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Tentative plans for 2023 trip

Hello! I wanted to get feedback for an itinerary I’m currently kicking around for April of 2023. The itinerary has us arriving in Madrid on Sunday, April 2nd. From there, we would travel by train to Toledo for 3 nights. I realize that lots of people do Toledo as a day trip, but between Palm Sunday crowds and jet lag, we wanted to give ourselves time to enjoy the city. There’s seemingly a lot we want to do and see.

On Wednesday, April 5th, we would leave Toledo for Valencia for five nights. From what I’ve read, Semana Santa is not as big of a deal in Valencia as it is in, say, Sevilla, but there will still be processions and the like, primarily along the seaside.

On Monday, we will return to Madrid for five nights before returning to the States. This will be a second visit to Madrid for us. We really enjoy the city and have a list of things we want to do.

My biggest concern is the impact of Holy Week and Easter. Our last visit to Spain included Andalucia two weeks before Easter. We got to see some processional groups practicing, and it was rather interesting. Upon our return, my husband specifically requested that we spend time in Spain during Semana Santa at some point but in a city or town where it’s a bit more low key. I had originally planned to spend the week in Madrid but I couldn’t make that itinerary work as well. Valencia was already part of the itinerary, and it seemed to fit the bill.

But I am worried about crowds and closures. I do know some things might be closed on in Valencia but I think we’ll be able to work around it. But I otherwise just don’t know what to expect. Will the town feel particularly crowded? Will it be hard to return to Madrid on the Monday after Easter (we will buy train tix well in advance). Any other thoughts, suggestions or concerns?

Thank you for you input!

Posted by
26829 posts

I can't address your concern about Semana Santa in Valencia with any specificity, but I can report that even in Seville most sights were open most of the time during Semana Santa 2019. The local tourist offices in Andalucia, at least, put together summary lists of the planned opening hours of their sights for Semana Santa, which can be rather different from usual, so it was possible to plan with quite good accuracy. Yes, sightseeing was slowed down to some degree because of the abbreviated hours (sometimes requiring two sightseeing visits to the same part of the city rather than one) and the blockage of streets for processions. However, with five days in Valencia I believe you'll have plenty of time to accomplish your sightseeing goals.

The one thing I noticed was that access to some churches was restricted or even impossible for a day or more at a time. I think that was happening at churches where processions were to originate, and they were putting together the things (I don't know the correct term) to be carried through the streets. So if there are specific churches you especially want to see, that's something I'd check on immediately after arrival so you can squeeze in a visit when it's possible to do so.

Also be aware that Semana Santa might be the time when sights switch from their winter schedule to their summer schedule. Perhaps the change is not so significant outside Andalucia, but down there, you can suddenly be faced with very long afternoon closures. As early as Easter falls in 2023, that pattern may not prevail during your visit. I think in 2019 the change took place right after Semana Santa, but Easter was much later that year.

Edited to add: I love the idea of three nights in Toledo. It is spectacular. Check out the secondary sights for which there's a combo ticket--a bracelet that I had no trouble keeping on my wrist for two days. At the time of my 2016 visit to Toledo, most of those sights offered short, bilingual tours I found worthwhile.

Posted by
198 posts

Thank you for the input! Yes, we encountered lots of closed churches in Andalucia in 2017 so I was prepared for a bit of that. I rather liked the siesta as it allowed us to rest so we could stay out a bit later at night when Spain is so very lively.

I’m glad you support three nights in Toledo. My husband and I aren’t quite slow travelers but not fast ones either. I tend to err on the less is more side of travel., especially in places that are rather crowded by day.

Posted by
351 posts

Holy week in Arcos gets my vote! They run bulls, the locals dance on the roof tops and sing, just so much fun. Much more low key than Seville, however enough to feel very special. J

Posted by
26829 posts

The other thing about Toledo is that the historic area is not only large but also rather hilly, so you can spend a lot of time just reveling in the architectural beauty, and "moseying along" may be the most comfortable rate of speed.