Travelling to Spain
Discussion
Plan on a holiday near Malaga this summer. Flights look quite cheap right now which is good, but I think ferry may be good as we can take our own car, luggage and bring back wine for similar price.
Looking at journeys, probably looking at ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao - is there much difference between the different ferries as they all seem to end up at broadly the same place?
Planning a drive down and maybe stop in Madrid. Any recommendation for visiting there and places to eat? Are cars (and people) safe there and easy to use?
Anything else worth doing? I've been to Spain only twice, once when I was four and the other for a run ashore in the navy, so sadly not much clue about the place. Do love tapas so hopefully food is fantastic!
Looking at journeys, probably looking at ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao - is there much difference between the different ferries as they all seem to end up at broadly the same place?
Planning a drive down and maybe stop in Madrid. Any recommendation for visiting there and places to eat? Are cars (and people) safe there and easy to use?
Anything else worth doing? I've been to Spain only twice, once when I was four and the other for a run ashore in the navy, so sadly not much clue about the place. Do love tapas so hopefully food is fantastic!
Done this in 2024, went for four weeks and used the ferry there & back. Ferry was fantastic!
Rough itenerary had us travelling via:
Santander
Salamanca x2
Merida x3
Motril x5
Nerja x5
Malaga x5
Ronda x4
Seville x3
Toledo x2
Segovia x1
Just over 4 weeks and it was amazing. Would do it again if I could get the time off!
Merida was 44+ degrees for the three days we were there. We had aircon in the place but pretty much everywhere public was either shutdown or operating slowly. Temps like that are no joke even to the spanish who are ok with high 30s.
Edit to add that we gave Madrid a miss. Reason being, whats the point since you can fly there for nothing at anytime of the year; so decided to visit places we wouldn't usually find easy to get to.
Rough itenerary had us travelling via:
Santander
Salamanca x2
Merida x3
Motril x5
Nerja x5
Malaga x5
Ronda x4
Seville x3
Toledo x2
Segovia x1
Just over 4 weeks and it was amazing. Would do it again if I could get the time off!
Merida was 44+ degrees for the three days we were there. We had aircon in the place but pretty much everywhere public was either shutdown or operating slowly. Temps like that are no joke even to the spanish who are ok with high 30s.
Edit to add that we gave Madrid a miss. Reason being, whats the point since you can fly there for nothing at anytime of the year; so decided to visit places we wouldn't usually find easy to get to.
We went with Brittany Ferries and went on the Satona. I believe it was quite new at that time and certainly felt much fresher than the usual overnight ones we do to France. We had an inside cabin - for the family this helps with the choppy seas, our outward crossing was plain sailing but coming back it was a fun at times.
Absolutely everywhere was stunning. The only place I'd give a miss was Toledo, it was great but we had 6 month & 2-year old so was real hard work; all the other places & areas we really loved.
My wife speaks spanish so language wasn't a problem. This really helped enjoying some of the less touristy places that could be a challenging!
- Salamanca - Great place & relaxed atmosphere
- Merida was a highlight for me as I'd wanted to go for ages being into history etc.
- Motril - Stayed at a villa with pool, just relaxed by the sea
- Malaga - Really enjoyed the old town and some great tapas
- Ronda - Hilly/mountain area with some really relaxed local towns and special quiet places even in the summer
- Seville - Surprise of our trip, never been but itching to go back. Best meal was had here at El Librero Tapas Y Quesos
- Toledo - Windmills about an hour south, felt really special to do that at sunset with literally no other tourists around.
I've been to Spain plenty of times, but overall it feels like a country on its way to convincngly overtaking us in terms of feel & modernity. Having said, I've driven/travelled across it so much I can also see much of it being left behind, (i.e., rural parts).
Temps were 35+ the whole time, but Merida was on another planet.
I'd quite happily do it all again, even with the baby & toddler. Not sure the wife would agree!
Absolutely everywhere was stunning. The only place I'd give a miss was Toledo, it was great but we had 6 month & 2-year old so was real hard work; all the other places & areas we really loved.
My wife speaks spanish so language wasn't a problem. This really helped enjoying some of the less touristy places that could be a challenging!
