Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with travel 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!

Do I need to get a multiple entry visa for Spain/Andorra travel as a US citizen?

anarchivist — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:21:55 -0800

I'm going to Spain (Barcelona) for 10 days, and I'm a US citizen, which in my understanding grants me a de facto 90-day single entry Schengen visa. I've been thinking about going to Andorra, a non-Schengen country, which suggests to me that I would therefore require a multiple entry Visa. Preliminary research confirms this. Stupid question: do I need to do this before I leave? Can anyone else who has gone to Andorra from Spain attest to the strictness or laxity of the immigration controls?

Affordable Spain!

lattiboy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:46:38 -0800

What are some of the best things to do in Spain in October? Going on an 11 day trip of Spain:

We will be spending the 1st, 2nd, 3rd days in Madrid, hopping the bullet train and then spending the 4th, 5th, and possibly 6th day in Barcelona. After that we're going to play it by ear, but we're thinking of going to Valencia and different spots in Catalonia (I lined up a rental car) and driving back to Madrid (it's my scheduled drop off point for the car).

Looking for awesome stuff to check out. We'll have a car from the 6th to 11th day of the trip. It would be great if things could trend toward the affordable as I'd like to have some of our savings when we get home.

Also, is there a "city pass" type thing for Madrid and/or Barcelona? We saved a bundle on our last trip to San Francisco by getting one of those. It included metro and museum entry for a flat fee.

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!

Habla inglese?

djgh — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:37:09 -0800

Getting from Benicassim to Madrid. Speaking no Spanish, trying to get three bus/train tickets from Benicassim to Madrid on the 21st July, arriving before 19:00, is proving virtually impossible.

Can anyone point to a website in English where this route is available, on that date for that time?

Many thanks for any help which you can offer.

Where to go in Southern Spain?

curious zoe — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:45:27 -0800

I'm going on holiday to Spain with my mother. We're flying into Barcelona in August (bad time, I know!) for four days and then have 12 days to make our way to Casablanca before she starts a tour of Morocco. So I need to plan our time in Spain. I thought five days or so in Menorca, but it seems difficult to get to cheaply. I thought about catching a train to Valencia for a few days, then heading to Seville/Grenada/Cordoba before Morocco- what must we see or avoid? Further points to make: We don't have a car, so we need to go places we can get around on foot or by public transport and the odd taxi.

My mother is 60, super fit, but not a fan of crowds. I am a little worried about the heat in Spain in August, hence trying to stick to the coast where (I hope) its a bit cooler.

We want to see Spain (first time for both of us) but also relax and have a holiday - and avoid 'lager lout' resorts!

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

Por que no?

furnace.heart — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:54:16 -0800

Spanish visa for over 90 days? As always... For my ladyfriend who has no mefi account:

Okay, I got an under the table job as an au pair in Spain for roughly three months, but technically I'll be there for over 90 days (somewhere in the 95-98 day range depending on flights). I am trying to get a visa.

The visa I need is a tourist visa (or non-lucrative visa) since I will not be formally employed or enrolled in a school. The nearest embassy to me (I live in Portland Oregon) is in San Francisco.

Do I need to actually travel to SF to apply for this visa? Everything on the embassy website says that applications must be made in person. I can't seem to get a person on the phone or through e-mail. How do people all over the country acquire visas if they live outside the 6 or 7 major U.S. cities that have embassies?

If you have any experience procuring this type of visa, or experience in dealing with an embassy outside a city such as your own, I would love to hear how you handled the situation. Thanks!

(And thanks to my lovely manfriend, who let me jack his mefi account...)

Peace and quiet in Catalunya mtns

computech_apolloniajames — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:57:46 -0800

Off the beaten track in the Catalunya mountains? Similar to my question last year about my trip to Scotland (which was awesome, btw), this query pertains to my planned trip to Spain later this summer. I have got it into my head to go to Barcelona. Upon some initial research, Barcelona sounds like a nice city but a bit of a zoo in August (which again, is my best time frame for vacation), but I really don't imagine wanting to spend my entire 9 days there. Could anybody recommend a place in the mountains where I could chill out away from the maddening crowds, and do some hiking? Or should I just grit my teeth and wait till September. Bonus points for access by public transit, and for being not expensive. The books that I have looked at so far do not offer a ton of info on accomms, etc.

