Five December Days near Madrid
 

Hi All,

My wife and I spent 10 days driving through SW spain in 1998. We hit Toldeo, Jaen, Ciudad Real, Cordoba, Sevilla, Ronda, Arcos, Nerja, Granada, and Toledo once more for good measure. We loved it. But now we're toting around two little ones. They are good travelers, but still...

In late December we will be doing a five-day stopover in Madrid. We can't log the mileage we did last trip because of the kids. We were thinking of hitting Avila and Segovia, and maybe Toledo again.

We arrive at night (11:30pm), so we are looking for a recommendation for a hotel near the airport. We want something comfy (4-star +) near the airport, and would hit the road the next morning.

Any thoughts on what's worth seeing and doing in Avila and Segovia? We have to pace it, so we need to be conservative in how much we can fit in. Is Salamanca worth the extra drive? Too ambitious? Any lodging recommendations in these places would be very welcome. We liked the Paradors last time we were in Spain.

Are we crazy for heading into the mountains in late December? Should we suck up the drive and head south again instead?

Thanks for any advice you can give. We truly appreciate it.

Head north out of Segovia to Sepulveda and hae lamb for unch at El Figon de Tinan el Mayor. In the heart of trule lamb country, this is a delight. One entree - regarless of the number of diners: Lamb, salad, bread and wine. [Although, I confess. as a solo diner,I couldn't do it justice. "Good enough for Juan Carlos it is good enough for you". It is a meal to be remembered and the countryside wil teach you a new respect for those who live there!!

Check out the following web site. It lists all of the hotels near the airport. You can even book on-site.

http://madrid.airporthotelguide.com/

As you can see, there are a few to choose from, including the Intercontinental Madrid****, which is 6 miles from the airport. The Conde De Orgaz**** is 1 mile away. The Tryp Barajas Hotel**** and Tryp Diana Hotel**** are also only 1 mile distance from MAD. And finally there is the Tryp Alameda Airport Hotel**** at 3 miles distance. Personally, I would go with the Intercontinental if you are going to pick up your car when you arrive, if not then I go with one of the hotels that have a shuttle service.

Depending on the weather, which shouldn't be too bad, staying at the Parador in Avila for at least a coupe of days would be nice. It is very comfortable and there is enough to see in the area to keep you occupied for at least that long. From there you could also take a day trip to Segovia and the village of Monasterio de El Escorial before heading south to the Parador Oropesa for at least another two nights, giving you time to explore the local area and do a little ceramics shopping in La Reina. Oropesa has one of the most interesting Paradors, especially if you can book one of the four original rooms. If it's a little chilly, which I'm sure it will be, the fireplaces upstairs should be roaring. If you spend two nights in Oropesa, you can still make a late morning or early afternoon flight. The highway leading to the airport has been reworked, so pay attention to the signs. At least there are a few more of them to guide you directly into MAD. Remember to stop for fuel before you get to the city. Finding a station is a bit more difficult. Our you can do what we do and let the rental company fill it up for you. It can sometime save a lot of hassles.

If you don?t want to drive to the airport in the morning, then I would suggest cutting one night in Oropesa and heading back to Madrid for a final night in the city before catching your flight.

We just returned on 11/17. Segovia is great. nice compact old town which is easy to explore. similar to toledo only not as large. there's a great greek place off one of the main west/east streets. it was a terrific counter to all the ham and cheese.

We were really disappointed with Salamanca. I cannot recommend going there. Its far afield and just not worth it in my opinion. I was real pissed when the university (public area) which claimed to be open until 6PM decided to close at 4:30.

El Escoral and Valley of the Fallen are also worth a day while you are in the area. They both can be visited easily on the same day. Please note, lots of road construction around El Escoral. Try and approach the area from the southwest (not from the intuitive east side)

Have fun,

tom

the intercontinental is in MADRID.
the softitel hotel is very nice, at trade fair area next door to novotel, sister hotel less expensive.
a new hotel near aiprot is the auditorium hotel. might want to check out www.bancotel.com website to see available hotels for 50 euros/night.

main problem is going to be four people in one room.
how old are the kids?

madrid area has a lot of interesting things for children, from neat museums to fun-parks to indoor skiing.

oropesa castle is quite the place.also one of my favorites if you are in the area.