spain and hotel stays

Linda, Some further information would be very helpful. For example, what is the time frame for this trip, and when will you be travelling? Are you going elsewhere besides Spain? Are you planning to use open-jaw flights or arrive and depart from the same airport? While I've never tried to rent an RV in Europe, I VERY much doubt you'll be able to "park them in town". Travel by train is generally faster than driving, especially the AVE high speed train which travels at speeds up to 300 kmH. For example, the trip from Madrid to Valencia is 1H:38M, and no worries about parking, CDW charges, high fuel costs, etc. Cheers!

My husband & I would fly into Madrid on about 4/13. We'd stay there at least 2 if not 3 days during which we'd see El Escorial,Toledo and Madrid. Then we could take a flight or high speed train to Barcelona on the 15th. We'd be seeing our daughter who would be finishing her semester abroad there on 4/18.We could stay in Barcelona 2-3 (or 4) nights then drive or take a train to Valencia to spend maybe 1 night & see the sights there. Next drive or train to Granada & spend 1 night. then on to the Rock of Gibraltor to tour & take a ferry from there to Tangier . We could spend 1 (maybe 2) nights there. From there on to Seville & spend 2 nights. 1 day we'd tour Seville & the next day would see Cordoba. then on to Madrid & spend 1 night. next day fly to London. We could stay in London maybe 2-3 nights then on to Oxford to visit my neice . We could visit Oxford,Cotswold,Straford on Avon,Stonehenge & Bath. back to London maybe spend 1 night fly home to Louisville,Ky by May 2. You can see I'm thinking about seeing alot of places which may require a lot of hotels . yuck :( I didn't even try to factor Lisbon in the plans. If there is any 1 of the places I've listed that's not a must see ,let me know. thanks,Linda Michael

Linda, WOW! If I understand your post correctly, you're planning to visit about 17 destinations in Spain, Morocco and England in a time frame of 20-days (Apr. 13 to May 2)??? IMHO, this Itinerary is absolutely NOT realistically possible, but I'd have to give the matter some further thought. One point that's noticeably lacking from your plans is the travel time between locations. This will be at least half a day in each case. I'll defer to the collective wisdom on the HelpLine, but I really feel that you'll have to skip some of the destinations on your list. If I can think of any further comments, I'll post another reply. Good luck!

I think you are trying to see too much in too short of a time....But, here is some information. From Madrid to Toledo, the AVE train as 28 minutes. The train leaves from Atocha station in Madrid. There is only one station in Toledo. Plan to stay over night in Toledo if you can. If not, take an early train to Toledo and a late afternoon/evening train back to Madrid. El Escorial is reachable from the Charmartin Station. This is way far from the Atocha station. It is about 1 hour or so as I recall. I do not have the details handy on its hours, etc. Barcelona is about 3 hours from Madrid on the AVE train. It leaves from the Atocha Station (I believe)as well. Sevilla is 2 1/2 hours from Madrid on the AVE again, it leaves from the Atocha station. I am niot sure about renting or drving in Spain. I certainly would NOT attempt to drive in Madrid under any circumstances. I would look for accommodations in the center of Madrid, close to the subway, and take it to the train station and then to the destination. Some good hostals are Hostal Montecarlo and Hostal Phillip V on Gran Via. You will enjoy them, or others much more than an RV I think. Recommend the Moon Guide To Spain(Amazon) as a good source for all of Spain. In Sevillia I would recommend Really Discover Sevilla tours...

Linda It is very hard to narrow the places you want to go when in Europe. As previous posters have said, way too many places in too short a time. As Ken mentioned, each change in destination takes at least half a day because you need to add more than just the train or transportation time. You might want to buy a Europe map (RS has one). This will help you see the distances you are traveling. Also buy RS Europe Through the Back Door book. Either buy or check out of the library, RS Spain Guide and RS England Guide. These books are invaluable in planning your trip and giving you realistic ideas of what is possible to include. And choosing places you want to visit that meet what you want to see and do. Please make time to experience the places you visit and not just check off a list of someone elses ideas of what you should see. Are you interested in cooking, see if you can find an inexpensive cooking class for a half day. Take a bike tour in Barcelona. Gardens? Wine? Be sure to sit in a cafe for at least a 1/2 hour twice a day on a typical corner / square (not in the tourist area) and watch the world go by. Does wonders for your feet, your disposition, your thirst, and understanding the cafe culture in Europe. Once you figure out what you want to see on your trip, it will be easier to narrow your choices. Is it scenery, architecture, foodie places, some adventure tours, countryside vs. cities, and/or etc. Yes, your child will have some say but college kids seem to want to do everything right now. I would advise you not to. And there is no reason, they can't travel on some overnight trips by themselves while you get a little more in depth where you want to go. Then you can meet up! Get luck as you continue to work on your itinerary. Bobbie

Linda, slow down and smell the Tapas! Spend at least two to three days in each place, or drop it off your itinerary. When we did So Spain this June, the three of us traveled by rental car, after we had covered the long distances by plane (BCN to Granada). The AVe train is a great option to cover the distances, too. Sit down and compute your travel times. Read Rick's books, and use his info to help compute/plan your trip. Try not to backtrack. If you go from North to South, leave from the South; i.e. fly out of Malaga,(lots of flights to London; check Whichbudget.com) PS If you make it to Gibralter take a cab tour of the Rock: awesome and worth every penny!

I agree with the others that your itinerary is too aggressive. Here are my thoughts and some things to consider. 2-3 nights in Madrid is fine but 3 nights only gives you time for one daytrip. Make it Toledo. Remember that your first day will be tough as you catch up on jet lag. 3-4 nights in Barcelona is good. Take the train as the time compared to flights is equal and it's a lot less hassle. Valencia is skippable unless there is something very specific you want to see. Most people fly from Barcelona to Granada. It's pretty cheap and trains are not very conveinent on the that trip. You need 2 nights in Granada in order to have a day for the Alhambra. Don't forget to pre-reserve the Alhambra (I prefer a morning reservation). Haven't done Gilbraltor or Tangier so will not comment. But I'd consider skipping those. Sevilla needs at least 3 nights, especially if you want to spend a day in Cordoba. Why go back to Madrid just so you can fly to London? Either fly from Sevilla or if you skip a few things in Spain, you might have 3 nights available for Lisbon. Fly to Lisbon from Sevilla. Staying in hotels is not for everyone but I find that the fewer times you "move" the more the relaxing the trip. It takes a minimum of 1/2 day and often almost a full day to change cities. Factor the actual transit time, checking out of a hotel, getting to the station/airport, finding your way to the new hotel, dropping off bags, checking in, exploring the neighborhood and orienting yourself. And you'll need to factor in time for laundry and just some down time. Sit-down meals take 1-2 hours minimum and the Spanish eat very late dinner (earliest is 7:30).