brmsimmons

Hi Fodorites! I have been lurking around for a while and read some very informative posts, but I had a few questions.I have read Maribel's guides(alot of which I will print and take with me) and Comfyshoe's thread.

1.I was planning on buying my AVE tickets to Seville a few days ahead at the Renfe Office at Barajas. Is this ok or should I book online?

2.I know many restaurants and shops close on Sunday, which is the day I was planning on a day trip to Segovia. Is it worth it to head out there or should I stay in Madrid?

3. Where is a good area to buy jewelry? Not high end gemstone jewelry, but I am interested in artistic and uniques necklaces.

4.Do restaurants and tapas bars list their menus outside so you can browse over the menu before going in?


A little background info on my trip. I have decided to take this trip to celebrate my 5 year anniversary/completion of grad school/30th birthday. I will be in Madrid for 3 nights, Seville for 3 nights and then back to Madrid for a night before returning home. I will be staying at the Gran Hotel Canarias in Madrid and the Hotel Alminar in Seville. Madrid plans-Prado, wandering around and eating. Seville plans-Alcazar, flamenco, arab baths, wandering around ,eating. As always any help is appreciated!

tammylouky

You are going to have a great time. I went to Spain last June and spent 4 nights in Madrid and 2 nights in Seville.

Regarding the AVE tickets from Madrid to Seville, reserve online ahead of time if at all possible. This was the one part of the trip that was the most frustrating. Waiting in line to purchase tickets even with a reservation number was extremely frustrating.

For one of trips, our hotel reserved it the day before, but we still had to go to the train station to pick up the tickets. It is much easier if you have a reservation number. I speak very limited spanish (with the help of a phrase book), and the folks working behind the counter spoke no English. For the other two trips, we went without a reservation number and it was more difficult, mainly because of the language barrier.

All that said, visiting Madrid and Seville was great.

Regarding jewerly, I know that Majorica pearls could be found at many shops and in a variety of beautiful designs.

eliza3

I can only answer the question re restaurants in Seville - most of the restaurants in the santa cruz area have menus outside.

Erin464

Segovia is really pretty and can definitly be done in a day trip. I was there on a Sunday (New Years Day at that!) and there were lots of restaurants open. We observed everything from the outside (not sure if there are even any attractions you CAN go into - maybe the castle?) so I can't speak to whether those will be open though

Dukey

I may be incorrect but in order to use the Renfe on-line TikNet system I think you have to pick up tickets at a Renfe office the first time so that probably won't keep you from standing in line somewhere.

In Seville I would definitely include a visit to the cathedral.

amsdon

Hi Brmsimmons:

1. Just FYI re your Ave train trip hope you go 1st class it's great even lunch is good.

2. Re tapas, If you are unsure would suggest you get a recommendation from the waiter, (Que recomenda?) Be daring! If you want to avoid any particular food due to allergies or preference be sure to learn a phrase explaining in advance just to be clear.

3. Segovia: Lots of restaurants open on monday as are the sights. You read Maribel's..she loves Segovia.

Have fun!

GBbabe

Buy your train ticket at the airport. If you buy online, you still have to stand in line, if you can figure out which line to stand in. There was no one in line at Barajas when I bought my ticket. When I got to Atocha, I saw two ticket offices and I couldn't figure out what the difference was and both had long, long lines. I was happy I already had my ticket.

brmsimmons

Thanks so far for the advice!

Tammy-I already have some majorica pearls as I have been to Mallorca. I'm probably one of a very few who have been to Mallorca without setting foot on mainland Spain!

Eliza- that is good to know

Erin- I will definitely have to keep Segovia in my plans, it looks beautiful

amsdon- The reason I ask about the menu is that I want to make sure that it is within my budget. I certainly plan on trying many different things, the amazing food is one of the main reasons I chose Spain!

brmsimmons

GBabe- what terminal is the renfe office in? I will be coming into terminal 1.

josemacall

Segovia is a touristic destination so most of the restaurants will be opened on Sunday for lunch (not so sure for dinner). Showing the menus is mandatory, so most of the places show them in the outside.

In Segovia you can visit the cathedral, the castle (Alcazar, wich was the building that inspired WaltDisney Castle), the aquaduct..., and if you have enough time go to La Granja (11Km to the south in mountain area)

amsdon

Oh...now I gotcha ,I understand.

