With the help of this forum I’m starting to get my Spain itinerary together, and would like some advice/help.

I’ve come up with a couple of options, but first, setting the scene. We’ll be travelling into Barcelona on the Genoa/Barcelona ferry on or about 11 December. We (Australians) are 2 adults and 4 children – 2 are teenagers and 2 under ten. We plan to stay in Span for a bit over three weeks. We prefer to travel by public transport.

So far what I’ve come up with is:

Option 1
Barcelona (4 days) - Valencia (4 days) - Alicante (8 days, including the Christmas period) – Madrid (4 days) – Seville (4 days), then south the Algeciras and across to Morocco.

Option 2
Barcelona (4 days) – Valencia (3 days) – Alicante (5 days) – Granada (3 days, arriving Christmas Eve) – Seville (4 days) – Madrid (4 days), then a cheap return flight to Morocco from Madrid.

I realise the options are fairly similar, but Option 2 does more of a loop around the Mediterranean coast and allows time for Granada.

So my questions then:

Is this too rushed? We like to take our time and savour the atmosphere.
I realise we’ve only concentrated on one part of Spain and are probably missing some excellent places, but perhaps next time. Meanwhile though, do you think there is merit in spending time in both Valencia and Alicante for example? Is Alicante worth going to at all or is it just a soulless destination for summer package holidays?
I note there are no trains from Alicante to Granada – is it easy to go by bus?

Sorry for the long post and thank you for your persistence if you’ve read this far.

Granada (specifically the Alhambra) should not be missed, even if in winter the gardens might not be at their peak.

There are advantages to Granada in December, though. The Sierra Nevada mountains outside Granada are a major ski resort, almost guaranteed to be heavily covered in snow in December (even in the summer, the tops of the highest peaks like Veleta and Mulhacen stay white). If you arrive in the area as described in Option B and stay for a day or two at one of the Sierra Nevada ski resorts, you will almost certainly have a white Christmas (this may not be important to you, but I have known other Australian families who have been eager to let their children experience at least one white Christmas!)

I would suggest adding at a day stop at least for Cordoba (on the train route from Seville to Madrid) to see the Mesquita if nothing else (though Cordoba has many other fscinating sights).

You might want to factor in time for daytrips (or longer stays) in Segovia or Toledo) from Madrid (these towns are easily reached by train or bus from
Madrid).

if it weren't for the time of year you are going, i would say add a little time to the great towns around the madrid hub.(segovia, toledo, avila). all very accessible by public transport.
but it will be winter, and one can't tell if these places will be snowed in or not!

i would not keep so many days in alicante, although if the weather is nice, it is a very friendly town.. to walk along the promenade, beach, port area. but not somewhere you need to stay very long. weather permitting, a nice boat ride to the tabarca island might be fun for the kids.

from valencia i would take a bus to altea.. a nice artistic beach side town.
then move on , either to alicante to go up to madrid at that point.. perhaps add morocco with flight/hotel package from there, and later do andalucia.

there are very inexpensive flights (at times) from valencia to sevilla on www.vueling.com, also from barcelona.
check it out. might help you cover a lot of ground more quickly if you want to.

resipsaloquitur - thanks for the thoughts re a white Christmas - yes it is something that many Australians aim for. We nearly had one when we were in Scotland last year - it snowed on Christmas Eve. Funnily enough, believe it or not we got a white Christmas here in Australia this time - it snowed in our Alp region (about 100km from where I live) on Christmas Day!

Cordoba sounds intersting - I'll look into it. Do you think Granada would be a good place to be at Christmas? Would another place be better?

lincasanova - once again you've been very helpful. Thanks for the vueling tip - I knew that there were some good prices on domestic airfares in Spain, but I didn't realise HOW cheap. I'm now wondering if planes hopping about aren't a better way to go.

Re Altea - I like the sound of the narrow guage railway and had considered Altea or Villjoyosa.

As for Morocco, the cheapest deals I seem to be able to getcome out of London, so I may even wait until I get there.

ttt

I agree that 5 days in Alicante is too much--it's nice, but not as interesting as many other places (I'd recommend 2). And yes, don't miss Alhambra.

Thanks artlover - the comments on Alicante are getting to the point where I'm wondering if I should go there at all!

I know maybe it's too late for this post but I am from Castellón (60 km north from Valencia)so it's something that I know quite well
Alicante is only an hour and a half from Valencia by Euromed train so if you want you can do a day trip there, it's a beautiful city but I agree you don't need so many days there, a day trip is enough to see the castle, the old town and the promenade.
Valencia it's worthy, specially with kids. The new science museum is considered one of the best in Europe and kids can put their hands in almost everything there. It's in a museum complex called "Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias" and also the Oceanographic is there. It's the biggest one in the world (they say). You also can visit the "Museo del Ninot" which is where they put the figures that they don't burn in the Fallas , they are not burnt because they are the most beautiful of each year. And of course...you can eat Paella Valenciana, mmmm, really tasty. "La Pepica" is a great restaurant for that, it's not the cheapest, but it worth the visit
There are lots to see and do in Valencia, 3 or 4 days minimum
And don't miss Granada, you will regret it !!

