Hola - I will be going to Barcelona in September for work for 4 days then taking 10 days off for vacation. My husband will be joining me. We have not been to Spain before. We’ll land in Barcelona, have 4 nights there (I will have time to sightsee even though I am working), then not sure what to do next. I was thinking Valencia, Granada, Seville, Madrid (with a day trip to Toledo), then fly home from Madrid.
Second option was to fly from Barcelona to San Sebastian, spend some time there, visit Bilbao, do a few days in the Spanish/French Basque country, then down to Madrid to spend time there and do one or two day trips from there. Any suggestions/number of days to spend in each city? Would we need a car rental in the Basque country? All suggestions are welcome! Gracias!
Posted by
Chicago
7811 posts
you have the right idea you just have to settle on which option based on your own interests
so we can tell you how many days and modes of transportation
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
The 1st option...
After 4 nights in Barcelona ...
Day
01. Fly to Granada (2 nts)
02. Alhambra
03. To Ronda (1 nt)
04. To Sevilla (3 nts)
05. Sevilla
06. Day to Cordoba for Mezquita
07. To Madrid (4 nts)
08. Madrid
09. Day to Toledo
10. Day to Segovia
11. Depart Madrid
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Your 2nd option...
After 4 nights in Barcelona ...
Day
01. Fly to San Sebastián (2 nts)
02. San Sebastián
03. Hire car to Bayonne (1 nt)
04. Hire car to Pamplona (1 nt)
05. Hire car to Laguardia (1 nt)
06. Hire car to Bilbao (1 nt)
07. To Madrid (4 nts)
08. Madrid
09. Day to Toledo
10. Day to Segovia
11. Depart Madrid
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Even a 3rd option...
After 4 nights in Barcelona ...
Day
01. Fly to Asturias/Oviedo (2 nts)
02. Oviedo
03. Hire car to Leon (1 nt)
04. Hire car to Lugo (1 nt)
05. Hire car to Santiago de Compostela (2 nts)
06. Santiago de Compostela
07. To Madrid (4 nts)
08. Madrid
09. Day to Toledo
10. Day to Segovia
11. Depart Madrid
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15579 posts
Did you get David's point? Too many choices, all great ☺ I haven't been to the north yet. You could spend all your time in Barcelona, with a few day trips, and still not see it all. I enjoyed Valencia but not nearly as much as Andalucia. The only caveat on Andalucia is that it's the hottest part of Europe, so it may be uncomfortable in September.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6511 posts
I like your second option since it focuses on a smaller area of Spain rather than the entire country. I always have a rental car in Spain and driving isn't an issue for me. Large cities can be a pain for both driving in and for parking. There are a lot of small towns in the Basque region worth visiting. Whatever you decide, spend the majority of your time experiencing a location, not just visiting it. There's nothing worse than coming home and saying you went someplace, but didn't have enough time there to really enjoy it. I concur with Chani's view on Valencia.