joyling

Hello there again, looking for tips regarding a trip i am putting together in December 2012. We are a family of 4 adults but not all travelling together at the same time.

My husband and I plan to flight into Madrid on the 12th December, have 4 nights before making our way to Barcelona stopping 2 nights in Zarogona to break the journey, 3 nights in Barcelona before meeting our adult children and traveling to Andorra for 5 nights over Christmas, back to Barcelona for 2 more night and the kids return to doing their own thing and we continue to drive south via Valencia eventually departing Malaga on the 5th January. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Madrid - 4 nights
Zarogona - 2 nights
Barcelona - 3 nights
Andorra - 5 nights
Barcelona - 2 nights
Valencia - 1 night
Cordova - 3 nights
Grenada - 2 nights
Malaga - 2 nights

We would hire a car on the last day from Madrid, thank you again for any suggestions.

Pvoyageuse

5 nights in Andorra seem a lot unless you are a skier. Road conditions might not be the best around Christmas. Expect snow.

jessradish

So jealous!! I guess it depends what you want to do while on holiday. Barcelona will be the highlight, the bars are amazing, Gaudi art and buildings are phenomenal and the city is so vibrant.

It's a shame you're not seeing any of North Spain, such as San Sebastian, as I really would recommend the area.

There are a few videos on this site: http://www.directline-holidays.co.uk/spain if that helps inspire your trip!

The balearic Islands are good if you are feeling like a few bars, but I'm guessing from the description you have given that you are going for a calmer holiday, so in that case I would avoid!

jelopez33

Joyling:
To me(and this is highly personal) 5 nights in Andorra is too much; and 2 nights in Valencia will be better.Enjoy your trip!!!

Egbert

5 nights in Andorra is 4 too much. the North coast is not the place to go in December. Driving from Barcelona to Valencia is long and boring. Public transport is always better in Spain. Seville is not included and might be the best part of your trip. do you mean Zaragoza or Tarragona? Both good but one night is enough.

CathyM

Although 3 weeks seems like a long time you're covering alot of geography in this time span and parts of the trip are very fast-paced. I'd consider cutting down on the # of places and spending more time in the placesyou really want to visit. Is there a reason why you've omitted Sevilla and have 3 nights in Cordoba? I agree with Egbert that given the amount of time you have alloted in each place you don't have alot of free time for exploring by car so public transportation may be best - with the exception of Andorra where 5 nights does seem a bit long. A car will only be a hassle (and parking expensive) in many of the places you've chosen.

Michael

What's the attraction of Andorra? I would forget the Pyrenees, and use those days for Seville and Granada. Instead of going along the coast, I would cut inland via Cuenca and Campo de Criptana.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...th/4174444985/

ira

Hi J,

What is drawing you to Andorra for 5 nights over Xmas?

Robert2533

"What is drawing you to Andorra for 5 nights over Xmas?" I was wondering the same thing. We've been to and through Andorra a few times over the years, and yes, it is worth a visit, a drive up to the ski slopes in the summer for the views, but 5 nights is extravagant unless you have friends and family there.

Skiing is better in the Tena Valley, El Molina, or Baqueira.

joyling

Thank you all so much for the feedback. Andorra was just a quick ski trip for the family which was not outrageously expensive - I should mention my husband and I will me flighing from Australia, also our son but a week later and our daughter from England. It was just an idea to spend Xmas together doing something which you would never do at this time of year in Australia. Perhaps flying south from Barcelona is the way to go and spend our time exploring what sounds like an amazing area.

Viajero2

joyling-- you may want to familiarize yourself with the correct names of the cities you are visiting in Spain. Kind of basic; there is no Zarogona in Spain, neither a Grenada....:-?

I am not crazy about your itinerary but it is mostly due to the time of the year and the fact that I am not a skier; shorter days, holiday period, a lot of chances for unavoidable delays, especially on the road. That said, if you have to break the drive Madrid-Barcelona for 2 days (?), I would head out to Pamplona instead of Zaragoza (is that what you meant?). I have been spending a lost of time in Pamplona and it is a great city with a great university and fascinating history. I think your kids will like it. If you are taking 2 days might as well maximize the leisure. I just returned from Andorra, a couple of hours was enough to see the town; the surroundings were breathtaking, though. We went by remote resorts with nearby villages encroaching around; definitely Christmas postcard-worthy.

Unclear: why the backtrack to Barcelona for just 2 days....?

You will need some extended decompression after the first part of your trip. So another suggestion is to consolidate the latter part of your trip. After Barcelona, head out to Andalucia and pick one home base, I would suggest an apartment in Marbella from where to day trip to Granada, Malaga, and Cordova.

joyling

Thank you Viajero2 for you feedback, whilst I may have incorrectly spelt a few of the town/city names, I do believe you understood what I was referring to, therefor take offense to the context of you reply. I use this site to get informative information from people who are genuinely interested in helping and not to be made a fool of.......