Chronic research -over thinking syndrome

Oh, boy, do I understand this syndrome.

I know Madrid is not a favourite of many posters here, and I initially didn't want to go there, based on those comments, but I went because my husband really wanted to go, and I'm glad I did. I actually preferred it to Barcelona in many ways, and I really liked Toledo (which is a very easy day trip from Madrid by public transportation).

Since I haven't been to Andalucia, I can't speak to the contrast, but there is definitely a contrast between Madrid and Barcelona. I found people in Madrid to be much more courteous, and Madrid was less hectic and crowded, in general. I very much enjoyed seeing the palace there, and the Prado and the Reina Sofia, as well as Retiro Park. I liked the old town squares and the markets. I liked the monument to Cervantes and Temple Debod. Really, I enjoyed my entire time there. Public transportation was very easy there, too, except for one confusing little connector train in the metro, but we we were assisted there by a very kind Spanish gentleman.

I can't compare Madrid to the other places you are considering, since I haven't been to those, but I think Madrid has a lot to offer.

Gee museums are terrific in Madrid. And a daytrip to Toledo, r u totally against it?
I do not know but a beach is just a beach to me. We thoroughly enjoyed barcelona too with la sagrada etc.
All the best on your decision.

Thanks, BB,for those helpful comments. JS , I am definitely not against Toledo. Thanks for your comments re museums. I am open to all advice.

If you haven't eliminated Toledo, another over night destination from Madrid that most do as a day trip is Cuenca. I haven't visited. Research made it #2 on my 'get me out of Madrid' list.

Thanks, DanceBert, I did quite like the look of Cuenchanting. .looks an amazing spot.I haven't yet checked accessibility via public transportation.

**Cuenca. Predictive text!

We spent two nights in Toledo between Barcelona and Sevilla and were thoroughly charmed. Beautiful hill town, great walking, gracious people, lots of history, and excellent food (including an innovative vegetarian restaurant which we enjoyed for a change of pace). We stayed in Apartment 2 in Casa de Los Mozarabes;

http://casadelosmozarabes.com/?lang=en

If you want to avoid Madrid entirely, you could stop in Córdoba for two nights and then on to Toledo for two. Córdoba has a small but charming center and the Mezquita is a world-class sight.

But are you certain about skipping Madrid? I am not a huge fan, but it is worth a short stay to see the amazing Prado and Reina Sofia, walk through Retiro Park, maybe enjoy tapas on Plaza Major, deemed by many as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe.

Thank you, Lois,I will check that link.Perhas we will look at less time in Madrid and more in Toledo.

Add me to the list of those who feel Madrid gets unfairly "dissed" on this Forum. I like it a lot; if you like big cities, it's great. And if you have even the slightest interest in art, the Prado really is a must - quite a sensational collection.

In addition to the museums and sightseeing suggestions above, some other things I enjoyed were the Sorolla Museum, and walking around various Madrid neighborhoods. Lavapiés has hipsters and immigrants (walk in Rick's book), Chueca is gay (not in Rick's book), and Salamanca is wealthy and fancy (not in Rick's book).

If you need an "escape" from Madrid, there are Toledo, Segovia, Avila, and El Escorial all within easy reach for a day.

Add me to the list that Harold talks of as well. Lots of people hate London and Venice too, but hey, you gotta go there.

The 2 Royal Convents are very central and contain some wonderful delights behind ordinary walls.
http://www.patrimonionacional.es/en/real-sitio/monasterios/8291
http://www.patrimonionacional.es/en/real-sitio/monasterios/8292

David and Harold, thank you both very much for those viewpoints. .I will look at Madrid with new eyes.

"Hate" is a strong word. In future I promise to use, "not fond of".

I usually find that when I end up in a place that most people discourage me from going to, I will be pleasantly surprised.... lower expectations, I suppose.

I don't purposely go to those places, but if I end up there I usually enjoy it. I remember reading a long time ago not to bother with Milan. Ended up there for a few days as flight kept getting cancelled and thoroughly enjoyed it. Found great little restaurant (Busy Bee Cafe) and had some bonus days.

I love Andalucia and would much prefer spending days in any number of smaller towns or villages than in a large city, but that is just my preference. I also love going to beach towns for a day or so in Europe... a different slice of life experience and I love being by the sea.

Thank you all for your interest and advice. Isn't it incredible to think that people from all over the world are so genuinely interested in helping each other? !I'm now back to thinking give Madrid a go..spend perhaps a night in Toledo and look into a day trip to Cuenca.I will update you all!Onwards to more research!

