Touristic Guidance

[Marwa Rushdy]

Dear All,

I am bran new member to this group. I am Marwa, an Egyptian female and
I should be visiting Spain for the first time end of April. I am
coming to attend an event there until the 29th but with what I heard
about the beauty of the country, I decided to extend my stay until the
2nd of May. I was wondering if anyone can give me some guidance with
these extra days. I will be staying in Madrid but I wanted to check if
I can go and visit other cities.

Thanks in advance

Marwa Rushdy

[Mona Makhlouf]

hi Marwa
u will love Spain, i m from Egypt as well
if you have the chance to visit Barcelona plz do, make sure to visit all Antonio Gaudi's work/houses/park... and visit la Ramla passage
i just came from a trip all around Andalucia in the south of spain (1 day in Madrid, then off to Granada-Nerja-Cordoba-Seville) it was beautiful
for Madrid it wasn't a pleasant experience for me, the weather didn't help, but Prado Museum is a must if u like art and paintings its like the Spanish Louvre, the Royal Palace, Plaze de Mayor, Plaze de Sol, the Parks

where r u planning to visit? i would love to tell you things in details....

Marwa Rushdy

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Mona Makhlouf
Graphic Designer - Photographer
Egypt: +2012 34 99 771
 

[Marwa Rushdy]

Thank you Mona for the prompt reply.

I seriously don't have any plans yet on where to go, i would love to
travel to other cities beside Madrid but i still don't know where
exactly i should go. I will be done with my event on the 29th and i
should be leaving Spain on the 2nd of May.

Do you think i will be able to visit other cities? I am still even not
sure if ill have a colleague to accompany me or not. Honestly, it is a
risk for me to do it on my own but i don't know if i'll ever have the
chance to visit again.

If you have any special recommendations, please let me know.

Thanks again for the support and looking forward hearing from you.

Best,

> Egypt:+2012 34 99 771begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            +2012 34 99 771

[grimgaunt]

if you can go a bit more out of town then Rhonda is beautiful. Avoid the north coast (Santander/San Sebastian) etc as they are very touristy and in my mind lack the charm of the central area and south.

Oh, and Seville too

---

From: Mona Makhlouf <makhlo...@gmail.com>
To: trave...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 8:57 AM
Subject: Re: [travelspain] Touristic Guidance

[Mac]

As you will only have 2 days, you will not be able to do either
Barcelona or Seville justice, or even Ronda, given the travelling
involved. For somewhere closer, and quickly reached from Madrid, may I
suggest Segovia, a beautiful city with 2000 years of history and
compact enough to see a lot in 2 days. You will want to return to
Spain!

Mac

[sue james]

Hi Marwa
I think Mac has the right idea - visit a city close to Madrid - or
perhaps two.
Even if you are travelling on your own I reckon you will feel safe.
It is worth knowing that 1st May is a holiday throughout Spain and 2nd
May is a holiday in Madrid province. Many people will take a long
weekend holiday so accommodation may be difficult to find. So if you
already have a room booked in Madrid taking a day trip might be the best
thing to do.
Segovia is less than half an hour if you choose the right train.
Although they are smaller Aranjuez and Chinchon would be high on my
list of alternatives because they are close to Madrid

Other destinations you might like for a day trip are Toledo (33 mins on
selected trains), Cuenca (around 1 hr on the AVE (High speed train).

Many art galleries in Spain, including the Prado in Madrid, don't open
on Mondays - so with the help of the Internet and this group it is a
good idea to plan ahead so you can make the most of a short trip.

Sue

[castaway]

Marwa - Don't worry about being alone - you'll be fine I think. My recommendation is that you will want to stay in Madrid.  Spend time in the Retiro (very peaceful) and the Prado.  Go to the Rastro.  Stroll la Castellana.  Rent a boat in the lake in the Casa de Campo.  etc etc etc. Madrid is huge and cosmopolitan - still trying to forge its own identity, as it is composed of people from all over Spain.  There's a lot of life there, a LOT to discover. Tim, California --- On Sun, 3/11/12, Marwa Rushdy <m.rus...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Stewart Fishburne]

Marwa

 

There is a huge amount to do in Madrid and your time is limited. You wont be short of things to do and see in the time you have! But if you are flying in and out of Madrid it would be a pity not to see something else and get a flavour of Spain away from the capital. I’ve been to both Toledo and Segovia and either would be an excellent choice. If I had to choose between them I’d probably suggest Toledo, but it would be a close call.

