Spain 2012 Guidebook
Best ways to improve this book:
Include Valencia, the 3rd largest city in Spain
Nancy Cavanaugh in Watsonville, CA USA 01/17/2012
Add a section on Mallorca, a really worthwhile visit.
Ronald Reitenauer in Yucca Valley, CA USA 11/26/2011
Better maps
matthew bonini in chesterfield, mo USA 11/25/2011
You don't recommend visiting the cathedral in Madrid in your Spain book. We went in one day when the line for the royal palace was out of control. The cathedral is extremely interesting with its modern stained glass, ceiling, and chapels dedicated to nuns, priests, etc. who founded orders and organizations. The chapels are not gaudy, over the top shrines to saints. The whole cathedral was refeshingly different from most European cathedrals. We really enjoyed it and we're not even Catholic.
Harriet Dufton in Easton, PA USA 11/20/2011
Maybe it says in the book - I can't remember. Mapquesting directions from one hotel to the next helps a little or maybe a portable GPS if you have one could help tremendously. Trying to find hotels gets to be a bit tricky at times. The best, most detailed directions I found on each hotels website. They generally gave specific info on what landmarks to help guide you to their door!
Susan Novak in Mt. Prospect, IL USA 11/14/2011
This book was so incredibly helpful! I honestly answered every question I had. I went backpacking for 2 weeks in Spain alone, with no cell phone and only this book as a guide. I can't say enough good things about this website and my guidebook to others. Whenever I talk about my awesome trip, I always give a shout-out to my Rick Steves guidebook. Thanks so much for all the helpful tips and recommendations, it really made a huge impact in my logistical planning. I'm a fan of the brand for life, and will buy an RS book whenever one exists for my future travels.
Lisa in San Antonio, TX USA 10/29/2011
As mentioned before easy to tear out pages.
Barbara Pearce in Freeport , NY USA 10/17/2011
As mentioned before easy to tear out pages.
Barbara Pearce in Freeport , NY USA 10/17/2011
we used Rick Steves 2010 book. we also used Fodor's and Lonely Planet and LP's phrase book. We found RS self guided tour very useful.
the street map/drawing was sometimes hard to follow/imagine. We supplemented with maps from the TI (tourist information).
Maria P. Chan in SF Bay Area, CA USA 09/29/2011
We used 3 guidebooks: Rick Steves, Fodor's, and Lonely Planet, but we carried RS book wherever we went and found the self-guided tour extremely helpful.
The street maps/drawings were a little difficult to follow so we supplemented it with actual street maps from the TI (Tourist Information).
Maria P. Chan in SF Bay Area, CA USA 09/29/2011
Warn visitors that although you recommend places to eat, things may be quite different when you get there due to guidebooks attention.
Janet Drake in Bellevue, Wa USA 08/05/2011
I've often wished for a small list in each section of "if you are going to insist upon eating on the main square (which I truly love doing!), here's the best of the bunch" -- I would have loved a way to differentiate between the many restaurants on the Plaza Mayor and main pedestrian way in Madrid. In the same way you give best coffee and gelato in Italy, could we get best churros con chocolat list (best we found were in Granada on the main square near the town hall under the sign of the Alahambra's Lion Fountain -- sorry, I didn't scribble down the name). Include a bit on Malaga.
Mary Byrne in Victoria, BC Canada 07/24/2011
Need to include Valencia and Mallorca.
Elizabeth in Pittsburg, CA USA 07/15/2011
You need an index for the notepad version. Table of contents is not enough. Many times just the ability to index would have been far simpler.
Barry in Barnes, USA 07/05/2011
PLEASE expand the borders of the city maps. It was not possible to use the provided map to navigate Chueca in Madrid and many parts of the Eixample, including several recommended sights and restaurants, in Barcelona. The sleeping/eating maps in the book worked better, but sometimes you don't want to carry around the whole book, just the provided map. The freebies at my hotels worked much better.
John Barcus in Fort Worth, TX USA 07/05/2011
More local guides for walking tours!
Avis Letner in Santa Cruz, CA USA 06/22/2011
On page 466 of your 2010 Spain guide, you give comprehensive instructions for Alhambra tickets. Per the ticket office, they stopped selling tickets by phone any earlier than you can get them on-line....three years ago.
Cameo Jones in San Francisco, CA USA 06/21/2011
Include Valencia information.
Walter Everett in Evansville, IN USA 05/29/2011
See above recommendations.
