Spain in mid March
 

Hi everybody,

I am planning to travel to Spain from 15th March to 27th March. I have heard that there is a festival on 17th in Madrid. Because of which hotels are expensive and unavailable. Also because of easter everything is expensive. How true is this and is there any way I can cut down on my expenditure without changing the dates.
My rough itinerary is as follows:
Madrid 2 days
Marbella 4 days
Barcelona 4 days
Costa brava 2 days.
Thank you in advance.
Kavisha

What research have you done to establish costs of accommodation etc., relative to your particular budget for the dates you plan to travel?

Without €/night budgets, we have no way of knowing what you might regard as "expensive".

I was in Madrid & Granada immediately prior to Easter a few years ago & didn't didn't find it particularly expensive compared to other parts of Europe at Festival times.

Don't know of any big festival in Madrid on March 17, and even though Holy Week is big in Madrid also, you don't see anything near the hordes of people flocking to Sevilla and Malaga and the rest of Andalucia where Semana Santa is the by far most important celebration of the year. Things will not be much more expensive than normal in Madrid. http://www.esmadrid.com/en/whats-on/semanasanta-madrid

Plenty of ways to keep spendings down in Madrid. You could for example rely heavily on the famous and typical bocadillos (not only calamares, they come with sausages and other meat also) for lunch or dinner, a hearty meal will set you back some 3-4€ with a drink. http://www.cheapinmadrid.com/10-best...ars-in-madrid/

Or go to some of the many bars that have kept the custom of serving a free tapa with every drink in the bar: http://www.timeout.com/madrid/food-a...ith-free-tapas
http://madridnofilter.com/11-great-b...pas-in-madrid/

Also free entrance to the world class museums at certain hours, Reina Sofia from 7 pm weekdays and most of Sunday: http://www.museoreinasofia.es/en/vis...-ticket-prices
Prado has got free entrance from Monday to Saturday 6-8pm and Sunday from 5pm. https://www.museodelprado.es/en/museum

Because it is Holy Week from 19th through 26th March, you have chosen a crowded time in which to travel. Schools in Spain will be closed as well.

You may be able to find reasonably priced accommodation in business hotels in Madrid and Barcelona at those times. I am uncertain if you could find any similar hotels in Marbella (try Malaga?) and think it unlikely there is any in the Costa Brava.

Yes, many Europeans travel the week before and after Easter, because there are so many public holidays and the schools close.

But this means also that there are not many business travellers in these two weeks. As said, business hotels often offer very good deals.

In March, when it is too cool for swimming, there will be off-season in Marbella and Costa Brava. We once got an excellent deal at a half empty beach hotel between Marbella and Malaga around Easter.

Just try the usual hotel search engines.

Agree that without a specific nightly budget from you we can't provide any perspective on "expensive". Have you looked at the costs of hostels versus hotels? That might help your budget.

no known holiday the 17th march in Madrid. Absolutely unfounded. I checked prices from 17 to 20th and don't see anything unusual.. in fact several "sales" at trivago.es.

No festival in Madrid on the 17th, but you might want to attend the one in Valencia,
Las Fallas, which runs from the 15th to the 19th, the 19th being spectacular. Semana Santa runs from the 20th to the 27th, some places the 28th. Generally speaking, prices for hotels are higher at this time, and not only in the cities with the big parades - e.g., Seville and Malaga.

Hi all,
Thank you all for the responses.. Our budget would be around 40€ per night sorts.. We ll look into the festival bit again..
Thanks..

You'll find it difficult to find a hostal for 40€/night.

40€ is tough, but very centrally located Pension Magdalena gets great reviews and is some 55€: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/pens...ena.en-gb.html

40E a double? very tough.Maybe check Thorn tree for suggestions, hostelworld or couch surfing.It sounds tight in the big cities.. you may find things in the small villages for that price.