 

Regards

 

Stewart

 

From: castaway

Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 5:30 PM

To: trave...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [travelspain] Touristic Guidance

 

Marwa - Don't worry about being alone - you'll be fine I think. My recommendation is that you will want to stay in Madrid.  Spend time in the Retiro (very peaceful) and the Prado.  Go to the Rastro.  Stroll la Castellana.  Rent a boat in the lake in the Casa de Campo.  etc etc etc. Madrid is huge and cosmopolitan - still trying to forge its own identity, as it is composed of people from all over Spain.  There's a lot of life there, a LOT to discover. Tim, California --- On Sun, 3/11/12, Marwa Rushdy <m.rus...@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Marwa Rushdy <m.rus...@gmail.com> Subject: [travelspain] Touristic Guidance To: "Travel Spain" <trave...@googlegroups.com> Date: Sunday, March 11, 2012, 7:19 AM

Dear All, I am bran new member to this group. I am Marwa, an Egyptian female and I should be visiting Spain for the first time end of April. I am coming to attend an event there until the 29th but with what I heard about the beauty of the country, I decided to extend my stay until the 2nd of May. I was wondering if anyone can give me some guidance with these extra days. I will be staying in Madrid but I wanted to check if I can go and visit other cities. Thanks in advance Marwa Rushdy -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Travel Spain" group.

To post to this group, send email to wlmailhtml:/mc/compose?to=trave...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to travelspain+wlmailhtml:/mc/compose?to=unsub...@googlegroups.com.

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[Marwa Rushdy]

Thank you all,

You made me feel acquainted with the country already before even visiting it :)

I already have hotel reservations during the event, so probably i might extend my stay in it or go for a cheaper one. Maybe I would stay in Madrid or as you guys suggested go to Toledo if possible. I will start working on my plan and budget accordingly

Thank you very much for the support, I never really thought i would get a response that quick 

and i will always keep you posted with my plan :))

Best, 

--
Marwa Rushdy

[Alfonso Gonzalez]

    With only two days free after your events (assuming you have seen the essentials of Madrid) and I would spend one day each in Toledo or Segovia or Avila.  They each have their advantages and I like all three and I would hate to rank them.  Aranjuez and Chinchon would be on my secondary list, even though a shade closer.  Look in a good guide book (Frommer's, Fodor's, Let's Go) to see what each of the towns contain and decide which you think you would like best....we on the list would give a different ranking and I don't think you would make a mistake....but, if you have two days go to two of them and not one town for two days.  Each is relatively small and you can get around easily (I've never taken public transport except in the very big cities but never in these smaller towns).
                                                                                                                                                                    Al

[Karen Sanchez]

Wherever she wants to go is fine. But I have to disagree with this statement.  I have always found the north coast to be much LESS touristy than the south and I much prefer it over the south. Viva Cantabria!

 

Karen

From: grimgaunt <grim...@yahoo.com>
To: "trave...@googlegroups.com" <trave...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 11:46 AM
Subject: Re: [travelspain] Touristic Guidance

if you can go a bit more out of town then Rhonda is beautiful. Avoid the north coast (Santander/San Sebastian) etc as they are very touristy and in my mind lack the charm of the central area and south.

Oh, and Seville too

[John Zumsteg]

I would also have a hard time choosing between Toledo and Segovia. I've spent quite a few days in each of these towns and love them both. I do recommend staying overnight in whichever you choose. Both towns - Toledo more than Segovia - get lots of day-tripping tourists, then return to almost medieval towns when the tourists return to Madrid in the late afternoon. Being there in the evening is a treat.

Segovia keeps the tradition of the paseo - the evening walk - alive better than almost anyplace I've visited in Spain. From about 5 o'clock on, the Plaza Mayor, the Plaza Azguejo (the location of the acqueduct) and calle de San Juan Bravo, which connects them, are full of people: families, couples, kids, grandparents, just strolling back and forth. It's is great fun to just be part of that tradition.

