Help Italy or Spain?
Jul 12th, 2007, 11:45 AM
#1
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Help Italy or Spain?
My husband and I are planning a two week trip to Europe. In either September or October depending on which one is less expensive. I really really want to go to Italy but in pricing out flying from New York it seemed pricy. So I was looking into Spain (Barcelona) as another option. Is there an off season? Last year on our honeymoon we went to Paris for 1 week and Nice for another. We loved the street life the cafés markets and nightlife (bars and clubs). We want another trip similar but in a different country.
Any suggestions?
sallyc
Any suggestions?
sallyc
Jul 12th, 2007, 12:07 PM
#2
Street life, cafes, markets, nightlife, sounds like Barcelona to me.
My trip report from February:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34955177
Photos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-o3uxdp
My trip report from February:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34955177
Photos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-o3uxdp
Jul 12th, 2007, 02:16 PM
#4
Join Date: May 2003
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I also returned recently from Italy and Spain. As belis says you get more for your money in Spain.
Barcelona is very nice, but you can also do Madrid and a few nearby cities , like Salamanca, or Segovia or Avila or Burgos. One thing you must be aware that in Spain in many restaurants as well as in many hotels in smaller towns there are daily menus for a fixed price which are WONDERFUl. THey cost around 11/12 euros, and offer an entre, main course, dessert and often mineral water and wine. There are a few choices for each course. They are really delicious, the smaller the town the better they are.
This means big savings and it is fun because many locals try them. In Tordesillas for instance, we were staying at the Parador, but the local cafe owner sent us to a one star old hotel, it might have been one star regarding the rooms, but the dinning room was very nice, table cloths, nice china etc. all the business people in town were there with their clients etc absolutly wonderful. I think the same thing can be found in Italy in smaller towns. I am not aware in big cities.
Can I suggest a completly out of the ordinary itinerary, go to Madrid, have some side trips to Toledo, and El Escorial and then head North to Burgos the land of El Cid, there you can stay at a lovely four stars hotel for 69 euros including a tremendous buffet breakfast, and there they have an absolutly wonderful menu del dia for 12 euros.
For Burgos you can visit the oldes medivial city in Spain, Covarubias, the faboulous monastery of San Domingo de Silos among many more things....well it only and idea. We did it and loved it. We loved Burgos as well , in Burgos there are many wonderful places to visit included a fantastic Gothic catheral and an amazing monastery, las Huelgas Reales.
Barcelona is very nice, but you can also do Madrid and a few nearby cities , like Salamanca, or Segovia or Avila or Burgos. One thing you must be aware that in Spain in many restaurants as well as in many hotels in smaller towns there are daily menus for a fixed price which are WONDERFUl. THey cost around 11/12 euros, and offer an entre, main course, dessert and often mineral water and wine. There are a few choices for each course. They are really delicious, the smaller the town the better they are.
This means big savings and it is fun because many locals try them. In Tordesillas for instance, we were staying at the Parador, but the local cafe owner sent us to a one star old hotel, it might have been one star regarding the rooms, but the dinning room was very nice, table cloths, nice china etc. all the business people in town were there with their clients etc absolutly wonderful. I think the same thing can be found in Italy in smaller towns. I am not aware in big cities.
Can I suggest a completly out of the ordinary itinerary, go to Madrid, have some side trips to Toledo, and El Escorial and then head North to Burgos the land of El Cid, there you can stay at a lovely four stars hotel for 69 euros including a tremendous buffet breakfast, and there they have an absolutly wonderful menu del dia for 12 euros.
For Burgos you can visit the oldes medivial city in Spain, Covarubias, the faboulous monastery of San Domingo de Silos among many more things....well it only and idea. We did it and loved it. We loved Burgos as well , in Burgos there are many wonderful places to visit included a fantastic Gothic catheral and an amazing monastery, las Huelgas Reales.
