Hi Karen, it's nice to have a report of your trip... can't wait to see the one on Barcelona! I'll be travelling to Spain in June to walk the St James Way and I'll stay for about 3 days in Barcelona just on my own. Incidentally, I'm 34 and a female too, haha...

Just some travel questions:
1. I don't know a word of Spain and is it still ok to travel in Barcelona?
2. Do I have to pre-purchase ticket on regional trains or is it ok to buy on the spot?
3. Any seedy area I should avoid staying at in Barcelona? I don't want to book my hotel/hostel in the wrong area!

Thanks in advance,
Tweety

Wow - guys (and girls), thanks for all the great feedback! I am trying to balance info and anecdotes to be helpful - hopefully I'm succeeding a little.

I'll post the next day later, but to answer the questions where I can:

Rachele - I sent you Maribel's files. I grew up on Long Island and worked in NYC for 8 years, but thanks for the offer anyway!

Travel04 - I brought long sleeve shirts and 1 turtleneck. The temp at night was in the high 30s/low 40s in Madrid and Barcelona, and Barcelona was chilly most of the time I was there. I didn't have a heavy winter coat, more of a "light winter coat" if that makes sense. It was fine. There was only 2 nights I wished I had brought gloves.

I took the 9am bus to Segovia, and I believe I took a 6pm bus back.

For Cordoba, I took the 8:30am AVE train from Madrid, and I believe I caught the 3:44 AVE from Cordoba to Sevilla.

Anika - thanks for the kind words. I loved both Toledo and Segovia, so I hope you do, also!

At12am01 - If you are in Barcelona, Monserrat is easy - it's about 1 hour train ride and then a cable car ride to the top. You can spend 1 hour or all day there, depending on what you want to see or do.

Madrid and Toledo are nowhere near Barcelona. It is about a 6 hour drive, or I think a 3 or 4 hour train ride (can someone confirm that - I didn't do this). So to see them from Barcelona is a trek. Going to Madrid for a day is kind of a waste from Barcelona, IMHO.

If you only have 3 days and are in Barcelona, I'd suggest Monserrat, maybe a trip to Stiges, and maybe a trip to the vineyards a little north of Barcelona.

Tweety - Many people in Barcelona speak at least some English - especially at the tourist sights. You'll be fine. Regional trains - I traveled off season, so I don't really know how crowded they get in season. I think you could buy them once you get there, but in advance of your trip. If you stay near Barri Gothic or Eixample, I think you'll be OK as far as neighborhoods, but I'm not an expert. I didn't feel unsafe anywhere, but always be alert!

OK, I must work now. I'll try to post again at lunch!

Karen

Karen,

Thank you for your report. My husband and I will be going to Madrid, then driving to Jaen, Granada, Ronda and Seville. We would like to take the AVE train back to Madrid. I am not sure if I should book the tickets in advance or wait till I get to Spain. Any suggestions? If I can buy them in Spain, should I do it a few days in advance or can I buy them right at the railway station in Seville? The price on the web is $80pp one way. Did you pay the same?

I appreciate any info.
Also, I booked San Sebastian in Ronda- it looks terrific on the site!

I promise to write my own report when I get back!

Karen,

I am enjoying your report so much!

ana222,

I am going to Spain in 2 1/2 weeks and here's what I've determined about booking the AVE from various posts on this site.

You can book online. The benefit is that you will be able to reserve in advance, possibly avoid a smoking car if that would be an issue, and you can pick up your tickets at a RENFE office in Spain (you can pick up at the airport in Madrid, I believe).

Or you can do it in person. This might give you more flexibility. Depending on how far out from your date of travel from your arrival in Spain, you may have the time to feel pretty secure you'll get your desired reservation date and time - people seem to say you should have 2-3 days lead time. It appears that although not really likely, the time you want to go could sell out, so if you are dead set on a time and date, you should either book online or go to the RENFE office shortly after arrival in Spain.

I am going to purchse my tickets from Madrid to Sevilla online. I think the tourist class rate is 65 euro. I don't know, but it doesn't seem to change, so I think it might be a standard rate.

Hope this helped you a little.

