Spain Hotel - to reserve or not
 

Planning trip to Spain May 2005. Had thought to book hotels ahead in Madrid or Barcelona and then to just find accomodations as we go for the rest of the trip. Will visit, Avila, Salamanca, Segovia, Seville, Granada, White towns, among others. Is this feasible? Many thanks for any suggestions. Sandyb

I suppose it's feasible, but maybe not the best idea, depending on how much time you want to spend finding accommodations and how picky you are. I don't know some of these areas well, and they are probably fine, but the one that struck me as problematic is Seville. I think they have a really big festival in Seville in May and you may have trouble getting an empty room ad hoc, at least a good one. I might be wrong, but I'd check into that.

Christina,

Thanks for your thoughts. I was feeling a bit uncomfortable about Seville also. Sandyb

If you are planning a trip to Spain in May, why not book all of your hotel rooms in advance so you don't have to worry about where you are going to be staying and instead spend the time enjoying the area.

Of course you can expect to have trouble finding decent accommodations (reasonably priced) in all of the towns you listed on your preliminary itinerary if you wait until you arrive, but it is not impossible, depending on where you want to stay and how much you want to spend, even in Sevilla (if money is no object).

Take the time to plan your stay. A decent room makes a world of difference in how you enjoy yourself and it adds to the memories, just as a bad choice can have the same effect. Right now you have plenty of time to do the research and make your selections. There are a number of good resources out there. Learn to use them to your advantage.

We spent 2 1/2 weeks in Spain last May, I booked and pre-paid all the hotels before we left. The best are the paradors, I found them the most charming and fun to stay in. I highly recommend if you wish to stay in Paradors during your visit, you book now. My favorites were the one in Arcos de la Frontera, Malaga and Toledo.