John

[brian glynn]

Estamos de acuerdo, Karen. We discovered Asturias, Oviedo, Cova Donga and the Catabrian coast last August and found it and the entire region to be beautiful.

 

All the best,
Brian Glynn
908 507 7694

From: Karen Sanchez <sala...@yahoo.com>
To: "trave...@googlegroups.com" <trave...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 10:46 PM

[grimgaunt]

Karen,

 12 years ago when I first visited Spain I would have agreed with you, 4 years later when I lived there (for a work assignment) it became less 'traditional' and more touristy. Recently in 2010 I did the entire Camino De Santiago via the Camino Del Norte (arguably the hardest of the routes in winter) and walked the entire North Coast from Irun to Santiago de Compostela. I have to admit that the walk was fantastic but the places less so - definitely very money oriented and kitschy, including towns like Lugo (not exactly the north coast), Santander, San Sebastian, Deba, and little towns. More inland places like Gijon, Oviedo were nicer.
Again, if I go back next year to do the southern route for the Caminio who knows I might change my mind
This is just my opinion and not fact :)

Hari

[Marwa Rushdy]

Hi again,

I just got my hotel reservations during the conference. I will be staying at the NH Alcala hotel, they are offering special rates. A single room would cost me around 85 Euros, my question is, do you think i can find something cheaper on the 3 extra nights i am staying, or shall i just stay in the same hotel??

I only need a clean and safe place to spend the night, as i will be out all day long.

Thanks,

Marwa

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Marwa Rushdy

[Mac]

You are spoiled for choice. What you want is probably a 'hostal',
which in Spain is a small private hotel. You can find a selection on
the GoMadrid site (run by Roger, the originator of this group)
http://www.gomadrid.com/hostels/spain-hostels.html Many can be booked
online, and will be considerably cheaper than €85, even in Madrid.

Have a great time

Mac

> Marwa Rushdy- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Mona]

Marwa, 

85m euro seems  a good price for someplace central.Is this hotel on the Gran Via?

Breakfast included ,  spacious room, sound proofed walls,free wifi?

... MONA.......

[Marwa Rushdy]

Hi Mona,

I don't know really. All I know so far is that it is where the conference will take place. I did hear that i can get a lot cheaper rates than that. If not then probably ill stay at the same hotel.

but seriously I don't know much about its location

Best,

[Mac]

I've just looked at the location of your hotel. In fact it's in a
very good location. right next to the Retiro Park. But you can get
cheaper, as I said. The link I gave earlier gives prices per person
based on 2 people sharing, so if you want a single room with private
bathroom, then click on the name of the hostal/hotel and that will
give you prices and allow you to book the dates you want. I did this
for the only one on the list I have stayed in - The Hostal Persal,
very central in the beautiful Plaza Santa Ana, and it gave a price of
€60. However, since we stayed there it has been upgraded and now
calls itself a hotel. There will be plenty others cheaper than that
but still central. Good luck.

Mac

On Mar 16, 2:09 pm, Marwa Rushdy <m.rushd...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Mona,
>
> I don't know really. All I know so far is that it is where the conference
> will take place. I did hear that i can get a lot cheaper rates than that.
> If not then probably ill stay at the same hotel.
>
> but seriously I don't know much about its location
>
> Best,
>
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Mar 16, 2012 at 2:34 PM, Mona <monadub...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Marwa,
> > 85m euro seems  a good price for someplace central.Is this hotel on the
> > Gran Via?
> > Breakfast included ,  spacious room, sound proofed walls,free wifi?
>

> > On Fri, Mar 16, 2012 at 11:52 AM, Marwa Rushdy <m.rushd...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
> >> Hi again,
>
> >> I just got my hotel reservations during the conference. I will be staying
> >> at the NH Alcala hotel, they are offering special rates. A single room
> >> would cost me around 85 Euros, my question is, do you think i can find
> >> something cheaper on the 3 extra nights i am staying, or shall i just stay
> >> in the same hotel??
>
> >> I only need a clean and safe place to spend the night, as i will be out
> >> all day long.
>
> >> Thanks,
>
> >> Marwa
>

> > *... MONA...*....

>
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