Spain & Portugal
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- CincodeMayo
Wife and I are thinking of planning a trip to Spain & Portugal over the Thanksgiving week.
Thinking 2-3 days in Barcelona, train to Madrid for another 2-3 days then fly to Lisbon for another 2-3 days. Possible day trip or overnight somewhere in Basque Country or Seville.
Anyone do this trip or something similar? Any suggestions on day trips from any of these places? Any Spain/Portugal tips?
- zaq0
- Searched for Spain. Should've done Portugal too. Thanks!CincodeMayo
- I flying in few hours, super excitedzaq
- Safe travels! Post some tips here if you have any good ones.CincodeMayo
- see_thru0
Don't bother with Barcelona....go to Valencia instead.
- CincodeMayo0
Really – no Barcelona? It'll be my first time in Spain. And we're going in November so hopefully tourist season will have died down a bit.
Figured Barcelona is a must at least for a day or two? Maybe just fly in there for a day or two then train to Bilbao or Logrono before heading to Madrid?
- Both are cool, but if I were you I'd venture up into the Pyrenees and then head out to Madrid if that's a top pick for you. The mountains are incredible.ben_
- My uncle grew up in Jaca and when I was living in Barca, I did a couple weeks just touring the mountains.ben_
- Oh awesome. I'll look into the Pyrenees. Thanks!CincodeMayo
- ben_1
Barcelona is awesome - don't let people sway you that much, there's parts about it that are frustrating and not that cool anymore but it's an amazing city, go see for yourself.
- fwiw Valencia is incredible too, you'd be happy with either.ben_
- Seville ftwshapesalad
- /\ not wrong at all. It'll be busy as fuck this year since Lonely Planet has been propping it up.ben_
- Longcopylover4
I loved the north: San Sebastian, Santander, Bilbao. Beautiful little cities and the coast is good for surfing. Probabely not in november though.
- Bilbao looks great. San Sebastian would be awesome if we were going in the summer. I'll check these out anyway. Thanks.CincodeMayo
- ^ I just wrote you...OBBTKN
- I can't upvote this enough.detritus
- nocomply0
Barcelona blew my mind when I was there about 10 years ago. I would go back in a heartbeat if I could.
- Yeah, I'm keeping that on the list. Can't miss Gaudi.CincodeMayo
- ernexbcn0
I live in BCN so I'm biased but I'd come here before Valencia, although you'll have a fine time on any.
- feel0
I'd spend more time in barcelona, less time in madrid bc is boring (other than the sofia art museum)
- Chimp0
I live in Madrid so let me know if you need any recomentaditons.
- Recommendations would be great! You can email me or post here. Restaurants, bars, hotels, to do...CincodeMayo
- SimonFFM0
Barcelona and check out Sitges.
- flashbender2
^ what Simon said
Seville is worth a day trip/visit as well if you are heading that way
- Seville's lovely, but quite a distance from the other points. Andalucia has a load of gems, from Jerez to Ronda and the west coast. Great food too!detritus
- My wife wants to do Seville too. Thinking we'll train from Barcelona to Madrid to Seville, then fly to Lisbon. Any recommendations for Seville would be great!CincodeMayo
- Hayzilla0
Not been to Valencia but you can't go wrong with Barca. It's lovely.
- shapesalad0
I went to this probably 13 years ago, before Airbnb and immigrants and drunk lad parties made the locals hate tourists/foreigners and protest that their beach belongs to them..
http://lameva.barcelona.cat/barc…
...and it was lovely.
Not sure I'd go back to Barcelona now as I'd end up comparing it to how great it was 13 years ago... I'd try Seville or a smaller, off the beaten path type of place. And don't use Airbnb, support a local hotel.
- Sala Montjuïc open air cinema. Was lovely 13 years ago. Hope it's retained its local, studenty, arty, romantic vibe & hasn't become an overcrowded tourist trap.shapesalad
- Looking these places up. And yeah, I'm thinking hotels too. Pretty affordable that time of year.CincodeMayo
- CincodeMayo0
So it's looking like Barcelona (day trip to Giralda), Madrid and Seville, then Lisbon.
Maybe a detour to Logrono in Basque if it makes sense time-wise.
Thanks for all the tips so far. Any others or city-specific – restaurants, bars, hotels, museums/galleries, music venues, stuff to do, etc., open to all suggestions.
Thanks all.
- lowimpakt0
I haven't been to Barcelona in many many years but Can Paixano was always a good spot.
It might be hell these days.
- shapesalad0
In Lisbon make a reservation at around 6.30pm / 7pm for either Ponto Final or Atira-te ao rio (they are next to each other, one a bit more hipster and fancy than the other [ponto]).
Take the cute 10min ferry ride from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas - it runs every 15mins, last ferry 1am approx.
Drink some fresh Vino Verde, eat some wonderful seafood, and watch the sunset fall behind Lisbon and the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge. Profit.
And if you want another drink before taking the ferry back, take the Elevator of Boca do Vento up to 'Bar A Cerca', which opens after 10pm. Not luxurious, but the kind of studenty bar you'd go to in your late teens. Cheap fun drinks and vibe. All findable on the google maps.
- actually make it for 6pm to enjoy the sun a bit longer.shapesalad
- He’s coming in November, the sun sets at 5pmdmay
- ah.. who visits in November! well, head there for lunch.shapesalad
- I am Lisbon now. Shapesalad, thanks for all the great info, will do that todayzaq
- Awesome, we'll definitely do this. But yeah, November, so a little earlier!CincodeMayo
- 5timuli0
If you end up in Lisbon, take a day trip to Sintra. Quinta da Regaleira was built by a crazy billionaire and it's mental. The entire town is full of shit to see. The views from the Moorish castle are amazing.
- It's an easy train ride from any of the major stations in Lisbon and runs early to late.5timuli
- Going there Sundayzaq
- As nice as Sintra is, get the wrong time and it's jam packed with tourists.shapesalad
- Sintra looks great!CincodeMayo
- milfhunter0
2 day for a city like Barcalona or Lisabon is a bit on the short side.
- May push it to 3 and 3 with 2 in Madrid and 1 or 2 in Seville.CincodeMayo