science museum in valencia will not be too interesting if our kids have been in a good museum like this in the USA .. they keep trying to put in more interesting sites, but it has not been set up professionally IMHO. trying to put a museum into santiago calatrava's skeletal designed monumental building.. has not been easy.

you want a good museum in valencia.. go to the new histroy museum , at beginning of mislata.
THAT one is fabulous. accessible by metro/bus.

remember to check out www.bancotel.com for good deals on 4 star hotels (in most cases).
especially over the holidays you will be able to get great bargains in some cities.

alicante could be a stopover. might be a letdown after barcelona or cute small altea/moraira. if the weather is good though, it has a nice tiled beach "paseo". the MUBAG musuem (free)is near the beach area, a street or two parrallel to main road,(near the city hall) and has free concerts tuesdays and thursdays in the p.m.

good luck organizing.

nerja on the coast would be a nice stop, or mojacar.

orihuela is a lovely manageable town full of history, convents and refurbished churches on your way south.
try to stay at sh palacio tudemir in orihuela.
you will be impressed. usually one bancotel coupon. recuperated palatial home. rooms are modern but entrance and staircase original. the only historic hotel in the valencian community.

certain cities will be more accessible by bus than train once you get south.

do not miss granada. if driving, the cave houses at guadix for a stop.
sevilla
cordoba

westward.. caceres
trujillo
guadalupe

then towards madrid.. toledo
oropesa
avila
salamanca

and of course.. depending on how much travelling you feel like doing, the north/northwest is beautiful but not good time of year at all.

three weeks will just brush the tip.. so once you define a couple areas.. you can enjoy a bit of relaxation. you certainly don't want to be on the road all the time.

since you can fly cheaply most places. perhaps you can take in bilbao(guggenheim) for a night or two.. then fly down to the south from there.. lots of offers now.
iberia.. vueling, air europa, spanair.
good luck.

keep us posted.

lincasanova

Thank you very much for all of those suggestions, and kenderina.

I'm looking at some places in Barcelona and Valencia and was wondering if you know whether they are in a good location.

In Barcelona, I'm looking at an apartment in Nou de La Rambla, just off Las Ramblas - looks very central, but I want to avoid seedy areas...

In Valencia the place I am interested in is in Avenida de Jacinto Benavente, just between "Burriana" and "Reina Doña Germana" streets. Is it a good location?

In Granada I am looking at this place: http://www.apartamentosgranadacentro.com/ and it's location is here: http://www.apartamentosgranadacentro...alizacion.html

I'd be very grateful if you could tell me if the locations of these apartments is OK.

Thanks

Guy

Let's see if I can help you

The Barcelona location is very very good, just beside "Theatreland" which is Avenida del Paralelo. I don't think it is a seedy area but it's an ancient one and very typical from Barcelona Just take care of pickpocketing in that area but enjoy it, it's my favourite one there. To see the florist and newsagents put their selling places well in the morning its a beautiful show )

Valencia : it 's the most expensive area in the city, the newest Just at walking distance from Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias and in front of both Palau de la Musica (a concert hall) and a popular attraction for kids called Gulliver, it's real fun for them To go to the most ancient part of the city you will need buses, though.

I've been in Granada only once but for what I've seen in the map is not very centrally located. Anyway, Granada is not a very big city. Looks like a modern area so I think it would be safe Be well prepared of walking shoes in Granada, to see the narrow streets of the ancient city center is beautiful and in the alhambra is easy to be three or four hours walking !

Hope I have helped you

hi. just saw this post again.

the valencia area you are interested in is fine. it is an older established area of town but does have a lot of restaurants around there.
probably 20 minute walk to the historic part of downtown or as mentioned, take bus.
with four people, though a taxi is more convenient and not horribly expensive.

since it gets dark so early, might want to take in a film in english (V.O)at the new mini mall called ESPAI Campanar, not far from Nuevo Centro. also a bowling alley around the corner from there.

i really think you can look into some good airfares to help you cover more ground since you dont have a car and cant really get to the little out of the way places so easily.

www.iberia.com
www.vueling.com
www.spanair.com
www.aireuropa.com

good luck.

beach properties
www.portsaplaya.com

this might be good option for you.

Thanks once again to both of you. Sounds like I have been lucky with my apartment choices. I did have the option of another apartment on Calle Poeta Bodria, about 100m away from Calle de la Trinidad, but this looks even further away on the map.

Thanks again for the airline links too. I have already picked out a couple of flights I want to book, but unfortunately none of the airlines have winter schedules available yet.

There will be 8 of us (10 by the time we get to Granada!), so buses and taxis... sometimes it's easier to walk! Walking allows you to expereince the character of a place so much better, and is invigorating in the wintertime.

oh, yes ! I forgot your travel is in winter and in summer in Spain walking its hard, too much hot
But then in winter Granada is rather cold and probably you will have a taste for snow

I hope you will have a great time in Spain