DIY in Spanish Ports

[Sussexboy]

We are on K410 in May. We have no plans yet for Valencia, Barcelona and Alicante. Are they easy places to DIY in? We are little restricted in walking too far as Mrs SB has dodgy ankles (from a functional rather than aesthetic point of view I hasten to add!).

Thanks in advance for your insights.

[alserrod]

2 hours ago, Sussexboy said:

We are on K410 in May. We have no plans yet for Valencia, Barcelona and Alicante. Are they easy places to DIY in? We are little restricted in walking too far as Mrs SB has dodgy ankles (from a functional rather than aesthetic point of view I hasten to add!).

Thanks in advance for your insights.

 

 

Hi,

 

Please, have a look to this information

I answer and link you at the end of that information

 

 

 

 

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[sleepingcat]

scroll down on this spain board and you ll find plenty of other topics which cover these ports. Also repost on the board for the cruise line you are going with. (there is a way of searching within a forum but I dont know how to do it, please could someone post this again, thanks)

 

generally once in middle of city in spain its easy to make up your own day , the historic centres are compact. have a great time .

[edinburgher]

21 hours ago, Sussexboy said:

We have no plans yet for Valencia, Barcelona and Alicante. Are they easy places to DIY in?

All three are easy to DIY  with a bit of pre-trip homework which will be mostly reading, reading and more reading.

 

Alicante can be quite hilly in places, but some is flat and it is relatively compact and the waterfront promenade and port are quite attractive.  If venturing uphill to the castle, no need to climb, just look for the lift which will take you to the top. Valencia is mostly flat and walkable but public buses are a good option too  as the city is in two parts, the old and the modernistic.  Barcelona is huge and difficult decisions will need to be made to plan your day to your own interests and abilities. Public transport is good and taxis plentiful and fairly priced.

 

Begin by googling eg "Tourist Information (name of town/city) and do look at the official municipal websites first  as they are usually full of info.  Also Tripadvisor, YouTube, any guidebooks (maybe borrow from your local library?) and other websites which result from searching "Tourist Information (name) 

and check HOHO routes too as these might appeal, the difficulty with these being that many historic centres are pedestrian only and  buses cannot enter.

 

And even should you not want to book one, look at the shorex on offer for each as they will usually show you the highlights and what could be possible within your hours. Google really will be your best friend. And time.  Lots of time, but mostly reading.  To avoid confusion, try to plan only one and finish it before moving on to the next.

 

And reading past threads here on CC could also be helpful.  if you have not already done so, these would be a good starting point.

 

Valencia

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=valencia&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465

 

Alicante

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=alicante&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465

 

Barcelona (good luck choosing which to read on  this one)

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=barcelona&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465

 

 

 

Edited March 14 by edinburgher

[Sussexboy]

Thanks everybody, lots of reading to do!

[Mrs f.]

On 3/13/2024 at 1:32 PM, Sussexboy said:

We are on K410 in May. We have no plans yet for Valencia, Barcelona and Alicante. Are they easy places to DIY in? We are little restricted in walking too far as Mrs SB has dodgy ankles (from a functional rather than aesthetic point of view I hasten to add!).

Thanks in advance for your insights.

We took the HOHO bus. There are several routes.

 

 

 

Edited March 15 by Mrs f.

[Harters]

Alicante is quite walkable if you stick to the main city centre area near the port. We were there last year and worked out our own walking tour using gpsmycity.com. You pick the sites you want to see and the system puts them into a route for you. Good resource, IMO. We doing the same for Cadiz for an upcoming Oceania cruise.

 

For Barcelona, I'd suggest the Hop On Hop Off bus (there are 2 companies both driving the same basic route and at the same price). Excellent way to see the sites, hopping off to take a closer look at places of particular interest. Or staying on the bus and just treating it as a sight-seeing tour. 

[alserrod]

I do not suggest HOHO in Barcelona, not because bad (it has two 2-hours lines) but because it doesn't cross Gothic quarter. It just approach

 

Walking through Las Ramblas in Barcelona IS A MUST

 

And HOHO avoid it (despite several bus lines cross them)

 

More about gothic quarter