clos1336

Hello Everyone, So I will be traveling with my wife for the first time to Spain. We will be celebrating our 1 year wedding anniversary.
I guess we just need help planning what city to visit while we are there.

We are flying into Madrid June 6 @ 9am.
Departing June 12 @ 11:30Am ( Side note, we are fluent in Spanish)

I guess my main question here is where to next? People have suggested the North and some the south?
We would like to avoid changing citys so oftern( we are not on a fast schedule and actually like time to relax and enjoy spain) We want to be realistic and enjoy the areas we decide to visit. Again this is our first time
and if we have to skip some sites/citys thas ok as long as we can enjoy.

We love wine, the beach,architecture and food but most importantly we love to avoid big crowded citys and we like to indulge in the culture.
Should we rent a vehicle? or are we better off using other types of transport?

I know this is very basic information but if anyone can help us we would appreciate it.

We are not worried about hotels, once we know what city we are going to we will beginng to book!

We dont mind if we dont spend much time in Madrid and we are ok with skipping barcelona if that is suggested.

Thank you in advance.

sorry for the grammar english is not my 1st language =)

PalenQ

Well how about hopping the bullet train from Madrid to Seville and base there for a few days - do Cordoba perhaps too - trains are great - Renfe - Spanish Railways' site lets you book tickets yourself online - at a nice discount if book early enough to get those limited in number discounted tickets. www.seat61.com has a treasure trove of great info on doing that - general train info www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts. You might consider staying a night in Toledo close to Madrid or do a day trip there - to many one of Europe's finest old towns. But everyone loves Seville!

Andee01

As you are interested in the beach and less busy cities, perhaps Valencia would be a good choice. It is an easy train ride from Madrid. We stayed in Valencia in June 2016 for 3 nights. It has a lovely old town in the city centre, that is not too crowded, easy to walk around and there is plenty of lovely architecture to see. We also went to the beach, and spent time checking out the beautiful modern achitecture of the Arts and Sciences buildings. We enjoyed our stay there.

You could split your time between Valencia and Madrid. We loved Madrid, again plenty to see and do, but a much busier vibrant city than Valencia. You also have the option of some great day trips from Madrid, including the gorgeous Toledo.

kja

With 6 days on the ground, you could see Madrid and Toledo and maybe -- just maybe -- a bit of Segovia.
Or skip Madrid and spend your time in San Sebastian and neighboring locations.
Or skip Madrid and spend your time in Barcelona and neighboring locations.

For most options, you wouldn't need a car -- but whether you would benefit from a car or not depends on where, exactly, you decide to go.

I strongly encourage you to consult a good guidebook or two.

Good luck!

clos1336

Thank you everyone for the response very helpful!

If we decided to visit the region on andalucia, Would we have enough time to visit the citys sorrounding the area?
I also read its worth to pass by Ronda. People say it might be to Hot but I live in Miami I believe temperatures are about the same.
For Andalucia region do we need a vehicle to get around or would be fine using another type of transportation?

Anyone suggest the south over the north and why?

PalenQ

You do not need a car to get around to places most folks go in Andalusia - trains and buses go verywhere most want to go and cars in cities are a hassle.

marielev

Best idea enjoy

Andee01

There are great destinations north or south of Madrid - it really depends on what you want to see and do. If you are keen on the Andalusian region then I suggest you limit it to Seville and Cordoba given your time constraints. It is easy to get to these destinations from Madrid by high speed train.
On our first 2 week visit to Spain, we decided not to try and squeeze in Andalusia - instead we went to Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid - which were the places we were interested in visiting. We realised it would be better to return and visit Andulusia another time given how much there is to see and do there (we are going this June).

kja

With 6 days on the ground, you could probably see Sevilla and Cordoba. And you would have to leave Madrid ASAP, returning the night before your flight. Ronda is lovely, but it is not on the same tier as Sevilla, Cordoba, or Granada -- its a place to add on for a day if you have LOTS of time.

Hot in Miami is not the same thing as hot in Andalusia or Madrid, at least IME. IME, Miami gets a cooling shower most days, and ocean breezes. Most of Andalusia does not have those cooling elements. And going from one air conditioned space to another is not the same as being out and about and sightseeing.

No need for a car. Please check any decent guidebook or rome2rio.com for your transportation options.

PalenQ

But, Seville area is a 'dry' heat so not so humid?

clos1336

So this actually got me thinking. I might be open to doing Barcelona and Valencia, but based on the time I have I dont know if I can make it happen.
Since we flying in and out of Madrid I dont mind leaving Madrid/Toledo until the end that since we are already flying out of Madrid I could just stay there the last 2 days? Maybe on arrival catching a quick flight to Barcelona??
With that said I might skip andalusia and leave it for a future longer trip.

Any recommendations on the North? San sebastian ,Bilbao,La Rioja,Parque national los picos?

Would any of those options be better than Madrid-Barcelona-Valencia?

kja

IMO, as I already noted above, you don't have time for Madrid OR Toledo IF you also try to fit anything else into your time. I'm not sure you have time for Barcelona AND Valencia, even if you skip Madrid, but you might -- that would depend on what you want to see and do. Or, if you are willing to skip Madrid AND Toledo, you could see San Sebastian, Bilboa and maybe, just maybe, a bit of either Rioja OR the Picos de Euorpa, but you would have to be extremely selective.

