Adding Rioja to 1st trip to SPAIN

Posted by tharo6 on 02/17/17 05:14 PM

I am taking my first trip to Spain. Looking forward to the museums and churches. Aside from the popular sites in Spain I want to add a quick visit to the town of HARO in rioja. I am interested in the name and the wine! My concern is the traveling from Madrid to Haro then getting to my next destination of Granada. I have not planned out a form of transportation yet. I am open to suggestions. PLEASE help!

3 nights in Madrid.
1 night in Haro(?) not sure if it's necessary to stay in the area or go back to Madrid or another town.
2 nights in Granada.
2 Nights in Sevilla.
4 nights in Barcelona then fly back home.

Posted by David in Brisbane

Brisbane, Australia

02/17/17 10:36 PM

7175 posts

You are looking at about 5 hours travelling time from Madrid to Haro, and then about 10 hours Haro to Granada. The good thing about Rioja wine is that you can get it all over Spain. You would get much better value from that single night by adding it to Seville and visiting Cordoba.

Arrive Madrid - 3 nights
Train to Seville - 3 nights
Train to Granada - 2 nights
Fly to Barcelona - 4 nights

Posted by tharo6 OP

02/17/17 10:54 PM

2 posts

good suggestions.

I forgot to mention that the only reason I am going to Haro is that is that Haro is my last name. Squeezing it in has become a challenge.

Thanks again!

Posted by David in Brisbane

Brisbane, Australia

02/17/17 11:57 PM

7175 posts

I'm with you now. Unfortunately I think you will have to drop something from your wish list to make things work efficiently. Even this is a little rushed...

Arrive Madrid - 3 nights
Train to Seville - 3 nights
(Day visiting Cordoba)
Fly to Bilbao - 2 nights
(Day visiting San Sebastián)
Train to Haro - 1 nights
Train to Barcelona - 3 nights

This routing gives you direct train connections.
ALV 433
Dep 06:30 BILBAO-ABANDO (Spain)
Arr 08:21 HARO (Spain)
ALV 433
Dep 08:22 HARO (Spain)
Arr 13:20 BARCELONA SANTS (Spain)

Vueling VY 2509 flies Seville to Bilbao.
Departs from SVQ at 8:40 am.
Arrives at BIO at 10:05 am.

Posted by okcattleco

02/18/17 04:01 PM

12 posts

Visited Haro in the fall of 2015. You can drop in at "Muga" without reservations. For other wineries you will most likely have to make reservations.

If you are a cheap like I am, but want a good clean hotel only for sleeping and location and you don't need the additional services. I recommend the following:

Madrid ... Hostal Acapulco... Javier speaks and writes english very well if you want to email for reservations. About 65E /night
Haro ...... we used AirBNB there, so I have no recommended hotel
Granada ..Hotel America (106 E/night) located inside the Alhambra's exterior walls
Sevilla .. Hotel Alcantara (check the website for rates -- I think it's about 80E and up)
Barcelona .. El Jardi (again check the website for rates .. rooms run from 80E to 200E /night)