Driving from Barcelona to Madrid and in Between
 

Hello,

I am going with a group of friends (6) to Spain in late August. We are thinking of driving from Barcelona to Madrid (or the other way around).

What towns in between would be considered not-to-be-missed? I would love to have a scenic drive and visit charming little towns.

We have 1.5 to 2 weeks for this trip!

Thanks!

Jan

There are some attractions just south of Barcelona: Tarragona, Santes Creus and Poblet - old abbeys in scenic landscape. Then comes a section which is not so interesting, but Zaragoza is quite interesting. Again a rather uninspiring section, maybe with a stop for St. Maria de Huerta.
For me, the areas around Barcelona (especially the Costa Brava to the north) and around Madrid are much more attractive than the stretch in between. Around Madrid, there are many scenic drives and outstanding destinations: El Escorial, Toledo, Segovia, Avila.
Think about spending a couple of days around Madrid, and some times around Barcelona, and drive rather quickly between both areas.
BTW, I would recommend buying the Michelin road atlas Spain - the scenic routes are marked.

hi, lprisr,

that time of year, you'll definitely need A/C in your car and probably in your accommodation too! if possible, I'd avoid Madrid and concentrate on the northern coast - much more comfortable. how about bilbao to BCN?

regards, ann

regards, ann

the most scenic route, and only a bit longer than a straight shot is barcelona-valencia-madrid.

roman ruins in tarragona, castle in peñiscola, valencia city , from valencia to alarcon castle/parador, maybe shoot over to cuenca, then belmonte to toledo.. ending in madrid.

i agree the heat will be bad, and avoid driving anywhere the last two days of august. big massive holiday return with kilometers of traffic jams..

look up the websites of these towns mentioned and they should show you others in the region .

if you like small towns, the don quixote route is quite nice, which belmonte castle is on it, i believe, and then CONSUEGRA, ( which i love basically for its photo opportunity).

Thanks, everyone!

The information is definitely helpful! Regarding traffic and weather, will mid September be better?

Also consider that the suggested charming towns and sites are near by the cities, would you recommend staying in the cities and just take day trips driving to visit these places outside Barcelona and Madrid? And travel by train from Barcelona to Madrid instead?

If that isn’t a bad idea, I think it will save time and the hassle of finding hotels along the way with the driving.

Thanks again!

Jan

Not exactly sure what your intentions are but taking the train between the two cities takes about five hours city center to city center; flying takes about an hour and 5-10 minutes and ultimately can be a lot cheaper if you can live with the checked luggage restrictions.

Barcelona will be hot and humid and Madrid will be hot and drier; just stay in A/C accommodations

Mid-September will certainly be a little better than August, and end of August is better than mid-August. The rule is: the later, the better. The Costa Brava will be quite nice in September; and around Madrid you have the chance to drive up into the mountain ranges to get some cooler air. Both cities, BCN and Madrid, will live up at night when it cools down.