Northern Spain this July, looking for input!
 

We are in the midst of planning for our vacation this July to northern Spain. At this time we are looking to fly into Barcelona and stay at the Hotel Continental. From here we plan to go to Pamplona and stay 2 nights for the Festival San Fermin, staying at Hotel Albret. Any feedback on either of these hotels? Is the train the best way to go between these two cities. <BR><BR>After Pamplona we are thinking San Sebastian, Bilboa and a few days in the Rioja region for wine tasting. Are there other towns in the area that we should put on our itinary. We are thinking that renting a car in Pamplona is the best way to continue getting around, thoughts on this?<BR><BR>Thanks!<BR><BR>Wendy

Wendy, After Pamplona I would drive into the hills of the Basque region to St Jean Pied du Port and end up at St. Jean de Luz enroute to San Sebastian. Leave enough time for this town--one of my favs. The coast west of Bilbao is also very nice. Have fun !

Thanks for the advice Bob, any recommendations on St. Jean de Luz? Regarding Hotels? Have you done this drive before? If so can you give me an idea on the terrain and time between Pamplona and then on to San Sebastian?<BR><BR>Wendy

It is the foothills of the Pyrennes and very beautiful but not bad driving.<BR>Read &quot; Sun Also Rises&quot; again and note the fishing village that he takes his boss Bill. That is Buerguete on this same route. You can do the whole drive in one day from Pamplona--we stayed in St. Jean Pied du Port at the Hotel Pyrenees--a modest 3 star with a Michelin gourmet rest. I would do it in a day and end in San Seb.

San Sebastian is absolutely wonderful. Bilboa is a must for the Guggenheim. While in Rioja, stay in a little town called Haro. It is the seat of the Rioja region and is very lovely, lots of wineries near by, and some great restaurants. We stayed in a hotel that was once a 15th century convent, but off hand can't remember the name. I'll try to get back to you with the names of hotels in San Sebastian and Haro. Enjoy. Oh yeah, take a tour of the Muga winery in Haro. Great tour.

Finally remembered. In San Sebastian we stayed at the Londres. Right on the beach. In Haro the hotel is called Los Agustinos. Highly recommend Los Agustinos.

Santander is nice and it has some terrific beaches. Hotels are reasonably priced and the city is only a short bus ride from Bilbao, a bit longer from San Sebastian. Really nice trip. Be careful in Pamplona and be sure you have your bus tickets which you can buy in advance of your trip there from San Sebastian, only one hour ride.

Hi Wendy,<BR>I just got back from Barcelona and San Sebastian last week. Can't give you advice on the hotels but I would recommend taking the night train from Barcelona to Pampelona or San Sebastian. It's fun and a great way to avoid spending a full vacation day on a train. San Sebastian is one of the most beautiful places in Spain but bring sweaters because it's a bit chilly. I would not spend a night in Bilbao, it's just an industrial city. You can easily take a one hour bus to and from Bilbao from San Sebastian to see the Guggenheim. Plus travel will get you tired and a hotel change to Bilbao wouldn't be worth it.

Always fantastic info from Fodorites! thank you!<BR><BR>thomas- so do you think that renting a car in Pamplona is a bad idea? We thought that way we would have more freedom to explore the area.<BR><BR>nanc- thanks for the advice on the night train, will look into that. And not staying in Bilboa, since it seems so close to SS we were thinking of maybe just a day trip.

Good idea to make Bilbao a day trip. We stayed in Haro, drove to Bilbao for the day, spent a lot of time at the Guggenheim, and then drove to San Sebastian in time to check into the hotel and have a wonderful dinner.

My husband and I did a 3 week driving trip in Spain last September. Bilbao(use this spelling for Spanish, Bilbo for vasco) was a lovely day trip, maybe half day. We stayed in Haro and HATED it. It is just as easy and far more scenic to stay in Laguardia, which we will do next time. Check other posts for lodging there. Mayor de Migueloa is one not to be missed. ¡Suerte!

Wendy, It all depends on your goal for Pamplona. If you plan to be there for the running of the bulls, for two days with parking at the hotel if you are lucky, then driving could be fine. The city is crowded during the festival but fun just the same. Be sure to go to the park in the evening to see the beautiful Basque dancing by the public and listen to the Basque music. San Sebastian is grand and be sure to visit the tapas bars. The beach is magnificent. I loved Bilbao and stayed two nights and at the Ercilla Hotel in town, a short walk to the Old Town. I have no experience with renting cars since public transportation is very convenient. Your trip sounds great. In fact we may be there in July also as we have been for the past 5 or 6 years. Do you plan to run with the bulls?