Thanks in advance!

Trip to Spain/Portugal

arm426 — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:35:08 -0800

I'm planning a trip to Portugal/Spain for late July/early August. Could use some tips/suggestions on locations/travel, etc... I know that similar questions were asked previously, but I'm looking for some tips that are better suited for a 25 year old guy who will be traveling solo in all likelihood. I'd like to mix some culture, with good night life and beaches.

For some reason, I envision scenes from Sun Also Rises when I think of this vacation, so hopefully that paints a decent picture of the things I'd like to do.

I'd prefer to stay at mid to higher end hotels or hostels. I'm open to renting a car, traveling by bus, train or plane to get to different locations within Portugal and Spain. I have a working knowledge of Spanish (if that).

Any help/guidance appreciated.

Recommendations for Nerja, Spain area

aelish — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:03:14 -0800

Please recommend day trips around Nerja, Spain.... The BF and I are travelling to Spain in late July...staying in Nerja. We're looking for "you-can't-miss-this" things to do or see. (I would spend the whole time on the beach and in the water, but he's more of a sight-seer). Balcony of Europe: we're a ten minute walk away and will be there; caves: we're not too far from those and will undoubtedly go as BF is a geologist-wannabe; what else should we see or do? Restaurant recommendations welcome as well. thanks!

Seville or Cordoba?

macrowave — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:22:38 -0800

My boyfriend and I are traveling to Madrid next week. We'll be in the area for seven days, and plan to spend the second half in either Seville or Cordoba and then on to Granada. Seville or Cordoba? We need to book hotels asap and can't agree on this leg of the trip. We're both in our late twenties, live in Chicago, and have never been to Europe. I'm not really sure what we're looking for in either location other than "neat!" stuff. Any recommendations? Must-see must-do things that you can suggest to sell us on either place? I realize that the two destinations are rather close to one another, but given our time frame, I think it'd be wise to narrow it down.

Thanks for your help!

Where to buy cigars in Granada, Spain?

tkbarbarian — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:53:57 -0800

Where to buy cigars in Granada, Spain? Hi All,

Any recommendations for cigar shops in Granada, Spain - preferably a place with a good selection selling by the box.

Thanks!

tk

University of Salamanca Housing

PaulingL — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:56:48 -0800

Help me choose living accomodations while studying abroad in Spain! Starting at the end of August, I will be studying abroad at the University of Salamanca.

This involves a one month "intensive month" and the Fall Trimester and Winter Trimester.

As of now, I have planned to live with a host family for the first month and the Fall Trimester, and then switch to the Residencia for the Winter Trimester to get the best of both worlds.

What do you think? Any suggestions? Any experiences with anything similar?

Any survival tips for a non-Spanish speaker going to Barcelona?

some idealist — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 01:12:37 -0800

Any survival tips for a non-Spanish speaker going to Barcelona? I'm a male college senior and I was planning on going to Spain for spring break to visit my SO who's studying broad there. Due to some poor circumstances that I won't go into, we're breaking up at probably the worst time possible. The first leg of my flight leaves in about 8 hours and I should arrive in Barcelona Monday morning. I want to stupidly go ahead and try and make the best of it despite not knowing any Spanish, and I'd appreciate any general tips my particular situation.

Some details:
I've been abroad a couple times in Asia, but never in Europe. Ideally my budget will be under 200 or 300e for the week before counting any lodging fees. Right now my plan is just to try and safely get to a hotel with Internet and go from there, as everything was pretty much in my SO's hands until very recently. I see that the Hotel Lleo was recommended in some earlier posts, so I might end up there. I'd rather not try and stay in a hostel or anything like that given my poor language ability.

I think I'll be satisfied with my trip if I can successfully go to some parks and museums and do a little shopping.

Thanks guys.

Spain by car

jckll — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:55:45 -0800

Tell me what I need to know to drive around Spain (mostly Andalusia) for ~4 days this summer. I'm going to be renting a car (probably from Granada) and driving around to a few cities in the region (the itinerary isn't 100% set, but Granada, Malaga, Seville are on the table).

I've been told I need an international driver's license/permit that can be attained at a local AAA office. True? No big deal.

