, and I would do that......if transport to Barcelona is running reliably enough to reach BCN for my flight home.
Thanks again.

Bedar

Valencia is great, or you could go to lovely Salamanca where you'd also get in more bird watchig. Those storks atop the buildings are magnificent.

kja

There are storks in Avila, too.

quiltingmamma

Bedar, thanks. I am starting to read about Salamanca, so perhaps? If not this trip, I have another trip in mind for castle towns around Madrid and can logically add Salamanca to that trip.
However the Parque Albufera is reachable by bus. Some pretty fantastic birding there too.I ultimately have to depart from BCN so Valencia's routing that stops right at the airport has some appeal. I hear there are even some Modernists buildings in Valencia....which was pretty much the only reason I was going to Barcelona.
Can you see what direction I seem to be heading in?

Bedar

Yes, yes, you should go to Valencia which you'll love plus will have the Albufera (which I forgot).