Spain

Best ways to improve this book:

you really need to explore Galacia. there is so much more to it than santiago, trust me. the countryside is BEAUTIFUL, green & lush - when they say that 'the rain in spain falls mainly on the plain' they are wrong - it falls in galicia. the food is different from the rest of spain, and so are the people and culture. santiago is so touristy; try La Corun~a, a smaller city with a GREAT aquarium (ok, not as nice as valencia, but), wonderful views, and interesting historical sites and 2 beaches in the city center. all along the coast you will find some of the most beautiful beaches imaginable, along with small towns full of character. try the bread in galacia - it's the best you'll ever find :) with a little work, you could find a lot to see and do there....for either a show OR a guide book. people who go to Spain and skip Galacia just don't know what they are missing...

Lisa J. Rodriguez in New Kensington , PA USA 07/19/2008

Expand the section in the back on Transportation. We used the public transportation but spent a lot of time waiting around the train stations. You have to take a number ticket to purchase train tickets at the Barcelona Sants Station.

Linda Cramb in Jaffrey, NH USA 07/08/2008

Emphasive even more how bad the gypsy problem is in Madrid. The two women in our group were attacked twice in two days! Once on the subway, where they grab and run out the subway doors as they are closing, and one in the Atocha train station. Women should not carry a purse of any kind - period.

David Truman in Langley, BC Canada 06/21/2008

Try to stay more up to date with admission prices

Sally Hirschheim in Baton Rouge, LA USA 06/13/2008

Your book is excellent. The descriptions are very well written, and the maps were very well designed. Our family of four just arrived from a two week vacation in Spain. Given the low value of the dollar, some of your recomendations were very helpful in saving us money. Thank you.

Marcia, Jaime, and Two Children in Rochester, NY USA 06/07/2008

All your other recommendations are right-on!!

Lynda Wiseman in Langhorne, PA USA 05/27/2008

Malaga is an important transportation hub in southern Spain. Rick's book needs to acknowledge this and cover this important city much more. Other than this omission, we found Rick's Spain tourbook extremely helpful.

Dan NJ USA 05/18/2008

I agree that more driving info would be helpful - we would paranoid about break-ins after reading your book, but in the south of Spain where we were, everything seemed fine and just as safe as at home. Also please see my comments about more guidelines for hiring a Morocco guide above.

Ellen Canada 05/09/2008

Keep up the good work. An absolutely invaluable source. Could not have enjoyed our stay in Spain without it! Was also able to take advantage of discounts with the book. Thank you!!

F. & C. Weiss in Victoria, BC Canada 05/03/2008

My husband I want to go to Ibiza and/or Mallorca, but there is no information about neither on the Spain 2007 book!!!! Now I'm going mad looking for information on the web about these islands. I think this book has a little less information than the Italy 2007 book.

We used your book for our trip to Italy in May 2007, and every information and/or recommendation was so right!!! We had two other books in our bag to compare information verywhere we went; and your book was the easiest to follow with the most valuable information so that we wouldn't miss any of the important details in each place we visited. With your Italy book we got exactly what we wanted from our trip, for it to be an unforgetable experience!!!!!

We congratulate you, because in Italy we saw thousands, but thousands of people with your book!!! My husband and I would say to each other, "there's another Rick Steves". And also in The Iguasu Falls, Argentina, we saw a turist with one of your books [I don't know which of your books].

Gladys Paniagua in Managua, Nicaragua 04/18/2008

We stayed at the El Jardi on All Saints' weekend (last weekend in October 07) with everyone else in Europe in Barcelona! We should have checked (although we would still have gone.) The taxi didn't know how to find the location in spite of a GPS system and our having maps. After almost getting dropped off in the middle of the "ghetto" surrounded by really sketchy people (the book says NOT to go there), a police car pulled up and let us know that we were in the wrong place (we'd figured that out). Upon arriving at El Jardi (the taxi had long turned off his meter), another person was still awaiting others of his party who couldn't find the hotel either. Had we known that it was located in the square next to a small bu pretty well-known church (Santa Maria del Pi), they would have been able to find it. It might be helpful for other travelers to have this information or indicate it on the map.

