Please help with Itinerary Draft for Madrid, Andalucia
Apr 24th, 2015, 06:04 PM
#41
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"kja, I am glad to hear that you loved Segovia. ... Do you have a hotel or area that you'd recommend for us?"
I haven't been there since 2004, but I enjoyed the Hotel Infanta Isabella, which still seems to get favorable reviews. I had a wonderful room with a tiny tiny "balcony" (one could step onto it, but not really sit there) overlooking the Plaza Mayor and cathedral.
http://en.hotelinfantaisabel.com
I haven't been there since 2004, but I enjoyed the Hotel Infanta Isabella, which still seems to get favorable reviews. I had a wonderful room with a tiny tiny "balcony" (one could step onto it, but not really sit there) overlooking the Plaza Mayor and cathedral.
http://en.hotelinfantaisabel.com
Apr 27th, 2015, 08:52 AM
#44
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Happy to report that we were able to book 2 rooms at Hotel Infanta Isabel overlooking the cathedral and Plaza Major with balconies!
If anyone has more recommendations on hotels or areas to try to stay in for Madrid or Granada, we'd appreciate it.
Regarding Granada, I have read that the Albayzin area can be a little intimidating, but some of the hotels there get very good reviews. Can anyone enlighten me as to whether it's a good area to stay? Our boys like to go out on their own in the evening, but I wouldn't want them in a "seedy" district! Thanks in advance.
If anyone has more recommendations on hotels or areas to try to stay in for Madrid or Granada, we'd appreciate it.
Regarding Granada, I have read that the Albayzin area can be a little intimidating, but some of the hotels there get very good reviews. Can anyone enlighten me as to whether it's a good area to stay? Our boys like to go out on their own in the evening, but I wouldn't want them in a "seedy" district! Thanks in advance.
Apr 28th, 2015, 09:57 AM
#45
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Hi cybertraveler - we are taking a trip back to Spain this summer for the first time since 2008. We have always traveled as a couple and/or with other couples when we've gone to Spain. This time with the two teens. They are super excited, and yes we know it will be hot. Spent last June in Mexico, so they should be amped up ;-). Landing in Madrid, AVE to Cordoba then onto Sevilla, bus to Granada, Vueling to Barcelona. I LOVE getting back on the forum and reading all the good advice offered by the regulars here!
A few thoughts on Madrid and Granada:
Madrid
We have had good stays in both Hostal Adriano and its sister hostal the Adria Santa Ana. Both are in great locations. Our most recent stay (in 2008!) was in the Adria Santa Ana, in a room with a little Juliette balcony overlooking the street, and I think it would be our preference between the two.
http://www.hostaladriano.com/
and
http://hostaladriasantaana.com/
This time we opted for a 2BR 2BA apartment right in Santa Ana that we found on Air BnB. We thought it was great value for the four of us for the first four nights of the trip. Hopefully will be as nice as it looks online.
Granada
We added Granada to our itinerary when our 17 year old son told us his only regret of the trip was that he wouldn't see the Alhambra. Can't pass up that request! We thought this hotel looked interesting, so we booked one room with a view of the Alhambra and another room without.
Shine Albayzin: http://www.shinealbayzin.com/
I too had some initial misgivings about the Albayzin, but what I've read lately leads me to believe it will be a fantastic place to stay. Just DON'T TRY TO DRIVE IN GRANADA.
A few thoughts on Madrid and Granada:
Madrid
We have had good stays in both Hostal Adriano and its sister hostal the Adria Santa Ana. Both are in great locations. Our most recent stay (in 2008!) was in the Adria Santa Ana, in a room with a little Juliette balcony overlooking the street, and I think it would be our preference between the two.
http://www.hostaladriano.com/
and
http://hostaladriasantaana.com/
This time we opted for a 2BR 2BA apartment right in Santa Ana that we found on Air BnB. We thought it was great value for the four of us for the first four nights of the trip. Hopefully will be as nice as it looks online.
Granada
We added Granada to our itinerary when our 17 year old son told us his only regret of the trip was that he wouldn't see the Alhambra. Can't pass up that request! We thought this hotel looked interesting, so we booked one room with a view of the Alhambra and another room without.
Shine Albayzin: http://www.shinealbayzin.com/
I too had some initial misgivings about the Albayzin, but what I've read lately leads me to believe it will be a fantastic place to stay. Just DON'T TRY TO DRIVE IN GRANADA
.
