Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with europe and spain

Warmish places to go in Europe?

walla — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:44:37 -0800

Where in Southern Europe should we go for a few winter months? We work remotely and are considering spending January through March in Europe. We've done this before in Northern Europe (Germany, northern France & Italy), but because of the season we're thinking about going south. Ideally we'd rent an apartment for a month in each of 2 or 3 places.

We love smallish, walkable, affordable cities - Freiburg, Germany was one of our favorites - but we're flexible. It's great if there are day trips nearby, as we won't have to start working until 3 PM.

Thanks for any ideas!

Cheap, but fun Europe!

lattiboy — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:19:10 -0800

Help me plan an October European vacation (starting/ending in Madrid) on the cheap! Since AskMe was SO helpful last time, I thought I'd try a bigger project:

I picked up a pair of airline tickets to Madrid for an incredible price about a month ago and now I'm freaking out about 10 days in Europe and the costs associated with that. I'll be traveling with my fiance and we're open to just about anything (we would like to avoid non-private hostel rooms). The travel dates are from October 1st until the 10th.

We'd like to see as much as possible (Paris and London especially) for as little as possible.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

PS The conversion rate being what it is, if EASTERN EUROPE is realistic, I'm all over that!

Help me get from Santiago to Serbia.

acidic — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:03:06 -0800

What's the cheapest or best way to get from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, to Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia? Optional: a detour through the Netherlands. I'm backpacking through Spain this summer and ending up in Santiago de Compostela or thereabouts. From there I have the option to go to the Netherlands for a month and then Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia etc for a little less than a month, then flying out of Prague, or going straight to central/eastern Europe and spending a bit more time there. Wherever I go I'll be WWOOFing for part of the time but also camping and couchsurfing in larger cities. I'm interested in:
- The best way to get out of Santiago, and
- Thoughts on spending a month in the Netherlands-- how expensive is it? For a young female traveling solo how does it compare to central/eastern Europe? Would it be worth it to skip the Netherlands and spend almost 2 months in Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia and other surrounding countries? Eventually I need to end up in Prague, although I don't plan to spend much time there at all.

Any additional advice regarding any of my destinations would be appreciated as well, of course! Previous threads about Dubrovnik and Ljubljana are what convinced me to head to that part of the world in the first place.

Screw Chevy Chase

Christ, what an asshole — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:03:51 -0800

I'm looking for underrated, obscure European vacation stops. A couple friends and I are going to Europe for a month (Nov/Dec), and we plan on doing the whole Eurorail/hostel thing across several countries. 1/3rd of the destination stops are for my choosing, and while I know they'll be making the saturated, obvious choices like Rome, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, etc., I'd like to spice things up with places that don't automatically spring to mind but offer the same level (if not more) of awe. Ideally, cities that aren't automatic tourist stops where most everyone speaks English and there's a McDonald's on every corner (but also not so far out of the way from mid-Europe like some hole-in-the-wall, Eastern-European Caspian city).

What sort of places have you visited that you would recommend?

Please evaluate my route from Italy to Spain by car

zaebiz — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:07:07 -0800

I plan to drive from Venice, Italy to Valenica, Spain in April or May 2009 using the following route. I will stay for a few days or weeks in little spots along the way. I should have about six weeks in total. I mostly want to see a little of Spain and Italy, the French Riviera, Montpellier, Marseilles and finish at Valencia. Apart from that anything else I should try to see? Any parts of the chosen route I should avoid? What's driving like along that route? Any rental car companies which will let me pick up in Italy and drop off in Spain?

Foreign guides around Europe

vizsla — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:21:43 -0800

How does a 40ish year old male with enough money find his way around Europe without foreign language skills? Is it possible to hire guides to travel with, or at least to show them around on a city-by-city basis for this sort of thing? I'm thinking specifically France, Spain, Italy. Willing to use University students or some other creative possibility. Mostly there for a holiday but may also need to talk to real agent agents about places in France or Spain.

3 Days in August: Spanish or Portuguese?

foxy_hedgehog — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:04:40 -0800

The last weekend in August: Madrid or Lisbon? I have a three-day stopover in Madrid at the very end of August (8.30-9.2). I've never been to Spain, and I have no doubt there are many wonderful things to do and see and eat in Madrid. However, I've heard some reports that Madrid is unbearably hot in August- and that everything is closed. I thought as an alternative that I'd transfer to a cheap flight to Lisbon from the Madrid airport, and spend my few days there instead.

