Spain by land or by ship

We're trying to decide what to do in 2017. Celebrity has a decent itinerary but it leaves from Rome and we'd prefer the extra time in Barcelona. Very interested in Seville and the Andalucia area. We would have about 2 1/2 weeks. Any suggestions? Take a cruise to get a lay of the land and return on a land trip or do a more in depth less locations land trip?

Thanks.

Retired Spanish teacher who has taken numerous trips to Spain with students and happily without recently. If you want to do Sevilla, Granada, Córdoba in more than a few hours, do the land tour. I just did a Med cruise from Barcelona to Italy and back to Barcelona, with a stop in Mallorca. I did one day pre-cruise and one day post-cruise and still did not see all I wanted. (It was my first time in Barcelona.) Had I only had the day in port, I would only have seen the sites from the HOHO bus. There are many good land tours throughout Spain; I suggest finding something that shows you Madrid (with side trips to Toledo and/or Segovia) and Andalusia with Granada and Sevilla must dos. Cordoba is also amazing with its Mezquita. Anything that also includes Barcelona is a real plus.

Can you tell I love Spain?

Can you tell I love Spain?

:). Yes I can. Thank you.

I travel to Spain frequently by land. I've also done cruises that have included Spanish ports but that's not an ideal way to get to know the country. If you have 2 and a half weeks, and are interested in Spain I would suggest you do a land trip, not a cruise. Unless you like tours, Spain is a country with an excellent train and bus system and you could easily organize an independent trip that goes to where you're interested in going.

If you're going to Andalucía, make sure you don't go in the late Spring/ summer as it gets extremely hot there.

I travel to Spain frequently by land. I've also done cruises that have included Spanish ports but that's not an ideal way to get to know the country. If you have 2 and a half weeks, and are interested in Spain I would suggest you do a land trip, not a cruise. Unless you like tours, Spain is a country with an excellent train and bus system and you could easily organize an independent trip that goes to where you're interested in going.

If you're going to Andalucía, make sure you don't go in the late Spring/ summer as it gets extremely hot there.

Thanks. We'd aim for late September

We're trying to decide what to do in 2017. Celebrity has a decent itinerary but it leaves from Rome and we'd prefer the extra time in Barcelona. Very interested in Seville and the Andalucia area. We would have about 2 1/2 weeks. Any suggestions? Take a cruise to get a lay of the land and return on a land trip or do a more in depth less locations land trip?

 

Thanks.

For your first experience of Spain I would definitely suggest you do a land tour - you would only get the merest taste of this amazing country on a cruise. We live in Andalucía so feel free to ask any more questions as you start to make plans.

I concur about a land trip rather than a cruise.

Just where will depend very much on whether you plan to rent a car (very easy & pretty cheap in Spain) which will give you tons more flexibility than public transport. I have very little experience of trains in Spain, but the network is nowhere near as comprehensive as I'm used to in the UK.

Despite the distance I too would aim for Andalucía, my favourite part of Spain.

And I'd drive.

Barcelona to Andalucía is about 700 miles, but it's a very good road - all divided highway, little traffic, some toll stretches. And just off-route if you want to meander down slowly, a few interesting places like Valencia, Cartagena, the Mar Menor and some lovely coastal stretches if you stray off the super-slab for some of the journey.

I don't know about the rail service.

And before heading south from Barcelona there are plenty of places in Catalunya, such as Girona & the more remote northern part of the Costa Brava.

And perhaps over the French border to the Perpignan area or up into the Pyrenees & the little country of Andorra if its not too late in the year. Normally no problem taking a rented car to these places.

Without personal transport aim for major cities like Seville or Cordoba or Granada.

Or the Costa del Sol coast between Nerja and Gibraltar - this is tourist-Spain, wall-to-wall hotels & apartments & holidaymakers. Not the "real" Spain, but a good base - plenty of coach excursions to places like Ronda, Mijas, Gibraltar, Jerez, Tarifa and Morocco, and of course a wide choice of accommodations, restaurants, bars, restaurants & other facilities as well as good if sometimes-crowded beaches.

But with a car you can explore the hinterland of Andalucía on your own itinerary & at your own pace, and choose interesting local hotels like the govt-run Paradors.

Troglodyte villages like Gaudix, the "white villages" between Malaga and Cadiz, the Costa de la Luz, even southern Portugal isn't far & usually no problem taking a rented car over the border.

Just MHO as always

JB :)

We just returned from our second land trip to Spain. We've also done BCN more than a few times on cruises.

I'll concur with the rest...do the land trip. Seville has moved up to one of my favorite cities in Europe (if not the favorite). The Joie de vivre the Spanish people have just can't be captured in a port visit. Every evening whole towns seem to be out enjoying life and you'd miss seeing that on a cruise. Sunday's in a park...same thing.