Travis in Puyallup, WA USA 05/21/2011
Two eating opportunities in Barcelona: Buoni Cattivi @ www.buoniecattive.es Amargos,13 08002 Barcelona Tel. 934 120 642. Best pizza I've ever had! Supper thin crust, home made tomato sauce 8.50 Euro for lunch incl drink. Centfocs @ www,centfocs.com Balmes 16, 08001 Barcelona Tel 93 412 00 95 Great food, good service, centrally located, and inexpensive wine list. What's not to like? Recomended by Hotel Lleo staff. Filled with locals and guests from Hotel Lleo the night we were there.
David Nickel in Winnetka, IL USA 05/15/2011
Lodging with kitchenettes and supermarket recommendations. We are already dealing with the currency disadvantages, but then eating out in Europe is just over-priced. Then most food is mediocre and Spanish cuisine is lacking in fresh fruits and veggies. The best thing we did was find a full suite hotel, find a supermarket, buy fresh food and made our own daily breakfast (which is not the most monumental meal abroad) and cooked our own dinners a few nights.
Susana Galvan in Atlanta, GA USA 05/08/2011
Try to get fully updated road numbers in southern Spain which were very confusing being different in places on the maps with what was on the road signage.
Rich Zayatz in Asheville, NC USA 05/03/2011
update and put in an index.
art castagno in edmonds , wa USA 04/02/2011
Add a small colored map of the Barcelona metro system. Suggest what gelato place to visit in Barcelona. I know Barcelona isn't Rome or Venice, but I found a lot of gelato places in Barcelona and kept wondering which one Rick would suggest as being the most authentic.
Thomas Elliot in Nom de Plume, TX USA 03/09/2011
You could not possibly overstress the requirement that a hiking pass for the area around Grazalema must specify WHICH hike you will do on WHICH day!
Karin McCullough in Seattle, WA USA 03/07/2011
Add a full self-guided walking tour of the Albayzin in Granada. I read about the remnants of a Roman temple in Cordoba on the back of the TI's map on the train ride back to Seville--is it worth knowing about? (If it is, I wish it had been mentioned.)
Kyla Gurganus in Ypsilanti, MI USA 03/04/2011
Re Barcelona Snapshot: Please add an index! It is very difficult to locate information when needed without one. Also add a more complete city map.
Dale in Fairfield, OH USA 03/03/2011
Quit recommending car leasing in Spain.
Leasing may be a good option in France but the ONLY pickup points offered by ebctravel.com in Spain, Mardrid and Barcelona, required hefty drop off fees of $300 or $225.
Example: 17 days, pickup and drop off in Madrid on April 6, 2011
similar cars from both companies
ebctravel.com Renault Clio III $1999.00 National Car Rental Citroen C4 €901.87/$1216.35
National price includes CDW, Super CDW and Personal Accident Insurance. Super CDW and PAI are optional.
Calvin Hilton in Jacksonville, FL USA 02/16/2011
Do keep it as thin as possible. We liked getting discounts at hotels you recommended. Since we drove, we could have used a bit more info on places to stay en route to the cities. Are their chains? We think so.
Joan in Maurertown, VA USA 01/29/2011
Would be fun to have a secion in the book for "Active Travelers" who want to walk, sweat, hike, run around etc.
Sara Kinsey in Redmond, WA USA 01/12/2011
I'm not done with the book yet, but I would offer a suggestion: Many museums and attractions (including movie theaters) offer discounts for students and/or teachers, with the proper ID. For example, the Joan Miró Foundation gives a student discount only, and the Picasso Museum and City History Museum give a student discount and free admission to teachers. An International Teacher Identity Card costs around $25 and is worth it if you're planning on hitting a lot of museums.
Elaine Newton-Bruzza in Portland, OR USA 12/26/2010
I have used your books several times and find the layout to be easy to read so please do not change it.
Carmelita Stone in Plattsburg, MO USA 10/13/2010
I would be hard-pressed to come up with any suggestions. I have used RS guides for Italy, Switzerland and Germany in addition to Spain, and have found the information to be invaluable. I'm planning a trip to GB in the spring, relying upon your books.
Jim Mahoney in Irvine, CA USA 10/07/2010
A suggestion for all the books: leave a tip for the maid each morning, rather than at the end of your stay since staff rotates and it's fairer for each person who cleans your room to receive a tip rather than 1 person receiving a tip for the entire stay when she might not have cleaned your room every day.
Thank you for your excellent books. Not only do they provide indispensible guidance but they're a great way to connect with other travelers. I travel alone and I approached people carrying the Rick Steves' guide to Spain on a couple of occasions to chat. It was comforting to compare experiences and speak english with others.