Although it was very basic, the hotel grew on us (great location but pretty dormitory-feeling rooms).

Karen Nagata in Redmond, WA USA 04/17/2008

I realize with publication dates it may be hard to keep up with increasing costs in these areas. Lodging and Eating may stay more consistent.

Sommer in Santa Rosa, CA USA 03/26/2008

Rick's accomodation recommends are always great. Only way he can improve is just keep travelling around and adding places we can continue to visit and enjoy !

Pablito in Minneapolis, MN USA 03/26/2008

Mention frequently throughout the book that the Spanish still smoke. Heavily. It was nearly impossible to find a smoke free atmosphere. We gave up trying to do the bar hop/tapas thing because we couldn't stand the smoke. Make reference to the restaurants/bars that do not allow smoking. It would help us to choose.

Gregg Maxwell in Grapevine, TX USA 03/21/2008

Talk a bit more about transportation. We were a little lost at first. Perhaps first day you can advise folks to pick activities with no time regulation and explore how to get around on the Metro and Renfe.Also, not many people speak English which could be a problem for non spanish speakers. By the third day we were getting good at it and helping others but we found a local friend to help us and we speak Spanish. ( And we were totally lost at first) I can see this being an issue for a newbie non Spanish language speaker!Also, the restaurant service is so different it might deserve extra mention that you order and pick up at the counter at most places, even ones with tables. Besides that we praised God we had your book and it was right on! Thank you for helping us have a glorious time in Madrid!

Mary Spangenberg in PHOENIX, Ar USA 03/19/2008

Need location for a WC near the cathedral in Toledo.

Matti in Chicago, IL USA 03/19/2008

Not many. This is the second time (Italy two years ago; Spain and Portugal this time) we have followed your books religiously while travelling. Greatly appreciate your info and advice!

Lorne in Calgary, Al Canada 02/10/2008

I'm going to Mallorca in June and bought the Spain book sadly to find Mallorca is not in it. Why?

Betsy Hicks in Delavan, WI USA 01/30/2008

Better maps by adding the highways by which you will be approaching the city. It would give a better frame of reference. The Michelin map did not have any city enlargements so unless we were able to reach a T1 prior to entering a city, we were lost.

Marian Quirk in Chicago , IL USA 01/08/2008

We were travelling with the 2007 Spain, so I'm not sure if this has been added, but it'd be nice to have information about the Tauro Tour at Plaza de Toros listed for those traveling out of bullfighting season. The tour was less than stellar, however for 5 euros it allowed us the chance to see the bullring and the museum.

Karis in Cross Plains, WI USA 01/04/2008

More detailed maps listing smaller streets, especially in places with tiny alleys like Barrio Santa Cruz.

Uma Murthy in Blacksburg, VA USA 01/03/2008

Write more about driving in Spain. The section you have could have been in most any European country and seemed geared to talk people out of getting a car. It is not so dangerous that your car WILL be broken into as you imply. I showed that to Spanish friends and they laughed. Driving and safety is no different from any American big city. If you wouldn't drive in Boston or New York, then I agree, don't drive in Madrid or Barcelona, but otherwise, it is fine. You should describe the way motorway signs are laid out (once you figure it out, it is very logical) and mention the difference between A, R, E, M, B routes (A and B is logical, AP is pay autoroute, otherwise, I was a bit lost on that). Driving opens up a lot of territory and is cheaper if you have 4 to get around. Though I agree, once you get to Madrid or Barcelona, a car is more hassle than its worth, again like Boston or New York.

Robert Perry in Hingham, MA USA 01/01/2008

Madrid "Metro" at major tourist stops had signs at the ticket counter that said, "No hay planos"- there was no interpretation in English at all to indicate it meant "There are no maps." If you don't speak or understand Spanish, you would not know what it meant.

ex- The Metro ticket office operators are very unhelpful, unfriendly, and hard to approach even when I tried to use Spanish. I tried to ask them where I could get a map of the Metro system, but they couldn't tell me. They just pointed to the sign that said "No hay planos." Finally I went to a Metro station ouside the main tourist area, Principe Pio station and was able to locate a mini Metro map (very helpful to get around Madrid as you can anticipate which line to take or connect to).

