Europe - Spain, Protugal direction, please

[mamaof2]

Hello, we did Mediterrenian cruise last October - Barcelona - Villefrance, around Italy and ended in Venice. This year we'd like to do the opposite direction - Spain (would love to see Seville), Portugal, e.t.d Does anybody have any suggestions? THanks!

[martyap]

We were in Spain for two weeks in May, 2005. We spent time on the Costa del Sol. We visited Marbella, Malaga, Gibralter and even took the ferry for a day trip to Tangiers. From Malaga we drove to Granada and Sevilla and spent a few nights in each. Sevilla was my favorite. Driving was very easy via highways....well signed. We printed out directions on Michelin before leaving. No need to drive in cities....we parked and walked or took taxis.

We stayed in a combination of timeshares, hotels and paradors. Great trip.

If you don't want to drive, try a land based tour group. I just don't think you can get a true flavor of some of these beautiful Spanish cities off a cruise....too far to get to and the best cultural experiences are in the evening.....eating late and strolling on the paseos....or visiting during one of the many fairs. You will love Spain.

 

Marty

[LILynn]

We did Italy and Greece last year and we were looking for something different this year. I just booked a cruise on Holland America with this itinery -

 

Amsterdam; Brussels; London; A Coruno, Spain, Lisbon Portugal; Porto Portugal, Gibralter, Tarragona Spain, Sete France, Monte Carlo, Florence, and last but not least Rome! We wanted something different than last year so when I found this itinery we decided this would be interesting and we would get to see places that we had never been before. I posted here before we booked and had great responses on these places.

 

Just my 2 cents.....

 

Lynn

[Queenk2]

We have visited the med many times by both ship and land. We really never did much of Spain/Potugal except one of the islandsand Barcelona. This summer we are doing a Med cruise with RCCl that includes the following ports:Gibraltar,Barcelona-overnight,Villefrance, Livorno...two of my favorites, Sardinia, Malaga for Granada and the Alhambra Vigo Santiago de Compostella as well as Lisbon. We then return to Southampton. I like the itinerry and since it departs from England, the air is a bit more resonable. It is also a 14 day cruise so a little downtime is included. We are going July14. I do believe it goes at other times this summer on the navigator.

Karen

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'll second the idea of an itinerary that starts in northern France or Britain and goes around Spain and Portugal and ends somewhere in the western Med. Or the reverse.

 

We did Monte Carlo - Malaga - Lisbon - Vigo/La Coruna - Santander - Bordeaux - Honfleur - Dover last June, and it was wonderful.

 

These routes are sometimes considered re-positioning cruises, since they take the ships from the Med. to the Baltic or back, and thus they are sometimes good deals.

[Queenk2]

Wendy... I only wish this were a good deal. It runs a few times during the summer. I do think the June sailing is a bit cheaper. I do know that our cruise is almost all sold out..I beleive only 8 cabins left..most inside and a few balconies..but not in great spots. Our meet and mingle is very quiet ...I really don't know why!

Karen