I have the pleasure/pressure of planning the intinerary for some friends and ourselves for a short trip through Spain this July, and would love some input. I am half-Spanish, but did most of my traveling as a child and have only visited a few times as an adult. The quick background: my husband and I will travel to Cadiz to drop off the kids with my parents, then meet up with some friends in Estepona, where they will have spent the week on their honeymoon. The only mandates I have been given are Pamplona for the encierro, and Barcelona at the end, where our friends depart from. Here is what I have come up with:

Day 1, Friday - Drive to Estepona, pick up the friends, drive on to Ronda for lunch and a couple hours' look around. Go on to the Jaen Parador for the night.

Day 2, Saturday - Leave Jaen and stop in Valdepenas for lunch and to sample some wine (1 hour?). Continue on to Toledo via Consuegra, and stop in Toldeo for a walk around, a cafelito and merienda. Go on to Madrid by early evening, with enough time to have a short rest, and get out for dinner and a night out.

Day 3, Sunday - Touring in Madrid, dinner, etc.

Day 4, Monday - Leave Madrid towards Pamplona. Would love to stop at a vineyard in Rioja along the way. Arrive in Pamplona early evening, check in, have a nice meal, get into the San Fermin "spirit",etc. Question: if you could only stop at one winery, which one would it be, and which is most convenient to the route to Pamplona?

Day 5, Tuesday - Pamplona - a rented balcony in the morning, probably a bullfight in the afternoon, then general revelry. I know people differ on the value of this festival and specifically bullfights, but this is what they want to do. I put my foot down when it come to any running with any bulls though, as I don't want my trip cut short by any ER visits.

Day 6 - 8, Wednesday - Drive to Barcelona and return the rental car. Spend Wed, Thurs, and Friday in and around Barcelona (not hard - I love this city!), before their flight leaves early Saturday. Get ourselves on the trenhotel back to Cadiz to sit on the beach for the rest of our vacation and relax with the family.

Any glaring errors in what I am thinking? Am I trying to pack too much into Day 2? I don't want to overplan, but I also want to make sure they get out of the big cities enough, thus the stops on the way.

Also, any recommedations for hotels or your favorite restaurant in any of the cities I have mentioned, particularly Madrid and Barcelona? I have been to both cities a few times, but am always on the lookout for a good recommendation for something I have missed!

Thanks so much,
Alexi

Alexi,
The itinerary looks a lot like one I'm very familiar with. It's doable if you book ahead, especially the Pamplona portion. You will need to make your reservations far in advance. Actually within the next several weeks for both accommodations and balcony space.

There are several great bodegas in La Rioja for you to consider. The first is the Bodega Campillo in Laguardia (Rioja Alavesa) and Bodega Juan Alcorta outside of Logroño. Two examples of the finest the area has to offer.

Thanks for the bodega tips. . .I will see who will accomodate us on a Monday, midday.

We are booking the Pamplona portion through Erreka, staying in the AC Ciudad. Any advice to the contrary?

By the way, Robert, your reply to another post of mind is what convinced me to convince everyone else to push our pamplona trip and take a slower ride up from Estepona, so thanks! You also inspired the stop in Valdepenas. . .

a2dal,
I hope you don't blink, thats one heavy itinerary though doable of course....not something I would do. I'd suggest some cheap internal flights...Spains a big country and you've got 6 days...seems insane!

Your choice of using ERREKA works. We know them very well. The AC Ciudad de Pamplona is an excellent hotel and the only one that serves coffee at 5:30 in the morning to get you ready for the encierro.

You will need to call ahead for the bodega tours. All of the nicer bodegas require advance bookings unless you know someone.