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Need help cutting down Northern Spain Itinerary

Posted by (North Easton, ma) on

I am going to Spain in October. I have about 14-15 days. We want to travel from Madrid to Barcelona following the northern route. We don't want to stop in Madrid, been there, done that a couple of times. We want to fly in and immediately rent a car, driving to Salamanca via Avila. We are thinking 2 nts in Salamanca. From there we want to end up in Santiago...do we drive through northern Portugal or save time by driving a more direct route? I'm not sure what the driving time is but I'm assuming we need to stop somewhere along the way. Where is the best place to stop? After spending 2 nts in Santiago we want to head for the Basque Country. We're thinking that we should be spending a couple of days on the way, in either Asturias or Cantabria...what do you think about Potes vs. Santillana del Mar or Comillas? From there we want to see Bilbao and San Sebastian. I'm figuring 3 nts...do we stay in San Sebastian stopping in Bilbao along the way, or as a day trip from San Sebastian or do we spend 1nt in Bilbao and 2 in San Sebastian? From there we want to fly to Barcelona and spend 3-4 nts there before flying home.

I feel very overwhelmed, specifically because I'm not sure of driving times or how long it will take to see the things that should be seen, and I don't know if this is an impossible itinerary. Although I'm reluctant to give anything up I don't want a trip where I feel like I can't breathe. I am open to all suggestions and just need to get this trip planned ASAP. I'll feel ever so much better and then will be able to concentrate on the details. I've actually been losing sleep over this itinerary...call me crazy!

Thanks so much for all help.

Posted by
632 posts

Stop and take a deep breath. Your itinerary is ambitious but not unreasonable...first if you haven't done so already you should read RS Spain 2008. Do you have a good map of Spain and Portugal? You should get one to help you visualize your route and the time it will take (the RS map of Spain is adequate for these purposes). Have you thought about Paradors? Depending on your likes or preferences, the availability of certain Paradors can be a determining factor for many travelers. If you haven't already bought your tickets, you might rethink your route. I would recommend flying into Santiago de Campostella or Porto Portugal rather than Madrid. Elimiate all of that unecessary driving and spend some quality time in Portugal and the N. coast of Spain. Flying from San Sebastian to Barcelona is a wonderful idea...my choice for a hotel in Barcelona is Hotel Colon....and pray that you are there on the weekend when the Sardana dancers are out.

Posted by
4555 posts

The route is eminently do-able in two weeks, but there will be a couple of long days. If you are up to it, you can depart Barajas airport and head straight for Salamanca, stopping in Avila for a visit. The total drive should be under 3 hours. From Salamanca, you can make a straight run to Santiago, most of it on four-lane divided highways, in under 6 hours; enjoy the scenery on the way. Potes is a lovely town, probably the nicest village in northern Spain, but it's also a 6 hour drive from Santiago. You might want to break that trip into two and spend the night in Leon. From Potes to San Sebastian, it's about 3 1/2 hours. I'd bypass Balboa and do it as a day trip from San Sebastian (frankly, I'm not a big fan of Bilbao; too big and industrial.) You might also want to consider Pamplona as a day trip. Finally, San Sebastian-Barcelona can be done in under 6 hours, not much longer than a plane ride. Or you can find cheap flights out of Bilbao via clickair to Barcelona, avoiding the traffic

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