Summer 2025 conference in Valéncia, where to next?

Right now your question is too open-ended.

You should do some reading about Spain, its history, different regions, and major attractions.

Your interests are very broad, and require a bit more focus. Immersion means speaking no English, and eating and living as locals--not really a pastime for tourists.

Do you like cities, towns, beaches, mountains, historical monuments, etc.? Do you want to go North or South? Will you take trains or rent a car? Do you want to/need to tour Madrid? A week is not that long to really see a lot of the country. Many visitors like to see Sevilla and Granada and Málaga, or Toledo and Segovia, or Barcelona. You will need to check out train schedules to create a possible itinerary. The food choices are plentiful--learn about tapas, the mid-day main meal, and late evening dining. "Vino" is reasonably priced, and varieties are found everywhere. Castles and cathedrals abound in Spain, but the country also has all modern diversions.

Have fun planning!

Please note in Valencian Catalan the accent is grave, not acute, which means it is written from high left to low right: València.

The best logistical way to narrow this down is to say that wherever we go needs to be accessible to us by public transportation - trains preferred. I speak the national language and have already visited Galicia, but nowhere else in the country yet. If I had to rank our interests it would be arts, gastronomy, history.

I'll give everyone a little bit more: I have the following possible places in mind - Madrid area (including Toledo), País Vasco, Porto area, or the rest of the València region. Again we prioritize train travel, arts & food, and will have a week to explore somewhere on the peninsula outside of València city.

Madrid has multiple fine art museums. The express trains to Madrid stop at Cuenca--or more precisely at a station outside Cuenca. Cuenca has a very atmospheric, hilltop historic center with hanging houses along a ravine. There's at least one small modern-art museum as well. Buses run from the train station to the center of town (perhaps not to the top of the hill), but I'm not sure how frequent they are and whether the schedule varies by the day of the week. I assume taxis are also available.

Madrid has many very good, easy side trips to places with so much to see they would justify spending the night if you had time; they include Toledo, Segovia and Alcala de Henares. Cuenca would be on that list (though affordable only if you buy that train ticket well in advance), but if traveling from Valencia it makes more sense to stop along the way. The trains to and from Toledo can sell out.

I think Madrid or Barcelona are your best bets. To stay in the Valencia area, you would probably want a car to make the most of it. I love acraven's idea to stop over in Cuenca, which was a delightful stop for us (and a gastronomic experience at
Raff San Pedro). You can also hike right into the gorge, though with a car you can get to the Serrania de Cuenca (that was one reason we went.)

Fly to one of the Balearics.