Instructions how to get to the Barajas-Madrid Airport is very confusing, not straight foward A9, A9B, etc. Traffic is also very heavy- even at 9a.m.

Lot of parking lots charge a set fee by day use, not by the hour- signs are not often posted in front for the fees, you have to hunt for them

karen in san francisco, ca USA 12/28/2007

Include Planeta Vino in your Spain guide book! We offer a unique insight to Spanish wine and food culture that your readers would really enjoy. We welcome a visit to our wine classroom at your convenience.

Mary O'Connor in Madrid, Spain 11/20/2007

Another suggestion is to add blank pages as for a journal either at the end of each book; after each chapter; after an important site - whatever you think would be most reasonable and serve the customer - but that would be such a help. I am always scribbling notes on the inside of the back cover. Thanks!! Another thought is to actually publish a Rick Steve's journal along with each book with identified headings etc. More costly I realize.

Carol Cohen in Rockville, MD USA 10/16/2007

We would like better maps for drivers getting into and around the old historic areas of the cities.

Rebecca W. Sheppard in Fort Worth, Tx USA 10/15/2007

Provide quick consistent reference facts on hotels, restaurants (more choises), museums, etc. We found the book a bit cumbersome to use.

Jody Hunter USA 07/31/2007

Add the following restaurant: Bodeguita Antonio Romer B.A.R.- C/.Antonia Diaz, 19 Tel. 422 39 39 -Tel Part. 421 6277 r1001 Sevilla

Recommended by a "local" who we encountered in one of the hotels in the old city--delicious tapas, but don't order a pitcher of Sangria---pricy & spiked---you'll leave a tad tipsy!

bj Kukawka in Agoura Hills, Ca USA 07/26/2007

I don't know how you could do it, but if there's any way to improve directions to the hotels, that would help. We had no trouble driving from city to city, but finding our lodgingswas a constant challenge/headache. Maybe including more street names on the local maps? But finding street names on the buildings is a chore in itself. Eventually we learned to allow for an hour to find our way once we got to a city. A sense of humor and a calm driver are necessities!!

Marcy Nicklas in Frederick, MD USA 07/23/2007

More suggestions for restauarants, I found alot of great restaurants by asking locals that were not listed in rick steves book.

L. Chen in Pacific Palisades, CA USA 05/06/2007

We had some trouble with the maps. I think it's important to make it quite clear that it's critical to pick up detailed maps upon arrival--that the maps in the book are approximate, and don't always provide clear directions. Also, is there any way to demystify the trains at Madrid's Atocha station? They're so confusing!

Melissa in Hart, OR USA 05/01/2007

We love the walking tours in all of RS's books, and would love to see more for Spain. Lonely Planet Andalucia (a good supplement to the Rick) has a great walking tour of the Albayzin neighborhood in Granada.

Katie in Belmont, MA USA 04/24/2007

In Andalucia's hill towns and along its coast, transportation is primarily by bus. Unfortunately bahn.hafas.de doesn't have any of these bus lines, there is no central repository for the all the bus lines, and many of their schedules are not even on the web. Some better information on how to find these schedules would be nice.

For those of us who would prefer to focus on one area of a country, rather than sample the best of all of the country, it would be nice to have a section (even if it ends up being short) recommending what to see if we plan to spend a bit more time in an area. For example, every other guidebook I've seen for Spain pushes Ubeda and Baeza north of Granada, and I've seen several recommend Mijas in the hills north of Fuengirola on the coast.

Ethan in San Francisco, CA USA 04/17/2007

More bus information is needed. It seems to be the red-headed stepchild of the book, and since Arcos is so highly recommended and no train runs there, it would be nice to see some more detailed info so you don't get stuck waiting for a bus that never shows up. Like Arcos to Ronda for instance.