Along those lines I have been reading several posts here & there about the "optional" bread and tapas that some travelers have assumed were free in some restaurants, only to learn there was an extra charge when the bill came. So be aware of that. I personally have never experienced that in Madrid or Sevilla but maybe it's a new practice? Just to be sure you can always ask..."incluido?"

Maybe the others can comment on that too?

ams

josemacall

In restaurants, the inclusion of bread without charge is only mandatory in "Menú del día". In good restuarants, the bread and a tapa is usually charge as "Pan" or "Servicios", and they usually say it is the service and as a detail they give a little "gift", the tapa. They will charge under this concept between 1 and 3 € pax. When you're paying at least 40 € pax, it's not too much, but it's annoying and you can be a upset.

brmsimmons

thank you ams and jose! Anyone have good restaurant recs?

ComfyShoes

brmsimmons,

5 year anniversary, completion of grad school AND 30th birthday! Wow! Is that the reason why you plan to be in Seville and Madrid for three days each? Just kidding. Congratulations, of course.

Based on several recommendations here, I went to Meson de Cándido (on the Aquaduct Plaza.... very easy to find). See if you can get a window with Aquaduct views, upstairs. It is a bit expensive (I think we paid $60/pp), but their Cochinillo, and Ponche Segoviano are excellent. What I also enjoyed was Senor Candido's showing up with the entire pig on a platter, cutting it with a plate, and then smashing the plate to bits (touristy but but I was a tourist!). My kids thought it was some sort of a magic act until we got the dismembered pig with its head intact in a plate The food was great and so was the ambiance and aquaduct view through the windows.

That said, there is another thread where someone else recommended one other Segovia restaurant. Try to find that, and make up your mind. I don't think you will go wrong at either place.

I should also tell you that my Hotel Andalus-Sevilla reservation fell through for one reason or another, and we ended up in Hotel Alminar. It was very nicely located (less than couple minutes walk to La Jiralda), clean, very comfortable, large baths, and extremely helpful staff (I can give several examples). In one conversation, one of the younger Spanish women behind the counter tried to tell me that she had an american accent, and I just didn't have it in my heart to tell her "No!". So at least one of them is sort of funny too

Have fun.

waynehazle

This is a great thread. Hopefully I will be in Seville in a few weeks.

amsdon

I think the Segovia restaurant that Comfy was referring to might be Jose Maria. There is actually a recent thread that deals specifically with the preference of one over the other (Jose Maria versus Candido). I will find out mid May (hurray!)

As for Seville be sure to check Maribelle's guides and T.A as well as Frommers.

waynehazle

By the way Seville was beautiful.
I like Granada even better

but I was amazed at how AWESOME Madrid is, what a beautiful city, with so much to appreciate. I wish I had spent more time there.

Christina

I don't know the last time you were in Spain, Amsdon, but I don't think surcharges for crackers or olives or whatever is something new. I was there 2-3 years ago, and plenty of restaurants did that then in Madrid and Seville, although not all. It wasn't bread and wasn't called service, either, which it wasn't (at least not in my case). It wasn't tapas, either, it was always some black olives and some little crackers they call the Spanish word for little cannon or something, I can't recall. They are pretty tasteless and the last thing I would want with dinner.

Now that was my experience, but it never varied in the restaurants that did this -- it was always olives and with crackers sometimes. It was never bread or tapas. It wasn't labeled service, either, and I think an extra 10 pct surcharge for nothing that you even want is indeed a lot and very annoying.

kenderina

No, it's not new..but it's not common.
I'm not a restaurant person so I don't go out for dinner too often..but I have never been in a restaurant where I had to pay for that. There are some places here where I live that put some allioli (kind of garlic mayonnaise) with the bread if you want to try it (I love it !!) but it's free.

amsdon

Hi again...

I actually am starting writing my trip report as we speak from May. In looking at my receipts, bread/pan was charged in many nice places..approx 1,10e pp. But we als had alot of meals a la "menu del dia" and pan was free, along with alot of other tasty yummy treats. I think our zeal was a big plus.
In anycase the extras are never a problem for us as we love to eat everything!

I'll post soon..