nicolos1

Hello,
I posted in Oct of last year taking our first trip to Spain for 17 days in Sept-Oct. I still have a tentative itinerary:
Madrid-2 nights
Salamaca-2 nights
Burgos-1 night
Pamplona-1night
San Sebastian-2nights
Bilbao-2 nights
Barecelona-3 nights
Madrid-2 nights.
My wife and I will rent a car in Madrid and fly to Barcelona from Bilbao. We will take the train to Madrid. Any suggestions on hotels, restaurants, the vineyards of La Rioja would be appreciated. Some travelers say San Sebastian as a home base, others Bilbao.
Thanks.
Nick

iris1745

Hi; From Burgos you could consider driving to Pamplona for a visit and then move on to San Sebastian for 3 nights.

Probably talking three hours drive from B to P., four hour visit and then a two hour drive to SS.

You can view info on www.maribelsguides.com and hotels on www.booking.com/spain Good reviews on the booking site. Just make sure you have free cancellation and it will clearly show that option.

CathyM

With this hectic pace I don't see how you'd have much time to visit vineyards in La Rioja. You only have one night in Pamplona which will be 1/2 day once you drive from Burgos. 2 days each in San Sebastian and Bilbao is just enough for the highlights of these cities.

Personally I'd spend all 5 nights in San Sebastian and visit Bilbao and Pamplona as daytrips.

Can you fly open jaw so you can depart from Barcelona and not have to backtrack to Madrid?

Robert2533

As already noted, a hectic pace. Depending on where you are flying in from, and your departure from Madrid is set in stone, then I would forgo spending the first two nights in Madrid and head immediately for Salamanca. You should be getting there about the same time jet lag begins to set in.

Since late September-early October is harvest time, you can swing through the Ribera on the way to Burgos, it's a short drive and you can be in Burgos by late afternoon, just don't drink too much wine along the way.

You can drive from Burgos to Pamplona via Laguardia, spending one night in the Rioja, arriving in Pamplona the following day.

I would spend two nights in Pamplona, enjoying a very lively and energetic city with a great pintxos culture, equal to San Sebastian's.

You should give San Sebastian and Bilbao equal time. Both are well worth it.

Based on your 15-night draft itinerary, I would recommend the following:

Salamanca - 2 nights (the first day is to adjust and relax after your flight)
Burgos - 1 night
Rioja - 1 night
Pamplona - 2 nights
San Sebastian - 4 nights (allowing time for a day trip to the Pays Basque)
Bilbao - 2 nights
Madrid - 3 nights

You can save Barcelona and the northeast for another adventure.

BigRuss

I'd re-work this as much as possible into hub-and-spoke itinerary - major cities and day trips. If you need four places to overnight (Madrid, Salamanca, Bilbao, SanSeb) all the better. But otherwise hitting Madrid, Salamanca, Basquerevilles and Barcelona in 17 nights is a tour bus pace without someone else toting you from place to place.

CathyM

Chiming in again I agree with BigRuss and Robert - if you could cut Barcelona (and save for another trip) it would certainly make this pace more reasonable.

Another thought - if you're going to be in La Rioja the week of Sept 21 you may want to consider spending a couple of nights in Laguardia. The wine harvest festival (San Mateo) will be in full swing! There's also a small festival in Pamplona the same weekend this year. I'd skip Burgos and perhaps even Salamanca to attend both of these festivals - but that's just me and I'm crazy for festivals.

nicolos1

hello,
Thank you all for the information. I will certainly consider and adjust my trip as I keep planning.

Nick

iris1745

If I were doing this trip, I would also skip Barcelona.

What I would do is

1. Salamanca [3 nights] Bus from the airport to Salamanca.

2. Rent a car when leaving Salamanca and then

3. Burgos [2 nights'

4. Pamplona [1 or 2 nights.

5. San Sebastian [3 or 4 nights]

6. Bilbao [2 nights

7. Fly, bus or train to

8. Madrid [3 nights]

Look at a map. Check the sequence of your travel once you decide on an itinerary so you know what works best for you.

nicolos1

Thanks again everyone. I took your advice Cathy M. and will do an open jaw to avoid going back to Madrid. Iris I like your idea of a bus to Salamanca. How does the following itinerary sound.
Madrid-2 nights
Salamanca-2
Burgos-2
Pamplona-2
San Sebastian-4
Bilbao-1
Barcelona-2
I'm still not sure of the time in Bilbao and San Sebastian. I'll have to do more research. Any suggestions will certainly help. Thanks again.
Nick

iris1745

So, if you have decided to go to Barcelona from Bilbao, it is about a one hour flight. Add 1 1/2 hours on each end to and from the airport and the city center. Leave Bilbao airport at 9am and be at the Barcelona airport at 10:05AM.

You are in the city center about 11:30AM. Almost two full days and there is an earlier flight at 7am to be in Barcelona earlier.

www.kayak.com/

ira

Hi nic,

We recently did a similar trip in reverse.

Since you are renting a car, why not drive from San Sebastian to Barcelona? It's less than 6 hrs and not uninteresting. See www.maps.google.com.

Better yet, follow the route from San Sebastian through Oloron-Sainte-Marie, France and the Sallent de Gállego, Spain to Roda de Isábena, Spain for an overnight at http://www.hospederia-rdi.com/

It is a very scenic drive through the Pyrenees.

Roda, perched way up in the mountains, is a recently restored village with a very old cathedral.

The Hospederia is quite hospitable.

Also,

I recommend you visit http://www.museoevolucionhumana.com/~museoevo/en in Burgos as well as the Cathedral.

We stayed at http://www.hotelmesondelcid.com/

If you are only overnighting in Bilbao, why not save the hassle of moving and make it a daytrip from SS?

Ditto for Pamplona. It's only an hour from SS.

Add the extra time to Barcelona and Madrid.

In SS we enjoyed staying at http://www.hotelzaragozaplaza.com/en. It is rather underrated.

In Barcelona, I can highly recommend the Columbus room at http://www.marinaviewbcn.com/

Enjoy your visit.

nicolos1

thank you Iris and Ira. I appreciate the suggestions.
Nick

iris1745

Keep in mind, that US citizens are required to have an IDP, International Driving Permit in Spain along with your own country/state license.

Any AAA office for $22 dollars and that includes the photo.

kja

> Madrid-2 nights

If you have an interest in art, 2 nights in Madrid might not be enough. Depends on what you want to see and do, though!

nicolos1

Thanks again Iris. Kja I'm rethinking my time spent in Madrid.
Thanks again.