- Salamanca - Great place & relaxed atmosphere
- Merida was a highlight for me as I'd wanted to go for ages being into history etc.
- Motril - Stayed at a villa with pool, just relaxed by the sea
- Malaga - Really enjoyed the old town and some great tapas
- Ronda - Hilly/mountain area with some really relaxed local towns and special quiet places even in the summer
- Seville - Surprise of our trip, never been but itching to go back. Best meal was had here at El Librero Tapas Y Quesos
- Toledo - Windmills about an hour south, felt really special to do that at sunset with literally no other tourists around.
I've been to Spain plenty of times, but overall it feels like a country on its way to convincngly overtaking us in terms of feel & modernity. Having said, I've driven/travelled across it so much I can also see much of it being left behind, (i.e., rural parts).
Temps were 35+ the whole time, but Merida was on another planet.
I'd quite happily do it all again, even with the baby & toddler. Not sure the wife would agree!
I spent a February driving through Spain to Huelva, to get the boat to Tenerife. Then came back a different way.
Wonderful trip that included San Sebastian, Salamanca, Merida and Burgos.
I went via the Tunnel to cross a freezing France stopping at a cheap hotel/motel each way. It's a boring drive, very flat, as some PHers warned me, but I thought that I was saving money compared to getting the ferry straight to Spain from Portsmouth.
In hindsight, I wish I had taken the boat. It was £800 return at the time and the tunnel, 2 hotels, petrol and tolls came to, yep! you've guessed it.... £800.
Tolls alone were over £200 return.
For some reason I have sea legs, even though there are no sailors in the family. Well my mum's stepdad was a captain of a warship but he wouldn't be a blood relative
So a stormy crossing wouldn't bother me, but I've seen my mum on a rough passage only in the channel and I nearly missed out on crates of cheap lager thanks to her throwing up constantly.
Wonderful trip that included San Sebastian, Salamanca, Merida and Burgos.
I went via the Tunnel to cross a freezing France stopping at a cheap hotel/motel each way. It's a boring drive, very flat, as some PHers warned me, but I thought that I was saving money compared to getting the ferry straight to Spain from Portsmouth.
In hindsight, I wish I had taken the boat. It was £800 return at the time and the tunnel, 2 hotels, petrol and tolls came to, yep! you've guessed it.... £800.
Tolls alone were over £200 return.
For some reason I have sea legs, even though there are no sailors in the family. Well my mum's stepdad was a captain of a warship but he wouldn't be a blood relative
So a stormy crossing wouldn't bother me, but I've seen my mum on a rough passage only in the channel and I nearly missed out on crates of cheap lager thanks to her throwing up constantly.
I have explored the various options in detail - my findings are as follows:
There are 4 basic options (the are many more, but these are the main ones)
Plymouth -> Santander
Portsmouth -> Santander / Bilbao
Portsmouth -> St. Malo
Channel Tunnel
I won't bother expanding on the tunnel option, suffice to say that it requires an extra overnight stay compared to the other 3.
Obviously this does depend to some extent on where you live.
Plymouth -> Santander - my favourite crossing. The boat, whilst old, is nice and if you book early enough you can get a cabin with a balcony so you can sit on your balcony and watch the dolphins following the boat. The crossing timings are also very convenient - I think it leaves mid-afternoon and gets in just before lunch
Portsmouth -> Santander / Bilbao. I really don't like this crossing. I don't like the boats, or the cabins. There are only 3 decent cabins on each boat and unless you book as soon as the timetables are published, you don't stand a chance. The Commodore Lounge is decent, in fact if you can't get this booked, I wouldn't even consider this crossing. The timings are dreadful. It leaves sometime between 10pm and midnight and arrives at 8am two days later. Meaning you're straight to bed on boarding, and up at 6am on the day you arrive.
Portsmouth -> St. Malo. The quickest way in terms of elapsed time. The boat leaves at 8pm and arrives at 8am. You can be in San Sebastian by 4pm without really speeding. The new boat is great, lots of nice cabins, decent restaurant. Plus you're only on the boat for 1 evening and 1 morning.
