Has anyone done an itinerary similar to this:
Madrid
La Rioja region
San Sebastian (day trips from here)
Bilboa
Biarritz, France
We are looking for history, culture, coastal, countryside, beauty, food. Seems to fit the bill. Suggestions? Thoughts?
Days?
Rail or auto?
Bilbao, not Bilboa, a very common spelling mistake for English speakers. Any particular reason for going to Biarritz? Bayonne or St Jean de Luz, or Bidart, are (imo) far more appealing than Biarritz (a casino, a beach, a walk to the statue of the Virgin and expensive shops, basically). I would go from La Rioja to Bilbao first, then Donostia-San Sebastian, that can be used as a base for visiting the French Basque Country, it´s very close. Do not miss Getaria, Hondarribia and Pasai Donibane.
I’ve been all over Spain and it’s loaded with what you’re looking for. How you intend on getting around will affect what you can see. We always have a rental car to get to those off the beaten path places not well served by public transportation, if at all.
@princesn, you asked "Has anyone done an itinerary similar to this", and the answer is yes. If you search the forum you should find some other threads. Last week this was posted about Northern Spain.
Besides dave's two questions, a third, When?
Are you going in and out of Madrid? Or are you going out of somewhere else. If you are leaving from Paris, for example, Mikel's route is very good. And I share his opinion about visiting Biarritz. I favor Saint Jean de Luz, and Bayonne is very nice.
If you are going in and out of Madrid, I would go La Rioja, San Sebastian, the French Coast, back to Bilbao and then to Madrid.
If you have a car, I would add a drive through the Baztan valley.
