We are 2 couples arriving in Barcelona for 3 days, then would like to travel by car into the Rioja region, Basque country, maybe touring through to San Sebastian. Are there any suggestions on wine tasting, any ag or farm tours, what small towns might be tourist friendly, where to stay, etc. We have about 10 days--would we be better to go to Madrid, and then the more well known tourist areas to the south? What about Valencia and the coast? Obviously, we need direction!

Barcelona and the Basque Country makes a nice 10 day itinerary. Or Barcelona and the Rioja. You would more time to combine the two, explore them in depth and do both regions justice.

We're headed in March to the Rioja for another six day stay of intensive wine touring and historical/cultural visits. There really is that much to do and see in this small but fascinating area.

I've written guides (a little long..!) on both the Basque Country and the Rioja that you can download (for free) in pdf format. They might help you to decide what in each region would be of greatest interest to you and to get you started with your planning.

www.maribelsguides.com

it all depends on what you are interested in.
art, museums, galleries, beaches,
small towns, big cities...
10 days is not a long time for such a diverse country.

make that "you would NEED more time..." With only 10 days total to explore by car, I would stay in the north, starting in Barcelona and driving west but no further than Bilbao (Basque Country) or Haro (Rioja).

I´d follow Maribel´s advice and stay in the north. Three days for Barcelona is just fine, then you should allow at least 5 days in the Basque area (can´t miss San Sebastián and the wine region), or the fishing towns along the Cantabric coast, still untouched by massive tourism...Bilbao is also worth a visit, the Guggenheim museum is a must. Spain is a very heterogeneous country and differences among regions are big in terms of food, language (in some), climate, scenery, art,..., so i´d do it in parts.

There's a new 5-Star Deluxe Hotel by Frank Gehry (Guggenheim) built for one of Spain's Premier Vintners (the word just came to me; I don't know if I'm using it correctly). From what I've read, it's in the northern Rioja region.

Not a great fan of San Sebastian but I love Bilbao (Vizcaya - Basque Country). I would head West from Barcelona to Zaragoza, Capital of Aragon, and birthplace of Francisco de Goya y Lucientes. He did some of the Frescoes in Zaragoza's Catedral de la Virgen del Pilar.

If you're looking for a farm stay, Google Casas Rurales

When are you going? Besides Maribel's Guides, www.spain.info is an informative web site. Mike's comments are also spot on. Your conversation over pichos in San Sebastian will probably be; "Why didn't we plan more time here"!

wp,
The deluxe (and hugely expensive!) 5 star Frank Gehry-designed hotel NED is referring to is the Marqués de Riscal (member of Starwood's luxury collection) at the M de Riscal winery in Elciego. We've dined there, sent several couples there to stay, and we've toured the entire facility.

While Elciego and Gehry's center of wine certainly merit a stop (as well as the surrounding wine towns), I wouldn't (well, couldn't) make the Marqués de Riscal my Rioja base, as it still has some serious organizational issues that need to be ironed out, particularly with rates STARTING at 475€.

There are some very nice country homes, "casas rurales", or "agroturismos" (farmhouses), both in the area surrounding San Sebastián and Bilbao and in the Rioja Alavesa where you could spend a few of those nights for between 50-60€ per night.

I've listed my favorites in my guides but here they are again:

"Iketxe" and "Artizarra" (just perfect for 2 couples) in Hondarribia

"Ontxene" and "Txopebenta" in the lovely Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, east of Bilbao

"Landarte", near Guetaria

"Larrakoetxea" near Plentzia (with a/c, Wi Fi & restaurant), 70-90€ p.p

www.nekatur.net


The small towns around Bilbao and S.S. are extremely tourist friendly and very atmospheric.

Some favorites in the Bizkaia (Vizcaya) province on/near coast:

Lekeitio
Elantxobe
Bermeo (walk to Gaztelugatxe shrine)
Bakio (Gorrondona vineyards)
Gernika (wonderful Peace Museum-Mon. market-Ibarrola's Painted Forest)


In Gipuzkoa province:

Hondarribia (medieval quarter a gem)
Zarautz
Getaria (Talai Berri vineyards)

In the Rioja D.O.:

Laguardia (a jewel!-wineries galore)
Elciego
Labastida
Briones (fab Dinastía Vivanco wine museum!)
San Vicente de la Sonsierra
Haro (loads of wineries)

plus the Monastery Route to Yuso, Suso, Valvanera and Cañas Abbey and lovely mountain town of Ezcaray

Again, there's so much to see and do in both areas, I would stick to one and try to do it more in depth to get a real feel for, understanding of and enjoyment from the region.

But I do want to echo john's remarks. You'll fall head over heels for San Sebastián and may never want to leave-except for that "must do" day trip to wonderful Bilbao, of course!

S.S. is one of Spain's loveliest, most vibrant, most gastronomically splendid coastal cities, with simply gorgeous beaches to boot!

Thank you all for the helpful suggestions and to Maribel for the details you've written. What a wealth of information! I should clarify that we have 3 full days in Barcelona, a cruise with ports in France and Italy for a week, then back to Spain for 10 days. We are foodies, love to try culinary adventures (large or small), live on a beef and sheep ranch in CA wine country so would love to explore wine area, but language skills are limited to very elementary Spanish, not Castilian. Can a tourist get by without much language ability? Love the suggestions of locations to stay, we can't afford luxury accommodations but would like a few splurges along the way, food or housing. Thanks for continued suggestions!

Listen to Maribel. She really knows her stuff and I'm so glad she's back with us!

Castilian and Spanish are the same language...like American and British, kind of.

Anyway, you will be able to get yourself understood, even speaking just English. Hands, gestures and a smile will open all doors, this is a friendly country.

For cheap and great accomodation, follow Maribel´s advice and check www.nekatur.net, or www.toprural.es.

We found knowledge of some Spanish extremely useful when communicating with taxi drivers, purchasing tickets at bus and train stations , even in some hotels .
Do not expect too many Spaniards
in small towns to speak English.

wp031402,
You could maximize your 10 days by flying and be able to fit in Bilbao-Sanse-Rioja Alavesa. With 9 nights, 3 nights in each.

You could fly from Barcelona to Bilbao, then rent a car, drive down to Laguardia, base yourselves there for a few days (at the Castillo del Collado, Antigua Bodega de Cosme Palacio or Mayor de Migueloa-all in my guide) or in tiny Abalos (at the Villa de Abalos or Hospedería del Vino), then drive up to San Sebastián for some fabulous dining, either staying in the city or in Hondarribia at one of the Nekatur properties. (Much more economical-we save money on our lodging with these properties so as to splurge for our dining).

If driving from Barcelona and back, I would concentrate on the area between San Sebastián & Bilbao, with at least one stay in an atmospheric, unspoiled fishing village.

Forgot to mention the Emperatriz Zita and Zubieta in Lekeitio, which are full service inns.

And Getaria has a charming inn, the Salaz Getaria.

You can check all the above lodging ideas, as mikelg says, at Top Rural and check guest feedback.

Just a few more ideas for you.

Couldn't check airfares for you because I don't know when you're traveling, but Iberia has fares as low as 41 euros to Bilbao; Spanair flys from San Sebastian (airport in Hondarribia) for as low as 57.

Thank you for all the wonderful information!