We just returned from a 3 week trip to Italy and are planning our next trip to Europe. We would like to plan a trip back to Italy (Tuscany, The Lakes, Bologna, Verona and Rome) but also would like to incorporate some of Spain into this trip. Any advice on how long to spend in Spain? The key places to see and goto? We love history, but also enjoy great food and drink. The main cities are great but at the same time like to get off the beaten path and see the areas that aren't travelled as much. We call them the hidden gems. The time of year we are planning to go is in September. Any suggestions?
Posted by
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2787 posts
I would suggest that you buy RS Spain & Portugal Guide Book if you have not done so already. It had lots of useful information we used when visiting Spain.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
For the part of Spain that's really neat and everybody skips, head for Galicia and work along the north coast through Asturias and Cantabria until you're about twenty-five miles west of Santander. Make a detour away from the coast for the Picos de Europa. After that, you have to really know the area to enjoy it (Santander is a port, Bilbao is a heavy industry city, San Sebastian is an over-rated resort). My only exception would be the real Basque areas, but you have to have lived there or really study to find the small, old-time villages. If you're really interested in the Basques, Guernica is emblematic. Another option is Extremadura and the adjacent area of Portugal, but that may be a little too much like Tuscany for the same trip. Ten days is enough to give you a good flavor of either area, three months wouldn't be too much for the two combined. September is the start of the rainy season on the north coast, but it's mostly really light drizzel that won't slow you down. It's the type that might get your jacket damp, but not actually demand a rain jacket. The RS books do not include either Galicia or Extremadura and do not do justice to the rest of the north coast - - take a look at the Michelin Greens instead.
Posted by
Pantego, NC, USA
1014 posts
We just got back from a trip to Europe and Madrid and Valencia were part of it. Madrid, not so much. Valencia, we enjoyed a lot. We also went to Barcelona several years ago and loved it, but I have read recently that it is becoming overrun with tourists all the time and that petty crime is picking up there some. Therefore, I would vote for Valencia for a few days.