NHC

My husband and I went to Spain around the middle of February. We visited Seville, Granada, Madrid and Toledo. We used Maribel’s online guide (http://maribelsguides.com) and information from Frommer’s Europe and Lonely Planet Mediterranean Europe as travel aids.

Seville
Upon arrival at Seville’s airport, we took the airport bus to town. It costs 2.30 EUR. The bus was late. There were many people waiting, and it took a long time for everyone to pay and get change from the driver. The driver finally left without taking everyone, even though there was space left on the bus, saying that another bus was on the way. We took the bus to Plaza Colon (it also stops at the train station, I believe), and then took a cab to our hotel, which cost 5 E.

We stayed at Hotel Amadeus. This is a very charming hotel with a classical music theme. It has a very pretty lobby with Spanish tiles and musical instruments displayed. It also has a small piano room and a separate sitting room. Each hotel room is named after a classical musician (e.g. Wagner, Haydn, Mozart). Our room was fairly small, but nice; there was a very good use of space. Classical music is playing on a radio in your room when you enter, which is a nice touch. The bathroom was a nice size with shelves so you have places to put your stuff. We paid 80E/night + 7% tax for a double. We stayed on the first floor (2nd floor in US standards). Their second floor probably would have been the best floor to get a room, because rooms on the lobby floor are probably a bit noisy because they are right off of the lobby/sitting area and front door. And our floor was where the coffee machine is (coffee, tea, hot chocolate at any time for 1E), which makes some noise when it’s used. They also put together the breakfasts on that floor, there seems to be a small kitchen used by staff there, so at around 8am noise starts from the breakfast preparation such as plates being stacked, etc. There is also a computer on that floor with internet access, which is quite convenient. The hotel also has a roof terrace where you can see the top of the cathedral and hear its bells. There appears to be a suite all on its own on the 3rd floor below the roof terrace. Breakfast was 7E, and consisted of fresh-squeezed orange juice (this is very prevalent in Seville, there are lots of orange and citrus fruits growing all around the city – sweet and yummy), coffee tea or hot chocolate, 3 types of heated bread, butter, jam, fruit, and a bit of cheese. It’s good, although heavy on the starch with not much protein. The staff there is very nice, and I know at least some of them speak English (my husband is a native Spanish speaker, so we didn’t speak English with them, but I heard some of the staff speaking to other guests in English). The hotel is in a convenient location. It is in the Barrio de la Juderia and Barrio Santa Cruz areas of Seville with lots of windy streets and narrow roads. It is very close to the park that borders the Alzácar, as well as within walking distance of the cathedral, the Alcázar, and San Sebastian bus station. The train station isn’t far, but it might be a bit hard to maneuver the narrow streets and cobblestones to get there with luggage.

We arrived at the hotel in the late afternoon, and after checking into the hotel, we walked in the park and got a snack at a nearby shop right off of the park that has homemade potato chips and churros. Then, after resting for awhile at the hotel, we went to dinner “early,” since Spaniards eat dinner late by my standards, usually around 10pm or later. We went around 8 or 8:30, to El Cordobes restaurant off of the main square on calle Santa Maria La Blanca . We were the only diners at first, although other tourists began arriving while we were there. The appetizers were very good. I had vegetable soup and my husband had shrimp cocktail. Dinner was only so-so, though. I had mixed paella, which was fairly bland. My husband had lamb chops, which he said were only ok. I don’t remember exactly how much it cost, but it wasn’t too expensive.

Granada-Alhambra
The next morning we got up early to go the Granada for the day. We walked to the San Sebastian bus station, which took about 10 minutes. We took the Graells Alsina bus. They have a website in English (ttp://www.continental-auto.es/index.do), although not all of their departures are listed there; see also this website: http://www.movelia.es; English: http://www.movelia.es/default.asp (but it looks like you need to enter the city names in Spanish, e.g. Sevilla, not Seville). We took the 9am bus, which was around 15E each roundtrip, and arrived around 11:45am. Be aware that buses don’t have toilets and don’t stop for rest breaks. The bus showed a movie (Spanish only). Upon arriving to Granada’s bus station, we took a cab to Plaza Nueva, from where the buses to the Alhambra leave. We could have taken a bus from the bus station to the same area, but we didn’t feel like it. The cab was around 5 E (the bus is .95 E). We had an “early” lunch at noon at one of the plaza’s cafes. We had previously purchased Alhambra tickets online at http://www.alhambratickets.com , which gave us a time to enter the Nasrid Palace: between 1:30 and 2 (you get to choose a time yourself), and headed up on the bus around 1. The bus to the Alhambra is .95 E, a 5-10 min. ride uphill, and the Alhambra is the last stop. The buses look like red vans and say “Alhambra,” although you should check that you have the right bus, because I don’t think that all of those buses that look like that actually go to the Alhambra.

