Barcelona/Madrid/Canaryislands

[Shopinpat]

We are going on a cruise in Sept 16 and was wondering if anyone can tell me if it would be possible to do Madrid, and Cannary Islands from Barcelona if I can add 7 days to our cruise. How are the flights from Barcelona to Canary Islands and a train to Madrid.

Any advice appreciative.

Pat

[MADflyer]

I take it that you already have round-trip travel plans to Barcelona.

 

You have many travel options, including low cost carriers. You could easily do a circle trip flying from BCN Barcelona to a Canary destination at Gran Canaria or Tenerife and then fly from there to Madrid and then flight or train from Madrid to Barcelona. You only need to watch your baggage allowances closely on these routes.

 

You have Vueling/Iberia, Ryanair and Air Europa on some Canary Island routes.

 

You have Iberia, Ryanair and Air Europa and Binter Canarias with Madrid / Canary Island routes.

 

You have frequent Iberia, Vueling and Europa flights between Madrid and Barcelona.

[Shopinpat]

Thanks Mad Flyer. I do not have round trip flight yet. I was trying to see which would be the best to fly into. I would love to take a train also.

So may be best bet would be fly into Madrid then train to Barcelona and later round trip from Barcelona to Canary Islands than back to Barcelona for flight to US.

Thanks

Pat

[MADflyer]

You do have flights to the Canary Islands from all over Europe as well.

 

An open jaw flight first connecting directly to Canary Islands and then flying home from Barcelona or Madrid would certainly work as well. Finding one-way flights domestically in Spain is no problem.

 

The train between Barcelona and Madrid might have some scenic moments, but a great deal of time is in tunnels and the route is 'high-speed' The city to city aspect is nice though.

 

I hope you find a good solution.

[Shopinpat]

Thanks Madflyer. I have plenty of time to work it all out. Knowing the carriers helps! tHANKS AGAIN.

[Annabel4]

Thanks for the info I was wondering about the same tour as we would like to do an after-wedding vacation in September.Seems we won't have problems with flights from England

[wowzz]

Whilst the Canary Islands are very nice, and have some interesting scenery, they are very much tourist destinations. I personally would spend the 7 days after your cruise visiting more of inland Spain, away from the Costas. How about Caceres, Cordoba or Salamanca for example. Also, September is a great time to visit - still warm and sunny, but not too hot [depending on your definition of hot of course!]

[Shopinpat]

thanks Wowzz.

Would you also spend some time in Madrid ?

I do like going to different less touristy places.

[MADflyer]

There is just so incredibly much to see in Spain and the autonomous regions are so diverse that you will never run out of options.

 

That said, Madrid is my favorite city in Spain. From the Art Triangle with the Reina Sofia and the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum to the food culture that is really at the center of the current European culinary experience and the great mix of architecture and the diverse districts of the city. It is simply a not to be missed city.

 

The Spanish tourist authority does have an excellent website that links to all the local tourist offices.

 

http://www.spain.info/

 

A good site for Madrid

 

http://www.esmadrid.com/en

[wowzz]

thanks Wowzz.

Would you also spend some time in Madrid ?

I do like going to different less touristy places.

 

As MADflyer says, there is a lot to do in Madrid. Only you know how much time you want to spend in museums, galleries etc.

In your shoes I would spend some time researching a few of the towns/cities within, say 150 miles of Madrid, and then plan a route allowing, say, 3 nights in Madrid and then two night in two other cities. You have plenty of time to plan.

If you like less touristy places, you won't like the Canaries!

[LondonTowner]

I lived and worked in Spain for many years and 11 of those years were spent in the Canary Islands. Due to their sub tropical climate they are an excellent choice for Northern Europeans to take a winter break. However, if it was my first visit to Spain I certainly wouldn't bother with the Canaries.

 

There are so many interesting places to visit. Of course, it all depends on your personal interests. I love art and museums, so could easily spend a week in Madrid. My favourite Spanish city is Seville, but I also love the beauty of the North of Spain. The Basque Country is world renowned for its Michelin starred restaurants and excellent gastronomy. San Sebastián is a lovely city well worth a visit.

 

If you want to be a bit further away from crowds of tourists you could visit the wine region of La Rioja.

 

There are just so many places to go and loads to see you need to sit down with a map and plan an itinerary.

 

I am doing something similar at the moment, but in the south of France, although I have visited on previous occasions.

[Shopinpat]

Thanks All,

I have lots of planning to do. Is renting a car a good option.

If I wanted to also take in the wine area would renting a car be an option with the road conditions?

Again thanks all.

[wowzz]

Renting a car is really the only option if you want the flexibility to see the 'real' Spain.

[MADflyer]

Thanks All,

I have lots of planning to do. Is renting a car a good option.

If I wanted to also take in the wine area would renting a car be an option with the road conditions?

Again thanks all.

 

Spain's rail network has been highly upgraded and much can be done by train if that is the choice.

 

Otherwise domestic car rentals in Spain are quite easy to arrange and the road network is excellent. This is certainly the best way to see the wine region, although in much of Spain having a car in the central cites and even the center of small villages can be challenging.

[wowzz]

Spain's rail network has been highly upgraded and much can be done by train if that is the choice.

 

Otherwise domestic car rentals in Spain are quite easy to arrange and the road network is excellent. This is certainly the best way to see the wine region, although in much of Spain having a car in the central cites and even the center of small villages can be challenging.

 

Ah yes - Spanish drivers in small villages! When we first moved to our village in inland Almeria it took some time before we realised that the way to survive is to assume that the Spanish driver in front of you will basically behave as if he/she was taking a stroll, rather than driving.

So if he/she sees a friend on the pavement, he will obviously stop for a short chat: if he/she signals right, but turns left, no problem, just a change of mind. Obviously, when posting a letter, stop in the street, go into the post office for a stamp [and a chat] before posting the letter, returning to the car and driving off.

After a while we got used to the system, always assumed that indicators were only an optional extra, and just drove at 10km an hour like everyone else.