Sherrie Sons in Bolingbrook, IL USA 09/26/2010
If it is possible to be a walk on passenger on the ferry to Tangier from Tarifa, where does one leave a car?
M Quong in Victoria, BC Canada 09/20/2010
You might consider adding Hotel Silken Ramblas, 155 euros per night for us in September, just steps off the Ramblas near Liceu Metro. Also, Casa Calvet for a 50 euro dinner in a Gaudi building. You must ask for a tour in order to see the fabulous lobby. Reservations probably will be necessary. A great experience!
Elizabeth G. Harris in Los Angeles, CA USA 09/19/2010
You might consider adding Hotel Silken Ramblas, 155 euros per night for us in September, just steps off the Ramblas near Liceu Metro. Also, Casa Calvet for a 50 euro dinner in a Gaudi building. You must ask for a tour in order to see the fabulous lobby. Reservations probably will be necessary. A great experience!
Elizabeth G. Harris in Los Angeles, CA USA 09/19/2010
Double check times of operations for places. It was disappointing to spend a lot of time locating a place and then discovering that they were closed. Double check prices of attractions.
Melissa Lozano in Lakewood, CO USA 08/11/2010
I think Rick needs to get back to Barcelona. It seems that the staffers for this location have done a poor job. We own and use just about all of Rick's guidebooks for Europe, and the Barcelona information needs significant improvement.
Mark in Queidersbach, Germany 08/07/2010
I love love love all your guide books. I just don't like lugging books around especially if there are multiple destinations. (I am a packing light convert) it would be greAt if the books came in a Kindle or in my case an iBook format. I have loaded much inferior guide books on my iPad which I plan taking with me to Spain and Morocco.
Catherine McNabb in Port Townsend, WA USA 08/06/2010
None, the book was extremely helpful in booking our hotels, which were all great. We followed the walking guides, travel suggestions, and historical presentations. Our trip was splendid, and accomplished solely by us using your book!
Ann Heft in Gainesville, Fl USA 08/04/2010
Being a vegetarian, the toughest thing about Spain was the food. We found it hard to order from non-English menus, and it's also exhausting and EXPENSIVE to eat out at restaurants three meals a day. Perhaps include more options for non-restaurant / on-the-go food options, such as farmer's markets, cheap food stands, or simply grocery stores to buy fruit and water.
But... WE LOVE RICK STEVES! We constantly referenced your guidebook, and talked about "Rick" as if he were a third person joining us on our trip. Very great detailed guides to arriving and getting around the cities, and we enjoyed the walking tours as a way to learn more about the history of the areas we were visiting.
Lindsay in New York, NY USA 08/03/2010
expand coverage. there are many places that are worthy of a visit but aren't in the books. no one else does what Rick does so I have to settle for information from someone else.
Calvin Hilton in Jacksonville, FL USA 08/02/2010
Please make for iPad! Would be so nice to take with me in that format!,,,,!Travel books are meant to be in an electronic, easy to carry format...interactive maps....the options are endless! If you can T do interactive, at least have a basic ebook format. We love your books but don't want to lug around Europe. Thank you for your consideration
Dana Orellana in Stockton , Ca USA 07/18/2010
As signage in sporadic and friendly help hard to find (they will answer ONLY what you have asked, and do not offer anything beyond that... ie. Tourist Info desk at Chamartin station- "We would like to visit Alcala'. Where can we find a bus to get us there?" Answer- "I don't know anything about buses." Next person please. The answer should have been "Right there is a train, the C-8 which will take you right to it."), more specifics on where to go once in a station would help. Actually, finding the AVE platforms in Atocha was no picnic either. Lead us by the nose. We are weary by the time we hit a station.
Lora Rozzi in Granger, IN USA 07/06/2010
Not an improvement, but wanted to note CITRUS on Passeig de Gracia 44 we stumbled upon. GREAT VALUE, try to check it out. We went twice. Dinner for 4 with 1 bottle/wine was 125 euros. Nice dining room, very good service and great food/wine.
Marc Stuart in New York, NY USA 06/07/2010
After reading the 2009 edition of Spain, I had about decided not to go to Madrid. Our granddaughter convinced us to go and we loved it. The historical sights, gret art museums, and just the fun, laid back city made it right up there with our favorite places in Europe.
Teddie Lohmeier in Nicholson, GA USA 05/31/2010
Barcelona: Add tips on getting from Placa de Catalunya to Barceloneta (bus, taxi, walking?).
Madrid: (p. 361) note whether 10-trip ticket can be used for bus #27 self-guided tour.