These are obviously both amazing and very different places. But having no experience in either city or either country, I'd love your take(s) on what might be the best way to spend the time. Particularly vis a vis the August thing.

Getting a Eurail pass in a jiffy

Sar HaPanim — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:12:55 -0800

How can I get a eurail pass before I leave for Spain tomorrow? I'm flying from home (Washington DC area) to Spain tomorrow and plan to do a lot of travel by train using a Eurail pass for Spain. Only when starting to buy the pass today on the RailEurope website, however, did I learn that the pass is a paper document which must be sent from Europe to the U.S., and which cannot be easily purchased in Europe.

Can I buy the pass today or tomorrow from an actual store (i.e. not via mail) in the Washington DC area?

If not, is there a listing of vendors in Europe somewhere? Or should I have the pass sent overnight to a friend in DC and have him forward it to me in Spain?

Please help!

Help me plan/budget a 1-week Spain or Greece vacation!

sdis — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:44:07 -0800

Help me figure out a budget and an example itinerary for a February trip to Spain or Greece! I'm in Austria, and found some €20 roundtrip tickets (Feb 4-11 or thereabouts) to Barcelona, Spain (Well, Girona) via Ryanair during a February school break. This is cool. Now what? [Alternatively, tickets to Greece are ~€60 each RT, but we have someone to stay with for ~3 days]

I'm trying to figure out a rough outline of what a potential low-budget trip would look like for me and my fiancée, in terms of itinerary and cost. (As it's much easier to modify an existing itinerary than start from nothing)

Trip Goals: Go do touristy things, have fun, eat some things, get out of cold Austria, while keeping costs to minimum. We'd prefer private rooms to hostels.

Looking for a European holiday apartment.

DirtyCreature — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:54:09 -0800

Where is a good place in a European city for a non-European to buy a small but nice two bedroom apartment for holidays? Looking for a city environment. How much would I need to spend? Are there any regulatory hurdles? Where do I find them? I was kind of leaning towards Paris but am fairly open. I am also open to Eastern Europe in safe areas and don't want to have to worry too much about the apartment when I am not there.

Traveling alone in Spain - how to meet other travelers, and how to book rooms and train/air tickets on the fly?

inatizzy — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 13:35:59 -0800

It's my first time traveling alone! I'm spending 10-11 days in Spain, and I need some advice. How to meet people to share the experience with? How to book accommodations and train/airline tickets on the fly? I'm traveling alone to Spain for 10 days, flying in and out of Madrid, and I'm really excited because I've always wanted to visit Spain. (And to just do more international traveling in general!) Thanks to everyone who responded to my earlier question about what to do with my vacation time. I almost picked Costa Rica, but I found an amazing flight deal to Spain that I couldn't pass up.

I have plenty of sights to see and I'm sure I'll have no trouble finding things to do with myself once I'm there. I'm hoping to experience three areas: Madrid (maybe Toledo), Barcelona, and Andalusia (specifically, Seville & Granada). I'm traveling light (hopefully just a backpack and daypack) and hopefully staying in hostels, pensions or other cheap accomodations.

I'm trying to ignore my innate tendency to plan everything and instead do it on the fly. I've read that it will make my trip more fun and enriching, and I believe it. However, I'm not really sure how to do that once I'm in Spain and also keep my spending down as much as possible. (Do I go to a travel agent? Train station? internet cafe? And, how much time do I need to book rooms or flight/train tickets in advance to get a decent price and avoid things selling out?) Other than hostels, what accommodations are cheap but a good value? (as in, not a s***hole and in the city near public transport) And, is a Eurrail pass worth it? I've seen some cheap airfares recently, and I'm thinking that would be a better way to go than the train, and when it's not, the one-way train prices don't seem too bad... (STA Travel quoted me about $200 for a 3-day Eurrail pass and I don't know whether that's really a good deal. I don't know how much it will be to buy train tickets at the counter on the day I want to leave. Maybe it is worth it to spend a little more $ total, but take planes in some cases and train in others?)

I'm also really interested in meeting other travelers to share the experience with. The hostels that seem to be really good at promoting community are booked for this weekend already so I'll need to rely on some other method to meet people, but I don't know what that would be. (I'm still figuring out what's available at the end of my trip, but if I book things on the fly, I bet the best ones will be sold out again.)

