For those who have taken the Basque tour (or are familiar with the area):
Is it worth the additional cost/heat/crowds to take a July 8 or 10 Basque Country tour, vs. the June 21 departure? I think witnessing the running of the bulls would be an amazing cultural expense, but aside from the much higher tour cost, I also don't want the other stops to be that much more crowded and hot. (Or is there no major difference between mid-late June and mid July?)
We took the Basque tour this past mid-September which was great. The weather was fine but it actually was hot by the time we got to Bilbao. You could enjoy the beaches at St Jean de Luz or San Sebastian during either June or July. I would not bother making it for the running of the bulls unless you are really into the whole event/bull fighting. It would be cool to witness but a youtube video is good enough for me. I am no PETA person either but I found Pamplona the least appealing of any European city I have ever visited, seemed more of a college town with little cultural depth other than the running. It would be absolutely horrid if it were hot and crowded although the hotel where we stayed was an absolutely splendid oasis.
hey justin
sent you a message about the basque region. my BFF is from the french side.
is that tour "running of the bulls festival" only 1 day for the extra expense and what's included?
aloha
Thanks, just got your PM! Will check it out.
Yeah, I'm deciding between a couple different locations. Actually I want to go everywhere, it's just hard to narrow it down.
I was told that for the Basque July departures, they rent out a balcony to watch the running of the bulls. I'm sure its a combination of that, plus high-season hotel prices (especially in Pamplona) contributing to the increased price.
