We just got back from a trip to Spain and Pays Basque in France. I can't say enough about Maribel's guides http://www.maribelsguides.com/
and the posts she had made on Fodors. They were great. We constantly consulted them and found all her recommendations to be spot on. The frequent question during our trip was "What does Maribel say??" When we decided to go to Pays Basque with no info with us, we just went to her guides online and followed them. I highly recommend using them for travel to Spain. So Maribel wherever u r -- thanks for making our trip so great.

Amen !

If Maribel recommends it I trust it without any second guessing. I have been following her advice for years and have yet to be disappointed.

Count me in as another Maribel fan!

I can't imagine what our Madrid trip would have been like without Maribel's invaluable guide. She's one of the all-time best!

I could not agree more.

And, as soon as Maribel completes her Andalucia guice (??), I will be ready to plan a trip to the eastern part of the region!

Thank you Maribel for ALL your tips for our trip this past March. Our favorite restaurant for the whole trip was one of your recommendations - we wouldn't have found it without you. And of course we also used your hotel recs for Granada & Madrid - VERY helpful, gave us exactly what we wanted.

Add me to this list. I had the entire Madrid & Sevilla & Granada guide with me in plastic protectors..!! It is far and away the best guide!

Oh yes and of course Segovia too!

Maribel's guides to the Basque country and Catalonia were not for me. I stopped using them shortly into my visits to both regions. I found her food and hotel recommendations too middle-ground and unadventurous for the Basque country, and I thought her orientation in Catalonia was for tourists who wanted a Provence or Tuscany style vacation, and Catalonia is just a different kind of animal. I also thought she hyped towns of marginal interest, and was too much geared toward markets.

For the Basque country, I was happier exploring on my own, and for Catalona, I found the Rough Guide absolutely invaluable in its descriptions of destinations.

By the time I took my trip to Madrid, I was no longer taking her advice.

Whether it is Rick Steves, or another travel guru, (or bobthenavigator) or Maribel, finding a guide who shares your sensibilities and interests is an individual thing. I don't doubt that those who share her sensibilities love her guides, but what I like about Spain is precisely that it isn't like Tuscany or Provence if you take a different approach -- and that's what I go to Spain to experience. Spain, not a generic "Europe" of quaintness and markets.

PS: I should add that Maribel's posts on Fodor's often reflected a livelier interest in off-the-beaten track travel than finds its way into her guides -- and I have noticed that is true of other travel planners as well. The guides are aimed at "everybody", so they stay safe.

And people can feel free to call me all the names they want for posting my criticisms in this thread. Even Maribel called me names for once posting I regretted wasting my time visiting Collioure in France -- a place Maribel frequently urges people to go to. (For those of you who take her word as gospel, I urge you to reconsider on that one.) So name calling doesn't stop me. Had a read some different points of view about Maribel's guides before I packed them on my trip from the basque country to Barcelona, I would have saved myself some pointless driving and time. That's what message boards are for.

Maribel's guides were a big help with planning my trip to Spain, Sevilla, and Granada last year. It was very convenient to have so much information packed into her easy to access guides.

Cannot wait to see Spain

When we had an opportunity to visit Santander, Maribel was kind enough to respond to my questions and give her recommendation.
We enjoyed our stay in the lovely town very much.
It was nothing like Tuscany or Provence.
.

I asked about Maribel a while back-she has not posted for quite some time!
There is no such thing as a guide that suits everyone.Maribel has to ber commended for sharing her detailed guides/suggestions for FREE!!!!

The contrarian strikes again !
It is really sad.

Yes, Maribel's guides are just that--guides. They give u a good overview of a region with lots of great info. Obviously one needs to explore on their own and find some off beat places if that's what one wants. Exploring on your own is the really fun part of travelling to me. Never been a problem to do, but a good basic guide is ever so helpful as a starting point when one goes to a region. And the fact that she has this out there for free is pretty generous.

Zeppole--So sorry about your bad experience with the guides. Maribel is surprisingly clueless about what you like, isn't she? I must admit to just a wee bit of amazement that you embraced them as Divine Word and didn't bother to consult other sources that might have spared you the pointless driving. I think you make a good case for getting a refund on the guides. Ask for gas money too.

Bob--'amen' Good comment yestravel. I post Maribel's guides whenever I see an opportunity. There is so much good information. Richard

Marija -- bravo!