Happy travels,
SRS

ana22 - You don't say when you are going, but since you are doing the AVE toward the end of your trip, I'd say you can wait until you get to Spain. There is a RENFE office in the Madrid airport, so you can buy them when you land.

I bought the Madrid-Corboba at the Antocha station a few days ahead, but the Cordoba-Sevilla part I just bought when I wanted to leave Cordoba.

The cost, as SCS says, should only be 65E tourist class. I did 2 trains, but the cost is the same (47E MAD-Cordoba, then 18E Cordoba-Sevilla).

Karen

Kaudrey, thanks for your report. I'm leaving a month from tomorrow! After reading this I am getting off my butt and am going to start "hiking" up the hills in my neighborhood so I am ready for Segovia and Toledo.

I have one question, about the bus to Toledo. Do you catch it near the Atocha train station? We are taking the bus back into Madrid and then the AVE train to Sevilla, and have already purchased our tickets for the AVE.

I will definitely be trying that camembert with raspberry sauce.

rialtogrl- For the bus to Toledo:

You take the Continental Galiano bus from Estación Sur de Autobuses or "Bus Station of the South" at the metro stop Méndez Alvaro, corner of Calle Retamar. This is Line 6 (gray).

The Antocha RENFE station is on Line 1 (blue). You'd take line 6 for one stop to Pacifico, change to line 1 for 2 stops to Antocha Renfre. This should take about 15-20 minutes, including walking through the stations and waiting for trains.

Hope this helps.
Karen

OK, next day: Day 9, Friday, Sevilla

I sleep in a little after my late night, and don't get out until about 10:30am. First, I walk down to the bullring for a tour. I'd guess it's a mile away. The tour is pretty short but interesting, the stadium is pretty cool to see. They don't go into gory details, which is good because I am an animal-lover-type and I would never actually go see a bullfight. I think it is cruel, but I understand it is part of their culture and I am happy I saw the bullring and its little museum.

Then I was across the Puente Isabel and walk around the Triana district. The churches down there are closed because I hit them at siesta (after 1pm). Sometimes, timing is everything in Spain! I wander back toward "my neighborhood", as I have a date with Sara at 2pm. We have a relaxing lunch at a restaurant in a little plaza in Santa Cruz. We decide to part until dinner. Since she got there after me, we are not quite on the same track as far as what we want to see, which is fine. I decide to go to Casa Pilatos. I get lost, again, I get close, and I can't find it! I swear, based on the map, I must have been almost within FEET of it, and no luck. There was a hotel on the street nearby, and I asked the concierge there, and HE didn't know where it was! I gave up. This was not a short walk from Santa Cruz area, but what can you do? (Note: A few days later, I learn that when I was there it was probably closed anyway, because they were shooting a movie there).

I go to Palacio de Lebrija. This is a great gem! This was a countess' home and it is amazingly beautiful and right amid the stores on Calle Cuna. The tile on the walls and mosaics on the floor are wonderful. The countess traveled the world and had all kinds of antiquities in her home. You can take a short tour of the upstairs rooms, which I also found interesting. I do a little shopping and buy a fan. I'm in Sevilla, I feel a moral imperative to buy a fan...

I stop at a temporary exhibit at the Archivo de India. It was about Spain's efforts to control all aspects of interaction with the new world in the 1500s. At least that's what I could gather from the many plaques of information that were all in Spanish. It was free. They had some early 1500s world maps that were fun to see. As I am walking back to my hotel, I walk past a used book store, and find a paperback to read.

I meet Sara at 9 for dinner. We find a good tapas bar down by the Torro Oro that was in her Lonely Planet book. Then we get ice cream and as we are walking back, we pass the Hotel Alfonso, which is, I think, the best hotel in Sevilla. We want to see it, so we just walk it. It is beautiful, it looks like the palaces you tour, except in perfect repair. We find a seating area, and although we feel a little self-conscious, we sit there to eat our ice cream. We get our own little private piano concert when a man sits down and plays for us. I guess it would be nice to be rich.

