We (68 year old man with 61-year old wife) had an enjoyable trip to Spain in January. The basic trip was booked through Costco travel and a lot of tips were read/obtained through the Rick Steves book/forum - both excellent choices. We spent 1.5 days in Barcelona, 5-6 days in Seville/Cordoba/Granada and one day in Madrid (we had visited Madrid earlier). Within Spain, we traveled using the fantastic, super fast Renfe/Ave trains and also had one enjoyable bus journey (Alsa). Due to the low season, we encountered less crowds in most tourist places such as the Alhambra, Mesquita, Sagrada, etc. And the hotel/dining/taxi costs were affordable due to the very reasonable prices in Spain and the strong USD-EUR rate at present. This is an excellent time to make that long planned Europe trip! We loved the walks and sights in Barcelona. Andalucia is a beautiful place, full of history, amazing architecture and beautiful surroundings and ambience. It took some getting used to the timing of tapas in the evening and dinners late into the night but we quickly to learnt to go with the flow and also undertake the paseo walks! Flamenco is a unique form of art (music+dance) that must be witnessed and enjoyed in its birth place, Seville. People were very friendly (we speak no Spanish). And, as vegetarians, we had no problem with getting good choices for food at any time.
Posted by
Tacoma, WA, USA
517 posts
Thank you
Where did you go for flamenco in Seville?
Any restaurants you remember that standout for you in Granada, Seville or Cordoba?
Posted by
OP
Boston, MA
35 posts
We saw the flamenco show at CASA DE LA MEMORIA in Calle Cuna - quite good. Small, intimate atmosphere and great performers. As regards restaurants, we are vegetarians but were still comfortable with the choices we had. We visited and had a good experience at: Honest Greens (Barcelona and Madrid), El Rinconcillo (Seville) and Bar Babel World Fusión in Granada. Good luck for your trip.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6487 posts
Thanks for posting this, a reminder that Spain can be enjoyable even in midwinter, especially in the south. Too bad you didn't have more time, especially in Barcelona. But there's always the next trip!
Posted by
Tacoma, WA, USA
517 posts
Thank you!
Posted by
1 posts
I'm in the midst of planing our trip to Spain and hoping to follow a similar city route as you guys. When traveling between the cities on trains, did you get a pass or just book each trip between the cities? We have a month (mid April-mid May) and fly in and from Lisbon. Planning first 8 days in Portugal, next 10 days on cruise from Barcelona and remaining time between Madrid, Barcelona, Seville/Cordoba/Granada. I'm specifically looking for advice on traveling between cities in Spain. Thanks!
Posted by
889 posts
Casino_57, we flew into Barcelona from Paris on Vueling which was in the middle of a cabin crew strike but had no difficulty other than being moved to an earlier flight on the same day we had scheduled--no problem for us. We spent a few days in Barcelona which included a day trip by train to Girona (great ancient city that the Game of Thrones included in its series because of its beauty). From Barcelona, we flew by Vueling to Granada. From Granada, we took a bus to Seville. We've also gone from Seville to Cordoba by train. From Seville, we took the train to Madrid. While in Madrid, we took a day trip by train to Toledo. So, we've flown, taken an intercity bus and taken trains while in Spain. All modes of transportation were efficient, got the job done and were without frills--none needed. We did not get a pass. Our rail tickets were from Rail Europe's website (they charge a small fee but were so easy to use) and the bus ticket was purchased on ALSA's website.
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7049 posts
I'm glad you had such a great trip. Woud you mind elaborating a bit on the Costco piece? What can one book through Costco, and what did you handle independently? I have heard from several people who used Costo for other locales, and I'm wondering what services Costco provides and how the trip can benefit from such bookings.