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Spain, Sicily and Greece

Posted by on

Hello fellow travelers,
We're traveling from Miami, Florida to Madrid, then will make our way through Northern Spain, beginning in Santiago de Compostela, La Rioja, Pamplona and ending in Barcelona.

Also in the itinerary is Greece (Santorini & Athens) and Sicily, Italy. Leaving on 5/20/19 and end date is open as of now, thinking 6-7 weeks long trip. We are 2 couples 70-80 years young. We want a relaxed and fun trip. We love to experience nature, beaches, amazing views, dancing and enjoy fine wine.

Please I need advice on the following:
1. Should we travel from Barcelona -> Sicily -> Athens (only as layover) -> Santorini -> Athens -> Florida, USA

  1. OR Should we travel from Barcelona ->Athens (layover) -> Santorini -> Athens -> Sicily -> Florida

  2. What would the weather be in these cities?

  3. Any recommendations on Northern Spain must experience cities - we will not be driving

  4. And how long to stay in each city in Spain, Greece and Italy.

Thank you sooooo much! I look forward to your wonderful expertise.

Posted by
15788 posts

Use this site to find actual daily weather conditions for any month for the last 8-10 years. That will give you a good idea of what to expect. In general northern Spain will be cooler than Sicily and Greece, so you might consider reversing your plan and going there last.

Go to the wiki page for any airport and you will find all the airlines and their destinations. I see that there are direct flights between Barcelona and Santorini and between Palermo and Santorini, for example.

Use renfe.com to find train schedules in Spain. You won't see trains yet for May, but schedules don't change much so just pick days in the current month. ALSA is the main bus company in Spain.

As for which cities to visit and how long to stay in each - you really need to read a good guide book or two.

Posted by
16895 posts

I don't think there will be much significant difference between visiting Greece first or Sicily first in June and July. Both will probably be relatively warmer and busier as the summer progresses. Flight schedules are as good a reason as any for making that decision; try www.skyscanner.com to find budget flights.

I also don't think it's "necessary" to visit both Greece and Sicily in one trip, since you can find similar types of island and ancient history sightseeing options in both, but it sounds like you will be able to give each area at least a minimum of two weeks.

Posted by
7161 posts

In northern Spain there are really only two routes, north or south of the Cantabrian mountains. The larger, and to me, more interesting cities are Santiago de Comostela, Ourense, Leon, and Burgos and are south of the mountains. For beaches San Sebastián and Santander which are north. Pamplona and Zaragoza are fine for a day. The historic centers of all those cities are very walkable. The historic center of Hondarribia has some nice views. Santillana Del Mar is touristy, but is like walking back in time. Two nights in each city should be sufficient. I’ve always had a car so can’t speak to public transportation.

The popular Sicilian cities are Palermo, Trapani/Erice, Cefalu, Taormina, Catania, Syracusa, and Agrigento. Other than maybe Palermo, two nights should be sufficient in each city. For Palermo, 3 or 4 nights depending if you want to visit Monreale and Segesta. If you wanted to visit Noto, then add another night to Syracusa. To me Catania could easily be skipped. Again, I had a car so no idea about public transportation.

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