Nicole in Bayonne, NJ USA 05/31/2010
Page 328: for the Julia Travel tour to Toledo, recommend against the purchase of the optional lunch. It was at Restaurante Monterrey, which seems to host nothing but hoards of tour busses, serving very pedestrian slop. You will do better on your own in the city (and pay less). The tour guide tells you how to rendezvous with the paid lunch crowd.
Zander Westendarp in Seattle, WA USA 05/28/2010
Didn't realize smoking would be allowed absolutely everywhere in the city. And we couldn't get tap water served to us anywhere. Would have liked a heads up, since we primarily used the Barcelona book exclusively to help us plan our days in Barcelona.
Anika in Longmont, CO USA 05/19/2010
Not sure if this should be part of the book or not, but driving in and out of San Sebastian,St.Jean-Pied-de-Port, Pamplona, Burgos, Leon & Santiago was very, very, difficult.
D Kronus in Bradenton, FL USA 05/19/2010
Have used many of your books and I can honestly say this was my first awful experience.
Carmela Infanti in Philadelphia, PA USA 05/11/2010
Some of the maps in the guidebooks could be better oriented for the self guided tours. When you read the text you have to continually twist the map in the book around and it can be disorientating. Otherwise the self guided tours are very well done.
Also, I would welcome (and pay) for detailed maps of each city listing all of Ricks recommendations.
Bob Male in Mount Laurel, NJ USA 05/01/2010
Call Spanish food for what it is, ham & cheese sandwiches, and about a 90% chance that you will get a warmed up frozen pizza when ordered. Also these people ought to stop smoking and start smiling.
James E. Turner in Twain Harte, CA USA 04/28/2010
My wife is jealous, because I love Rick Steve's guidebooks so much (it's an inside joke). The Andalusian bus tour though was a spectacular failure though, and the only time I have ever thought your commentary or recommendations were anything less than spot on. I think there might be some more interesting cities in the NE (like Tereul, or Valencia...which I know you have a short online guide for).
Ryan MacDicken in Auburn, WA USA 04/23/2010
Explain that a credit card issued outside Europe is not accepted in many vending machines. For example, in Metro pass vending machine at Madrid airport. We had the same problem in 2007 in France (train ticket machines, autoroute tolls.) It's OK when you deal with a human who will ask to see your passport.
Dave Fisher in Calgary, AB Canada 04/12/2010
Excellent guide book
Joel Beane in St. Catharines, On Canada 04/03/2010
A great book full of tons of great tips. I loved all the walking tours. Well done Rick!
John Osgood in New York, NY USA 03/31/2010
I'd like to see a thicker book on Spain, I think a lot of the towns you cover are highly touristed (Toledo, Salamenca, Sevilla, Granada) and considering your preferences for back door experiences, I think a few other towns would be a propros. We loved the sleepy towns of Zafra, Cuenca and Albaraccin, and there's probably loads more towns in Rioja/Aragon we would have loved to have seen if time. For some reason I seem to be the only person in the world who thinks Ronda is overrated, but Arcos was my speed and I wish I'd had time for Jerez. The driving, navigating and parking in Arcos kind of set us back a day.
Other: I think I sent you guys a feedback note the week before I left saying there's no info on cell phones in the book but after I wrote that, I figured out it's in the appendix in the back with all the other really useful stuff. I don't know why but it wasn't clear to me at all that the appendix would have that key information (maybe since some key info is in the front), I think it would be more "dummy proof" if you put all the key information in one area at the front. Part of the problem with this was I missed reading that I needed an Intl' Drivers Permit for Spain (always thought no one used those in Europe) until the night before I left. Thank goodness I did read it and got to AAA the second they opened the following morning, or I would have been S-O-L when I landed in Spain.
You're going to laugh but one thing you should probably add to the food translation section in every book is "Does the fish have a head and/or tail still on?"... or is the shrimp peeled or with legs? I have heard so many Americans complain about the surprise of that experience in European countries.
Lara in Denver, CO USA 03/14/2010
Rick, I just read Spain 2006. It would be great if you can add population, sea level info. under each city that you hightlight, so that it stands out right there under the city name. (e.g., Lonely Planet format).
Please consider consolidating all info.concerning: Air, Bus, Train, TI, Hotels, Restaurants, Locally Guded Tours/Operators, etc.ina borderd insert on one page. A consistent format in a consistent location will make for quick easy reference. Right now it is descriptively distributed in text throughout the City description. It can also serve to Brand Steve Rick books.