Once there we picked up our tickets, there was no line. We rented audioguides. These are pretty necessary, there are no written descriptions around the Alhambra. We had to hurry a bit to get to our designated time for the Nasrid Palace. It was my second time to the Alhambra, and my husband’s first. Anyone who has seen it knows that the Alhambra, and specifically the Nasrid Palace, is magnificent. We visited the palace for about 1 hour 15 minutes, and then backtracked and started the audioguide and visit from the beginning through the gardens, La Alcazaba, etc. The Alhambra was just as great the second time around.

We left around 5 or 5:30. We had bus tickets to return to Seville for 8pm, but we were able to get them changed to a 6:30 departure. We arrived back in Seville at 9:30 – just in time for dinner! We went back to the area of our hotel and ate at 3 de Oro Restaurante on calle Santa Maria la Blanca, where the locals were also dining. They had good food. I had lamb chops, and my husband had calabacín (a Spanish squash-like vegetable) filled with seafood. We also had mixed salad, sodas, and ice cream for dessert. The meal came to around 25 or 30 E.

The next day we went to the Alcázar. I had not been before. It was great to see. I’d recommend this as a site to see if one cannot make it to the Alhambra. The palace has similar islamic architecture and décor, and here some of the colors in the plaster and tile still remain, which isn’t so much the case at the Alhambra. We rented audioguides, which are basically needed (unless on a tour) to get any background information on what you’re seeing. There are some descriptions, although I think they were in Spanish only. They give you a map to follow, which is confusing, but if you try to follow the numbers it all works out. This was a very nice sight to see. The gardens are spectacular.

We also visited the Plaza de España, the city hall of Seville. It’s a beautiful old building with lots of colorful Spanish tiles and a fountain. Many visitors and families were there. It’s very pretty and has great tile work.

That evening we ate at Café Altamira, right on the square on calle Maria La Blanca. The food was very good. It seemed like there were both tourists and locals there. We had mixed salad, I had shrimp with garlic, which was very good, although you definitely need to order a side dish with it, as it doesn’t come with anything. I don’t remember what my husband ate. I had a nice piece of chocolate cake for dessert and my husband had the special local dessert: cream with fruit. Along with 2 sodas, the meal came to a reasonable price (although I don’t remember the exact amount).

The next day, a Sunday, we went to visit the Cathedral, which is free on Sundays and opens at 2:30 (on Sundays). We got there around 2:20. There was a line, but it wasn’t too long. When they opened the doors, we were inside within 5-10 minutes. This was my second trip to the cathedral, but I had forgotten how ornate it was inside. Several parts were having restoration work done. We went up to the tower. I definitely remembered the approximately 34 ramped floors (rather than stairs) you have to walk up to get to the top from my previous visit! At the top it was very crowded and hard to see the view, but what a view it is!

That night we ate at Casa Robles on Alverez Quintero, 58 . They have very good food. My husband and I both had fish dishes, along with a tapa, mineral water and a chocolate mousse dessert, came to 43E.

The next day we took the train to Madrid. Instead of taking the AVE high-speed train which takes 2.5 hours and costs 67E, we took the next fastest train, which takes around 3.5 hours and costs 52E. They have a few of those trains per day. Check the www.renfe.es website, which I believe also has English.

Madrid
In Madrid we stayed at Hotel Plaza Mayor. This is a budget 2-star hotel close to the Puerta Del Sol subway station, which was accessible by subway from the train station (very full trains). The hotel is clean, but plain. Not at all charming like Hotel Amadeus (which has the same amount of stars). It was 75E + 7% tax per night. The room was small but fine (by the way, you need to ask the front desk for the remote for the TV). The bathroom was a fair size, but the shower was super-tiny, and the sink space was pretty small as well. The bed was a bit hard, but ok. The door handle was missing on the outside of the bathroom. There were a few things like that. The front staff was nice and helpful. Breakfast was good. They have hot things like eggs and bacon, as well as cold cuts, breads, fruit, juice, and hot drinks. It costs 6E.

After arriving to the hotel, we went to the tourist office at the nearby Plaza Mayor, which is nice, and would be a great place to hang out when there’s warm weather. Then we walked to the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia museum. It’s kind of a long walk from the hotel, but it’s also accessible by subway. The museum houses Picasso’s Guernica, and throughout the museum you find smatterings of work from other famous artists, as well as art from many lesser-known Spanish artists.

This was actually Valentine’s Day, and we ate at a restaurant recommended by Maribel’s online guide. We went relatively early, around 9, so the restaurant was nearly empty, which was good as I was worried about the fact that we might have trouble finding a good restaurant that wasn’t booked up due to Valentine’s Day. It was pretty full by the time we left. It is called El Schotis, and has great meat. They serve the meat on a hot plate, and it’s partially cooked on that plate right in front of you. Great, tender, well-seasoned meat. We also had soup, vegetables, mineral water, dessert and coffee. We splurged and it cost 75E, but they also had a menu meal that was cheaper, 24E per person. It’s located at Cava Baja, 11.