Apr 28th, 2015, 10:02 AM
#46
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A quick note about the Shine Albayzin in Granada - the hotel gets great reviews on TripAdvisor, but the apartments get mixed reviews. Note that they are in separate buildings, and it sounds like the apartment is up the hill a ways, while the hotel is right on Carerra del Darro.
Apr 28th, 2015, 12:23 PM
#47
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Hi Molloy95, thanks for popping in! It sounds like we are similar-style travelers. Our boys are no strangers to heat either, having survived Rome in August a couple of years ago. Working around school schedules, we sometimes just have no choice but to brave the heat!
The Shine Albazin looks lovely. I just booked the Hotel Casa 1800 in Granada for two nights (one Deluxe, 1 Standard). The deluxe room will have a view of the Alhambra. www.hotelcasa1800granada.com
Will you hire a guide for the Alhambra? We don't always hire a guide, but for very special places like the Uffizi in Florence and the Vatican Museums we have been glad that we had a guide. (If anyone reading this knows of a good guide, we'd appreciate any suggestions.)
We're still not sure exactly how we want to get to Granada. We will be coming from Ronda (where we're staying 1 night at the Paradore), so we may just take the train or bus to Granada. This is unusual for us, as we usually rent a car when we travel.
Thanks for the information on Madrid; I still haven't booked anything there. Where will you be staying in Sevilla and Cordoba? We're also visiting those cities.
It is exciting to look forward to this trip, as we've never been to this part of Spain before!
The Shine Albazin looks lovely. I just booked the Hotel Casa 1800 in Granada for two nights (one Deluxe, 1 Standard). The deluxe room will have a view of the Alhambra. www.hotelcasa1800granada.com
Will you hire a guide for the Alhambra? We don't always hire a guide, but for very special places like the Uffizi in Florence and the Vatican Museums we have been glad that we had a guide. (If anyone reading this knows of a good guide, we'd appreciate any suggestions.)
We're still not sure exactly how we want to get to Granada. We will be coming from Ronda (where we're staying 1 night at the Paradore), so we may just take the train or bus to Granada. This is unusual for us, as we usually rent a car when we travel.
Thanks for the information on Madrid; I still haven't booked anything there. Where will you be staying in Sevilla and Cordoba? We're also visiting those cities.
It is exciting to look forward to this trip, as we've never been to this part of Spain before!
Apr 29th, 2015, 06:42 PM
#48
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A little sweat never hurt anyone, right cybertraveler? ;-) You are developing a fantastic itinerary, by the way.
We're taking a pretty long trip this summer, and renting cars in France and Ireland as we make our way north from Spain. We originally planned to drive from Granada to Barcelona, but opted to fly. So we are planes, trains, (buses), and automobiles this trip!
We are stopping for just an afternoon in Cordoba on the way to Sevilla (no stones thrown at me, please!). Hoping off the AVE for a several hours to see the Mezquita, eat, and wander a bit. According to a thread on TA, the train station in Cordoba has lockers again (we used the ones in the nearby bus station the last time we did this), so that makes it even easier. (Speaking of the train, I AM GOING NUTS WATCHING THE RENFE WEBSITE! They have had trips from Madrid to Cordoba posted through June 13 for the last MONTH, but nothing else has gone up since then. I know I just need to take a deep breath, chuckle, imagine all the tinto de verano that I'm going to consume this summer, and just get over it.)
We are using Air BnB again for Sevilla. We found the value to space ratio hard to beat, compared to two hotel rooms, if we are staying for 3+ days. We're also doing Air BnB when we get to the Barcelona area - actually staying in El Masnou on the beach, just a quick train ride outside of the city - we'll need some chill time by then, I suspect!
Are you looking at any particular area in Madrid? I'm partial to Santa Ana/Barrio de las Letras for this kind of trip. I lived in Madrid (years and years ago) and love the city so much.
As far as Granada, I'm leaning toward audioguides for the Alhambra, but I'd love to hear any good in-person recommendations. Hotel Casa 1800 looks fantastic, by the way. I'm really looking forward to staying in that area as well.
While in Sevilla, we do plan to do the city walk with Sevilla Walking Tours (http://www.sevillawalkingtours.com) I've done tours with Concepcion a couple times previously and am excited to do it again! I thought she was great, and she ended up giving us some excellent recommendations at the end of the tour (she suggested enjoying the prix fixe lunch at Taberna del Alabardero as an economical alternative to dinner; also, we happened to be in Sevilla when the romeria to Rocio was returning - on her advice we popped over to Triana to watch the pilgrimage return - a very moving experience)
Are you traveling in July? We arrive July 1, leave Spain for France on the 12th. Maybe our paths will cross!