Art in Jain, CA USA 03/11/2010
Don't mess with it! We especially like the tips about basic stuff such as buying tickets for the bus - the recommendations for Budapest were much appreciated! Any damn fool can find five star restaurants and hotels but it's the little things that make a difference when traveling, which is why we like Rick's books so much.
Rocco Cappeto in Seattle, WA USA 02/15/2010
Perhaps a list of hotels by city as an appendix? I was flipping around in the book when trying to book more than one city on the go. This book was an invaluable resource, and I was glad I bought it! I bought it when I went to see Rick speak in San Francisco on Jan 9. I left on my trip on Jan 12!
Julie Langill in Danville, CA USA 02/15/2010
Add more information about the southeastern coast of Spain from Valencia south through Alicante and into Murcia and Almeria. Also, information about the Balearic Islands would be nice.
NJ in Seattle, WA USA 02/08/2010
Rick, please ease up on your comments about the pilgrims walking the Camino Frances. It was such a wonderful experience. It is truly one way to see the countryside and live like the Spanish people. Many of the villages welcome pilgrims as they eat in bars, restaurants and buy food in the stores while walking through or staying in albergues and hotels. I know not everyone can walk to see the sights in Nothern Spain but those who do walk, do not deserve snide comments.
G. Darby in Fredericton, NB Canada 02/02/2010
I did head the warning "of all the cities in Europe Barcelona is the one where you are most likely to be pick-pocketed" So I put my wallet in my front pocket and kept a keen eye out. However, I think a sentence or two on this topic is more than necessary to truly show the colors of these people.
Juan lost my wallet in Poorville, USA 01/11/2010
It would be helpful to put a few phrases in the guidebook since I was consistently flipping between the torn pages of Sevilla and my phrase book for the simplest things. But I eventually figured it out!
Virginia in Boston, MA USA 12/17/2009
Emphasize the Merce Festival in Barcelona in September. The place was packed with people, there were all kinds of activities going on (some of them downright strange) and a quaintly historical parade!
Catherine in Edmonds, WA USA 12/15/2009
For people who do not have a car I think Jerez is a good place to stay between Arcos and Sevilla. The book assumes you have a car and will not stay overnight in Jerez. I stayed at the Hotel Chancilleria there and thought it was a hidden gem with an excellent restaurant. It reminded me of other gems I have stayed at that were recommended by Rick such as les Florets in Gigondas and la Roseraie in Chenonceaux.
Jim Perschbacher in Mableton, GA USA 12/06/2009
Dear Rick,
My wife and I stayed at the Amadeus Hotel Musica de Sevilla, Spain that you recommended. It was worth the money. It was a very nice place, Thanks for the recommendation. While there for 3 weeks we got to know Christina and Maria Elena and Zeida. Christina told us about your visit there and says that every evening she asks the Virgin Mary to bless you for bringing the hotel unpresidented success. They did a great job of making our stay in Seville great. Thanks you
Darrel L. Diedrichs in Lincoln, Ne USA 11/29/2009
Don't change a thing! The writing style is fluid, fun, and accessible; the factual info is reliable; and your suggestions for establishing priorities are extremely helpful. I'll never plan a trip to Europe without you!
Nancy Zeilig in Denver, CO USA 11/14/2009
Include a list of less popular museums/sites so that repeat visitors to a city have a resource when their "first time visiting Spain" travel companions go to the popular/famous places.
Wendy in Washington , DC USA 11/04/2009
Please take out Casa del Sol y Luna as a recommendation in Sevilla. It was unacceptable in every way except for the very friendly and helpful staff. I am used to staying in 2 star places, and am not particular. If you look at reviews in Trip Advisor, you will see more of the same terrible reviews. Other wise, your book Spain 2009, was wonderful. We used it exclusively and did not need any thing else. I'll get another Rick Steves book as soon as I know where I am going!
Marge Clark in Marion, Oh USA 11/02/2009
More mention of the Paradores (see above)
Ron Hendrick in Boulder, CO USA 11/01/2009
I found this book to be invaluable while I was in Spain. I honestly don't have any suggestions on how to improve it.
Jean Brubeck in Santa Cruz, CA USA 10/06/2009
Mallorca
Kylie Peterson in Dallas, TX USA 10/05/2009
Take Museo de Jamon. As an avid reader of your books who has used them for 3 European vacations - I feel like you recommended that I walk right into a scam. Your hotels and restaurants up until this point have been VERY helpful - but I feel extremely strongly that you need to take this restaurant out of your book.
