Need Help Planning 14 Days in Spain

Old Aug 4th, 2017, 10:33 AM
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dpj
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Need Help Planning 14 Days in Spain

I've been to Spain 20 years ago, but my husband's never been . Just made fight plans - arriving Madrid am aug 30th and leaving Barcelona on the 13th. Would love to share some of the places I'd experienced as I know he would enjoy but hoping to add in new, as well.

We tend to cram a lot of things into or trips and love it , but want to make sure we aren't over ambitious and feeling rushed and unable to fully experience and enjoy what we do see and do.

So, we need Help planning a sensible itinerary!!

We like to walk a lot, see layers of history ( loved the layering of Moorish, Jewish and Christian culture, for example) , enjoy exploring local foods, flavors, markets, and just experiencing as much as we possibly can of what's unique to each destination.

We do not like to sit or be inactive , but love discovering outdoor cafés and unique restaurants reflective of the foods and atmosphere of the region.

Would love to revisit Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville , (Granada), Barcelona...... and the fabulous sites there!
Loved Gerona and. Figueres, too! But have never been to San Sebastián and Blilbao and thought visiting the Guggenheim would be nice!

No need to return to. Ronda, or Southern Coast.

Please advise!!
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Old Aug 4th, 2017, 12:48 PM
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14 days for 6 locations and thinking about adding 4 more.
Please rethink distances are huge and time allocated to travelling, booking in and out of hotels will easily eat into sightseeing time over the 14 days....Oh do not forget to get over jet lag.
Plan either the north or south.
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Old Aug 4th, 2017, 06:15 PM
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dpj
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Thanks so much for the reality check!

If we definitely want to include Madrid and Barcelona.....
Would you suggest omitting San Sebastián and Bilbao.... And possibly Granada? Or omitting Granada and Gerona and Figueres and incorporating San Sebastián and. Bilbao? I know travel times,etc are an important factor so I'd appreciate any feedback on what might be some doable options.

Thanks!
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Old Aug 4th, 2017, 06:22 PM
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How are you travelling? Train or?

Madrid to Toledo to Seville to Granada to Barcelona is already hectic . You might even want to consider flying to Barcelona. If you want to add the northern stops you should be thinking about cutting ALL the southern stops not one or two
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Old Aug 4th, 2017, 07:20 PM
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I did north, center and south in 21 days and it was not enough. I'd say center-north or center-south and suggest you save time anyway by flying using an Iberia pass.

Start in Barcelona (you will make a short connecting flight from the US to Madrid). Take a side trip by car or driver to Sitges (it is relatively close) and spend a night there. great beach resort with beach front cafes. Spectacular evenings.. Drive back to the airport in Barcelona and take a short flight to San Sebastian, absolutely a must detinatiom, and a total different feel as it is in fact a different country (Spain is a collection of nations, each with its own language) You can reach Bilbao also part of that region by car from San Sebastian on a day trip. Or you can fly to Bilbao and then drive along the northern coast to San Sebastian. From SS you can fly or drive to Madrid (I drove, but then again not everybody likes that, but if you do you can stop for lunch at Vitoria or Pamplona) before you get to Madrid. From Madrid Segovia and Toledo are very close.

If doing center south you should not miss Granada....
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Old Aug 4th, 2017, 08:28 PM
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IMO, reasonable itineraries could include –
- 10+ days in Madrid, Toledo, and nearby areas (Segovia, Avila, Salamanca, Cuenca, etc.)
- 10+ in Andalusia (Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada, +)
- 10+ days in Barcelona and surrounds.
- 10+ days for the north of Spain (San Sebastian, Bilbao, etc.)
So, IMO, you will need to be extremely selective, and NONE of us can tell you what to prioritize!

And BTW, I offer these time frames as someone who crams each day of a trip from the time I get up until there is literally nothing else I can do that day. People tell me they get tired just reading my trip reports!

I would encourage you to think seriously about your priorities and then plot your wish list on a calendar. Each time you propose to change locations, pencil in your transportation (you can get a rough idea of times on rome2rio.com), add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting lost/oriented, etc.). Remember that each change of location can be "costly" as it is time that you will not have to see or do anything. Then see how things fit together. And BTW, note that many things in Spain are closed on Monday, and often for all or part of Sundays too; and many things in Spain will also be closed daily for a very long mid-day break.

Also remember that Madrid and Barcelona are the two cities in Spain that are easiest to reach from most international destinations. Given that you will likely have to shortchage something you want to see, shortchanging one / both of them might make sense, as you can more easily include them on a future trip than some of the other places your are considering. Just a thought…..

In addition to guidebooks, consider consulting some of the MANY trip planning threads on this board – you are NOT the only person to suggest such an ambitious plan, and you should be able to learn A LOT from the responses given to those who asked for similar information.
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Old Aug 5th, 2017, 02:03 PM
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Thanks so much everyone! We are refining our plans / all of your input is helping us narrow our focus and aim for quality vs quantity. ��
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Old Aug 6th, 2017, 10:04 PM
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I was also looking for a similar info for my trip. Thanks everyone!
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