Early planning stages for a trip to Spain, probably to Bilbao and San Sebastian areas for a foodie trip and museums. Probably visit restaurants like Arzak and Akelarre, maybe one more Michelin starred place.

Is there a good Fodor's guide to Spain? I have a freebie coming due to being quoted and can't find a Spain-specific title listed. Maybe the closest is just "Europe" but I'm hoping to find something more focused. Anyone know of something more specific from Fodor's?

If not, I guess I'll thumb thru the guidebooks at the local mega bookstore, but if there are suggestions, especially food-oriented, let me know.

Thanks.

Penelope Casas' "Discovering Spain" is an excellent resource for anyone interested in a food tour of Spain.

You can download a copy of Maribel's Guides to the País Vasco, which covers Bilbao and San Sebastian-Donostia and Hondarribia (www.maribelsguides.com).

Another good source of information would be the Cadogan Guide Bilbao & The Basque Lands. There is supposed to be a 5th edition available, but haven't seen it as yet.

All about going for the world famous pintxos in San Sebastián: http://www.todopintxos.com/home/home.php?lang=en

A tour through an evening at Akelarre: http://gastronomyblog.com/2010/06/04...san-sebastian/

You should also go to Getaria, close to San Sebastián along the coast towards Bilbao. Had the meal of my life in one of the excellent fish and seafood restaurants in the small harbour back in 1996. Elkano and Kaia Kaipe are the most famous:
http://www.restauranteelkano.com/
http://www.kaia-kaipe.com/

In Tolosa, some 20 km inlands from San Sebastián they are dead serious about their steaks. These are both excellent:
Casa Julián: http://www.casajuliandetolosa.com/PAGINAS/eentrada.html
Asador Nicolás: http://11870.com/pro/asador-nicolas

Also take a look at the Guardian article "Is San Sebastián the best place to eat in Europe?". http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...rink.shopping2

Haven't read it myself, but " Spain - a culinary road trip" might be of interest. http://www.amazon.com/Spain-Culinary...62846&sr=1-1#_

I also was quoted and can receive a free guide-book - I happened to look first on Amamzon to see what Fodor's guides are available - I saw a Spain guide to be released in Dec. 2011 - but as you have also discovered, it is not on the list.

Last year we used Rick Steve's guide to Spain for our time in southern Spain. It worked great for us.

I second the recommendation of the Casas' book.

A cookbook with plenty of good food/restaurant information is Anya Von Bremzen's New Spanish Table. Great photos, too, not to mention some excellent recipes.

Suec1: I also have a few free books coming and cannot decide. (have the Spain 2011 and doubt if the upcoming one will be substantially different) But I do see the 2012 Spain book on the list of guidebooks when I open the guidebook bar on this page under the orange banner. Where are you NOT seeing it listed?

Rick Steve's is not exactly a foodie....

Maribel's guides are great.

I also have the Lonely Planet World Food book for Spain (and France and Portugal). A great book series that is unfortunately out of print but you can find used on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-...3374816&sr=1-1

For food there is always the Michelin Red Guide for hotels and restaurants, or using viaMichelin on line.

No, Ricky is anything but a foodie. But we thought his guide book to the attractions was very good. Not that I'm an expert.

Not to hijack the thread but how about guidebooks to Costa del Sol? This month will be our (husband's and my) first visit in thirteen years, so I'm expecting lots of changes (and not counting on great weather). We enjoy food, art, culture, architecture, history, WALKING. Did visit Gibraltar, Marbella, Cordoba and Granada last time, and some of the White Towns, plan to explore Sevilla and Malaga (and Nerja?) this time. Have a car, some Spanish.
Need to find guidebooks quickly - everything we have is FAR out of date!

lskohn,

Perhaps start a new thread, but here are some very informative websites on three of my absolute favourite places in Andalucía.
Sevilla: http://www.exploreseville.com/
Málaga: http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/home.htm
Nerja: http://www.nerjatoday.com/

If you start a new thread, I can give you lots of tips for all these places based on your interests. Have visited all frequently the past ten years.

Rick Steves is the man who recommended that people take uneaten food from trays that are left behind at cafterieas. Yes, it was in Through The Back Door Europe series.

And although I love Penelope Casas, Discovering Spain, has not been updated since 1992.

The Michelin Reds are best for food.

Can you read Spanish?

Bill_H--If you are still checking this thread:
I was in same position--planning a trip to Spain next fall, won a free guide, decided would like a Spain one, didn't see it.

So I emailed the editors and asked if I was limited to picks of guides on drop down menu, they said no, I wasn't, and graciously and generously and quickly sent me a Fodors guide to Spain. I got it Dec. 8.


I don't know if it has enough about food for you; we aren't foodies by any stretch, but it seems to be a typical good Fodors guide, a place to start if nothing else.

(Hope I don't cause headaches for editors from people such as me asking for special consideration! The last two times I "won" a guide, I just got the one I was quoted in.)

@ekscrunchy: My Spanish is far from fluent, but I'll tackle anything reasonable with my handy diccionario and verb book. Probably have to wait to get there to pick up anything in Spanish, at this point.

For online restaurant reviews, often with photos, I use this site.

http://11870.com/k/en/es/madrid


The usual caveats apply when using any online consumer reviews, but I found it helpful in the past.

Another online option, available in English, it the GuiaRepsol, which has some interesting food-related itineraries:


http://www.guiarepsol.com/es_en/home/



Sounds like a fabulous trip. You do know, I think, that you have to book far in advance ( months) for some of the top-rated restaurants. I will be interested in how the planning progresses and I need to get back to these areas myself very soon!

I just last night finished The Sorcerer's Apprentices, about elBulli, which you might find interesting for a behind the scenes peek and some general info on the current restaurant scene in Basque and Catalan Spain. Certainly not an essential read,though; there is more about the personalities than about the actual food.

See it, Spain [a fodor's guide i got by being quoted elsewhere] is pretty good.

otherwise, the Cadogan guides are good for touring - they have nice routes, and good hotel/restaurant suggestions.