¡Hola amigos!

I am trying to put together a trip to Spain that I will likely be taking toward the end of October. I am looking for some help on how many nights to stay in which city and what hotels are both affordable and nice in each city. I plan on staying in Spain for about 6 nights. There are two purposes of my visit. One purpose is simply to visit, see the sights and the history, relax, eat some good food, meet some interesting people, etc. Basically the normal vacation stuff. The second purpose of my visit is more of a reconnaisance mission. I am strongly considering moving to Spain soon (possibly March or April) and want to figure out where I would most want to live. The three main places I have in mind are Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. I prefer coastal, however I am considering Madrid also as it may be beneficial for employment reasons. Originally I planned on just spending 2 nights in each city (Madrid, Valencia, and Spain). But I don't know the cities that well and don't want to stay too short or too long in one city based upon how much there really is to do there. Obviously I wouldn't recommend to a Spaniard to spend 4 of his/her 6 nights while in the US in Nebraska. How should I split that up and is there another city or two I should really consider seeing as well for either purposes of my visit? Hotel recommendations for each city would help a lot also as mentioned.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

-Loc

At this point I'm more than likely going to spend more time in Madrid than anywhere else during this trip. Either:

Madrid - 3 nights
Valencia - 1 night
Barcelona - 2 nights

Or:

Madrid - 4 nights
Valencia - 1 night
Barcelona - 1 night

That's what I'm debating at this point. And I am leaning more towards a hostal than a hotel to cut down on cost a bit. With a hostal would it be wise to do all booking in advance? How difficult would it be to find a vacancy at a hostel. Hotels are usually a bit easier in this regard I would think. Anyone have any good hostel recommendations in the above areas?

Thanks,
Loc

I'd go with the 3,1,2. There's plenty to see in Barcelona as well!

Hostals are actually really easy to sort out but you definately need to do it before going...

Just use the hostals section on the main MM site and go from there. I imagine there won't be a problem finding somewhere at this time of the year. Most of them have email addresses and get back to them pretty quickly. Some even have online booking. I found it to be one of the least stressful arrangements of accomodation ever.

I did the same and stayed at Hostal Lopez last year going off what people had said on here. It was perfect for my needs... ie right in Huertas next to lots of bars!

At the very least you should take a list of hostals and tel. numbers before you go. Normally best to sort out accommodation before you go, but in case you end up in Madrid without having done this - don't despair! There are normally booking desks at the major train stations eg Atocha, Charmartin where you can find a room. Alternatively leave your suitcase in left luggage at the station and look on the main hostal streets (Calle Arenal, Atocha, Gran Via ettc) and then enquire at the place you think is suitable. Normally there is no objection to having a look at the room first.

Loc writes: This is a tough one! Major Cities like Barcelona and Madrid are crowded with ex-pat Brits and Americans looking for employment. The Brits have an advantage because they are EU Citizens and don't need work permits or visas. If you are a U.S. Citizen you will need a work permit and getting one can be a lengthy process.
What is your work specialty or Title? Do you have a TEFL credential?

Rather than looking at large cities like Madrid or Barcelona (or Sevilla), I think I would look for a University town: smaller, but with more probability of employment for an english speaking foreign national. Some that come to mind are Vigo, on the Atlantic Coast in Pontevedra (Galicia), Huelva, in the southwest corner of Spain and Santander, about 50 mi west of Bilbao on the north coast. All three have sizeable Universities.

Several years ago I met an Irish gentleman who owns and operates Mr. Kevin's English language school on C./Salmerón in Santander. Apparently there is a lot of business from students from UIMP (Universidad Internaciónal de Menendez Pelayo) there in Santander. His best teacher, a lady from Louisiana, had just left to go back home and he was looking for a replacement.

So, what's your problem with Nebraska? I happen to have an undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska.

Thanks, this is good information indeed. I would be of course trying for my field first (IT) but falling back on another would not be beyond me one bit. I'm working on the whole EU issue by way of becomming a Finnish citizen first, that will cut a lot of headache out for sure.

LOL! I have no problem with Nebraska, never been there but I'm sure it's a great state and has a great university. How much does Nebraska earn per year by way of tourism however? That was more or less my point.