Kittenzen

I'm planning to travel in Spain in late Aug/early Sep 2016 and want to tour the northern coastal area between Santiago de Compostela to Bilbao. My goal is to enjoy small villages, take long walks, experience local culture, and relish delicious food and wine. The luxury train (Transcantabria) just isn't my cup of tea. So that leaves me with either the NEVE or renting a car. I'm a female traveling solo.

I'm looking for suggestions on the best towns to visit and advice on whether the local narrow gauge train (NEVE) or a car might be the best choice. I look forward to suggestions!

thursdaysd

I think you mean FEVE. Fine but slow, and may not go where you want. Suggest you read this:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-catalunya.cfm

Bedar

Get a car. It will give you much more freedom to wander. With a train you have to stick to where the tracks go.

kja

I (solo female traveler) spent some time in that area last May (although I didn't go as far west as Galicia). I had a great trip! For my purposes, renting a car worked best; YMMV. thursdaysd has already given you the link to my trip report. Feel free to ask questions!

@ thursdaysd -- thanks for the recommendation!

kja

P.S. You might also find some useful info in my planning threads (just click on my name to find them) and in a delightful photo-journal that joannyc posted, which she linked to one of my planning threads.

burta

If you are a foodie, you should not miss San Sebastian. Great tapas and fine restaurants.

HappyTrvlr

We included Baiona, Santiago de Compostela, Leon, Ribadesella, Comillas, Santillana del Mar, Hondaribbia, and San Sebastian as places to stay or have a meal. We also visited many smaller Basque villages in Spain and France and would like to return to visit them on another trip. This is a beautiful area to explore.

joannyc

Thanks very much, kja, for the reference!

I just actually revisited it based on your reco and realized that I never responded to your comment from Dec 2014. Very sorry but a big thank you! We have since discussed and agreed on our travel patterns on other threads. ��

OP, here is a link to my trip through northwestern Spain:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ctures.cfm#top

I too am a solo female traveler. Highly recommend a rental car for your trip.

Absolutely loved that trip as my other previous trips to Spain. Still have one or two trips left to plan to see all I would like in such a wonderful and beautiful country and her lovely people.

kja

@ joannyc -- no worries!

Like you, and so many others, I am enamored of Spain -- so many wonderful and diverse things to see and experience, welcoming people, and oooh, the food and wine!

Robert2533

As already mentioned, you will need a car if you would like to explore the many small, and sometimes larger, villages you'll find between Santiago and Bilbao. But one thing you will need to do in late August/early September is to plan ahead and decide where you want to stay. It's high season and many of the more affordable places will be booked.

ribeirasacra

how long is this for?
There could be a fiesta or two to be found in this period. It will be hard to say what you could encounter without exact dates.

bilboburgler

car, yes
Plan ahead, yes it gets very busy

There is a good coast road, then a bit further inland is the basic Camino walking way and then further in there is are a range of roads that start south of the Picos and work their way along. Each of these roads offer very different images, vistas etc. I might mix them up a bit.

Kittenzen

Thanks for all the great suggestions!

Egbert

Yes the well heeled Spanish spend July and August on the North coast. If you're going to San Sebastian ( I would not miss it) book a hotel by March at least. The North coast is a spectacular summer destination if you like beautiful beaches, clean water and amazingly good food.

kimhe

Recommend this documentary about the spectacular food scene in the Basque country, and it's more or less like this all along the coast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jbipbzoc1Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqdjeGqnVKc

kimhe

<experience local culture, and relish delicious food and wine>

Then you should of course end up in San Sebastian - the food capital of Spain - for the Euskal Jaiak festival in the beginning of September. The festival is all about Basque sports, music, dance, poetry, food and wine for a whole week. http://www.sansebastianturismo.com/e...d=506&ide=6441
http://www.donostiakultura.com/index...id=396&lang=en

It all starts with Sagardo Eguna (Cider day) on Plaza de la Constitucion in the Parte vieja/Old town, first Saturday in September. Free samples of cider and pintxos, and then it only goes on...
http://www.donostia.eus/info/ciudada...dos&idioma=cas

thursdaysd

I would <i>not</i> recommend visiting San Sebastian during a festival unless you are comfortable with crowds. I carelessly arrived in the middle of the Hispanic Day three day national holiday and hated it. The old town and surrounding area was wall to wall people and very, very loud (and my hearing isn't that good). Just getting a seat in an outdoor cafe was tough. I left for Pamplona, where the Running of the Bulls was long over. Turned out well, I hadn't intended to visit Pamplona, but was very glad I did.

Robert2533

Wall to wall people is very common in Donostia-San Sebastián during pintxos time. Nothing unusual, and you don't need to be there during a festival to experience it.

As nice as peace and quiet are, and Pamplona is very quiet after fiesta, crowds are quite normal in Spain; fiestas, pintxos/tapas bars, the beach in Donostia on a good beach day. It means that friendsa and familes are out enjoying themselves. It's an important part of life.

thursdaysd

I have never much liked crowds. As a solo female traveler in her later sixties I like them rather less. I also prefer to eat sitting down with my feet on the floor. However, I recognize that a lot of people feel differently, which is why I said "<b>unless</b> you are comfortable with crowds" (emphasis added).

Actually, Pamplona was quite crowded, especially on Thursday night (cheap tapas and wine specials, and students), but a lot less than San Sebastian.

Robert2533

The holiday on the 12th always brings the people out, although Pamplona isn't all that Hispanic, the majority being Basque.