With any of the Spain crossings, try to book priority disembarkation (you need a premium cabin for this). With the introduction of EES being first off the boat is even more important. If you're going to St. Malo this isn't as important as I don't THINK they've introduced EES for ferry passengers in cars YET.
If you like food, then make San Sebastian your first stop - you won't regret it.
Coming home is a slightly different proposition, but look carefully at the timings.
Monday Santander -> Plymouth 18:15 15:00
Tuesday Bilbao -> Portsmouth 13:00 20:45
Wednesday Santander -> Portsmouth 14:00 20:00
Thursday Santander -> Plymouth 16:00 11:15
Friday No Ferries
Saturday Bilbao -> Portsmouth 13:00 17:30
Sunday Santander -> Portsmouth 14:00 17:30
There are 4 basic options (the are many more, but these are the main ones)
Plymouth -> Santander
Portsmouth -> Santander / Bilbao
Portsmouth -> St. Malo
Channel Tunnel
I won't bother expanding on the tunnel option, suffice to say that it requires an extra overnight stay compared to the other 3.
Obviously this does depend to some extent on where you live.
Plymouth -> Santander - my favourite crossing. The boat, whilst old, is nice and if you book early enough you can get a cabin with a balcony so you can sit on your balcony and watch the dolphins following the boat. The crossing timings are also very convenient - I think it leaves mid-afternoon and gets in just before lunch
Portsmouth -> Santander / Bilbao. I really don't like this crossing. I don't like the boats, or the cabins. There are only 3 decent cabins on each boat and unless you book as soon as the timetables are published, you don't stand a chance. The Commodore Lounge is decent, in fact if you can't get this booked, I wouldn't even consider this crossing. The timings are dreadful. It leaves sometime between 10pm and midnight and arrives at 8am two days later. Meaning you're straight to bed on boarding, and up at 6am on the day you arrive.
Portsmouth -> St. Malo. The quickest way in terms of elapsed time. The boat leaves at 8pm and arrives at 8am. You can be in San Sebastian by 4pm without really speeding. The new boat is great, lots of nice cabins, decent restaurant. Plus you're only on the boat for 1 evening and 1 morning.
With any of the Spain crossings, try to book priority disembarkation (you need a premium cabin for this). With the introduction of EES being first off the boat is even more important. If you're going to St. Malo this isn't as important as I don't THINK they've introduced EES for ferry passengers in cars YET.
If you like food, then make San Sebastian your first stop - you won't regret it.
Coming home is a slightly different proposition, but look carefully at the timings.
Monday Santander -> Plymouth 18:15 15:00
Tuesday Bilbao -> Portsmouth 13:00 20:45
Wednesday Santander -> Portsmouth 14:00 20:00
Thursday Santander -> Plymouth 16:00 11:15
Friday No Ferries
Saturday Bilbao -> Portsmouth 13:00 17:30
Sunday Santander -> Portsmouth 14:00 17:30
Dannythemusicman said:
We went with Brittany Ferries and went on the Satona. I believe it was quite new at that time and certainly felt much fresher than the usual overnight ones we do to France. We had an inside cabin - for the family this helps with the choppy seas, our outward crossing was plain sailing but coming back it was a fun at times.
Absolutely everywhere was stunning. The only place I'd give a miss was Toledo, it was great but we had 6 month & 2-year old so was real hard work; all the other places & areas we really loved.
My wife speaks spanish so language wasn't a problem. This really helped enjoying some of the less touristy places that could be a challenging!
- Salamanca - Great place & relaxed atmosphere
- Merida was a highlight for me as I'd wanted to go for ages being into history etc.
- Motril - Stayed at a villa with pool, just relaxed by the sea
- Malaga - Really enjoyed the old town and some great tapas
- Ronda - Hilly/mountain area with some really relaxed local towns and special quiet places even in the summer
- Seville - Surprise of our trip, never been but itching to go back. Best meal was had here at El Librero Tapas Y Quesos
- Toledo - Windmills about an hour south, felt really special to do that at sunset with literally no other tourists around.