The next day we took the bus from Estación Sur to Toledo. It’s around 4.50E each way, and buses leave every half hour. I think the bus ride was around an hour or less. From Toledo’s bus station you take bus #5 into town. We got off around the center of town at Plaza Zocodover. There is a visible tourist office on the outskirts of town by the city gate where there was also an open market, but we did not get off there, from there it would be a bit of a walk to the main part of town. Once at Plaza Zocodover, there is a tourist office right off of one of the streets there in the same location as a store and restaurant, but I can’t remember the name of the street. If you look up a few streets, though, you should be able to see the illuminated “i” sign indicating a tourist office. There may be a line on the left when you enter, but the tourist desk is on the right. We had a nice time strolling around Toledo. It’s quite a picturesque place, even though the day we were there it was rainy on and off. We visited the catedral, which apparently just began charging for admission. The admission price includes an audioguide. The cathedral has many capellas (little chapels), although several were closed for restoration. It has a beautifully painted skylight, impressive altars. There are a few “museums” inside that used to require a separate fee for entry (and they are still checking tickets separately in those rooms for some reason apart from the main entrance of the cathedral, so you need to keep your ticket on hand). One museum has art from many famous artists such as Velázquez and El Greco, as well as other non-Spanish artists. For lunch we found a restaurant close to the cathedral called Restaurante Alex off of Plaza Amador de los Rios. It had really good food. I finally got some good paella! The Alcázar was closed for renovations, so we did not get to see it. We went to the Iglesia de San Tomé to view El Greco’s painting, El Entierro del Conde de Orgaz. The admission fee was around 1.50 or 2E. We spent a lot of time just walking around the town. There were pretty things to see everywhere.

After returning to Madrid we ate at a Japanese restaurant near the hotel called Restaurante Japonese Sakura, on calle San Cristobal, 11. They had pretty good food, and very large portions! It was a bit expensive, but Japanese food often is, and it turned out that we ordered more than we needed to. A sushi appetizer, a sushi meal, a tempura combo with maki, tea and soda came to 53E.

The next day we visited the Prado museum. We went around 12pm and there was no line. I had never been before, as I had only been in Madrid before for one day, but this was my husband’s second trip to Madrid so he had visited it before. It is a huge museum, but we managed to see a great deal of it. Some parts were closed for restoration and it was a bit confusing in some areas to get from one place to another. We rented audioguides, which were a bit heavy on aural dramatizations of artists, but informative. We also ate lunch there. Even though Maribel’s online guide said it only had so-so food, we found it to be pretty good. I had paella again, which I thought was nicely prepared, and my husband enjoyed his pasta meal as well. After the museum we walked around a bit and saw the area by the palace (Palacio Real) but did not pay to enter. There are some nice gardens nearby that we strolled through.

Our last evening in Madrid we just had a quick meal and then went to see a movie.

We had quite an enjoyable trip. It was great to see Spain again!

Chele60

Thank you for the trip report! I'll be going to Spain in Sept/Oct and I am very interested in reading anyone's impressions and experiences in Spain.

We have reservations at the Hotel Amadeus, and I'm glad to hear that you have a favorable impression of the hotel. So far, I haven't heard anything negative!

I've been considering the Hotel Plaza Mayor, but we are still undecided at this point. Is this a place that you would recommend to others? I'm not sure if I want to stay closer to the Prado or to Puerta del Sol, however. Just curious as to what your personal recommendation would be for some one who has not been to Spain before.

Thank you!

SRS

NHC, Thanks for sharing your report! It brought back great memories as we stayed in the same hotels last year.

Sally

NHC

I'm glad some people liked the report!

As for a recommendation for the Hotel Plaza Mayor, I recommend it for what it is. I mean, it is definitely clean, and a good price. The staff is really friendly, and the breakfast is good. It just has no charm, and is really "budget" (you can hear everything happening in the hall, etc.). But if you're just looking for a reasonably-priced, clean and conveniently-located hotel, this is definitely it. It may just be that I had just come from Hotel Amadeus, and so the contrast was striking. I really don't have anything bad to say about the place, and it's easy to get to the Prado from there.

igpjazz

Thanks for the trip report. It brought
back memories from last year's trip.
We stayed at the same hotels in both Seville and Madrid.
Chele60, I would recommend the Hotel Plaza Mayor for a budget hotel. It has a good location right by plaza mayor. I would stay there again.

Chele60

Thanks for the recommendations. Yes, we will be on a budget, and are not terribly interested in fancy hotels.

SRS

Chele60, NHC's comments on Hotel Plaza Mayor are absolutely correct. I would stay there again, but it is a no frills place - especially when compared to the Amadeus.

artlover

Thank you so much for your wonderful trip report. I'm so glad you had a great trip. We're going again in May and I appareciate the valuable information you provided.