We're taking a pretty long trip this summer, and renting cars in France and Ireland as we make our way north from Spain. We originally planned to drive from Granada to Barcelona, but opted to fly. So we are planes, trains, (buses), and automobiles this trip!
We are stopping for just an afternoon in Cordoba on the way to Sevilla (no stones thrown at me, please!). Hoping off the AVE for a several hours to see the Mezquita, eat, and wander a bit. According to a thread on TA, the train station in Cordoba has lockers again (we used the ones in the nearby bus station the last time we did this), so that makes it even easier. (Speaking of the train, I AM GOING NUTS WATCHING THE RENFE WEBSITE! They have had trips from Madrid to Cordoba posted through June 13 for the last MONTH, but nothing else has gone up since then. I know I just need to take a deep breath, chuckle, imagine all the tinto de verano that I'm going to consume this summer, and just get over it.)
We are using Air BnB again for Sevilla. We found the value to space ratio hard to beat, compared to two hotel rooms, if we are staying for 3+ days. We're also doing Air BnB when we get to the Barcelona area - actually staying in El Masnou on the beach, just a quick train ride outside of the city - we'll need some chill time by then, I suspect!
Are you looking at any particular area in Madrid? I'm partial to Santa Ana/Barrio de las Letras for this kind of trip. I lived in Madrid (years and years ago) and love the city so much.
As far as Granada, I'm leaning toward audioguides for the Alhambra, but I'd love to hear any good in-person recommendations. Hotel Casa 1800 looks fantastic, by the way. I'm really looking forward to staying in that area as well.
While in Sevilla, we do plan to do the city walk with Sevilla Walking Tours (http://www.sevillawalkingtours.com) I've done tours with Concepcion a couple times previously and am excited to do it again! I thought she was great, and she ended up giving us some excellent recommendations at the end of the tour (she suggested enjoying the prix fixe lunch at Taberna del Alabardero as an economical alternative to dinner; also, we happened to be in Sevilla when the romeria to Rocio was returning - on her advice we popped over to Triana to watch the pilgrimage return - a very moving experience)
Are you traveling in July? We arrive July 1, leave Spain for France on the 12th. Maybe our paths will cross!
May 9th, 2015, 11:15 AM
#49
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Spain 2015
Hello all,
I wanted to update our plans for anyone who might be planning a similar trip, and ask for any suggestions on tours and "don't miss" sights along the way...
At this point all the following hotels are booked:
Madrid: AC Palacio del Retiro 3 nights (we were thrilled to use Marriott points; hope we like the hotel)
Segovia: Hotel Infanta Isabel 1 night
Toledo: Fontecruz Toledo: 2 nights
Cordoba: Hospederia de El Churrasco: 2 nights
Sevilla: Hotel Casa 1800: 4 nights
Ronda: Paradore de Ronda: 1 night
Granada: Hotel Casa 1800: 2 nights
Malaga: Molina Lario: 3 nights
We're still undecided on how to get from place to place, though. We can get to each town by train or bus, but we would like to visit a couple of White Villages. Can anyone see a spot in our itinerary where it would make sense to rent a car and drive to a few scenic towns? Would it be wiser to just use public transportation for those towns instead?
Molloy, thanks for the useful tips. Unfortunately, you'll be leaving Spain about a week before we arrive. I checked out Airbnb, which is a great resource, but didn't find anything. I will definitely look into them for future trips, when I'm more familiar with an area. Thanks for the tour recommendation; I'll be contacting them.
If anyone can recommend other tours, especially for the Prada and Mezquita, we'd be grateful!
Hello all,
I wanted to update our plans for anyone who might be planning a similar trip, and ask for any suggestions on tours and "don't miss" sights along the way...
At this point all the following hotels are booked:
Madrid: AC Palacio del Retiro 3 nights (we were thrilled to use Marriott points; hope we like the hotel)
Segovia: Hotel Infanta Isabel 1 night
Toledo: Fontecruz Toledo: 2 nights
Cordoba: Hospederia de El Churrasco: 2 nights
Sevilla: Hotel Casa 1800: 4 nights
Ronda: Paradore de Ronda: 1 night
Granada: Hotel Casa 1800: 2 nights
Malaga: Molina Lario: 3 nights
We're still undecided on how to get from place to place, though. We can get to each town by train or bus, but we would like to visit a couple of White Villages. Can anyone see a spot in our itinerary where it would make sense to rent a car and drive to a few scenic towns? Would it be wiser to just use public transportation for those towns instead?