Jenny in Jackson, WA USA 10/01/2009
Please include a full Valencia chapter! The online guide by Tooraj Fooladi was somewhat helpful, but we really missed the attention to detail--plus maps of sights, restaurants, etc.--that the full chapters give. Rick Steves' insider tips really help you feel not so lost, and we missed that. For example, here are some things we wished we had known beforehand:
1. Fooladi recommended seeing the Ciutat Vella and Calatrava's City of Arts and Sciences in the same morning, making it sound like they are close to one another. In fact, the CAS is a 45-minute walk away from the city center in the opposite direction from the Ciutat Vella, making it rather difficult to see both in one morning.
2. Speaking of the Ciutat Vella, we found it rather hard to follow Fooladi's directions for exploring the old quarter. We would have loved a map!
3. On his recommendation, we planned to eat paella for lunch at the beach on our only full day in Valencia. We took the #32 bus as he recommended and got off when we reached the beach--and found no restaurants in sight. We walked around for awhile looking for them and finally gave up. When we got back on the bus after a couple hours on the beach, we were surprised to find the restaurants at the far end of the beach, several stops later. It would have been great to know which stop to use for the restaurants!
3. Paella is only served at lunchtime, because it is deemed too heavy for the evening meal. We were so sad to have missed the opportunity to eat paella in its birthplace!
4. If you are taking the buses in the evening, there is a special night bus schedule. The #32, for example, stops running after a certain point. We had taken the #32 to the Mestalla Stadium for a soccer match and planned to take it back to the hotel, but instead had to walk to our hotel afterwards, thankfully just missing a thunderstorm.
We did enjoy our stay at one of the hotels he recommended--Hotel Reina Victoria. Clean, safe, centrally located, with friendly staff.
Ed in Chicago, IL USA 09/10/2009
Absolutedly loved the book! I was so sad to close it for the last time..... Thank you Rick!
Steve Richards, M.D. in Spokane, WA USA 08/17/2009
Absolutedly loved the book! I was so sad to close it for the last time..... Thank you Rick!
Steve Richards, M.D. in Spokane, WA USA 08/17/2009
Please add how to use a day pass or T10 card on the bus (put it in the machine behind the driver). From pp. 49-50: I tried and tried but couldn’t find the Deacon’s House in Barcelona. Please list its Spanish name! Overall, I found the Barri Gothic self-guided walk in Barcelona difficult to follow several times and had to back-track more than I ever have with any other Rick Steves self-guided walk. Maybe the walk needs to be revisited? I also wish a visit to the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona had been more encouraged on pp. 28-29 or mentioned in the Modernisme/Gaudi section on pp. 64-65 (I know it’s not in the Eixample, but it is Modernista); after seeing postcards of it, I would’ve much preferred a tour of it to that of Casa Mila. Finally, why didn’t the Basque section in the RS France 2009 have the cheap tricks section like the Spain book?
Kyla Gurganus in Ypsilanti, MI USA 08/11/2009
Add a small section for hair, nails etc.sometimes the women just need a day of rest...
Daphne Weaver in Bremerton, WA USA 08/03/2009
Print the chapter on Valencia.
Bryan in Seattle, WA USA 08/01/2009
This restaurant is located in Granada its a great place to eats very reasonably priced. Albahaca Varela,17 Telf 958 224 923, 18009-Granada, cross steet S.Rafael. This is a wonderful place to eat near the PL. de la Mariana.
Carmen in Los Angeles, CA USA 07/29/2009
Hi,
My husband and I used your Spain 2009 book in late June to early July of this year, and your Italy 2008 book last summer, and found both incredibly helpful. Like another commenter I saw, we also took to saying "Rick says to do such-and-such" when we were walking around.
We have two suggestions for the Spain 2009 book.
First, a suggestion about buying train tickets. The book suggests that travelers reserve tickets through the Renfe website in advance, which is great advice. But I think it would be helpful to note, also, that the Renfe website, despite being somewhat difficult to use, is a better alternative than the much more user-friendly RailEurope site, because the Renfe website offers many more -- and MUCH cheaper! -- train options. I was initially quite tempted to use the RailEurope site because the Renfe website, even when one finds the English version, still has quite a few (maybe half) of the terms in Spanish. And, some of the English words do not mean what I would have taken them to mean in English (i.e., "cardholder" for credit cards does not mean, e.g., "John Smith," it means "MasterCard"). But, after I saw how high the prices were on RailEurope, I decided to try the Renfe site again, just in case it was cheaper, and I found a page on TripAdvisor that walked me through all of the steps to buying tickets on Renfe. Maybe you could include both the recommendation to definitely wade your way through the Renfe site, because it is so much better in the long run, and a link to that page, or similar advice? Here's the link:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187514-c80518/Madrid:Spain:Buying.Renfe.Tickets.Online..html
(Incidentally, we ran into a couple who'd been traveling in both France and Spain, and they said they'd had the same experience with buying tickets for the France portion of their trip -- the French train website was much less expensive than Rail Europe's.)