Thomas,<BR><BR>We aren't sure if we will be running or renting space on a balcony to view the running! We are still deciding. Then we are thinking we will rent a car upon leaving Pamplona. We are doing lots of reading on the area as I have only been to Madrid and Barcelona before. We are very excited!!!<BR><BR>Wendy

Wendy, As you may know, running with the bulls can be quite hazardous, not only by the bulls, but by the thousands who are crowded onto the streets. Many of the runners are a bit tipsy and they push, pull, trip, especially if the streets are wet. Have you seen any videos of the running? Usually you have to be up by 5 am to get a spot if you just view and that often is a blocked view. A balcony view can be good depending on how much of the running you will see. It often costs a fortune. A chicken hearted vliew is to watch the running on the TV. You get to see it all. But the excitement is on the streets. Usually several runners get zapped, some seriously. I'm sure you've heard all this before. Just be carefu, not only of the bulls and the runners but also of the unsavory characters lurking about. We usually join the runners in a cafe across the street for churros and hot chocolate or coffee. There is an outdoor spot nearby where you can have a more substantial Pamplona breakfast with true officionados. I forget the name of the place and of the special breakfat, something with codfish, etc. It is quite good.<BR>Did I mention about the short flight from Pamplona to San Sebastian or to Madrid? Be sure to check the flight times if you go that route.<BR>Good luck and I'm sure you are in for a treat.

Wendy-<BR>I spent 17 days in Northern Spain last fall and loved it. 45 minutes south of Pamplona is a lovely gothic town, Olite. I spent 2 night there and it was wonderful. San Sebastian is beautiful and I highly recommend visiting Hondarribia, a small typical basque village 40 minutes by bus from San Sebastian. There's a wonderful parador in the old town and I could have easily spent an entire day exploring the streets. I wasn't very impressed with Santander (not alot of &quot;sights&quot; other than the beach), but it was a nice place to base myself for day trips to Santillana del Mar and San Vicente de Barquera. Santillana was very well preserved but also the most touristy town I have ever visited in Spain. Tourists were everywhere and the entire town revolved around tourism. I don't know how long you have but have you considered Asturius and Galicia? It would be a nice time to visit this area also. Oviedo was such a wonderful surprise.<BR><BR>Let us know how your itinerary shapes up and if you need any other information. <BR><BR>Happy planning.

Thomas, we have some quotes from a travel agency for the balconies to view the running and it doesn't seem too overpriced (considering the costs of the hotels! ha!). Your advice is good!<BR><BR>Cathy- by chance did you post a trip report that I could read thru? Do you have some info on hotels you stayed at? Did you drive around and if so where did you rent your car?<BR><BR>Thanks!!!

topping for me 'cause we are doing some more planning today and I appreciate all suggestions!

Wendy, We were never able to get a balcony view. Once, we walked in on a private house that offered a view and the guy wanted $100. Also I was a bit mistaken about the flight from Pamplona to San Sebastian. Not necessary since the trip is only one hour. I meant that you can get to Pamplona airport from Barcelon or Madrid. We always went from Madrid to San Sebastian for a few days, took the bus to Pamplona. It can get very crowded at the bus station.<BR>As you know, the running lasts only 2 minutes or so starting at 8:00 am, but the crowds gather by 5 am or 6 am. AT times, it is impossible to get a view location along the streets. If you do, don't let anyone edge you away from your treasured spot. Adios.

Wendy, I stayed at Hotel Albret last year. Nice Hotel. It's about a 20 minute walk from the Plaza de Toros. There is a bus that can take you there in about 5 min. but it is always packed. They do have parking so if you have a rental car you can park it there. I think it was about 10 euros a night to park in their garage. Let me know if I can be of any more assistance - I'd love to help out. I wish I was going again this year. Awesome time.

We spent all last night with the map and 5 books trying to decide our itinary. We could use a month but have only a few weeks!<BR><BR>Torro thanks for the info on the hotel! I think we will take the overnight train from Barcelona to Pamplona then rent a car when we leave for San Sebastian as we won't need a car in Pamplona. <BR><BR>