I've been to Spain plenty of times, but overall it feels like a country on its way to convincngly overtaking us in terms of feel & modernity. Having said, I've driven/travelled across it so much I can also see much of it being left behind, (i.e., rural parts).
Temps were 35+ the whole time, but Merida was on another planet.
I'd quite happily do it all again, even with the baby & toddler. Not sure the wife would agree!
Thank you, sounds lovely!Absolutely everywhere was stunning. The only place I'd give a miss was Toledo, it was great but we had 6 month & 2-year old so was real hard work; all the other places & areas we really loved.
My wife speaks spanish so language wasn't a problem. This really helped enjoying some of the less touristy places that could be a challenging!
- Salamanca - Great place & relaxed atmosphere
- Merida was a highlight for me as I'd wanted to go for ages being into history etc.
- Motril - Stayed at a villa with pool, just relaxed by the sea
- Malaga - Really enjoyed the old town and some great tapas
- Ronda - Hilly/mountain area with some really relaxed local towns and special quiet places even in the summer
- Seville - Surprise of our trip, never been but itching to go back. Best meal was had here at El Librero Tapas Y Quesos
- Toledo - Windmills about an hour south, felt really special to do that at sunset with literally no other tourists around.
I've been to Spain plenty of times, but overall it feels like a country on its way to convincngly overtaking us in terms of feel & modernity. Having said, I've driven/travelled across it so much I can also see much of it being left behind, (i.e., rural parts).
Temps were 35+ the whole time, but Merida was on another planet.
I'd quite happily do it all again, even with the baby & toddler. Not sure the wife would agree!
omniflow said:
I have explored the various options in detail - my findings are as follows:
There are 4 basic options (the are many more, but these are the main ones)
Plymouth -> Santander
Portsmouth -> Santander / Bilbao
Portsmouth -> St. Malo
Channel Tunnel
I won't bother expanding on the tunnel option, suffice to say that it requires an extra overnight stay compared to the other 3.
Obviously this does depend to some extent on where you live.
Plymouth -> Santander - my favourite crossing. The boat, whilst old, is nice and if you book early enough you can get a cabin with a balcony so you can sit on your balcony and watch the dolphins following the boat. The crossing timings are also very convenient - I think it leaves mid-afternoon and gets in just before lunch
Portsmouth -> Santander / Bilbao. I really don't like this crossing. I don't like the boats, or the cabins. There are only 3 decent cabins on each boat and unless you book as soon as the timetables are published, you don't stand a chance. The Commodore Lounge is decent, in fact if you can't get this booked, I wouldn't even consider this crossing. The timings are dreadful. It leaves sometime between 10pm and midnight and arrives at 8am two days later. Meaning you're straight to bed on boarding, and up at 6am on the day you arrive.
Portsmouth -> St. Malo. The quickest way in terms of elapsed time. The boat leaves at 8pm and arrives at 8am. You can be in San Sebastian by 4pm without really speeding. The new boat is great, lots of nice cabins, decent restaurant. Plus you're only on the boat for 1 evening and 1 morning.
With any of the Spain crossings, try to book priority disembarkation (you need a premium cabin for this). With the introduction of EES being first off the boat is even more important. If you're going to St. Malo this isn't as important as I don't THINK they've introduced EES for ferry passengers in cars YET.
If you like food, then make San Sebastian your first stop - you won't regret it.
Coming home is a slightly different proposition, but look carefully at the timings.
Monday Santander -> Plymouth 18:15 15:00
Tuesday Bilbao -> Portsmouth 13:00 20:45
Wednesday Santander -> Portsmouth 14:00 20:00
Thursday Santander -> Plymouth 16:00 11:15
Friday No Ferries
Saturday Bilbao -> Portsmouth 13:00 17:30
Sunday Santander -> Portsmouth 14:00 17:30
That's helpful thank you.There are 4 basic options (the are many more, but these are the main ones)
Plymouth -> Santander
Portsmouth -> Santander / Bilbao
Portsmouth -> St. Malo
Channel Tunnel
I won't bother expanding on the tunnel option, suffice to say that it requires an extra overnight stay compared to the other 3.