Second, a suggested modification to your Madrid section. In Madrid, we followed the walking tour to the Palace, which took us by the San Miguel Market, which the book reported would open some time in 2009, and speculated would be more of a tourist trap than a true market for locals. We found that prediction to be quite wrong. The market reminded us of the Ferry Building in San Francisco, only it was better, because of the option to get tapas (of varying prices, from cheap to midrange) from the local vendors and eat right there. And, while there were certainly some tourists like us there, there were also scores of locals both: 1) buying fresh produce, meats, fish, cheeses, etc.; and 2) having after-work happy hours. We actually went back to the market twice because we liked it so much, and a second visit is unusual for us, because we like to experience as much different stuff as possible. I'd say that, especially for foodies, a visit to the San Miguel Market in Madrid is a must. Also, by the way, the chocolatiers at the little shop in the far right corner (when you come in from the square in front of the market -- I wish I recalled the shop's name!) were incredibly friendly, giving us recommendations for restaurants in other cities and a couple of samples, too, when we bought a little box of chocolates. And the chocolates were terrific, too.
Melinda in Chicago, IL USA 07/28/2009
The only thing I can think of is to try to consolidate some of the language references. I have the phrase book and am using that, but I´m also using verbal communication and customs info that is in the actual guidebook. There are pertinent bits scattered throughout the book, so I´m forever flipping pages to find where I read about ordering food customs or something else like that. Any way to feasibly combine things like that into a general "communication/cultural customs" section?
My husband and I will be on the Villages and Vineyards of France tour at the end of August, and using the France guidebook on our own after that. Will see if the same situation applies there.
Thanks for the handy resources that you already provide. I wasn´t the least bit intimidated to make this unexpected trip once I´d snagged a copy of your Spain book and the phrase book! Hasta luego...
Ann Rupley in Woodinville, WA USA 07/23/2009
Keep the irrata travelers want to know the updates.
Carmen in Los Angeles, CA USA 07/15/2009
Me and my family just came back from Madrid and Paris, we got the book from Paris and Spain and the information was very usefull and accurate. Next time we go to Europe will obtain pertinent books as well.
J in Oakland, Fl USA 07/14/2009
Since so much of Spanish royal history is woven into all the cities, sights and museums it would be helpful to have a geneology chart of Spanish royalty somewhere in the book. We were always trying to keep all the kings and queens straight.
William Campbell in Ottawa, ON Canada 07/10/2009
Include Valencia!!! My husband had a conference there, and I felt so lost without a ton of info from your book. I did print out the info from your website, but it would've been a godsend to have a map, restaurant info, etc. from you while we were there. We felt really lost. The people at our hotel were not the most helpful...perhaps the tourism trade there is just starting to take off and they are not sure how to be as helpful as they could be? We had to go next door to the Hilton for a map! Our room was nice, clean, breakfast good. But our hotel (Sorolla Palace next to the Congress, convention center) was so far from the old part of town, the beach, etc. we felt a bit isolated, especially on the weekend when everything was closed. We were surprised restaurants and stores were shut down on Sunday. And several of our friends had no luggage all weekend, had to wait til Monday to shop for some basic clothing. Husbands conference offered a day tour and glad I did it, but nothing compares to Rick's walking tours (I did them in Italy). Wish you'd include Valencia!
Amy Teague in Fishers, IN USA 06/08/2009
See above on Prado, just a minor correction. Otherwise, prepared us very well for the trip.
Russ Lorber in Westminster, MD USA 06/06/2009
Expand the feature on theft to include the accordian player on the Metro. I had read the theft warnings and knew to avoid anyone selling flowers... but wasn't prepared for the Metro player. He was part of a pickpocket gang and when we got off , our videocamera was gone. I had - naively - taken it out of a shoulder bag to get a coin for the player. My fault - totally. The Parc Guell musicians lulled my senses. There were police and dogs at the Paseig de Gracia Metro stop and that alone should have warned me.
Stephanie in Brinkerhoff, MI USA 05/18/2009
Please add information on Valencia and Zaragoza. Both are very worthy to be included. Include info on toll highways - we were taken by surprise and the fees can really add up.
