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#90380 - 01/16/12 02:50 AM
Re: Summer 2012...where to go?
[Re: teachertraveler8]
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Executive Member
Registered: 05/06/00
Posts: 9080
Loc: Madrid, Spain (was Columbus, O...
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You'll(ABSOLUTELY) LOVE northern Spain, teachertraveler8. I GAR-UN-TEE you! You have 3 weeks. As in 21 days? Are you flying into/out of Madrid? I'll guess so. Since 2 of the 3 already know Madrid well, consider spending just a day or two in Madrid upon arrival to get-your-head-straight after the flight. Then head up to (La/A Coruña) Galicia directly. Spend 5-7 days day-tripping around Galicia. Then head east through Asturias and Cantábria and The Basque Country-País Vasco for 7-10 days. Get to Barcelona City and spend 3-4 days. Then back to Madrid for your last night. BIG QUESTION: Will you be going by car? To see northern Spain properly, you do kind of need a car as there are so many mountain/hilltop villages worth visiting which aren't accessible to even buses. If you're sticking to the cities, however, you'll be fine by train/bus. Saludos, MadridMan
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Visit BarcelonaMan.com for Barcelona information, Transportation, Lodging, & much MUCH more! Curious about what could POSSIBLY be inside the brain of MadridMan? Visit MadridMan's Madrid Blog
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#90387 - 01/18/12 06:24 AM
Re: Summer 2012...where to go?
[Re: teachertraveler8]
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Executive Member
Registered: 05/28/08
Posts: 334
Loc: Madrid
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My favorite route. From Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian,then Santander and you can see Santillana del Mar it´s necessary,San Vicente de la Barquera,Llanes,the national park of picos de Europa you can see the Covadonga lakes, Cudillero for to eat a wonderfull fish,Luarca, and then all Galicia, of course, in car. A lovely travel but very long, around 1000 kilometers.
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#90388 - 01/18/12 04:15 PM
Re: Summer 2012...where to go?
[Re: jazz]
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Full Member
Registered: 02/09/10
Posts: 132
Loc: utah transplant
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How much fun your trip will be! 1000 km is a long way, but would there be a way to base in 1 city in the north and take a day trip or two (or three) before you would move to different lodging?
You have 2 teen age boys, right? So limiting car time, thus limiting boredom, can be a big issue.
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#90393 - 01/19/12 12:53 PM
Re: Summer 2012...where to go?
[Re: teachertraveler8]
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Executive Member
Registered: 05/06/00
Posts: 9080
Loc: Madrid, Spain (was Columbus, O...
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You MIGHT be interested in my MadridMan's 2002 Madrid & Galicia Trip journal entry - from way back from before blogs were around and STILL in the MadridMan.com Version 1.0 stage. Wow. I need to get on that soon. There aren't any photos, but I still have a bunch from my first digital camera which I took on that trip. What a wonderful experience I had in Galicia. If you decide to "do" Madrid and Galicia, that's great. You'll have enough on your plate for these two locations/regions. Really, Galicia has enough to see for your entire 3-weeks alone, but you could do it justice in just 7-12 days. You can always visit Asturias, Cantabria, and País Vasco another time. For THAT you'll need 3 entire weeks!!! Regarding the beaches and topless-ness, Spain's beaches throughout the country are considered "Topless-Okay" (thank goodness!!!) so that's not a worry. It's not expected, however, so any on-top-wearers shouldn't feel self-conscious. It's not illegal and it's not considered "bad form" to go topless in Spain, even at the city's public swimming pools. (I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!!! : ) We did the drive from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid in one long-ARSE day by car. Wow. What a journey! According to Google Maps, that's a 7.5 hour drive -without stopping! We stopped like 3 times along the way for meals and "pit-stops" so it took us about 9 hours. Traveling town-to-town probably isnt' conducive to renting apartments, but you should be able to find - online - several decent "hostales" in some off-the-highway towns to spend a comfortable night. This'll take some research, however. The ON-highway "hostales" don't tend to be very nice. That is to say, they're basic and generally clean, but lack character and can often be havens for truckers' one-night-stands - if you know what I mean. Best to get 5-10 kilometers off the highway to find nicer, more local lodgings. I'M excited for your visit/trip, teachertraveler8! O hope to see you while you're passing-through Madrid! Saludos, MadridMan
_________________________
Visit BarcelonaMan.com for Barcelona information, Transportation, Lodging, & much MUCH more! Curious about what could POSSIBLY be inside the brain of MadridMan? Visit MadridMan's Madrid Blog
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#90421 - 01/27/12 03:36 AM
Re: Summer 2012...where to go?
[Re: teachertraveler8]
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Executive Member
Registered: 02/26/06
Posts: 1445
Loc: Morbihan, France
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from the States for years and years, the best are car rental brokers who give you the best local/Inter. company prices, these are www.autoeurope.comwww.kemwel.comcheers
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#90424 - 01/28/12 03:31 AM
Re: Summer 2012...where to go?
[Re: pedmar]
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Full Member
Registered: 02/14/07
Posts: 203
Loc: st cyrus , scotland
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I have found its also worth looking at the big companies local offices, eg hertz, avis, Alamo etc, ust google their name but add es in you search. The last time I looked Sixt has been the cheapest.
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#90425 - 01/28/12 05:49 PM
Re: Summer 2012...where to go?
[Re: eskimo joe]
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Executive Member
Registered: 02/23/06
Posts: 1158
Loc: Hastings Old Town , England .
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Ok .. if you go to Vigo in Galicia you'll have to look somebody up . When I was about 17 or 18 I went to stay with a family in Paris for 3 weeks .. went to school there and shared the life of my exchange friend , Christophe who was one year younger than me . Incredible experience . I took the train , with many other school/college kids from London , the a ferry across the English Channel .. Then another train to the Gare du Nord in Paris to meet . for the first time , the family I would be stating with . I loved every moment of it .. even the feral school that Christophe attended in the Argenteuil suburb of Paris ... Christophe now lives in Galicia , in Vigo , where he runs/owns a small kiosk that sells French crêpes ... and he's been running it successfully for many years now . If anyone is thinking of going to Vigo I'll find out exactly where his kiosk is . I haven't seen Christophe for over 30 years but have very good contact with his mother in Paris . Christophe , like me , is not so good at keeping contact . Very smart and cool guy ! His mum sent me a photo for christmas this year of him at the kiosk ( traditional Breton costume ) , with his sister Bénédicte .
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#90426 - 01/29/12 02:11 PM
Re: Summer 2012...where to go?
[Re: steve robinson]
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Full Member
Registered: 04/28/05
Posts: 102
Loc: SoCal, USA
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Everyone has given great advice and I would like to second the charm of Galicia, it certainly holds a special place in my heart.
Although it has been a very long time since I've been there, I'm sure that by now some things may have changed, I used to spend at least an entire month there during school summer vacations. We would drive on our SEAT 1500 Bifaro from my native Sevilla, an overnight stop over in Salamanca, and then continue to our destination in Galicia, most years ending in Ribadeo.
Madrid was often a return trip stop over location since we have family there.
I'm pretty sure that the next time I go back to Spain I will pay a visit to Galicia.
Speaking of which!!! I'll have to go and see "The Way", 2011 movie, a corworker told me about it, sounded real good.
Edited by Yankaluz (01/29/12 02:13 PM) Edit Reason: typo.
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AKA "NO&DO Yankaluz" ,,,si no te mata, te alimenta.
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