I think you would do well to get a calendar and mark it up with possibilities. Get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, check their opening/closing times on the internet, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting lost/oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together. And BTW, note that many things in Spain are closed on Monday, and often for all or part of Sundays too; and many things in Spain will also be closed daily for a very long mid-day break.

Andee01

I agree with Kja, I am not sure you have the time to do justice to Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid. You could do 2 nights in Valencia, but both Madrid and Barcelona really require more time, as there is a lot to see and do. Madrid and Valencia would be easier to achieve, than Barcelona and Valencia arriving and departing from Madrid.

I havent been to San Sebastián or that region yet, we are going there later in June, so I am not sure how easy it is to see much of the region in the time you have...again I would take the advice of kja who speaks from experience.

If you think it is likely you will return to Spain another time, then I wouldn’t try to see too much this trip. Just pick one or two places you really want to see, with the knowledge you will get back to explore further another time.

Revulgo

This is a useful website for Madrid
https://www.esmadrid.com/en

Another website for Spain
Tourism in Spain |Tourist information about Spain | spain.info in english

clos1336

Thank you everyone for the advice,websites and tips. I greatly appreciate it

I know I have been asking to many questions but if some reason we decide to skip both Madrid and Barcelona
Where would you suggest for me to visit instead based on time and also based on the month of June ( Temperature, fairs,activities ect)

Thank you in advane I apologize for so many questions this is our first time in Spain.

KarenWoo

May I ask why you are flying in and out of Madrid if you don't want to spend any time there? When I plan a trip, I decide where I want to go first, then I make my airline reservations. I sincerely don't mean to be critical or rude. In the future, I suggest making open-jaw (or multi-city reservations), such as flying into Madrid and out of Barcelona or Seville, depending on your itinerary.

If you travel to other parts of spain, you are wasting time and money because you have to backtrack to Madrid.

Also, you really only have 5 full days for sightseeing, especially if you leave for Barcelona or Valencia when you arrive in Madrid, and because you have to return to Madrid on June 11.

I agree with what some of the other posters have said. Your possible most logical options would be:

Madrid and Toledo - i have been to both cities and loved both of them. They have the architecture, food, and wine that you are looking for. If you like art museums, Madrid has OUTSTANDING art museums. But you did mention you prefer to avoid large crowded cities. Toledo is small but crowded. If you choose this option, I would stay in Toledo at least for one night to experience it after the daytrippers have left.

Madrid and Valencia - I haven't been to Valencia, but it is on the coast so it would give you the beach time you are looking for, and as Andee01 says, it sounds like a city you would like.

Madrid and Barcelona - We were in Barcelona in october 2010 and it was perfect sightseeing weather. I think it would have comfortable temps in June since it's on the Mediterranean? And it would give you the beach and coastal ambiance you are looking for.

Seville and Cordoba - this would not give you any sightseeing time in Madrid. We loved both cities. But it will be hot. We were in Seville in late September/early October, and it was in the low to mid 90's. So I assume it would be the same in June. Neither place is near a beach.

OR Seville and Malaga for the beach and coastal ambience in Malaga?

I think one consideration would be how convenient the transportation is to the places you would go to outside of Madrid. You don't want to spend all day on June 6 travelling, and then all day on June 11 traveling back to Madrid. FYI, the train from Madrid to Toledo is about 30 minutes, so a very convenient combination of 2 destinations.

Whatever you do, do NOT try to add a 3rd destination for sightseeing. You will spend most of your time in trains and plains, and will barely see anything.

clos1336

Flying into Madrid because of Price(350 round trip from Miami) any other city would of cost us way more!!!!)

Thank you for the long post, it really helps to read about your advice. I guess I keep thinking of avoiding big citys and crowds which is why I was so open to skipping
Madrid and Barcelona. But if realisticly time is not in my favor I will have to enjoy the best and stick with what is more convinient without having to waste time getting around.

Thank you once again.

KarenWoo

Well, that makes sense. The airfare is difficult to pass up. Do you have a guidebook to see what city would interest you the most? Seville and Cordoba are smaller cities. I don't know how Valencia compares. On our trip in September, Seville was the most crowded city, and I think Cordoba was the least crowded. There were lots of tour groups in Seville. I don't know if it's possible to avoid crowds. These are all popular places. As far as temperatures go, I think San Sebastian might be the coolest, but I have never been there.

Let us know what you decide to do.

Andee01

Valencia is one of Spain’s larger cities, but it doesn’t feel big, and it is a lot less busy than Madrid and Barcelona. It has a compact old town that is really easy to navigate and is not overrun by lots of other tourists. Even at the beach in June when we were there it wasn’t crowded at all.

You have some great destinations within easy reach of Madrid, so as Karen suggests do some research and find one or two that you really want to visit. Spain is a beautiful country, I don’t think you can go wrong with wherever you end up choosing. Good luck.

clos1336

So last night I spent a good amount of hours researching and using everyones advice. I decided to make this trip about what my wife prefers to do ( since its ous anniversary) So after spending some time talking and searching.

Her number #1 location would be Rioja, we really enjoy wine ( its one the things we love to do the most) we are fairly new to wine from Spain so this would be
a location that would be a priority.

The question is can this be done ( We dont mind skipping Madrid) bus or flight?

Should be go to Bilbao after? or somewhere in the Basque region if not where to next.

Sorry guys I know I totally did a u turn here with eveyrthing we had already spoken about.