Haven't traveled abroad in years, and then I was a footloose bachelor. This is likely our last big family trip as our sons' schedules & interests have begun to diverge from ours. We had to include a few days in the vicinity of San Sebastian so the lads can visit world famous surfing beaches.
We have 7 nights in a condo in the Costa del Sol. I would like to spend at least three days in Barcelona. I have a cousin who lives in Madrid, so between family time & museums, I suppose three days there.
I'm having trouble deciding on routes, as well as whether to train in part, or plan on a lot of driving. Also, is it worth it to incur the double cost for separate rooms for the sons & for us, or should we try to cram into one room? Quien sabe?
Posted by
Anaheim, CA, USA
1455 posts
Tony,
Regarding Train or Plane is up to you...
Between Barcelona and Madrid, there's frequent flights (almost hourly) between those cities... like commuter flights from LAX and SFO. When I went 2 years ago, I opted for the plane because I was pressed for time.
3 days in Barcelona is fine. You can do the hop off/hop on bus one day to get the feel of the city, and also to cover any touristy spots like the Sacred Family church, and other Gaudi attractions. Plus the view on the top of the bus is great too!
I would write down the pro's and con's of driving from various cities, and see if its worth it for you to drive (for the scenery) or train (let someone else drive!), or fly (gotta get there now!!).
For the rooms, if you have teenage sons it may be better to splurge on 2 rooms for privacy. You'll be together 24/7 and after a while, private time away will be a blessing.
Posted by
Newport Beach, CA, USA
54 posts
Hi Tony,
My husband and I visited Spain & Portugal for 3 weeks 2 years ago. We arrived in Barcelona and after a few days there we flew to Sevilla, from there took a train to Granada, then picked up a car and drove to the coast for a few days. From there drove to Ronda and a few small towns and then on to Portugal. The only hassle was at the end of the trip we could not find the car drop off in Lisbon and traffic was hectic. Otherwise, it was a perfect arrangement for us - using the car for just the hard to get to places.
We used Vueling Airlines (from Barcelona) and prebooked the flight before we left the U.S.. The cost of the flight was originally very cheap but I got stuck in the trip planning and booked it a month later and the price had almost doubled but it was still a good price for a one way ticket. It can be very cost effective to book flights early as well as and save you lots of travel time.
Teri
P.S. Are you going to Sevilla? It is such a lovely town.