This will be our first time travel in Spain. We are planning to arrive on 13/4 to Madrid, then visit Toledo, Segovia, Sevilla, Cadiz, Cordoba, lastly night train to Barcelona, and leave on 21/4. Any comment to our plan? Shall we join guided tour or go by our own? Is it possible to go to the Costa Del Sol for a one day trip or would it be too crowded in this period? Do we need to reserve hotels/hostels before we come or walk-in would still be the similar price? Is there any festival between this period? Heard that Sevilla would have a festival in late April, when would it be?

13 Apr is viernes de Semana Santa a holiday for office workers and lots of stuff will be closed (Museums, etc.). Easter Monday is also a holiday. Good Friday Processions are all over Spain (including Madrid - near the Ayuntamiento (City Hall)). You can watch them on TVE or brave the crowds - it starts as a religious thing but ends with drinking, etc.
Most of the people who take Semana Santa off are back to work on Tuesday. School groups may still be crowding the Palacio Réal which you should visit in Madrid.
BTW
That's an ambitious itinerary for 8-days. Trying to fit in a visit to the Costa del Sol would be a bit much.

Sevila's Feria de abril is usually 2-weeks after Semana Santa - according to my calculations it begins 4/29, so that doesn't fit in your 8-days

[This message has been edited by Eddie (edited 03-14-2001).]

Thanks Eddie! We are preparing to stay in Madrid for the first four days. Is that a good time for having festival or would it be hard to find places for accommodation & dining? We will then go by AVE to Sevilla, our trip has to be end in Barcelona to take our flight. As we are coming from Asia, we would like to see as much as we can, but certainly not too rush. Any recommendation? We can only speak fair English & no other European languages, would there be any problem? Shall we book rooms from internet or just walk-in?

Hola, Heidi

I think you plan too many cities for your last four days. You can make a daytrip to Toledo from Madrid. And then you should visit Sevilla. There is a lot to see in Sevilla. You need at least two nights there. If I were you, I would stick with Madrid, Toledo (day trip) and Sevilla. I haven't been to Cordoba, but it is not too far from Sevilla so maybe you can stop there on the way and spend one night.

Segovia is nice, but in the opposite direction (north), and Cadiz is too far away.

For the language, you should definitely take a Spanish phrase book that shows you how to reserve a room and order from a menu. At the major museums, I noticed guidebooks and tour information were available in Japanese. I didn't notice much information available in other Asian languages.

good luck!

Just a word of warning. We were unable to find a hotel in Sevilla (during Holy Week) that would take less then a four night minimum stay. Hopefully you may be able to do better the week after but I would definitely start checking as soon as possible. Good Luck!

Point of clarification!

During Semana Santa (Sunday April 8 to Sunday April 15), Thursday 12th and Friday 13th are public holidays in Spain.

Monday April 16th (Easter Monday) is *not* a holiday here in Spain and all business will open as normal.

Heidi,

Buy you train tickets for the Barcelona night train in Advance. We had a problem getting our tickets for the times we wanted. Try to get them as soon as you arrive in Madrid.
Toledo was great...I am sure you will enjoy yourself.

Thanks all for your recommedation. Within the four days (13-16/4 Friday to Monday) in Madrid, we will go to Toledo & Segovia for day trip. Any advice for which day should stay in Madrid & which day should go to Toledo/Segovia? The holidays may have affected our decision (something closed?)

Just back from our 4th trip to Spain and did enjoy fantastic walking tours in Madrid with Stephen Drake Jones - (cell phone 609 14 32 03). He then sent us to another walking tour
run by Dan O'Biern (sp) in Sevilla. We did a short 2 hour version w/ wine tasting at 4.000ptas/pp to get our bearings and then
did full private day trips with Dan & his partner Rosa Maria for 15.000 each to Cordoba (40min Ave) and hiking picnic trip in the mountains north of Sevilla.

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 03-27-2001).]

Wow! I'm in the wrong business!