My husband and I begin our adventure on Jan 31,01. we have 2 months to travel. Should
wtrae begin in Barcelona or Madrid? WE plan on seeing as much of Spain and Portugal as time will allow. And if I am brave enough entering into Moroccco. We travel strickly by rail, bus, or ferry. Suggestions welcomed.Please excuse typos I'm new to my computer!!!!

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Where does the plane go first? I'd start there! Madrid or Barcelona. You'll have time to see both major cities and a lot more.

Assuming you do still have a choice of where you land, I would have to say start in Madrid. Barcelona is the capital of Catalunya, with its own language, and the Catalans are rather serious about asserting their cultural distinctness. Madrid is just, well, more "Spanish", as most vistors understand the idea. So for anyone looking for Spain (and given the importance of first impressions), I think it is the better place to start.

Two months - February & March: Try to include Carnaval in either Cadiz or Santiago de Compostela (where it is called AnTroido). We also travel mostly by public transit when in Spain - In September we took Continental- Auto Gran Clase bus Madrid-Santander & Alsa Clase Supra Santander-Bilbao. I recommend the former but not the latter (too short a trip to justify the extra expense).
Around March 15th you should be headed for Valencia and las Fallas that end March 19th (San Jose). San Jose celebrations extend as far as Alicante. That might steer you toward spending your final two weeks along the Mediterranean coast and in Barcelona.

Lucky you!!! Eddie's suggestions are right on - Madrid and environs and the south for February. Mid-March, try and be in Valencia then spend the remainder of your time in Barcelona, San Sebastian, etc. Noticed you were from New York so I know you're used to the cold but why invite it? Spending February and even the first couple of weeks in March anywhere but in the northern part of the country will be warmer - then, by the time you head north, the worst of it will be over. You're not likely to find a lot of tourists anywhere that time of year and thats a huge plus.

I don't know if any of the bus lines or trains have a 'get on/ get off' type of ticket where you more or less buy a pass and, if you see a place that appeals to you, you can get off at that stop and stay a bit.
Am thinking something other than a EuroRail pass as most of those routes (to the best of my knowledge) don't stop in the smaller and often charming towns. Any board members have knowledge of this kind of ticket?

What are you guys most interested in seeing - history/culture/family - what draws you to Spain - with a bit more guidelines, I'm sure everyone can give you a ton of input on what to not miss - and why. Let us know ...



[This message has been edited by Puna (edited 12-20-2000).]

Thanks for all the replies. We have a choice as to what city the plane lands. We are fortunate to have a "buddy pass" on a major airline. We are interested in seeing the culture of Spain, small villages and towns. We like visting small towns and villages around the country, staying in reasonable lodging. We previously traveled Italy and Greece. We travel with one travel book, so we welcome any and all suggestions,
with reference, to transporation, lodging and vegetarian restaurants. We make no reservations, we just kinda wing it. So far we have been very lucky, no bad experiences!!!Just alot of nice people and beautiful places. Thanks for any and all suggestions. Barbara and Ron