CH in Tampa, FL USA 04/16/2007

Rented an apartment in Barcelona for a week this past October. I used your guide book and it was usually very helpful. The only comment I would like to make is La Boqueria on the Ramblas is a spectacular food market and can be a destination in itself. Your book only gives it a sentence mentioning hanging chickens. It was a wonderful market and shouldn't be missed. Karen in California

Karen Queheillalt in Livermore, CA USA 04/07/2007

Maybe better maps, could be more detailed and foldout type page for each one

LL in Levittown, pa USA 03/29/2007

list more bus information.

o'brien in everett, USA 03/28/2007

The euro situation is fluctuating to our detriment. Many of the prices you quote are very subject to change at the time of press.

Freddie J. Negron in Davie, FL USA 03/18/2007

Your books are simply outstanding. I only wish they fit into the pocket of my zippy pants, which would make it easier to walk around with each day... maybe make a smaller copy???

Erik R. in Seattle, WA USA 02/20/2007

The overview map of the Alhambra in the Spain guide could be a little clearer.

Richard Lee-Berman in Portland, OR USA 02/16/2007

I know Rick is a public transportation fan, but for those of us who drove at least part of the time, a little more instruction for drivers would be appreciated. That said, the hand drawn maps were extraordinarily accurate. They saved our lives more than once.

Mary O'Connell in Hingham , Ma USA 12/31/2006

Just keep up the good work and spend a little more time in Spain,as you have started to do.

Jack & Sieni Page in Phoenix, Az USA 12/06/2006

Wow--that may be hard! We loved being able to get off trains, buses, etc and know where to turn or what bus number to look for as well as having a resource for where to stay. We limited our car rental based on the information Rick provided on driving problems in Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada. We were SO thankful that we did not have a car these places but loved having one to drive from Seville through Ronda into Nerja!!

Mark and Jill Caulfield in Chaska, MN USA 11/01/2006

ON RENTAL CARS

We no longer have the book, having torn it into sections, discarding each as we went. So I don't know how you wrote the section on rental cars. With that in mind:

If you want an automatic trans in Spain, you need to order well in advance, a month or more, and you will end up with a larger car than you might want. The larger car will be a hazard in the white hill towns, without a doubt. OTOH, I’d hate to be learning (or reacquainting myself with) a stick shift on those hills. Bad trade-off for Americans who don’t regularly drive a stick, which is most of us.

I think this is a critical point to make in your book. Your standard language on rental cars cannot be copied and pasted from one country to another in this regard. It’s different in Spain, the street width and the availability of automatic transmission cars. In France a year ago, we got a much smaller automatic with little advance notice and driving was easy.

One of our happiest moments was in Barcelona, dropping off the car.

Dave Pomerantz in Marshfield, MA USA 10/29/2006

Prices seem to change quickly--dinners/menu del dias were at 25-30% higher than listed. Museum prices were also much higher. Maybe listing inexpensive, moderate, expensive, very expensive, etc. might be better.

Earl Miller in Kutztown, PA USA 10/29/2006

I loved your Spain 2006 book. I also purchased one when we went to Italy in 2000 and found a wealth of invaluable knowledge there too. The only thing I would have to say is that sometimes I found myself trying to find information I read about and going from page to page...not really a criticism...there is just so much information in those books! Keep up the good work!

DP in Marietta, GA USA 10/17/2006

The comment at the beginning of all of Rick's books on buying tickets overseas - about not sorting this mess out yourself, find a good travel agent? This is really outdated - if you are even a little comfortable on the Web, you can easily find good tickets yourself - even open-jaw.

TEE in Seattle, WA USA 08/16/2006

Review the driving instructions into major cities. Provide operating times for Left Luggage rooms in major train stations.

Russell A. Burgos in Thousand Oaks, CA USA 07/25/2006

Maps are good but could have more detail. Put the info on connections to Toledo in the Transportation Connections section.

Dale in Fairfield, OH USA 07/24/2006

Add some info about apartments. We ended up with an apartment in Barcelona and Madrid, because we were a party of five and thought we'd be more comfortable. It would have been great to have your recommendations. More info on good shopping (e.g., stores) would be useful.