We just got back and we were in Madrid, short daytrip to Toledo, Cordoba a couple of nights, and San Sebastian. I loved all of these places, so I am no help.

I thought Madrid was great. We didn't have a ton of time (part of it we were on a soccer trip with my kid so we had some other things to do) - but Retiro Park was beautiful, we had delicious tapas in the La Latina neighborhood, the Mercado de San Miguel was amazing, we rented electric bikes, Reina Sofia was great. And we didn't even get to the Prado - not to mention the street it is on I could have walked up and down there for a good long while, it was beautiful (we passed it on our bus tour). At night we went to the El Toro bar in Plaza Mayor and to the Las Mesones cave bars which were fun (low key on weeknight).

We spent 2 nights in Cordoba and it is a cute little city and the people were really nice. It was Semana Santa, so we did two tours with ArtenCordoba (they were great, they offer other tours as well) and rode Segways too (scary as heck, but that's what happens when you travel with a 13 year old boy!). Their Mercado Victoria was great too, and had seating!

As part of the soccer trip we drove a bus to San Sebastian (6-7 hours each way) for 3 nights, 2 days. I wondered if so much travel time was worth it and YES it was!!! Especially if traveling without kids, you can just meander the streets and eat pintxos - if you like good and interesting food, this is a must. They have a nice cathedral and the San Telmo museum of Basque culture was awesome too. But this place is really about the food. I loved it there so much. A very scenic place.

Last day we had a few hours to spend in Toledo and it was breathtaking. If you love little walled cities, Toledo is for you. Gorgeous building after gorgeous building. I need at least an overnight here on the next trip.

So... sorry I am not much help, but just wanted to say you probably can't go wrong with any choices, and you will be like - dang I missed...... (fill in the blank).... Oh some others on the trip took a day trip from Madrid to Segovia and liked that too. :) See, endless awesome places to see.

Good luck and have fun!!
Kim

Rose,
I am glad to see some of the above posters saying good things about Madrid. Madrid is one of my favorite cities in the world! I go to Spain for several weeks almost every year, and I normally spend at least four or five days in Madrid - there is always something new and interesting to see and enjoy at the major art museums.
I am perhaps an anomaly on this forum in that I am not enamored with Toledo. Toledo has several great sites (the Cathedral, San Tome, El Greco Museum, even the Army Museum, etc...) and I have been there four or five times, but it is not one of the cities I prefer. In fact, two of my favorites are in opposite areas of Spain - Valencia and Bilbao.

Since you mentioned it, I have also really enjoyed the time I have spent in Zaragoza. It has it all - interesting sites, friendly people, and a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere.
Do your research Rose (that is part of the fun of travelling), but most of all, enjoy Spain!

Kim thank you for that detailed information from the perspective of someone trying to fit as much as possible in..it's always such a balancing act! And Jack thanks for ticking Madrid as a good choice. .and for putting Zaragoza back in my mind as a choice! Good advice from both of you about enjoying what you choose and not focusing on what you don't!

We are probably at the other end of the planning line. We plan with broad strokes such locations and hotels but very little specific hour to hour, day to day activity. Wife is librarian so her research skills are excellent. We research an area, city, etc. so that we have broad understanding of what is available and a priority list of what we might want to see. But have made no decision what to see or when to see. However, a couple of exceptions would be very popular sites requiring advance ticket purchase. (However that list is getting longer because of the internet and travelers obsessed with planning every minute.) When we hit the town, our first stop after checking in the local TI. We like a local input on what to see, when to see, etc. With the TI info, we take the first evening and loosely plan the next few days taking into account local festivals, weather, etc. As I often have posted our fourth, fifth or sometimes the sixth is completely blank. It is a catch up day when we see what we may have missed earlier because it was raining or two hot or maybe do laundry. This has worked well for us over many years without creating a lot of stress over detail planning.

Had to laugh at the title of your post as I have the same syndrome. I'm pretty addicted to this RS forum and we are taking our first RS tour this fall to London and Paris. We went to Barcelona on our first European adventure last year and loved the city and the people. Enjoy your trip and plan on!

Thanks, all,for your encouraging comments. We have now decided on a plan and booked accommodation. Flying to Malaga, then two nights Granada, two Ronda,3 Seville, 2 Cordoba, 3 Madrid, 2 Toledo and 3 Barcelona. It will be busy but hopefully a good mix of city and quieter spots. Feeling more settled now and enjoying reading up on what Spain has in store.

