Traveling In Spain – Tips for Trips

Timing

This was my “maiden voyage” to Spain and it was both, memorable and immensely entertaining.

Donastia (San Sebastian)

My experience was considerably enhanced, by having advance information and advice provided by my Son, Jon,  and his close friend ,Tom, both of whom have traveled Spain extensively.

Tom, having lived several years of his childhood in Spain, is fluent in Spanish dialects and local micro-cultures as well, and traveled with me the first two weeks of my month in Spain.




The first observation, and an important one in my estimation, is when to travel Spain if you are flexible in terms of “timing”. When I return (and I definitely will return), it will be in mid-May for these reasons:

• The tourist onslaught, i.e. visitors from western and northern Europe, and the hoards of college-age, party-going, rambunctious young adults, will still be at least two weeks from engulfing the moderately priced pensiones and other venues of intense interest (museums, art galleries, cathedrals, beaches, the Alhambra in Granada, et cetra).
• When the student travelers invade Madrid, the whole city becomes a discotheque that seldom rests until daylight beckons in the calles surrounding Plaza Sol! I envy the kids and you can rest assured, I would dearly love to re-visit those memorable occasions that so often frequented my young- adult years!
• Transportation will be more moderately priced and the local transportation facilities (RENFE, buses, METRO etc.) will not be as crowded and difficult to schedule.
• The weather inland (Madrid, the Rioja Region etc.) will still be tolerable and comfortable during the daytime. The Atlantic (Cadiz) and Med (Costa del Sol) and the Balearics will be warm and inviting!
• The local restaurants and tourist venues will be looking forward to refreshing their coffers after the off-season doldrums. Temperament of service providers will likely be more accommodating and prices of lodging will not yet reflect the “high-season”.

 The only exception I would make to this travel plan, is to make an additional venture into the wine growing regions during fall harvest, which is also outside the “high-season.”

Madrid Tapas Bar Near Plaza Sol

 Planning 

In summary, do some homework. There are numerous travel guides such as Rough Guides, Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor etc. that can orient you in practically any country, region or venue on the planet. It's a worthwhile investment and will also provide an over-view of language and cultural issues you will confront.

In terms of Spain specifically, here are some realities that quickly became “must-do's” for me.

•  Obtain walking maps of the city(s) you intend to visit and pre-locate your lodging and all public transportation (sub-way, bus). Madrid taxis are very expensive...especially to the airport from mid-town (at least 25 euros) as opposed to a fast, comfortable subway ride (METRO) for less than 3 euros.
• Avoid the airports and use the magnificent RENFE system throughout Spain. It is reasonably priced, faster than air and infinitely less hassle!
• When air travel is essential, I have another interesting booking service, Hipmunk that you might want to consider in addition to those more widely known. 

View From St. Mary By The Sea - Seville

Also worth noting: RENFE and METRO are both very easily accessed at the International airport in Madrid. Heeding Tom's advice, I paid 10 euros for a METRO Pass at the airport, and used it my entire time in Spain, which consisted of three separate arrivals and departures in Madrid.

It is convenient, economical and considerably less hassle than hailing cabs or paying “by-the-ride” on METRO.

A word of caution; protect your valuables at all times while riding public transportation or walking in congested venues. There are very clever pick-pockets everywhere...and the Gypsy kids are as expert as the adult charlatans, especially if the kids are roaming in small “packs”.

I swear, they can steal your socks without untying or removing your footwear!

Harbor Bastion - Donostia (San Sebastian)

If you plan to visit Alhambra (Granada), pre-purchase your entry pass on the internet and arrive early . The same advice applies to the Great Cathedrals of Seville.

Tom saved the day in Granada, by suggesting we start our short, but steep, up-hill walk to the Alhambra entry at 7:30 a.m. We were among the first to enter the citadel and environs.




The early morning paseo through the gardens was breath-taking and we avoided the huge crowd that manifested itself mid-morning! (All the tour buses arrived between 9:30 a.m. and 12:00 noon).

The posts in my blog about the Spain trip, will suggest other ideas you might want to consider. I hope you enjoy this effort to share my excitement about this magnificent country that is Spain!

89 years young - Artista Español (Madrid)

Spain is lively, beautiful, artistic, friendly and economical. It is abundant in historic venues of extraordinary historic significance, with many sites and archeological remnants over two thousand years old. The scenery is diverse and eclectic as are the micro-cultures which will provide a montage of gastronomical delights, architectural eye-candy and many other magnificent scenes that will be a feast for your eyes!

In conclusion, I want to compliment the multitude of Spanish people, it's shop owners and staff, the public officials and transportation and public safety employees, our hosts at pensiones and entertainment venues...in short, everybody!

Gracias España! Magnífico España!