Julie Davies in Sacramento , CA USA 07/14/2006

An outstanding Guide! I have mentioned above some sights to consider adding. Thanks again for an outstandingly useful guide! If I can help with an additional input please don't hesitate to contact me.

Matt Dangel in Columbus, Oh USA 07/10/2006

Include information on Ibiza. Include more information regarding shopping in Madrid.

Jose Calderon in Coconut Creek, FL USA 07/09/2006

Make some of the pages perforated for immediate pull out and use, rather than have to carry along the entire book when you are in a given city...travel light you realize, Rick and others!

Dale Weeks in Tallahassee, Fl USA 07/09/2006

For Barcelona, there are a chain of self service laundromats all over the city called Lavaxpress that are clean and well located. We went to one at Calle Ferlandina 34 in the Upper Ramblas/ElRavel. There are 2 more at Nou de Sant Francesc 5 in the Barri Gotic and Calle Carders 29 in El Born. They are open 8-22 every day.

Elizabeth Phelps in Pittsburg, CA USA 07/09/2006

Add a brief city section listing kids attractions with appropriate age range.

Steve F. in Raleigh, NC USA 07/07/2006

Would be to provide additional books about different parts of Spain. A good place to start would be one devoted to Andalusia. We used the Provence and Rome Books this past year and loved them.

Marian Meyer in Brooklyn, NY USA 07/02/2006

There's probably plenty of info for your target audience (tourists spending only a few days maximum in each locale), but in general I'd enjoy a few more food/housing/entertainment options for each city. This applies especially to lodging -- while traveling in Spain I often wished you had listed some more options, especially when your picks were sold out.

I like the hand-drawn maps, and perhaps they're useful for the casual tourist who doesn't want overwhelming detail, but more extensive coverage of city streets would be welcome. Sometimes your maps don't cover addresses of places recommended in your guide.

Joseph Sargent in San Francisco, CA USA 06/16/2006

First, put in a prominent place: When photographing architectural sites and works of art, set your camera to NO FLASH. I had to tell the flashers in the Prado that using a flash when photographing works of art destroys (by fading) the very thing they are appreciating. They usually replied that they had no idea. Digital cameras can take fine pix without flash. 2) Add in your listings for EVERY MUSEUM AND ARCHITECTURAL SITE: is photography allowed by visitors of the permanent collection? Of temporary exhibitions? If I knew in advance how many places forbid it, I would have emailed in advance for permission for pedagogical purposes. Also, find out why it is increasingly forbidden. Because they don't want to damage works when ignorant visitors use flashes? or to sell more postcards? or to control copyright and dissemination? Thank you, SB

Suzaan Boettger in NYC, NY USA 06/05/2006

It would be nice to provide a downloadable database of hotel and restaurants, plus maybe attractions. I travel to Europe four times a year on business. My wife tags along on one or two a year, and we always buy the latest Rick Steves book for the country -- even if it's a place we've been many times before.

Tom Kelly in Park City, UT USA 06/03/2006

You put almost no mention of amusement parks into your guidebooks, and I think this is a real disservice to your more adventurous readers. PortAventura in Salou is a world class park that attracts visitors from all over the world, yet I saw nary a mention of it! Parque de Atracciones in Madrid is a campy yet wonderful park with a brand new coaster that is the only of its kind in Europe. I have always found amusement parks to be a great and fun look inside the culture of a community, and I think they are at least worth mentioning, even if they are not a dish to everyone's liking. I could never imagine taking a trip to Europe and not visiting the small, local amusement parks!

Julie Williams in Nashville, TN USA 06/01/2006

Maybe it's time to add something about the short-term apartment rentals available in places like Barcelona. Our 4 days there in an apartment cost roughly half most hotel rates, was in the Eixample area. Would have loved using a Steves recommendation for this. This is a way to save some money, still have good locations, more space, and experience being in a neighborhood... at least in the one we rented.

M. L. Smith in Santa Rosa, CA USA 06/01/2006

I just want to say that we really appreciate your books. We brought three books with us to Andalucia area, and yours was by far the most helpful.

deborah Evenich in Petaluma, Ca USA 05/30/2006

We have used your books in England, Wales, France, Germany, Italy and now Spain. The hotel San Francisco was the first and only disappointment

Chris Stabler in Lancaster, PA USA 05/25/2006

We had no problem with "pick pocket gangs" on Las Ramblas or at the very crowded street market in madrid. We are from the big city so maybe that had something to do with it.

