Early thoughts on Spain itinerary
Aug 6th, 2017, 01:46 PM
#21
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Having a car can offer a freedom not otherwise available and a chance to see places that are not readily visited via public transportation, and certainly, there are times when I choose to rent a car! But there are disadvantages to having a car, too. For example:
- For one thing, driving can be stressful – and I say that as someone who loves driving! But some roads are challenging, unexpected detours or GPS failures can be a bit daunting, and driving into cities (and finding parking) can make the last part of a long trip less than pleasant.
- Driving – or at least responsible driving – can also pose constraints on the driver. For example, the driver may be unable to truly enjoy spectacular scenery, as s/he needs to pay attention to the road -- sometimes, very careful attention! And depending on how much one eats and one’s size and and how long one relaxes over a meal, even a glass of wine with lunch may carry risks.
- Driving is generally not a particularly green choice – and for some of us, that is a worthy consideration.
- Some of those “oh, doesn’t that look charming!” places aren’t actually that charming, and by the time you get back on the road, you can end up with less time than might be ideal for visiting the places that were your priorities.
- And one of the best things about taking public transportation: It can sometimes provide wonderful opportunities to interact with people from the area, or gain insights into local norms and traditions.
I have no evidence on the matter, but suspect that Bedar has it backwards: My guess is that it is the people from the U.S. who have experience with public transportation who recognize its merits, while those who have never had access to reasonable public transportation mistakenly think of trains and buses as cramped, crowded, inconvenient options that would require struggling with luggage. I could be wrong!
- For one thing, driving can be stressful – and I say that as someone who loves driving! But some roads are challenging, unexpected detours or GPS failures can be a bit daunting, and driving into cities (and finding parking) can make the last part of a long trip less than pleasant.
- Driving – or at least responsible driving – can also pose constraints on the driver. For example, the driver may be unable to truly enjoy spectacular scenery, as s/he needs to pay attention to the road -- sometimes, very careful attention! And depending on how much one eats and one’s size and and how long one relaxes over a meal, even a glass of wine with lunch may carry risks.
- Driving is generally not a particularly green choice – and for some of us, that is a worthy consideration.
- Some of those “oh, doesn’t that look charming!” places aren’t actually that charming, and by the time you get back on the road, you can end up with less time than might be ideal for visiting the places that were your priorities.
- And one of the best things about taking public transportation: It can sometimes provide wonderful opportunities to interact with people from the area, or gain insights into local norms and traditions.
I have no evidence on the matter, but suspect that Bedar has it backwards: My guess is that it is the people from the U.S. who have experience with public transportation who recognize its merits, while those who have never had access to reasonable public transportation mistakenly think of trains and buses as cramped, crowded, inconvenient options that would require struggling with luggage. I could be wrong!
Aug 8th, 2017, 05:36 AM
#22
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annhig: I've thought about dropping Barcelona, but one of the reasons I had it on my itinerary is my assumption (which could well be wrong, as I haven't researched this issue extensively, yet) that it will be much easier (or perhaps even necessary) to spend the final night of the trip in either Madrid or Barcelona, in order to catch a flight back to the US. Part of that is premised upon using American Airlines to fly (not an absolute requirement, but the logical choice at DFW). So, if that assumption is valid, I'd prefer to do an open jaw itinerary with Madrid and Barcelona rather than simply backtracking to Madrid. But, some Spain experts may have a different view on that and be able to share some insight on this issue.
Aug 8th, 2017, 03:41 PM
#23
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Open jaw is a great idea – but needn’t constrain you to Madrid and Barcelona unless you are adamant about having a direct flight to / from Spain. There are many regional airports into which, or out of which, you could fly and even book through with American Airlines, taking advantage of its code-shares. You might want to think about where you would like to spend your time and then explore your flight options, rather than assuming that you MUST plan around these two international airports.
