Planning first trip to Spain
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Planning first trip to Spain
Looking for a recommended tour in October to both Madrid and Barcelona and some stops in between without changing hotels almost every night. .We have up to two weeks, including travel to and from Spain. I do not want to rent a car, and appreciate pre booked hotels and transport between cities, .I do not need most meals included. Several tours seem not to allot time to visit e.g, both La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, or both the Prado and the Royal Palace. A friend in Europe sent a link to a perhaps too-independent-for-me site called Spain Trails..Any suggestions appreciated!
#4


Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,146
Likes: 83
Okay, fair enough.
We're headed to Spain in October, a do-over for a short-circuited trip in 2020, thanks to COVID. We've got five nights Barcelona, four Seville, three Granada and five Madrid. All planned and booked ourselves...and fingers crossed we pull off the entire trip this time.
Can't help with tours, but I'm sure someone here can.
Good luck with your planning.
We're headed to Spain in October, a do-over for a short-circuited trip in 2020, thanks to COVID. We've got five nights Barcelona, four Seville, three Granada and five Madrid. All planned and booked ourselves...and fingers crossed we pull off the entire trip this time.
Can't help with tours, but I'm sure someone here can.
Good luck with your planning.
#6

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 12,050
Likes: 0
Looked at a few web sites and tours for fun. Some I thought were good are wait listed for this October. Many are rushed, new places and stops every day. You know you do not want that. Many combine Spain and Portugal or even other countries. That makes them busy.
Of course, there are wonderful places to visit all over Spain, but many places you might want to visit are not “between” Madrid and Barcelona, but more south or better as day trips from Madrid. There is a fast train between Barcelona and Madrid, would be great if you could take advantage of that, depending on flight arrangements to Spain. Can you fly into or out of Malaga or Seville? Barcelona seems important to you. Correct?
I wish, with almost two weeks, you would let people here on Fodors help with an itinerary and plan for booking. Spain is such a well traveled country, it is not difficult. With an itinerary, people can recommend hotels. You could then book local tour guides for sightseeing.
OTOH, finding the right tour may not be that easy and may also require a good bit of research.
You want a leisurely tour with more free time in each place or places as a base, with day trips.
When exactly do you plan to go?
There are some local experts in Spain. They may know of reliable locals who arrange tours.
Meantime, for ideas, check out Travelzoo for suggestions and TourVacationstogo, a consolidator who sell tours by many companies.
Of course, there are wonderful places to visit all over Spain, but many places you might want to visit are not “between” Madrid and Barcelona, but more south or better as day trips from Madrid. There is a fast train between Barcelona and Madrid, would be great if you could take advantage of that, depending on flight arrangements to Spain. Can you fly into or out of Malaga or Seville? Barcelona seems important to you. Correct?
I wish, with almost two weeks, you would let people here on Fodors help with an itinerary and plan for booking. Spain is such a well traveled country, it is not difficult. With an itinerary, people can recommend hotels. You could then book local tour guides for sightseeing.
OTOH, finding the right tour may not be that easy and may also require a good bit of research.
You want a leisurely tour with more free time in each place or places as a base, with day trips.
When exactly do you plan to go?
There are some local experts in Spain. They may know of reliable locals who arrange tours.
Meantime, for ideas, check out Travelzoo for suggestions and TourVacationstogo, a consolidator who sell tours by many companies.
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