It’s annoying. It’s mostly first time visitors from the US. It’s trying to jam as much as one can in what might be a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. One simply CANNOT do it all. Just stop, please.
First, for those from the US, Texas is roughly the same size as Spain. Or France. Or Poland. Or Romania. No one in their right mind would try to see all of Texas in 5 days. How would anyone be able to see Corpus Christi, Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio in 5 days? And that’s only the east side of Texas! And let’s throw in the ways of travel: car, train, bus, airplane…with any of these modes, one would spend more than half their time traveling instead of actually soaking up the sites and culture.
But, many US natives often take it one city at a time while exploring the States; like carving out a long weekend in Austin to rate different BBQ, listen to cool music, and visit the city’s river and parks. And this is what I propose to those traveling to Spain: Take it one city at a time.
Start with a major airport, possibly Barcelona or Madrid or Malaga. Then, take into account what is most important on your “to do” list. Weather, culture, historical sites, outdoor activities, sea or mountain, countryside or city are some easy starts for categorizing. Then work on narrowing down to an area. For example, on my second trip to Spain, I wanted to check out Barcelona. I wanted to experience a large city and take in some of Gaudi’s creations. I planned a 10 day vacation, giving Barcelona 4 days on the tail end. The remaining 6 days…well, don’t forget that 2 of the days are for traveling, so that left me with 4 days in a rental car in the beginning of the trip. Wine country, here I come! I was able to view the areas outside Barcelona by going to the land of Cava (Sant Sadurni) and moving south along the coast to Pirorat, checking out Sitges and Vilanova. I had time. I didn’t have to rush. I could bathe in Spanish sun and study for miles upon vistas of sea and mountains. And, come to find out, this is the Spanish way. There is nothing of hurry.
I only explored less than half that red area below in the 10 days I traveled to Barcelona. Each of these provinces is like a state in the US.
You only need one major city and surrounding area for a relatively short span. Trying to step foot in Sevilla, Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona in a week or less is simply ridiculous. Give yourself the space to explore, enjoy the laid back culture, have a cervesa or vino on the sidewalk, and be amazed one city at a time. Once you have tasted Spain, you will crave more. Luckily, flights are cheap and then you can pick a new city or region!
Loosely Lucy 