In Sara's book, there is mention of a place that sometimes has spontaneous flamenco in Santa Cruz. We go searching for it. We meet up with another friend she met a week ago, Sarah (at least they are spelled differently!), and we find it. It is a fun place and I'd recommend it, but it is a little hard to find. The name of it is not on the door (and I don't remember it), and the door is the one NEXT to the door that has the address above it. The address is #18 Levies. The 18 is over a closed brown door. Next to this is a big red door that is 1/2 way open (to the left of it, if you are facing the brown door). It is not labeled, but we peek in and there are people in there and it is definitely a bar, so we go in. I give this much detail because it was a really fun place and it is worth tracking down. It is all stone inside, walls, floors, the fireplace in the middle. There are benches to sit on, so the three of us get sangria and sit on the benches. Nothing is happening yet. There is also a huge back room that you can go to if you go past the benches to the left. We didn't know this at first, but when we did we checked it out and it was PACKED. We don't see any flamenco, but we do listen to a woman sing with a guitarist. She was very good, and we had a great time. Note, go late. We got there at 11, but the woman didn't start singing until after midnight. We left around 2am.

Although I don't see Sara again, Sarah and I end up meeting up again in Granada and Barcelona (gotta love email). Next: Adventures in driving...

The bar on Levies street that kaudrey is talking about is called La Carboneria, mentioned in past postings by Maribel and others.

Thanks, Olga! I didn't remember, since there is no sign, at least that I saw. Only the address.

Karen

Thanks kaudrey for info..you mentioned if you have 3 days in Barcelona (which we will have) to visit Sitges, Monserrat and the wineries north of Barcelona. We won't have a car in Barcelona and are particularly interested in the wineries. Do you know how to reach them without a car? I assume Sitges and Monserrat are easy to get to? Thanks again and am looking forward to hearing more.

Kaudrey:

Excellent...Thanks for sharing!

Oaktown Traveler

canuck - That was in response to someone who was in Barcelona for a conference and then had an ADDITIONAL 3 days.

If you have only full 3 days in Barcelona, which is basically what I had (future installments coming), I'd spend 2 in Barcelona itself, and 1 going to Monserrat and spending more time in Barcelona.

Or skip Monserrat and go to either Stiges or a winery based on your interests.

You can take a train to Monserrat, Stiges and the vineyards. According to Maribel's files, you can take a train to Sant Sadurni d'Anoia and the Freixenet cava complex is across the street. See www.freixenet.com for tour schedules (you first need to click on España, then English then Winery Visits).

I would only take day trips from Barcelona if you have 3 or more days there. There is so much to see, you could easily spend many more days in Barcelona.

Karen

Wow great ideas, I am going to Seville and Barcelona at the end of March. We are also staying at the Alcantara, its not too rustic is it? Glad to see recommendations of places to eat!

SRS, Karen - thank you guys for the AVE info!

Karen, I meant to say I'll be staying at San Gabriel (I said San Sebestian - LOL) in Ronda as well- I am happy to hear you liked it. I didn't see Ronda on your report?

Can anyone send me the famous Maribel's files? Please! Anything related to Madrid, Seville, Granada, Ronda, Jaen... Thank you!
[email protected]

Thanks for the info. After reading your wonderful memoir of your trip, I am planning to stay for an additional week after the conference. You were mentioning this awesome Maribel's file. I wonder where can I get a copy of that? Would you be able to email me a copy?
I am not very travel savvy. Other than Taxi, is the transportation system pretty easy to navigate in Madrid and Barcelona?
Which is the better mode or cheaper way to travel between Madrid and Barcelona, by plane or by train?
Should I book all hotels, train tickets in advance or they are pretty easy to arrange when I get there?
Sorry for the long list of questions. I feel a little lost when there is so little time for planning. I haven't book my plane ticket to Barcelona yet.
Thanks!!

MN
[email protected]

Karen,

Can I please have a copy of Maribel file as well? [email protected]

Thank you!

Ana and at12am, I have emailed you Maribel's files.

Ana - I stayed at Hotel San Gabriel in Ronda. I LOVED it. The location is great and it is a wonderful revamped mansion. My favorite hotel of all the ones I stayed at.

I spent 2 nights in Ronda. That part of my trip is the next installment, so stay tuned!

