SISer

I am on a free ticket on Iberia and choose to stop in Madrid soley so that I can visit the Guggenheim in Bilbao. (I could not stop in Bilbao or include the destination on my ticket using miles). I bought a separate ticket for a day trip to Bilbao from Madrid on Iberia, but now the flight schedule has changed. I was originally supposed to be in Bilbao for 12 hours, wiht the new flight schedule I can only spend 8 hours in Bilbao and that's assuming that the flights are on time.

Iberia will let me change my flights to go to Bilbao one day earlier (the day I fly into Madrid), my flight to Madrid (from London) arrives around 4 pm. I can connect the same day and spend one night in Bilbao to see the Guggenheim but I have to return to Madrid the following day as I need to fly out of Madrid airport on the third day on my free ticket and I can't afford to miss this flight. I am currently booked on the last flight from Bilbao to Madrid on day 2.

Here's the way flights are booked
Day 1 London to Madrid
Day 2 Madrid -Bilbao - Madrid
Day 3 Madrid to Miami.

Is it best to fly to Bilbao on day 1?
My flight from Bilbao back to Madrid is the last of the day on day2 and I need to be at the aiport in Madrid early am for my flight to Miami on day 3

Please help.

Any help will be appreciated

Thank yous

mztery

I'm sorry the way you explain this is really confusing. I'm not really sure what you're asking.

Jean

I would fly to Bilbao on Day 1 so that on Day 2 you'll only have to worry about one flight (Bilbao-Madrid) rather than two flights (Madrid-Bilbao and Bilbao-Madrid).

justshootme

Good luck. I too have had problems with IB.

Aduchamp1

The collection is not very good, it is the skin of the building you want to see. Will work if the weather agrees.

kimhe

I would have gone to Bilbao on day 1 and have a night out in the Casco viejo/Old town to sample some of the fabulous pintxos/Basque tapas in this food-crazy town (as food-crazy as the rest of the Basque region). This would give you an idea, just remember also to ask for the warm and freshly prepared house specialities direct from the kitchen (2-3€ each). http://tapastalk.wordpress.com/2007/...os-por-bilbao/

And maybe let the city get to you at the oldest café in town, beautiful Café Boulevard, just on the outskirts of the old town and next to the river and the Arriaga theater.
http://www.eitb.com/news/entertainme...ens-its-doors/

Try to see the Guggenheim at sunset, then you can best see how it changes with the light.

travelgourmet

<i>The collection is not very good, it is the skin of the building you want to see. Will work if the weather agrees.</i>

Agreed.

If your only goal is to see the Guggenheim, then 8 hours is more than enough.

SISer

Thank you for the replies. Sorry, it looks like my op was confusing, these are my itinerary choices:-

Day 1 fly London to Madrid, stay at an airport hotel
Day 2 fly Madird to Bilbao to Madrid, sightseeing in Bilbao will have 8 hours between flights if both flights are on time. Stya in Madrid overnight.
Day 3, leave Spain in the morning, the flight across the atlantic is a free ticket and I cannot afford to miss this fight.

OR,

Day 1 Fly Lodnon to Madrid to Bilbao, overnight Bilbao
Day 2 sightsee Bilbao, fly to Madrid, overnight Madrid airport hotel
Day 3,same as day 3 above.