Trip Spain/Portugal - March 2010

[Ganja]

Hello,

I'm going for a solo trip in a few days in Spain and Portugal (from
France). I will last app. 10 days.

I plan to travel as follows : Bilbao --> Santiago de Compostella -->
Porto --> Lisboa --> Sévilla --> Cordoba --> Madrid --> Zaragosa -->
Barcelona.
I probably won't be able to go through every cities (and perhaps I'll
visit some others). But still, what do you think?

As regards transport, i first thought using train and buses. Is
hitchhiking a good idea (in the middle of March...)? It would help me
lower the total cost... (am a student, by the way).

Concerning accomodation there are youth hostels in most cities.

Am looking forward any advice. Perhaps it's not the perfect season to
plan such a trip, so am a bit nervous...

Thanks,

Ganja

[Mac]

In all the thousands of kilometers I've driven all over Spain in the
past few years, I've only ever seen (and picked up) three hitchikers.
None were students. Student hitchiking seems to have almost
completely disappeared from both the UK and Spain. If I were you I
would travel by train, using a student railcard - they make train
travel affordable, especially in Spain, where it isn't expensive
anyway. Sorry I don't know where you'd get one in France for travel
in Spain and Portugal, but this site should help.

http://eurailtips.com/component/content/frontpage.html

¡Buenos viajes!

Mac

[Roger Warwick]

Mac's advice is sound, but I would question trying to do so much in such a short time.

If you really insist on visiting all these places, make sure you work out your travel timetable very, very well, because otherwise you might find yourself spending more time on trains, buses or waiting in stations than actually seeing the places you want to visit!

On first view, the most difficult journey seems to be Lisbon to Seville, since there are no direct trains or buses as far as I know. You'll have to go via Madrid or Faro, and the journey will take some time.

Please let us know how you progress with your planning!

Roger.

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[John Zumsteg]

Thats a lot of time on the road. Each travel day on this itinerary will take close to half a day, except Seville-Cordoba (an hour or so) and Bilbao-Santiago (close to a day last time I did it). And if you don't start your trip in Bilbao, it could take you the good part of a day to get there from where you do arrive in Spain. So you're looking at spending 3-4 days just getting from place to place. In a 10 day trip, that's a lot of time on the road.

If I had 10 days, I'd pick three places, close together if possible, and see just those three. Time on the road is time not spent not seeing Spain.

Buena suerte!

John

Hello,

Thanks,

Ganja

--

[Alfonso Gonzalez]

All the advice I've seen (below) plus John Z message all make
sense.....a lot of moving around in such a short time. IF you don't
plan to return to Spain for years then an overview trip like yours is
certainly good, but "slightly" tiring and often on the hunt for a place
to stay and transport to take. I go by nocturnal buses usually (much
more expensive & no discount for foreign seniors on trains) and saves
time and a hostal stay. But, I've seen virtually all of Spain in the
daytime already. I have seen very, very few hitch-hikers anytime in
Spain and I wouldn't consider that an option, especially in view of
the relative inexpensive & frequent travel available. But planning is
important.
You might cut the trip down anyway to enjoy some of the cities and
sites. It does depend on what you want to see and do. But, it should
be a great trip for you.....and please let us know what you decide and
how the trip went.

Alfonso

> <mailto:camille.coutur...@gmail.com>> wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > I'm going for a solo trip in a few days in Spain and Portugal (from
> > France). I will last app. 10 days.
> >
> > I plan to travel as follows : Bilbao --> Santiago de Compostella -->

> > Porto --> Lisboa --> S�villa --> Cordoba --> Madrid --> Zaragosa -->

> > Barcelona.
> > I probably won't be able to go through every cities (and perhaps
> I'll
> > visit some others). But still, what do you think?
> >
> > As regards transport, i first thought using train and buses. Is
> > hitchhiking a good idea (in the middle of March...)? It would
> help me
> > lower the total cost... (am a student, by the way).
> >
> > Concerning accomodation there are youth hostels in most cities.
> >
> > Am looking forward any advice. Perhaps it's not the perfect
> season to
> > plan such a trip, so am a bit nervous...
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Ganja
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "Travel Spain" group.
> To post to this group, send email to trave...@googlegroups.com

> <mailto:trave...@googlegroups.com>.

> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> travelspain...@googlegroups.com

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[Ganja]

Thanks a lot everyone.

Mac -> I'll finally take trains, and perhaps buses.
Roger, John -> I'll make less stop.
Alfonso -> your idea of travelling by night makes sense ; that's what
I usely did, in India for instance (but there, train travels lasted
more...)

So I've just bought a train ticket, I'll reach Lisbon on Sunday
morning - the day after tomorrow (direct train Irun-Lisbon).

Then what should I do? I'd like to see Algarve (Faro should be easily
reached by train).
Then I don't have fixed plans ; the only thing is to reach Barcelona
on Friday or Saturday
So I'll surely stop at Madrid. Before this, I don't know if I should
visit Sevilla, Grenada or Cordoba...

Well. That's what I've "planned" so far. I know it's not that
organized. I still have 2 days for planning a bit more...
And probably, I'll just decide on the go =)

Thanks again for your answers and comments, don't hesitate to give
some more advice,

Buenas tardes!

[Mac]

Great! That's real get-up-and-go, do-it-now stuff! If you've time
(and it sounds like it could be a bit hectic), let us know how you're
getting on.

Como dice John - buena suerte.

Mac

[Roger Warwick]

Hi,

I think your plan is is starting to come together, as Hannibal would say.

You can take a bus from Lisbon to Faro (www.rede-expressos.pt) and then from Faro to Seville (http://www.eva-bus.com).

From Seville it's easy to get to Córdoba, and from either of those cities it's very easy to get to Madrid using the AVE (www.renfe.es)

Madrid to Barcelona is now also very easy by train - it takes under 3 hours non-stop, or you could take one of the trains that stop along the way and visit Guadalajara, Zaragoza, Lérida or Tarragona before continuing to Barcelona.

Roger.