Molloy, thanks for the useful tips. Unfortunately, you'll be leaving Spain about a week before we arrive. I checked out Airbnb, which is a great resource, but didn't find anything. I will definitely look into them for future trips, when I'm more familiar with an area. Thanks for the tour recommendation; I'll be contacting them.
If anyone can recommend other tours, especially for the Prada and Mezquita, we'd be grateful!
May 10th, 2015, 01:58 AM
#50
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Ronda is definitely a "scenic town", although too large to "qualify" as a white village. Perhaps take a 30 min train or bus ride from Malaga city to white village Alora with the castle probably dating back to Phoenician times. Alora is also said to be the cradle of flamenco in the Malaga region: http://www.andalucia.com/province/malaga/alora/home.htm
http://www.historicspain.co.uk/festivals.htm
And perhaps a ten-fifteen minutes and 20€ taxi ride from the center of Malaga to Venta el Tunel for a great traditional lunch with the locals. Especially known for their arroces (rice dishes). http://www.ventaeltunel.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html
http://www.historicspain.co.uk/festivals.htm
And perhaps a ten-fifteen minutes and 20€ taxi ride from the center of Malaga to Venta el Tunel for a great traditional lunch with the locals. Especially known for their arroces (rice dishes). http://www.ventaeltunel.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html
May 12th, 2015, 04:23 PM
#51
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Madrid-Segovia:
I prefer to drive via Navacerrada stopping at La Granja, especially in the day of famous Fuentes Monumentales:
http://turismorealsitiodesanildefons...adiciones.html
For the final step, try to follow this route:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/40.9...-4.1163735,17z
It should be a moving moment approaching the facing Acuerducto de Sevogia.
Segovia-Toledo:
Driving via Avila would be nice. Scenic routes over Sierra de Gredos from Avila to Toledo.
Toledo-Cordoba:
If you are interested in Don Quijote, some windmills could be seen on the way, and stops at Ubeda and Baeza. Jaen's castle is nice. However, I like more western route: passing Ciudad Real, enjoying Valle de Alcudia and some small villages along the way.
Cordoba-Sevilla:
Carmona would worth a visit.
Sevilla-Ronda:
Some white villages as well as Arcos de la Frontera and Jerez de la Frontera.
Ronda-Granada:
Train would be the best.
Granada-Malaga:
Some white villages in Las Alpujarras and Frigiliana. Nerja and its cave, especially in summer!
From Malaga, you could go into the west. White villages of Mijas, Casares and more on the Atlantic side. Going back along the coast would be nice as well: Cadiz, Tarifa, Gibraltar,...
I prefer to drive via Navacerrada stopping at La Granja, especially in the day of famous Fuentes Monumentales:
http://turismorealsitiodesanildefons...adiciones.html
For the final step, try to follow this route:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/40.9...-4.1163735,17z
It should be a moving moment approaching the facing Acuerducto de Sevogia.
Segovia-Toledo:
Driving via Avila would be nice. Scenic routes over Sierra de Gredos from Avila to Toledo.
Toledo-Cordoba:
If you are interested in Don Quijote, some windmills could be seen on the way, and stops at Ubeda and Baeza. Jaen's castle is nice. However, I like more western route: passing Ciudad Real, enjoying Valle de Alcudia and some small villages along the way.
Cordoba-Sevilla:
Carmona would worth a visit.
Sevilla-Ronda:
Some white villages as well as Arcos de la Frontera and Jerez de la Frontera.
Ronda-Granada:
Train would be the best.
Granada-Malaga:
Some white villages in Las Alpujarras and Frigiliana. Nerja and its cave, especially in summer!
From Malaga, you could go into the west. White villages of Mijas, Casares and more on the Atlantic side. Going back along the coast would be nice as well: Cadiz, Tarifa, Gibraltar,...
May 19th, 2015, 12:46 PM
#52
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Hi cybertraveler! Looks like a great itinerary. Just wanted to mention that we are going to be in Granada for two nights and staying at Hotel Casa 1800 at the beginning of July. Hope you have a great trip!
