Patricia

We will be travelling around Spain next June and would like to use the Parador 5 day card promotion but am not sure where to purchase this card. Can anyone advise how it works, i.e. do we purchase card first and hope the Paradors we want to use have vacancies or book first then purchase card? The Paradors we have in mind are 1 night in Alarcon, 2 nights in Trujillo, 1 night in Salamanca and 1 more night somewhere in Northern Spain (still to be decided). Have asked our travel agent here in New Zealand but they don't seem to be aware of this promotion. Any help would be appreciated.

Maribel

Patricia,
I assume you've seen the rules and conditions of use on the Paradors web site: www.parador.es
You purchase your card at your first
Parador. We're using the 5 night card for our spring Extremadura 9 night trip but can only use it Sun-Thurs. When you make your reservations you do need to indicate that you'll be paying your bill with the 5 night card. Some Paradors charge a supplement, such as the Caceres Parador, the Ronda Parador (for a balcony room with gorge view) and the Baiona Parador (for a sea view room).

Patricia

Maribel, yes I have seen the rules re 5 day card. To get this absolutely clear in my mind, am I right in thinking we book each Parador we wish to stay in first, telling them we will be using 5 day card. When we get to the first Parador i.e. Alarcon we then purchase the 5 day card in full and take this on to the other Paradors we have booked. Thanks for the help.

Maribel

Hi Patricia,
Yes, you have it exactly right! You pick up your 5 night card at your first Parador in Alarcón.

Don't know what Paradors you're considering in Northern Spain, but almost all the ones we've tried in Galicia, upper Castilla-León, Asturias and Cantabria are really great!
The Ribadeo one (Galicia) on the Cantabrian sea coast is modern and lacks the pretty sea views, and Gijón is pleasant but not memorable.
But we absolutely love the Parador enclosed in ramparts high atop Baiona, the one in Pontevedra is quite nice and well located in the charming old quarter , and of course, there's the most historic of them all, the Reyes Católicos, in Santiago. But we feel the one in León is even more magnificent and the true flagship of the historic Paradors.
Of the two in Santillana del Mar, I much prefer the original, the Gil Blas, which was just redone 2 yrs. ago (the public rooms at the other just don't have any character, although bedrooms are fine), and the Cangas de Onís Parador, for Picos de Europa, is supremely comfortable, although a km. from town.
The only asthetically unattractive building is the Fuente Dé Parador, which from the outside looks like a factory. But the rooms are very spacious, baths huge, some have enclosed balconies and the remote location is so peaceful, the whole package ends up being memorable. I haven't seen the new Galician one recently opened in Montforte de Lemos, but it looks lovely.
We visited the Olite one (in Navarra) after its refurbishment, and it was very tastefully done. Have fun choosing!

Aleta

You don't mention your age, but if you are over 62, it is cheaper to use senior discount than to use 5 day card. (We paid less than $80 U.S. for 2 of us, including breakfast in Avila, Segovia, Cuenca and Chinchon). To do so, you contact Paradores main number by fax or quick telephone call to make all your reservations, it's not available through U.S. office of Paradores.
Also, I'd like to point out that the Salamanca parador is quite a distance from everything you want to see, so you might want to look at alternatives. The pictures of it on the web site reminded me of a big hospital.
I love paradores, but some are better than others.

ranald

We have booked into Paradors at Baiona, Santiago & Cangas de Onis for next May on the recomendation of Maribel & others. Is it advisable to take the half board option or just bed & breakfast? Is there an economic advantage & what is the quality of the food like at these Paradors?

Thanks.

Maribel

Patricia,
Since you live in New Zealand, you wouldn't want or need to call Marketing Ahead, the U.S. booking agent for the Paradors. I don't use them either; I simply make my reservation by emailing or calling the individual Paradors or through one easy phone call (or email) to the Central Reservations Office in Madrid, if I have multiple Paradors to book, as in the case of spring trips.
The Salamanca Parador is one of the network's least desirable Paradors due to location outside the city center, and as Aleta says, it's modern and rather antiseptic. However, it's been closed since January, undergoing a complete refurbishment. While nothing can be done with the exterior (yes, to me it looks like a hospital or an office building, and I've seen it up close), the interior will reopen in Jan. completely redecorated. It was about time, because the rooms were really beginning to show their wear. Prior to refurbishment, I would have given it only 2 stars.
The "charming" alternatives in Salamanca would be the Hotel Rector
see
www.karenbrown.com or book thru
www.innsofspain.com
and the NH Palacio de Castellanos.
See www.nh-hoteles.com
Both are Fodor favorites.

You might want to use that coupon for another Parador in the north rather than the Salamanca one, given its location way across the river Tormes (although it does have a pool).

Maribel

Hi ranald,
Yes, there is an economical advantage to the 2 night half board plan; it's a 20% discount. But for one night, there is no savings. The price of the menu del dia is the same.
I would certainly take the 2 night half board plan in Baiona, as the dining there is terrific! We stayed for four nights and had the bountiful breakfast buffet every morning and dined there every night except for one, when we dined in town, which was a disappointment compared to the Parador.
I haven't dined in Santiago for awhile, but I know that Maria enjoyed a lovely meal there last fall, and I believe Marija as well in late summer.
And I also spent 4 nights in Cangas on the half-board plan, and the meals were terrific! We also took the half-board option for our 2 nights in Ubeda in the spring, since we knew the Parador dining was the best in town.

Patricia

Thanks to you all for the info. My husband is over 62 but I'm not so I guess we would qualify for senior discount, not sure which would be the better option for us. We have friends who stayed at the Salamanca Parador last year so we are aware of its distance from everywhere so will look at alternatives. Looking forward to going to Northern Spain so appreciate all the details on the Paradores in that area Maribel.

ranald

Thanks Maribel. We will definitely take the half board option for Baiona & Cangas. Thanks again.