Richard - Alcantara is not rustic. The room was basic but fine. I'd stay there again. Location is fabulous and since it's on a pedestrian street, it's nice and quiet.

At12am - Since you haven't booked your plane tickets yet, I have a suggestion. Do an open jaw that takes to Barcelona but leaves from Madrid. That way when you go to Madrid at the end of your trip, you can just leave from there. I did that, but the other way around.

Flights are a great way to go from BCN to MAD. Check out www.iberia.com and www.spanair.com. Look at different days and times because you can snag REALLY cheap flights. I flew from Granada to Barcelona for $35.

I believe there is a pretty fast train that goes between the cities in about 4 hours (?), but I don't know how much it costs.

Trains you can wait until you get there. You can do it in advance once you are in Barcelona if you know the days and times you want to go. Hotels - that's really up to you. I met a lot of people who were winging it, but I didn't want to waste precious vacation time searching for a place to sleep, so I booked mine in advance.

In Madrid and Barcelona, the metros are easy and cheap. There are also buses from the airports into the cities that are easy to use and cheap. I didn't use a taxi in either place.

Hope this helps.

Karen

Day 10: Saturday: Karen gets a rental car.

I leave Sevilla today. I take a cab to the train station, where I have arranged to get my rental car. I used Europcar but I got a cheap rate through a website called www.kasbah.com. It was about $90 for 3 days, and I dropped it off in Granada with no drop off fee. The car is an economy, which is good for those little hill town streets. It is a Fiat Punto, silver, with about 500km on it - brand new! Cool. I get slightly lost leaving Sevilla but am soon on my way.

It takes me about 2 hours to get to my first stop - the "pueblo blanco" of Arcos de la Frontera. I passed through a few small towns and got turned around a little when signs were a little iffy. But, no major problems, as I had a good map. Most of the sites are closed, because I get there during siesta (have we noticed a pattern yet?).

I don't drive into the old part of town. I am fearful of narrow, cobblestone streets, so I follow a "Parking" sign in the more modern part of town. I see a dirt lot that a a few cars parked in it. It has no signs of any kind, but it looks like I can park there, so I do, and hope for the best.

This parking was at the bottom of the town. So, to get up to the cliff where the old town sits, I go through a park across the street and up the steps to the top. 175 steps to the top. Not that I was counting. I wander around the town, get some lunch at a little cafe, and enjoy a leisurely few hours before leaving.

I take the drive through the white towns. This drive takes you through the Sierra Grazalema National Park, which means you go up the mountains, over the mountains, and back down the mountains. It is slow, curvy, narrow, and extremely beautiful. The little car didn't like some of the hilly parts, though! It takes me about 2 hours to get to Ronda, my base for the next 2 nights.

I drove through but didn't stop in Grazalema, because I thought I would go back the next day. But, I spent the whole next day exploring wonderful Ronda, so I didn't make it back. I think the town is worth a stop, it's site on the mountain is amazing.

Anyway, I find Hotel San Gabriel with no problem, and luckily they are off the main road into Old Town and I don't have to drive on any really narrow streets. They told me where to park, a few blocks away, and I did that with no major problem. I left the car there all weekend.

I visit the Iglesia de Santa Maria, since I parked next to it, then I walk down to Ronda's famous bridge - Puente Nueva. This bridge is amazing, as is the gorge it traverses. I must have walked past this bridge a dozen times in 2 days and always had to stop to look at the view.

While taking in the view, I hear an American couple talking about finding a hotel room, so I ask where they are from. We start talking, they find a room, I show them where I parked my car because they needed a space also, then they invited me to join them for dinner. That was nice. Then I wander around the town a little and go back to my room to relax. The driving was tiring - had to concentrate a lot.

Oh, before I went to bed I called home to say Happy Valentine's Day to my boyfriend. It didn't even seem like it to me, since it is not really celebrated in Spain...

Hotel San Gabriel is wonderful. I think Ronda was my favorite town I visited, with Sevilla a close second.

Tomorrow - how to spend a full day in a little town and exhaust yourself in the process...

NOTE TO ANA - I tried sending you the files as noted, but I just got a delivery failure notice. Not sure what happened.

Karen

Thank you very much, Karen.

MN