I will be in Spain 13/11-13/12/08 - I fly into and out of Madrid...and want to visit as much as possible of Spain and Portugal (by public transport)..can you please advice me how I could do that, where I should go and how I would get there...I really value your advice (and books:-) and look forward your reply soon..thanks regards Elly in Queensland Australia..email : [email protected]
Posted by
Boscombe, Dorset, UK
964 posts
Hi Elly,
Sounds like a wonderful trip you're planning! For southern Spain, try www.andalucia.com for lots of bus timetables and all sorts of information about the area.
Best wishes, Maggie.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Elly...Altho it'll be late spring in Oz, it'll be the onset of winter in Spain, so northern Spain, which is lovely, will largely be cloudy and wet. So I would stick to a southern loop this time. As well, public transit links ACROSS northern Spain are very difficult...you really need a car to do that loop. I would suggest several days in Madrid with daytrips to Segovia, Toledo, and possibly Avila. Then a loop southwest to Cordoba and Sevilla, east to Ronda and then Granada, northeast to Barcelona, then back to Madrid. Follow that with a loop into Lisbon and up to Porto, then down to the Algarve if you wish.,..then back into Madrid. For Madrid-Lisbon, fly. Discount airlines Easyjet and Vueling fly this route for cheap if you book early enough, and it avoids a looong bus ride or an expensive overnight train. For the rest, train travel will be the best. I usually don't suggest a Eurail pass. But with the high-speed runs being so expensive, you may want to consider a flex pass that allows you so many days travel within two months. Three days at $257 thru RailEurope would allow you to go Madrid-Cordoba ($82 regular), Granada-Barcelona ($85 regular, overnight sitting up), and Barcelona-Madrid ($180 regular). The mandatory reservations would only be about $20 per leg. Then pay separately for the other rail tickets. You can also fly discount airlines Clickair and Vueling for GRanada-Barcelona. There are ways to book rail tickets in advance for big savings, but your travel dates have to be pretty fixed....PM me for details. Bus service is also fast, modern, and inexpensive. You can check out most schedules at www.movelia.es
Posted by
Johns Island, SC
172 posts
Just a few suggestions. Barcelona – San Sebastian - Rioja - Leon – Santiago – Porto – Sintra - Lisbon - Rota – Seville – Rhoda – Tarifa – Gibraltar – Costa del sol – Malaga
You can see pictures, details, and transportation suggestions at my personal blog;