Was just in Malaga. If you have time to see it, go ride on La Nuria probably spelling it wrong. Is 10 Euros and now the newest and largest ferris wheel type attraction in Europe, though you are in little cabins. Goes around 3 different times. Great overview of Malaga. Also had an amazing lunch with wine pairings at a beautiful restaurant right in the center called Los Patios de Beatas
Lospatiodebeatas.com. They also have a wine bar. Just a wonderful place to spend a few hours. Service could not have been better. Went with locals.

Flying to Malaga, then two nights Granada, two Ronda,3 Seville, 2 Cordoba, 3 Madrid, 2 Toledo and 3 Barcelona. It will be busy but hopefully a good mix of city and quieter spots.

I had just got back from 3 weeks in Spain when you originally posted and missed it (was off the grid for several weeks). So I hope I'm not unfashionably late to this party :-)

Are you renting a car at all or sticking to the train? I visited Malaga for the first time this year and it is lovely. You might consider spending your first night there, especially if you are taking a car from there. One day in Ronda is enough. If you are driving through from Granada to Seville, there's plenty to see in both stretches of the drive. If you are taking the train, I'd plan on a late afternoon departure from Granada and an early morning one to Seville.

I love both Cordoba and Toleda, 2 nights each is great. Toledo is very hilly. I stashed my suitcase in a locker in the Madrid Atocha station and just took a small overnight bag to Toledo. Buy train tickets to/from Toledo a few days in advance - they often sell out. Also note that there are no early morning trains on the weekends. Allow enough time to get through Atocha from Toledo to Barcelona - the station is huge, often crowded, and the Toledo platforms are far from the AVE trains. Lastly, 3 nights in Barcelona isn't enough. I would take one from Madrid.

Oh yes, book your Alhambra tickets well in advance. They sell out! If you are planning to visit Gaudi sites in Barcelona, you'll need to book those in advance or face long, long lines for tickets.

I don't know how old you are. When I was a kid, middle age started before 40 and ended around 50. If you are 60+, you can each get a tarjeta dorada (gold card) - €6 - once you are in Spain for big discounts on trains. It's probably cheaper to buy tickets for the high-speed trains when they go on sale, usually 60 days in advance, but not always and it gives you the freedom to make last-minute decisions. Most sights in Spain give the senior discount to anyone over 65. There are only a couple that limit it to Spanish residents.

Thanks, Chani, for your detailed reply .We are locked into going straight to Granada the day we arrive in Malaga ..had to prioritise there .but we could still move on from Ronda giving us a night somewhere on the way to Seville.Most of our accommodation is booked now. .it was a matter of looking for good rates!The information re "Seniors" will be useful as one of us..the other one..fits that category although we are both holding on tightly to the "middle aged" label at the moment!I've looked at Alhambra tickets-I think I am still too early but watching closely as that's a non-negotiable. As for cars we probably will try just public transportation although a little tempted to look at a rental in Ronda.Thanks once again for your advice.

And Anne thank you too.Malaga may have to be a "wish-we-had."

Concerning the chronic research over thinking syndrome, what I do is put in a lot of time with planning and research and then I let it rest for a month or two. Obviously you will want to note the dates to buy the cheap train tickets and things like that. I just can't sustain thinking about the trip constantly for 6 months or so. Then a few weeks before I depart, I gear back up into travel and anticipation mode.

Hi Claire, absolutely with you on the need for a brain break! I do love the "reading up" part and am constantly amazed by two things..
-my own sadly lacking knowledge on the history and geography of places about which I previously thought I had an adequate understanding
-and the generosity of other travellers who share their knowledge with strangers across the other side of the world!

we could still move on from Ronda giving us a night somewhere on the way to Seville.Most of our accommodation is booked now. .it was a matter of looking for good rates!The information re "Seniors" will be useful as one of us....fits that category .. ... Alhambra tickets. . . As for cars we probably will try just public transportation although a little tempted to look at a rental in Ronda.

If you rent a car, get it in Granada on Day 3, and see some of the white hill towns (pueblos blancos) on the way to Ronda. Day 4 in Ronda, Day 5 more pueblos blancos and return the car in Seville. Otherwise, you can see the major sights in Ronda in a 1-night stay, Day 3 in the p.m. and Day 4 in the a.m. Add that night to Barcelona. 3 nights simply isn't enough, and I'd try to add at least one more.

If you are both 60+, the tarjeta dorada may be useful, but if only one is, then you may not be taking enough short distance trains to make it worthwhile - you'll save more buying in advance at the promo fares. Read this article for all you need to know about trains.

Thank you, Chani, we will definitely look into the rental.Only one of us is Over 60 so that too is very useful information for us.