Obviously this does depend to some extent on where you live.
Plymouth -> Santander - my favourite crossing. The boat, whilst old, is nice and if you book early enough you can get a cabin with a balcony so you can sit on your balcony and watch the dolphins following the boat. The crossing timings are also very convenient - I think it leaves mid-afternoon and gets in just before lunch
Portsmouth -> Santander / Bilbao. I really don't like this crossing. I don't like the boats, or the cabins. There are only 3 decent cabins on each boat and unless you book as soon as the timetables are published, you don't stand a chance. The Commodore Lounge is decent, in fact if you can't get this booked, I wouldn't even consider this crossing. The timings are dreadful. It leaves sometime between 10pm and midnight and arrives at 8am two days later. Meaning you're straight to bed on boarding, and up at 6am on the day you arrive.
Portsmouth -> St. Malo. The quickest way in terms of elapsed time. The boat leaves at 8pm and arrives at 8am. You can be in San Sebastian by 4pm without really speeding. The new boat is great, lots of nice cabins, decent restaurant. Plus you're only on the boat for 1 evening and 1 morning.
With any of the Spain crossings, try to book priority disembarkation (you need a premium cabin for this). With the introduction of EES being first off the boat is even more important. If you're going to St. Malo this isn't as important as I don't THINK they've introduced EES for ferry passengers in cars YET.
If you like food, then make San Sebastian your first stop - you won't regret it.
Coming home is a slightly different proposition, but look carefully at the timings.
Monday Santander -> Plymouth 18:15 15:00
Tuesday Bilbao -> Portsmouth 13:00 20:45
Wednesday Santander -> Portsmouth 14:00 20:00
Thursday Santander -> Plymouth 16:00 11:15
Friday No Ferries
Saturday Bilbao -> Portsmouth 13:00 17:30
Sunday Santander -> Portsmouth 14:00 17:30
Dannythemusicman said:
We went with Brittany Ferries and went on the Satona. I believe it was quite new at that time and certainly felt much fresher than the usual overnight ones we do to France. We had an inside cabin - for the family this helps with the choppy seas, our outward crossing was plain sailing but coming back it was a fun at times.
Absolutely everywhere was stunning. The only place I'd give a miss was Toledo, it was great but we had 6 month & 2-year old so was real hard work; all the other places & areas we really loved.
My wife speaks spanish so language wasn't a problem. This really helped enjoying some of the less touristy places that could be a challenging!
- Salamanca - Great place & relaxed atmosphere
- Merida was a highlight for me as I'd wanted to go for ages being into history etc.
- Motril - Stayed at a villa with pool, just relaxed by the sea
- Malaga - Really enjoyed the old town and some great tapas
- Ronda - Hilly/mountain area with some really relaxed local towns and special quiet places even in the summer
- Seville - Surprise of our trip, never been but itching to go back. Best meal was had here at El Librero Tapas Y Quesos
- Toledo - Windmills about an hour south, felt really special to do that at sunset with literally no other tourists around.
I've been to Spain plenty of times, but overall it feels like a country on its way to convincngly overtaking us in terms of feel & modernity. Having said, I've driven/travelled across it so much I can also see much of it being left behind, (i.e., rural parts).
Temps were 35+ the whole time, but Merida was on another planet.
I'd quite happily do it all again, even with the baby & toddler. Not sure the wife would agree!
Ha, thank you, I'm ex navy so know all about the bay, not sure about wife and daughter though!Absolutely everywhere was stunning. The only place I'd give a miss was Toledo, it was great but we had 6 month & 2-year old so was real hard work; all the other places & areas we really loved.
My wife speaks spanish so language wasn't a problem. This really helped enjoying some of the less touristy places that could be a challenging!
- Salamanca - Great place & relaxed atmosphere
- Merida was a highlight for me as I'd wanted to go for ages being into history etc.
- Motril - Stayed at a villa with pool, just relaxed by the sea
- Malaga - Really enjoyed the old town and some great tapas
- Ronda - Hilly/mountain area with some really relaxed local towns and special quiet places even in the summer
- Seville - Surprise of our trip, never been but itching to go back. Best meal was had here at El Librero Tapas Y Quesos
- Toledo - Windmills about an hour south, felt really special to do that at sunset with literally no other tourists around.