Joan McKey in North Vancouver, BC Canada 05/14/2009
First off, we absolutely loved the guidebook (took a combined trip to Spain and Paris and used the great Rick Steves Paris guide too). The Spain Guidebook was incredible in the amount of information and allowed us to plan out our time to the fullest extent possible.
One thing that we repeatedly wished the Spain guide had was maps of the subway systems for the major cities (like the city specific guides from Rick Steves). Although you can in theory get a subway map from information kiosks and/or in the subway, we found that they were always out of maps. A subway map actually in the book itself would have made planning before the trip easier because at times it was extremely difficult to orient your as to where a particular station is located.
We used the subways a lot, and we figured it out, but I could have thrown away our other guidebooks if the Rick Steves' Spain book had its own subway maps for Madrid and Barcelona.
Thanks
Jarrad Wright in Washington, DC USA 05/04/2009
The book more than paid for itself in terms of making our trip a really good one. So these suggestions should be viewed merely as things to consider.
At least minimal coverage of the SE corner of Spain, particularly around Cabo de Gata would have been nice to have for those traveling the southern coast.
Do what Lonely Planet does and sell down-loadable sections on line for a fee. Users would (presumably) get the latest information and carry lighter loads when they visit only parts of a country. (And you might make more money in the bargain.)
Also, if there is any way (e.g., an icon) to identify restaurants and bars that ban smoking they'd get my business. (I have places in Spain I want to visit but may not return until they adopt the same laws as Norway, Italy and other enlightened European countries.)
Gerald L. Rose in Iowa City, IA USA 04/30/2009
Spain is still shockingly expensive to the American traveller. While I know you don't want to discourage guidebook sales, I'd be more frank about this problem. Until the Euro drops to parity with the dollar, American travellers should consider staying outside the "Euro zone." In the meantime, even more attention should be paid to money-saving tips. Like is it really necessary to go inside the Sagrada Familia if it's going to cost you $15? Just sit in the park outside and admire the facade.
Dave in Philadelphia, PA USA 03/31/2009
Include tips for reducing energy and resource use. Most hotels have very wasteful shower heads. Hotel Las Conchas was way overheated during our visit in March, when the weather required no heating. Can you use your clout to get hotels listed in your book to adopt more sustainable practices?
Steve in Princeton, NJ USA 03/24/2009
I'd love to see the Madrid self-guided walk extended past the Royal Palace to the Temple de Debod. We found the Madrid self-guided walk hard to follow from the market to the city hall (especially around the convent). Please add a self-guided walk in Toledo! The directions from the bus station in Toledo to Bisagra Gate were difficult to follow; we just walked up until we got to the main road and followed it towards the town above.
Kyla Gurganus in Ypsilanti, MI USA 03/06/2009
I recently purchased your SPAIN 2009 guidebook, which I find quite helpful in general. In particular, I was drawn to it by the fact that you included a section on Gibraltar, which I intend to visit.
(You may ask why I want to go to Gibraltar; the answer is simply this. When I was a child, my family lived in Staten Island, NY, and our telephone exchange was GIbraltar xxxxx, )
I have just one suggestion to make. On page 16, you note that your choice of hotels favors those handy to sightseeing activities. Unfortunately, and as I am sure that you realize, one size rarely fits all, and in this particular instance, I would have been very happy to find at least one or two hotels located very close to major railway stations (such as Chamartin and Atocha in Madrid, Sants in Barcelona, etc). As I am sure you recognize, when one travels by train in places like Spain (which is a very good way to go), having a hotel within walking distance of the railroad station is a definite advantage, particularly for times when you are arriving relatively late in the evening, or even more so, when you are taking an early train in the morning.
FYI, I have found hotels which suit my needs, but it entailed working through the long lists found on Expedia, Travelocity, etc.
Morton L. Brown in Honolulu, HI USA 02/08/2009
You miss some really great hotels and restaurants that are not mentioned in your book. Check out, for example, Casa Morisca in Granada --WONDERFUL HOTEL! And the food at Albahaca in Granada was also fantastic. Our best meal in Spain was in Barcelona at Tapioles 53.
Ava Nackman in Chapel Hill, NC USA 01/26/2009
Put a metro map of Barcelona & Madrid in the front cover. That would help a lot! Please update the prices. I planned my budget around what was written and much of it was off!
Jennifer Chen in Fremont, CA USA 01/03/2009
Aside from Santiago, our favorite place in Spain is Burgos, an unappreciated gem offering great history, value, food, and sights. Especially cool is the city's main museum, with great exhibits and NO entrance fee!
Jon Strebler in Chula Vista, CA USA 01/03/2009