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Report 1691: A Journey to Spain

By Paula G. Cullison from Arizona, Summer 2009

Trip Description: May 31 - June 19, 2009: Paula and her daughter travel through Spain, hitting the highlights and sharing impressions along the way.

Destinations: Countries - Spain; Regions/Cities - Barcelona, Catalonia, Costa Brava, Costa del Sol, Madrid

Categories: Hotels/B&Bs; Art Trip; Sightseeing; Independent Travel; 2 People

Madrid Cafe - Bulls Galore (Paula & Pamela)

It has been thirty years since my last trip to Spain, so I thought that it was about time to return. I decided to include Portugal, since I had never been there (see Portugal Trip Report in Resources section). In preparing for the trip, I brushed up on my Spanish and read some travel books. Our Portuguese was limited to the basic, but important phrases. My daughter and I used our respective frequent flier miles to reserve tickets, albeit on different airlines. We flew into Madrid and returned from Lisbon. As per usual, I used the Internet to snag what looked like and turned out to be fabulous hotel deals; all in excellent locations.

Passionate about international travel, I have found that pre-planning always pays off. I planned our three weeks in Spain as follows: six nights in Madrid; five nights in Barcelona (with day trips to Montserrat and the Pyrenees; three nights on the Costa Brava for some beach time; six nights in Andalucia (three in Seville, one in Cordoba and two in Granada). This was followed by one week in Portugal: one night in Faro in the Algarve with a boat ride to an uninhabited island and six nights in Lisbon with a day trip to Sintra). I am proud to say that the plan worked.

So, I encourage you to go to Spain and Portugal to experience history, great art, beautiful architecture, enchanting palaces, fine wine, delicious tapas, passionate flamenco dancing, and gracious hosts. See yourself as a traveler and not a tourist, and you will have a wonderful time. Speak a few sentences in Spanish (and Portuguese) and you will receive the royal treatment.

Although we traveled in June, late spring, early summer and early fall are the best times for a journey into the heart of Catalonia, Castile, Andalucia and along the coasts. During your trip, you may find yourself soaking your feet in both the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans. From the Costa Brava to the Costa del Sol thousands of miles of beach await you. We selected the Costa Brava, since it was about an hour train ride from Barcelona.

We found that the main cities of Madrid, Barcelona and Seville are equipped with excellent public transit systems and connected by a fine railway network. Commercial bus companies fill in the gaps for connections to smaller cities and in many instances are more convenient that the trains. We used the buses (all air-conditioned coach) when traveling from Seville to Cordoba then to Granada and back to Seville. Getting around Spain is no problem, just pack lightly and carry a big smile. Low cost flights also connect the major cities. I found a great deal on a flight from Barcelona to Seville on line. Both the Madrid and Barcelona airports are accessible by Metro.