I've been to Spain plenty of times, but overall it feels like a country on its way to convincngly overtaking us in terms of feel & modernity. Having said, I've driven/travelled across it so much I can also see much of it being left behind, (i.e., rural parts).
Temps were 35+ the whole time, but Merida was on another planet.
I'd quite happily do it all again, even with the baby & toddler. Not sure the wife would agree!
Just had a 2600 mile road trip to northern Spain driving down through France from Calais
The drivers in Spain would give the Italians a run for their money, rude and dangerous. Many old cars being driven by Alonso wannabees, I wondered if they had functioning brakes etc;
In the Basque region every flattish surface is covered with gaffiti which spoils things somewhat.
Shall not be returning, it was a great relief to get back into France
The drivers in Spain would give the Italians a run for their money, rude and dangerous. Many old cars being driven by Alonso wannabees, I wondered if they had functioning brakes etc;
In the Basque region every flattish surface is covered with gaffiti which spoils things somewhat.
Shall not be returning, it was a great relief to get back into France
Dannythemusicman said:
We went with Brittany Ferries and went on the Satona. I believe it was quite new at that time and certainly felt much fresher than the usual overnight ones we do to France. We had an inside cabin - for the family this helps with the choppy seas, our outward crossing was plain sailing but coming back it was a fun at times.
Absolutely everywhere was stunning. The only place I'd give a miss was Toledo, it was great but we had 6 month & 2-year old so was real hard work; all the other places & areas we really loved.
My wife speaks spanish so language wasn't a problem. This really helped enjoying some of the less touristy places that could be a challenging!
- Salamanca - Great place & relaxed atmosphere
- Merida was a highlight for me as I'd wanted to go for ages being into history etc.
- Motril - Stayed at a villa with pool, just relaxed by the sea
- Malaga - Really enjoyed the old town and some great tapas
- Ronda - Hilly/mountain area with some really relaxed local towns and special quiet places even in the summer
- Seville - Surprise of our trip, never been but itching to go back. Best meal was had here at El Librero Tapas Y Quesos
- Toledo - Windmills about an hour south, felt really special to do that at sunset with literally no other tourists around.
I've been to Spain plenty of times, but overall it feels like a country on its way to convincngly overtaking us in terms of feel & modernity. Having said, I've driven/travelled across it so much I can also see much of it being left behind, (i.e., rural parts).
Temps were 35+ the whole time, but Merida was on another planet.
I'd quite happily do it all again, even with the baby & toddler. Not sure the wife would agree!
I've been to all the places in Spain you mentioned, except for Merida, we may call there. We are on the Plymouth/Santander ferry tomorrow and are around Northern Spain/Portugal for a couple of months in the motorhome, before heading home to the Costa Blanca. Absolutely everywhere was stunning. The only place I'd give a miss was Toledo, it was great but we had 6 month & 2-year old so was real hard work; all the other places & areas we really loved.
My wife speaks spanish so language wasn't a problem. This really helped enjoying some of the less touristy places that could be a challenging!
- Salamanca - Great place & relaxed atmosphere
- Merida was a highlight for me as I'd wanted to go for ages being into history etc.
- Motril - Stayed at a villa with pool, just relaxed by the sea
- Malaga - Really enjoyed the old town and some great tapas
- Ronda - Hilly/mountain area with some really relaxed local towns and special quiet places even in the summer
- Seville - Surprise of our trip, never been but itching to go back. Best meal was had here at El Librero Tapas Y Quesos
- Toledo - Windmills about an hour south, felt really special to do that at sunset with literally no other tourists around.
I've been to Spain plenty of times, but overall it feels like a country on its way to convincngly overtaking us in terms of feel & modernity. Having said, I've driven/travelled across it so much I can also see much of it being left behind, (i.e., rural parts).
Temps were 35+ the whole time, but Merida was on another planet.
I'd quite happily do it all again, even with the baby & toddler. Not sure the wife would agree!
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