There appear to be a ton of rental companies based on a quick google search. The "name" American companies (Avis, Hertz, etc) look to be much more expensive than what appear to be local Spanish rental companies. Is there any reason I shouldn't just get the cheapest I can find? Does anyone have recommendations for specific companies?

Is reserving the car something I need to do in advance, or can I take care of it upon arrival?

I don't need a large car (only traveling with 2 other people), I drive manual (stick) just fine, I am 24 and I speak Spanish. Not sure if any of those details are relevant.

Anyone have personal experiences? Anyone have general advice? I'm interested in any and all opinions!

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.

Where to stay in Barcelona?

junesix — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:14:59 -0800

Pair of mid-20s friends looking for a place to stay in Barcelona in early June. I've read up a bit on the neighborhoods and it sounds like the popular, touristy area is near Las Ramblas. However, many of the modern tourist attractions are farther to the northeast. Help! I'm having trouble nailing down a neighborhood to find a hotel to stay. I love being in an urban neighborhood that's great for walking around day and night, cheap eats, and great shops. Since this will be our first time to Barcelona, we'll likely be heading to the big tourist spots as well which seem to be northeast of the old town center. So far I've picked out Hotel Del Mar just north of Las Ramblas but near a good metro station. What do you think? Should I go closer to the center or farther? Any suggested hotels for 6/1-6/6? Budget max is $200/night for the 5 nights.

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!

Accommodation and things to do in Valencia, Spain?

jonesor — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:12:28 -0800

I'm going to be in Valencia (Spain) for a few days. Can you give me your recommendations for budget accommodation and some things to do. I'll be there from 20th-23rd March, and by budget I mean less than about 30 euros pppn.
What shouldn't I miss? I've been to other parts of Spain before and have a reasonable grasp of the language. On those previous occasions I've spent my time eating and drinking my way around the bars. This time I'd like to have a to do list of sights and maybe a museum or two to give our days a bit of structure.
Throw in any other Valencia-related tips as you see fit.

Many thanks!

What do I need to know to make a last-minute trip to Cadiz for Carnival and come out with my dignity, health, and belongings (mostly) intact?

slowcat — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 07:29:07 -0800

Some friends and I are planning to spend a few days in Cadiz for Carnival. All the hostels and hotels are booked (and we're students so our budget is fairly tight to begin with), so we figured we'd just pack light and sleep on the beach. Any advice on how to do this comfortably, and without getting our stuff stolen while we're asleep? Should we plan on stowing our stuff in lockers at the train station? Should we bring costumes with us or get them there? Any scams, sketchy areas, etc. that we should watch out for? Any and all advice is welcome, we don't really know what to expect!

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!

18 days in spain

thinkingwoman — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 13:17:25 -0800

planning an 18-day trip to almeria, spain, in late july. help me plan an itinerary! my mom is going to visit family in almeria, but i plan to use almeria as a base to explore other places, too. i definitely want to go to granada for 2-3 days and morocco for 4-5.

1. is it reasonable to try to get to marrakech in this timeframe? i will take the ferry over from spain (from either almeria or gibraltar, depending on the family's schedule), but i don't know anything about morocco's internal transit system. i always assumed marrakech was the one must-see place, but i'd take fez, too.

2. where else in southern span should i visit? is it reasonable to make a jaunt over to barcelona? seville? cordoba? i have heard gibraltar is a dump and am happy to miss it (unless i decide to catch the morocco ferry over there).

3. any recommendations (hotel/transit/sights) would be most appreciated! i'm a single american female, competent in spanish, barely functional in french.

Looking for nuns in all the wrong places.

crinklebat — Sat, 12 May 2007 11:47:55 -0800

How can I find a convent in Spain that will rent me a room for a couple of nights? In my Spain guidebook (Lonely Planet), they mention that there are a number of monasteries and convents that rent out relatively cheap rooms to travelers. That sounds so cool, and I really would love to pursue it as a possible lodging option when I go there this summer. However, they don't actually have any listing of those monasteries and convents, and googling hasn't helped me to find any. How can I get in touch with these mythical establishments?

I'm probably going to Barcelona, Granada, and Madrid, and maybe Seville or Toledo, in mid-July, if that helps.