Two adults and four daughters, ages 20, 18, 14 and 11. We will be flying into Barcelona and then driving to Madrid. Approximately a 7 day stay. What to do? Not miss? Avoid? Lying on a beach is not MY top priority (my teenagers might disagree). I want to see everything. But realize time will be an issue.
Posted by
Barcelona (Catalonia)
2940 posts
I'd suggest starting by doing a bucket list....
- http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/
- http://www.infocatalonia.eu
- http://www.timeout.com/barcelona
- http://lameva.barcelona.cat/en
- http://www.catalunya.com/?language=en
And then, why would you want to drive?... parking in the cities is a nightmare: difficult to find spaces, expensive (even parking on street -it's not free)... the train is the best method to travel BCN-MAD.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
7 days (6 nights) all up, including your time in both Barcelona and Madrid ??
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15582 posts
Have you traveled in Europe before? What time of year? Have you looked at rental cars? You will need a car large enough for 4 adults to sit comfortably in the back seat and for all your luggage to be stored out of sight in the trunk. A car that large will be difficult to drive through the narrow streets of small towns and will be hard to park anywhere (parking places in lots and garages are smaller than in the U.S.). Why drive? The train is much faster and more comfortable.
With 6-7 nights, there's barely time to see the sights in Madrid and Barcelona. Barcelona has beaches, so it's easy enough for some of you to go to a museum or cathedral while others enjoy the sun and surf.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15582 posts
I took a quick look at autoeurope.com. In the minivan category, there are a couple that seat 7-9 people, but luggage space at most is 5 pieces. Maybe if you all have carry-on size, you can fit 6 bags in. You should not leave any belongings visible in the car when it's parked, so everything has to fit in the trunk. For a 4-day rental, you'll pay over $500 - not including insurance.
Posted by
South Dakota
6 posts
I'm going to chime into the chorus advising you to avoid the car. You won't need it and choosing to ride the AVE from Barcelona to Madrid will save you time- which is something you will need. We'll be in Spain in two weeks to visit some close friends. My husband, son and I have tickets for the AVE. It will be a pleasant three hour ride where we can chat, the kid can play a video game, we can nap and have a snack. A car ride the same distance would take double the time and couldn't be half as pleasant. I would imagine that after paying for the rental and the parking, the price of the train tickets would be a wash.
Posted by
San Francisco
993 posts
I agree, I would not rent a car. Just take the train. You don;t have much time, so spending the days just between Barcelona and Madrid will work well.
Posted by
OP
Lynden, WA
60 posts
Thank you everyone!!! Our original itinerary was to fly into Barcelona at 5:40 on June 19. We were driving to Valencia on June 23rd. Leaving Valencia on the 25th to drive to Madrid. Leaving Madrid on June 28 for Paris. BUT I haven't read much on Valencia. I do read a lot about Andalucia. Wondering...Is there anything to see on the drive from Valencia to Madrid? Looks pretty "empty" on the map. Skip Valencia and head straight to Madrid? Fly from Barcelona to Seville and then take train to Madrid? Thinking take train really late at night to maximize days in a each area. Toledo?? ANY help and advice is much appreciated.
Posted by
OP
Lynden, WA
60 posts
What is the drive like from Barcelona to Valencia? Valencia to Madrid? Our original thought was, with a car, we could stop anywhere and everywhere to experience culture. BUT if the drive is just not pleasant, with not a whole lot to see...
Posted by
Washington DC
27110 posts
With seven or eight days in Spain and a desire to see at least Madrid and Barcelona (plus possibly also Seville or Valencia), I don't think you have time to drive around the countryside. If smaller cities are important to you, I suggest you settle on one base city and branch out from there. For example, if you stuck around Madrid, you could spend several days doing the city's highlights, then hit some of the smaller spots nearby (Toledo would be my #1, then you have Segovia, Avila, Cuenca, and maybe even Salamanca). In some cases the train is best for reaching the other cities. That's true for Toledo and Cuenca; there are very fast trains (much faster than driving), and no sane and informed foreign tourist would attempt to drive in those historic districts, anyway. A car might be helpful for hitting the Segovia-Salamanca-Avila loop.
You could do something similar with Barcelona or Seville.
My experience traveling in Spain is rather limited, so I'm a bit hesitant to say something negative, but you did ask... There's quite a bit of rather blah scenery in the middle of Spain. Not ugly, just far from exciting. Cuenca is a very nice small city, but much of the trip from Madrid is pretty dull, and Cuenca is on the train route from Valencia to Madrid. I'd say the same about most of the countryside between Madrid and Almagro, which isn't far off the train route from Madrid to Seville. I don't know anything about the Barcelona-Valencia route.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15582 posts
There are lots of small towns and villages that you may - or may not - find interesting. The point is that you have very little time and the train is faster than driving.
Posted by
OP
Lynden, WA
60 posts
I cannot talk my husband out of renting a car. I have priced out train rides from Barcelona to Madrid and flights. The car is just substantially less expensive given that there are 6 of us. I DO think he is reconsidering the Valencia portion of our trip in favor of a day in Toledo and possibly other day trips out of Madrid. Currently, we leave Barcelona on June 23. I'm wondering what anyone can tell me about Zaragoza? That it appears to be on the highway between Barcelona and Madrid. I would really like to get to southern Spain, but I think Granada, Malaga, Sevilla...they will have to be a second trip done...hopefully soon!
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Definitely do as you suggest.
Jun 19 Arrive Barcelona - 3nts
Jun 22 Fly to Sevilla - 3nts
Jun 25 AVE train to Madrid - 3nts
Jun 28 Depart from Madrid
Options exist to visit Córdoba from Sevilla, and Toledo from Madrid.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
The train might not be as expensive as you think if you buy ahead. AVE tickets from Barcelona-Madrid were about $130 in 2013, but I got mine for about $39 by buying it about 45 days out. My recent ticket to Leon from Madrid was about $35, and Valladolid back to Madrid was $25, also by buying ahead. You really have no time to drive. Even Turista class on the train is as comfortable as a business class airline seat, and you don't have to park it or put gas in it. Oh, and be sure you are pricing it on the Renfe site, not RailEurope.
Posted by
Washington DC
27110 posts
Can't help with Zaragoza, but I've just come from 2-1/2 days in Toledo, and it is glorious. Very easy to reach from Madrid by either train or bus. Just be sure you have time to wander the back streets. The path to the (beautiful) cathedral is well-worn; you need to get to the side streets.
Posted by
San Francisco, CA
102 posts
Specifically about your beach comment, sitting on the beach was the last priority for me when planning our Barcelona trip. Then we actually got there and saw the beaches were actually quite nice, and ended up spending an afternoon there. Our trip was much longer than yours though, so we could afford to use that free time. Good luck!