The hotels were almost silly cheap. The total that came through on our credit card for the one night we spend at the Parador in Ronda was $200 and that included a very nice dinner and breakfast(granted it was an off season rate)!!!! Weather in November was fabulous - mid 70's in Andalucía. Restaurants and wine prices in particular were extremely fair.

We loved it so much we've started discussing renting a place somewhere in Seville for a month when we retire.

First trip we drove, this trip we used trains and busses to get around. The Spanish rail system is excellent.

I concur about a land trip rather than a cruise.

 

Just where will depend very much on whether you plan to rent a car (very easy & pretty cheap in Spain) which will give you tons more flexibility than public transport. I have very little experience of trains in Spain, but the network is nowhere near as comprehensive as I'm used to in the UK.

 

Despite the distance I too would aim for Andalucía, my favourite part of Spain.

And I'd drive.

Barcelona to Andalucía is about 700 miles, but it's a very good road - all divided highway, little traffic, some toll stretches. And just off-route if you want to meander down slowly, a few interesting places like Valencia, Cartagena, the Mar Menor and some lovely coastal stretches if you stray off the super-slab for some of the journey.

I don't know about the rail service.

 

And before heading south from Barcelona there are plenty of places in Catalunya, such as Girona & the more remote northern part of the Costa Brava.

And perhaps over the French border to the Perpignan area or up into the Pyrenees & the little country of Andorra if its not too late in the year. Normally no problem taking a rented car to these places.

 

Without personal transport aim for major cities like Seville or Cordoba or Granada.

Or the Costa del Sol coast between Nerja and Gibraltar - this is tourist-Spain, wall-to-wall hotels & apartments & holidaymakers. Not the "real" Spain, but a good base - plenty of coach excursions to places like Ronda, Mijas, Gibraltar, Jerez, Tarifa and Morocco, and of course a wide choice of accommodations, restaurants, bars, restaurants & other facilities as well as good if sometimes-crowded beaches.

 

But with a car you can explore the hinterland of Andalucía on your own itinerary & at your own pace, and choose interesting local hotels like the govt-run Paradors.

Troglodyte villages like Gaudix, the "white villages" between Malaga and Cadiz, the Costa de la Luz, even southern Portugal isn't far & usually no problem taking a rented car over the border.

 

Just MHO as always

 

JB :)

Barcelona to the northern part of Andalucia [northern Almeria] is actually only 700 kilometres, and is driveable in a day, as long as you don't mind paying the tolls. The problem is that Andalucia is such a large area, you need to specify exactly whereabouts in the province you are referring to for mileages to be relevant.

I agree 100% about taking a land tour, especially in October/November. Visiting a Spanish port with 3000 [or more] fellow cruisers doesn't come close to experiencing the real Spain.

Barcelona to the northern part of Andalucia [northern Almeria] is actually only 700 kilometres, and is driveable in a day, as long as you don't mind paying the tolls. The problem is that Andalucia is such a large area, you need to specify exactly whereabouts in the province you are referring to for mileages to be relevant.

Quite right.

When I think Andalucía I think Cordoba, Granada, Seville, Cadiz, Ronda and the white villages.

But I rate Almeria as about the most bland & god-forsaken place in Spain. ;)

Tourist beach, backed by featureless modern hotels and bars, backed by apartment blocks, backed by acres and acres of produce under plastic sheeting, backed by the main road, backed by scrubby desert as far as the eye can see. Mebbe better much further inland, around Jaen, an area I've not visited.

Yes, I've driven Barca to Malaga in a day. Very quick & easy to get from A to B on the autopista - but the scenery is a ribbon of tarmac, so needs another day or two to take in some sights & some coastline.

Just MHO as always :)

JB :)

Quite right.

When I think Andalucía I think Cordoba, Granada, Seville, Cadiz, Ronda and the white villages.

 

But I rate Almeria as about the most bland & god-forsaken place in Spain. ;)

Tourist beach, backed by featureless modern hotels and bars, backed by apartment blocks, backed by acres and acres of produce under plastic sheeting, backed by the main road, backed by scrubby desert as far as the eye can see. Mebbe better much further inland, around Jaen, an area I've not visited.

 

Yes, I've driven Barca to Malaga in a day. Very quick & easy to get from A to B on the autopista - but the scenery is a ribbon of tarmac, so needs another day or two to take in some sights & some coastline.

 

Just MHO as always :)

 

JB :)

As an ex-Almeriense I would agree with you in part. Yes, some of the coast is over-developed, but have you been to Agua Armaga - a lovely sea-side resort with a horseshoe shaped beach, or seen the flamingos in the Cabo de Gata National Park? The inland villages [Velez Blanco with it's enormous castle for example] can be surprisingly beautiful, especially when the almond blossom is out. Strangely enough, I found the arid landscape had it's own attractive quality, especially in the area where the original spaghetti westerns were filmed.

