Spain tour July 2012. We are a group of 7 (travelling with my mom, she's a senior my sister and her daughter plus my husband and our two daughters). I have the responsibility of finding the best tour out there that incorporates both leisure and some pre-scheduled guided tours. At the same time we do have a budget but it is important where we stay. We don't want to end-up in cheap, dirty, old hotels - which I found this to be the case with one specific touring company that was a little less costly. Anyways, my dilemma is: do we tour on our own or do we book with a touring company - and hope for the best? What scares me about touring on our own - is finding our way around and transferring from city to city. We like to start our visit in Barcelona and stay there for 4 nights, transfer to Valencia for 2 nights, visit Costa del Sol for 2 nights, stay in Granada for 1 night, Seville for 2 nights and move to Madrid for 3 nights and fly out from Madrid back home - Toronto. Touring Madrid and Barcelona sounds easy with the hop-on hop-off bus . The transfers from city to city is what scares me and I wonder if I will be wasting too much time trying to find our way around, plus how costly is the transportation by taxi to train stations? As for our stay I have a few quotes from rentals homes which run about 200 euros per night. Is it worth touring on our own OR go through the rush and two days stay per city with a touring company that does everything for you? Thanks for your reply.
Syl
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9369 posts
Making transportation and housing arrangements for that many people can be a challenge. There are tour companies (like Rick Steves) that allow a larger amount of free time than others, too. With a tour, you get the services of a knowledgeable guide (who can also help with arrangements for your free time activities if you want), and it's all streamlined - you don't have to worry about where everyone will stay, how you will get there, etc. Sounds like a tour is a good choice for your group, since you have qualms about doing it yourself.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17249 posts
It is well worth doing on your own and not all that difficult. That way you will get exactly what you want. It sounds like you have some good lodging options already, and are mainly concerned about transport. The Spanish train systems great-fast, modern, and convenient. And where it does not work son well, buses fill in. You expressed a concern about taxis. We were just in Spain last May, and it never cost more than 10 euros to go from hotel to train station, including luggage. With your group, you will likely need two. You might want to re-order your visit, as Valencia to Costa del Sol is not easy. One suggestion would be to go Barcelona to Valencia to Madrid, which is a short train journey, and then loop down to Andalucia and Costa del Sol from Madrid, using the high-speed trains. You could head straight down to Malaga, visit a beach town from there, then take the bus from Malaga to Granada, and trains from there. Ni' sure there are other good routes too. I have organized several family trips to Switzerland for groups of 7 to 9 people, and it was lots of fun for everyone, and very rewarding for me. I cannot imagine doing it with a tour group, especially with the children.
Posted by
Oak Park, Illinois
4535 posts
1 night in Granada is probably not enough. The Alhambra takes at least a half day and is a lot of walking. With only one night, you are spending a half day traveling there and the next day leaving. That doesn't leave much time for the main site and almost nothing for the rest of the city. Most people do it in 2 nights and leave the day between dedicated to Alhambra. Don't forget that you need to make your reservation for Alhambra in advance, it sells out during tourist season. I think the idea of renting apartments or homes is a really good idea. With that many family members, you might enjoy things more staying together than all split up in hotel rooms. Not sure whether they are in Spain, but I've stayed in apart-hotels before (kind of like a Residence Inn) and those could work too. Getting around on your own is not a big deal, though Spain's train system is not as thorough as other European countries. You could try to rent a small van, but that might be more hassle than its worth to stick with the main cities. With such a short trip, many people skip Valencia to spend more time in the more popular cities. I'd suggest that in your case and moving from city to city will entail some logistics.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
If I had your constraints, I would book a tour with one of the major tour companies (Trafalgar as an example, but there are many others). First, they stay in nice hotels, you don't have to worry about transportation, bags, or missing meals. Plus, they're used to dealing with seniors, and any ambulatory issues. Second, if everyone's not happy, it won't be your fault. I personally hate planning for a group of people (the more picky, the worse it is). If someone wants to follow me, great - but don't complain about my choices if you didn't help plan.