I'd love any advice you can give me on this. Mostly, I just want it to be an enjoyable experience while keeping my costs down. I'm new to this so any insights you have will be much appreciated! Thank you so much!

Yo se que te gusto

bluejayk — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 03:33:44 -0800

Where can I find lists of the most popular Spanish top 40 music from summer, 2002? I danced the summer away in 2002, and to a lesser extent, the fall of 2000 in Salamanca and Madrid, Spain. Now I'd love to get a hold of some of those songs somehow. Problem is, I don't know what they're called, who sang them, or what the words were. I speak decent Spanish, but I can't make out lyrics in any language, especially not at three in the morning. So, I just have a few songs in mind, like the one that went "da-da-da, waaahh!!!" and other incomprehensible, unhelpful tidbits, but only a couple actual names.

So, where can I find a list of what was popular on the radio or in clubs for a specific time for Spain? General dance clubs, like Capital in Madrid. I'm not looking for the best songs of the year, some of these songs were really horrible. But they make me happy, so I want them. Ideally, a sight that would stream, or let me listen to 10 second samples would be perfect.

Here are a couple of the songs that I did manage to remember: 'Asereje' by Las Ketchup, 'Torero', 'Brinca, Salta, Bailalo' by El Simbolo and 'Baila Morena' by Zucherro. Stuff like that is what I'm looking for. And I could never admit to it in person.

Thanks, you'll be helping me relive a really great time in my life!

Ireland-->Spain. APIS required?

knapah — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 05:24:50 -0800

Do I need to provide my passport details for APIS (Advanced Passenger Information System) purposes when flying from Dublin, Ireland to Barcelona, Spain? I will be flying with Aer Lingus in August.

Am I correct in thinking that as Ireland is not part of the Schengen system that the info. must be supplied? If so, where do I supply the information? Check-in? There was no form in the Aer Lingus booking procedure.

Canary Islands advice

Nathanial Hörnblowér — Tue, 01 May 2007 12:26:20 -0800

Traveling to the Canary Islands in Sept. Where should we go? My boyfriend and I are trying to decide where in the Canary Islands to go for vacation. We'll have two weeks total and want to have a mix of some sightseeing and some R&R on the beach. Right now we're considering Tenerife but are open to suggestions. I definitely want sandy beaches somewhere close to our hotel, but so far everything I've read about Tenerife only mentions pebble beaches. We will be renting a car, so driving to the beach is an option, although not ideal. Suggestions, advice and Web site recommendations would be great.

Help us buy a van in Spain!

Acey — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 09:19:37 -0800

Have you bought a vehicle in Spain before? Some friends and I are looking to buy a van in Spain with which to travel around Europe, and we need your help! The trip starts in just over two months, around the 25th May. The intention is to buy a van in Spain, drive across Europe for three weeks, and leave the van with friends in Belgium. We will then retrieve the van later in the summer and sell it. The cost of the van and the insurance will be split between 5 people. We decided against rental as we have no way of getting it back to Spain straight away, plus, I believe you must be over 21 to drive a rented van in Europe.

Now here's the problem: we need to purchase a van in Spain for the start, but my friend whose house we are starting from (in Murcia) has no way to get back before then to arrange it. We need to know whether you can buy a vehicle remotely from another country and do the paperwork, or if someone needs to be there. Also, many of the vans we have looked at are in another province, which might throw up other paperwork issues. It is possible that we can arrange for someone we know in Spain to purchase on our behalf, and take a look at what we are buying. Still, this might raise other problems.

We have two drivers: one is 25 and licenced to drive in Europe, one is 20 and may or may not be licenced to drive a van of a certain size. Then there's the issue of insurance - is it possible to insure for only two months? Can that be done remotely too?

I'll be available to respond with further information for a few hours and again tomorrow, but any help you can give would be very much appreciated.

Thank you hive mind!

Can I drive with an expired New Jersey drivers' license in Spain?

BigBrownBear — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 09:20:54 -0800

Can I drive with an expired New Jersey drivers' license in Spain? I have a old NJ drivers' license that expired on June 30th of this year. I am going back to renew it in August but in the meanwhile I need to rent a car for work. Is this possible? You can drive with an expired license in the states, but I doubt I will be able to rent a car hear. My hunch is no, but just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas.

It's just a hell of a lot cheaper.

sic — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 15:58:03 -0800

If I buy a Dell monitor from a US website, do I need to buy an adapter to use it in Europe (specifically, in Spain)? Or is there some way to change the current?