Tom Shover in Chicago, IL USA 05/23/2006

Make it into a 3 or 5 ring notebook binding.

Pat Fleury in Fort Worth, TX USA 05/19/2006

Please reconsider your entry on Los Gallos. I do not recommend that other visitors go to their performances unless they change their attitude. In addition, I hope that you pass on this criticism to the Los Gallos management.

Chris Shen in San Francisco, CA USA 05/16/2006

We found your driving and parking instructions to be particularly unhelpful and confusing. I suggest you add more detail in this area. Also, I would actually recommend that people drive into Gibraltar. We did this with a mere 20 minute wait on the way in (and no wait on the way out) and were able to see so much more in less time. You can just do the same tours as the taxis but at your own leisure.

Chris McClure in San Francisco, CA USA 04/26/2006

add more Tapas places!

Rick Fan in San Francisco, CA USA 04/19/2006

Try to update it as often as possible. Some of the prices were a little off.

Yelena in Boston, MA USA 04/19/2006

Add some information about Valencia--Spain's third largest city and the home of its most famous architect, Santiago Callatrava. We loved the architecture--just beautiful.

Mary Wilson in Toronto, ON Canada 04/17/2006

Add blank pages to the back, for taking notes while traveling.

D. Winter in 5033 Dupont Ave. S., Mpls., MN USA 04/11/2006

Spain had a nation wide time change of one hour on March 26th, one week earlier than the United States' daylight savings change. Being tourists with limited Spanish language skills, we completely missed the notice on this, and as a result missed our Sunday morning AVE. This info would have been helpful in the book, maybe in the Practicalities section.

David and Juliana Matsumoto in Seattle, WA USA 04/01/2006

I bought three books for Spain and this book blew the others away. But I would recommend you add a lot more info on the rail lines, more walking tours, & better detailed walking tour maps.

You should add a map of the rail line routes. For example, friends told us that the trains are the best way to see Spain. So we assumed that the cities had trains between them, but you map didn't show a train from Madrid to Toledo, so we assumed bus only (there was a train). Also we assumed that we could take a train from Tarifa to Gilbralter and there wasn't one (we took the bus).

We planned our trips based on assuming that some cites had rail lines between them, so we bought 8 days of Eurail pass. We only used 3 days because the rest was on bus. We were so confused on what to get & how many days on the Eurail. If no room in book, it would be nice to refer to your webpage for a greater detail of rail lines & eurorail pass description. I did not get a comfortable grasp of buses, Eurail passes, & rail lines from your book. Reference to detailed walking maps on you website to print will be great then the hand drawings you had in your book.

Other then that, I recommend your book to anyone that goes there.

Richard in Pomona, CA USA 03/29/2006

Best companion on my solo days!! I have had a vacation in years, and this book surely helped make my "adventure" much more pleasurable, and now I want to do more, sooner!!

ken in Concord, CA USA 03/08/2006

The book was awesome! We used it every day and were never misled about anything.

Felicia Bloom in Merion, PA USA 03/04/2006

Add a comment about how to find what street signs there are. They're sometimes located on a tile about 15' up the side of some buildings at the street corners... and some tiles are broken and so only some of the street name shows.

Jen Portz in Port Ludlow , WA USA 02/12/2006

I love your guide books but they are heavy to carry. You could do city books, like Madrid with interesting day trips. I ended up tearing out the sections I wanted from the Spain tour book.

Gale Sellers in Melbourne Beach, FL USA 02/03/2006

Include info on the Spanish islands.

Joe Edgell in Takoma Park, MD/Tacoma, WA, MD USA 01/18/2006

Better and mroe realistic information about driving and parking in Aldalucia!

Jody Brian in Ottawa, ON Canada 01/17/2006

Include mention of Hostal Isabelle in Madrid.

Ruth in Victoria, BC Canada 01/06/2006