As you say, each to their own, and if I only had 2 weeks I would probably spend more time in the 'commercial' tourist resorts, but for living I preferred the Spain where tourists were a novelty, and no-one spoke English!

As an ex-Almeriense I would agree with you in part. Yes, some of the coast is over-developed, but have you been to Agua Armaga - a lovely sea-side resort with a horseshoe shaped beach, or seen the flamingos in the Cabo de Gata National Park? The inland villages [Velez Blanco with it's enormous castle for example] can be surprisingly beautiful, especially when the almond blossom is out. Strangely enough, I found the arid landscape had it's own attractive quality, especially in the area where the original spaghetti westerns were filmed.

As you say, each to their own, and if I only had 2 weeks I would probably spend more time in the 'commercial' tourist resorts, but for living I preferred the Spain where tourists were a novelty, and no-one spoke English!

We love the Cabo de Gata too - San Jose is a charming little resort - and areas of the Murcia and Almeria coast such as Santiago de la Ribera and Garrucha have are special areas for us.

We have lived in Andalucía since 2000 which shows how much we love this area but, as with the previous poster, preferred to be away from major tourist areas until my husbands declining health made seaside living essential with its increased amenities including essential health care. Although Seville and Granada are 'must see' cities for most people we far prefer Malaga that is an honest working city with many hidden delights missed by most visitors to the Costa del Sol.

As much as we have enjoyed our visits to Spain on ships I would recommend a land tour because you are just not going to have enough time in port to enjoy Spain. Some of the places are not close to the port such as Seville.

A cruise is great to get a high level view of places but you just don't get the depth. I do think it's great to get a sense of whether or not you will like various places and certainly if you have a pre or post cruise in a place you will have time to tour plus an overnight helps too.

In your case, I would go with the land tour.

Keith

Or fly into a different airport in Spain like Madrid. spend some time there as a base. Take some day tours. (Like Toledo). Take the train to Barcelona and cruise from there.

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Another vote here for a land tour. Many of Spain's sights are not on the coast, and a cruise would mean losing unnecessary hours on a tour bus commuting to and from the port. If you have not been to Spain before, I would pick Andalusia or the greater Madrid area (incl Toledo, Salamanca, Segovia).

Travel by high speed train or plane is efficient and not very expensive in Spain. If you really want to include Barcelona, I would not suggest driving all the way to Seville or Granada from there. Take the train south and rent a car when you get there.

I first visited Spain in 1984 and used the trains to visit Madrid, Toledo, Segovia then down to Seville, Malaga and a day in Morocco. That was a little over two weeks for that trip. Also, have been on two cruises out of Barcelona were we visited Grenada and the Canary Islands.

You cannot do justice to the entire country in 2 1/2 weeks. In my opinion, your best bet would be either a land trip or a combination of a pre or post cruise land trip with a cruise.

I concur with UKBayern that driving long distances in Spain would not be my choice. Spain is a large country.

Suggest you not visit southern Spain in the middle of the summer.

We have been to Spain many times via both cruises and our own lengthy driving tours around the country. Cruises are a great way to get a snapshot view of a few places along or near the coast. But if you want to truly see and experience Spain then a land trip is the way to go! Personally, we prefer to simply fly to Madrid or Barcelona, rent a car, and away we go. Within Spain we love to use their excellent quasi-government Parador System which includes many unique hotels...including one (the most popular) located inside the Ahlhambra in Granada.

Hank

If it is in your budget, definately a land trip. We have taken a few European cruises, and although they are nice, they cannot compare with our European land vacations.

To go along with that theory...My husband had mentioned the possibility of visiting Seville next year. He started looking at cruises, and I axed that idea - told him it has to be a land trip. If I am going to visit, I want the ability to see the city at any part of the day, meander around the streets, and not worry about getting back to the ship. :)

If you do stay in Seville you might want to Google (and consider) staying at the rather upscale Taberna del Alabadero. This is a very unique hotel/restaurant perfectly located in the city center. It also functions as a very highly rated professional cooking school and they also operate a restaurant (of the same name) in Washington, DC. We loved this boutique style hotel and enjoyed a nice lunch (cooked and served by the students) in their downstairs restaurant. They also have a high-end restaurant (at the same location) that serves an excellent dinner. Our suite in this hotel was amazing.

Hank

If doing a road trip through Spain the first thing I would suggest you consider is avoiding large/fancy hotels.

To get a real taste of this country, and its amazing people, I would always suggest you stay at small 'Hostales' rather than group owned hotels. Hostales ARE NOT hostals but are small, generally family run hotels where you will be welcomed with open arms and where the owners are very knowledgable about the areas where they live. Most have all the usual hotel facilities such as en suite bedrooms but you may find that some do not have elevators or provide restaurant dining although a light Spanish breakfast and snacks are often available.

Great value for money too!