raizafig

My boyfriend and I want to travel to Spain in June for 10-12 days. We are thinking of Barcelona, Seville, Toledo, Madrid (not particularly in that order maybe). He wants to rent a car and do our own self-guided tour. I keep hearing that this may be more expensive than joining a Tour Company's tour which includes hotels, travel between cities and some meals. Does anyone have any experiences or have heard what may be better??? Thank you.
FYI: we are both spanish speaking, plan to spend probably $5000 without air.

HappyTrvlr

A tour charges you per person including your shared hotel room x2 so they usually cost much more. It is so easy to do your own trip without being tied to a rigid schedule and dealing with other travelers' idiosyncracies.
If you're visiting cities, take trains. A car will give you more freedom to see the countryside. Toledo can be done as a day trip from Madrid by train.

djkbooks

Tours do include door to door transportation (so no figuring out routes or getting lost), admission to sights, a planned itinerary that's quite efficient for covering a lot of ground and sights, meals, airport transfers, etc. You do pay a lot extra for all that, usually.

Renting a car is not inexpensive, nor are gas and tolls. But, you could take trains from one destination to the next.

Advantage of escorted tour and rental car is not having to pack quite so light.

But, navigating around a foreign country in a car can be very stressful and test your relationship!

Going on your own does require considerable research and booking everything on your own.

But, choosing a tour is almost as challenging. You'd want an itinerary with a pace that suits you (not too much, not too leisurely). Everything turns on the tour you choose - the quality of the hotels and included meals, whether the hotels are conveniently located for exploring on your own during free time.

For first-times to Europe, a tour is often the better bet due to the language and to avoid expensive "novice" errors in planning or handling contingencies.

The best tours are those with conveniently located hotels in which you could not stay for the same rate if booked independently (because the tour company received a significant discount).

All in all, there's no substitute for your own homework. Find an appealing tour and compare the prices of individual components (all of them) if booked/arranged on your own.

Note that Spain is one country where it's especially important to know how to travel safely and secure your personal belongings.

emily71

Since you're Spanish speaking, I would highly recommend do it yourself. You can get around quite easily in trains and I wouldn't drive from Barcelona to any of the other destinations.

I would also drop Barcelona from your trip ADHD add Granada and the Alhambra- it is incredible and THE must see in Spain.

There are plenty of trip reports from people who've done your route and can give you some directions. Enjoy lovely Spain.

CathyM

All of the cities you mention - Barcelona, Sevilla, Madrid and Toledo and very easily done on your own and without a car. However, with only 10 days I'd consider dropping Sevilla and focusing on Madrid and Barcelona with daytrips. Fly into one city, train between the 2 and fly home from the other city. Very easily done on your own and you can book the hotel you want, wake up, eat and tour when you want and still save money from an escorted tour. If you have 12 days you could split the time evenly between Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla. It just seems a shame to be so close to Granada and not get to visit....but I'd budget 2 days for Granada and not advise as a daytrip from Sevilla.
Note - it will be very hot in June particularly in Sevilla. If this is a problem for you then I'd definately drop Andalucia and plan for a separate trip in the spring or fall when the weather is more moderate.

adrienne

Tours are absolutely more expensive than planning your own trip. The group has to pay the salaries for the tour guide, bus driver, cost of running the bus, and sometimes local guides. Plus you have to tip which is an additional cost and not all meals are included nor is all sightseeing. Who has told you that tours are less expensive? They are definitely wrong.

You go where the tour takes you rather than where you want to go and you stay for the amount of time the tour has determined even if you want to stay a longer or shorter time.

Unless you get a low end tour you won't be able to travel for 12 days on $5,000 for 2 people.

I have taken tours and planned my own trips and there are advantages to both but the 4 cities you're planning are certainly easily booked and explored on your own.

I do think you have too many places for 12 days and absolutely too many places for 10 days.

latedaytraveler

Hi Raizafig,

Sounds as if you folks are youngish, eh? If so – DON'T take an escorted tour. Especially since you speak the language, you should both do quite well on your own.

By the way, welcome to Fodors! You will get excellent advice here as above. Have a great trip….

VolCrew

Texasbookworm and I have done both and I think we would agree we prefer self-guided. We just took a semi-self guided to Spain (see Texasbookworm's trip report). For me,the language was the hardest thing. It's easy to drive in Spain.

Robert2533

It all comes down to what you want to accomplished with only 10 to 12 days. If your are comfortable in making all of your own arrangements, and know something of the area, or areas, you want to visit, then by all means, you can do it on your own. But I think what some of the regular posters here on Fodor’s forget that not everyone is familiar with where they want to go or has the time and knowledge to research everything there is to know about traveling to any country for the first time, speaking the language or not.

I really don't like bus tours, but some people need them, or they wouldn't exist. If I was in your position, and felt comfortable about what I wanted to do, I might consider working with a trip planner, someone who can put together an itinerary that covers everything you want to see, do and experience. It can save a lot of time and disappointment.