Honeymoon Help-Madrid-Barcelona-Paris

Congrats! So you really have 12 days, not including the day you depart SF and the day you fly home. You could do an even split of 4 nights each, flying into Madrid, then Barcelona (train?), then fly to Paris. Fly home from Paris. Or you could do the trip in reverse. I have not been to Madrid, but I have been to Barcelona and Paris. Paris is my favorite city. Over several trips I have spent 3 weeks there, and there are more things I want to see. I spent 3 nights in Barcelona and felt I saw a lot. If it were me, I would spend 6 nights in Paris and split the other 6 days between Barcelona and Madrid. As for things to do, I don't know what your interests are. I would suggest reading some guidebooks. You should decide ASAP, as September is almost here and that is a popular time to travel.

It sounds like they have already decided on Paris, Madrid and Barcelona. Since you don't have much time to plan this, have you thought about a tour? Or maybe you have a friend or relative that loves to plan trips that can do some research about hotels. They could give you several to choose from in each location. You don't say what dates you are traveling, but the La Merce Festival in Barcelona is from 9/21-9/24. It is their biggest festival of the year and you might enjoy it if the dates work for you.

Suggestion: Read-read-read-read before you go. Know generally what sights and activities in each of these cities is important to you. I don't mean you have to have each day mapped out, but you DON"T want to spend time figuring out what you are there for once you are on the ground. Lack of planning can be time consuming--consume that time in SF, not Barcelona. Good news: These are terrific choices for your priorities and in cities everything is close at hand. You just need to decide what you want to see and do. Best wishes and have a wonderful time.

Thanks everyone for your quick replies. I unfortunately don't have anyone to help on this matter so as Adam said I will Read-Read-Read on my 14 hour plane flight. I do have some basic ideas but I will grab some guide books. Can anyone refer me to some hotels that are fun for couples in any of those areas? And any cool restaurants-shops-clubs/bars or off the beaten path places to explore?
Thanks again for all the info!

Veronika
Is your honeymoon right after your wedding? You will drive yourself crazy. If so, I strongly suggest you consult a travel agent. Just make sure you specify what your travel budget is and ask them if they can help you. If you leave the middle of Sept, that is only 6 weeks from now! In Sept, Paris has many business conferences and conventions and hotel rooms may already be booked. The suggestion for Spain festival may be the same with limited hotels available. Good Luck! Bobbie

No need to feel overwhelmed. Take it a step at a time. What you need to do now is book flights ( if you haven't already) and hotels. That requires deciding how long to stay in each place. A 4-4-4 split is one possibility, or you could take a night from Madrid and add it to Paris in the interest of romance. That would make it 4-3-5 ( or 6 if you have 14 days/13 nights). Flights: consider flying into Barcelona and out of Paris. But you also need to take dates into account, due to La Merce in Barcelona. If your honeymoon dates overlap La Merce dates you can decide if you want to go then or not. It is supposed to be an incredible music festival with great energy, and might make great honeymoon memories. Or you could find Barcelona overcrowded and overpriced at that time. So, get that decided and then start choosing hotels. You can get suggestions here and also Google " Romantic hotels in X" to see what comes up. What is your budget? I can only address Barcelona. Hotel Neri comes up often on lists of romantic hotels in Barcelona. Rooms in September are around $330. They are already booked for La Merce. If you are looking for something less expensive, and like cool and trendy, I will say we loved Hotel Jazz. Location is perfect and the rooftop terrace ( with pool) was very romantic at sunset. It is two blocks from Placa Catalunya so very easy to walk into the Eixemple for bars and restaurants or down Las Ramblas and into Bari Gothic for that old world feel. Price in Sepbember is around 200 euros outside of La Merce.

Veronika, I am sure you have many things competing for your attention this month, but suggest you include a little research and discussion with your intended now. For instance: Give your beloved Rick Steves Paris; you take Lonely Planet for the same turf. (Or Fromers. Or Michelin.) Each spends an hour with the assignment to find five must-do things. Discuss. Almost anything is romantic in the right context with the right person. Don't wait for the flight. Arrive prepared.

A really cool (and I think very romantic) place to go for drinks in Barcelona is a place up on the hill called Mirablau. http://www.mirablaubcn.com/es/index.php# Friends of ours live in Barcelona and drove us up there for drinks on their outdoor terrace with great views (especially as the sun is going down). It is most definitely not a touristy place. They also serve food but we didn't eat there. At any rate, I can't recommend this place highly enough (there may be a tram that will get you close to the place, otherwise a cab would work great). For a Barcelona hotel recommendation we stayed at the Evenia Rossello in the Eixample neighborhood and loved the neighborhood feel along with the hotel. http://www.eveniahotels.com/hotelrossello

Since you say not including travel time, that sounds to me like 14 days on the ground. I would split it 5-4-5, flying open jaw into Madrid and out of Paris. Consider the overnight train from Barcelona to Paris, which would technically mean only three nights in Barcelona. The train between Madrid and Barcelona is a lot faster than it used to be; definitely take the train on that part. Depending upon how many of the great day trips (El Escorial, Toledo, Segovia) out of Madrid you want to do, you could add a day there but I would have a hard time telling you where to take it from. Bear in mind that the first day is more or less a throwaway. I agree that the time frame is tight, so don't wait. You are doing the right thing by sticking to longer stays in just a few places. It's not time to panic yet, but you should make some reservations very soon. Try the booking.com site, I have found that one very useful. Also, definitely get some combination of Rick Steves' books, they are very useful for these cities.

Wow, great stuff guys!!! Hotel Neri is booked :( But I'm looking through all the other suggestions and really making some headway. Thank you all and keep it coming, this is greatly appreciated. And yes Adam some review and top sites lists are a great idea. We do in fact have all 14 days just to be in those locations. I was looking at trains between madrid-barcelona and/or barcelona-paris and I've seen mixed reviews. Does anyone have thoughts on the trains vs a short plane trip? We did plane trips through Thailand (no trains available) and it was a headache. Thanks again, V

The AVE train between Madrid and Barcelona is wonderful, and actually faster than flying by the time younadd in airport transport and security time. Only 2.5 hours from city center to city center. The train travels at speeds up to 300 kph., and is very smooth and comfortable. Buy your tickets now if you can figure out the date; you can save as much as 60% with the Web fares. Between wither Madrid or Barcelona and Paris, I can see why you would find mixed reviews. It is a long trip, taking a full day or a night train. I suggest flying that part. People here can suggest the correct low-cost airlines for that flight, but be aware of the luggage issues. Also note that many RyanAir flights from Barcelona depart from the Girona airport, an hour away, mot from El Prat.

With a plane you have to get to and from the airport, and there is a much higher risk of delays. Trains pick you up and drop off in the city center. Downside of overnight train is you will arrive needing a shower and your room in the arrival city may not be available yet. Check the prices too, that should factor in of course. I think a cabin for two on an overnight train is cozy and fun, and we have always slept pretty well on them, too.