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More Feedback on Rick Steves' Spain and Portugal

Please share any ways we can improve or fix this guidebook. Are there recommendations in this book that disappointed you? Do you have any new experiences or new places we should consider? Any warnings or tips for people traveling with existing edition?


Portugal and Spain
Just returned from 5 weeks in Portugal and Spain. First time we'd used your book and found it very good. Ditto your dictionary and phrase book. Liked the style, size, maps, walking tours, need-to-know and "local color" info. Stayed at Hotel Europa in Madrid. It was hard to drive to but our stay was fine. Helpful staff. The cafeteria, esp. the menu of the day at lunch was tasty, good-sized, and reasonably priced. Another favorite stay was at Pension Mare in Salema. Great host, view, and b'fast. there. Best b'fast. was at Evora's Solar Monfalim.

Worst restuarant experience was Casa Transmontana in Lisbon. Slow service, frequent intrusions, incl. screaming children in next room and running through restuarant and a bar (next room) patron?family member?walking through restuarant 3 times to use the restroom while we (all tables) waited to be served. Waitress apron extremly dirty. Food definitely not worth the trouble.

A correction: St. Anthony not buried in Lisbon, but in Padua, Italy. It was St. Vincent who was brought to Lisbon with the help of ravens. Using Rough Guide along with your book helped fill in info. gaps. The most stressful part of the trip was entry (driving)into each new town and finding our hotel/parking. Having a street map and specific directions from the hotel in hand would be very worthwhile to us/anyone. Keep up the good work.
Julie and Peter
Kailua,, Hi.   USA   10/31/02


Rick Steves' Spain and Portugal-2002
We are going to visit Spain and Portugal and will be staying on the coast in the Algarve and on the Gold coast where we traded for timeshare dates, ie the hotels are basically free, we will spend a week at each location as well as visiting Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla and Lisbon. I looked at the section on the Algarve and found the central portion around Faro is simply labeled on the map as the worst of the Algarve and completely ignored. That dear friends is a real cop out. We will be there in December- no hordes of tourists, and our resort is in Almancil, near Faro. Your book tells me nothing about this area and little about the surrounding area. Salema and Tavira get coverage but the rest of the Algarve might as well be the backside of the moon. If you don't like it at least tell us why, but better yet act like a travel book and give decent coverage to all areas of a country and let the traveler decide. The coverage of the Spanish Gold Coast is equally sparse; Nerja, Tarifa and Alegricia get a bit of coverage while Gibraltar gets 4 pages of detailed prose. Gibraltar gets 4 pages and Malaga doesn't rate mentioning nor do any of the lovely little villages in the mountains nearby. Travel guide indeed, describe the country fully or don't sell the bloody book. You label what you describe as the top destinations and then ignore everything else. Elitist and not in any way edifying. My recomendation, go to Lonely Planet or Fodors for travel books!
Duane R. Houck <email>
Gresham, OR   USA   10/29/02
[Editor's Note: Rick's guidebooks purposely don't cover every part of each country, his philosophy being that it's his "job to sift through mountains of time-sapping alternatives and present you with only the best". Since most travelers have limited time, Rick writes his guidebooks to maximize the best use of readers' vacation time and money. We also recommend supplementing Rick's material with Lonely Planet's wide-reaching coverage when you don't find everything you're looking for.]


Portugal trip 10-15 to 10-25
My wife and I just returned from 10 days in Portugal. We began our trip in Lisbon where we stayed at the Lisboa Tejo. The hotel was nice and centrally located. They served a great breakfast that included bacon and eggs. Highlights of Lisbon included day trips to Sintra and Belem, wandering the narrow streets of the Alfama and Bairro Alto, taking the #28 tram, and the Gulbenkian Museum. Highly recommend getting the Lisboa Card upon arriving at the airport. I think a fado show is a little over-rated but I guess you have to see one since it is an important part of Portugal's culture.

We then rented a car from Europcar and drove to Coimbra. We stayed at the Ibis recommended in Rick's book and spend an enjoyable half-day seeing all the sights. The Ibis, although like a Motel 6, was clean, comfortable, centrally located with its own parking lot. I'd stay at an Ibis again. We then travelled to Evora, seeing the monasteries in Batalha and Alcobaca and the walled town of Obidos on the way. Nice stops. We had a little difficulty finding and driving to the Solar Monfalim, our hotel in Evora. The hotel was very nice and centrally located. If you are a fast traveller, Evora is worth a 1/2 day visit. If you like to go slow and have a glass of wine or a coffee once in a while, Evora is worth a day. We celebrated my wife's 50th birthday in Evora, eating at Fialho in Rick's guidebook. This was a great restaurant. Try the wild boar with a bottle of Cartuxa red wine from the region.

A couple of small corrections need to be made in the guidebook. The Moorish castle in Sintra is nolonger free. The Maritime Museum in Belem is nolonger covered by the Lisboa Card and is not on the east (but west)side of the monastery as described in the book. The map is correct but the written directions are not. Portugal does not have the sights of France or Italy but the country is colorful and interesting and its people very warm and friendly. Go there and eat a lot of fish.
P & D
Salem, OR   USA   10/29/02


The People of Portugal
Having just returned from a 10-day trip to Portugal with my wife, I feel compelled to respond to an earlier posting from Mike Dugan from San Francisco in which he described Portugal as being a "cesspool" and males as "animals." He also commented on how often he was short-changed. I am not disputing Mr. Dugan's experiences, but my wife and I found the people of Portugal to be warm, friendly and always ready to help. My wife was never harrassed by any males in Lisbon, Coimbra, Evora and other places we travelled. We talked to another couple who had spent time in the Algarve and the wife said she hadn't experienced any harrassment either. We appeared to get short-changed once by a toll-operator but otherwise, all money transactions went smoothly and honestly. Again, I am not disputing what happened to Mr. Dugan but I don't think it is fair to indict a whole country and its people following the experience of one couple.
P & D
Salem, OR   USA   10/29/02


Barcelona, Madrid and Toledo
Rick's Guide book offers some of the most wonderful tips for travelers in Spain. We just returned from our second trip to Spain (and Italy) and still find it the most helpful.

I have a few remarks. 1)Barcelona: Hotel Continental has a prime location and a fine value. The room is a little cramped but clean. We can't complain when the room costs only 66Euros a night and we are right on Ramblas. Staff is friendly and helpful. Great value. Dining in El Hostal de Rita is a must if you want great food and good prices. The atmosphere was upscale and food was outstanding. My husband and I each had appetizers, a main course, desert & wine and the bill was only 36Euros! Be sure you get there around 8PM (opens at 830PM)and stand in line, otherwise you won't get a table until late. La Garduna by the La Boqueria Market has a well-priced set menu. Food was okay.

2)Madrid: We stayed at Hotel Europa last year (clean rooms and good value) but decided to splurge this time. Hotel Reina Victoria is everything you expect from a luxury hotel. We booked our room through hotels.com and got a fine deal- US$110 a night. Buffet breakfast was generous and included in the price. Great value! We also recommend Hotel Europa Cafeteria for good traditional Spanish cuisine and great service. We ate there last year and decided to go back. We even had the same waiter who was just as polite and attentive as the year before!

3)Toledo: Restaurant Casa Aurelio offered pricey but delicious roasted suckling pigs. Service was okay until my husband asked for a new glass of wine when a fly flew into the glass accidentally. The waiter, however, made a comment to his fellow worker that my husband may have put the fly there himself! I guess they forgot my husband speaks Spanish and understood every word they said. That made our whole dining experience quite unpleasant.
MG
Dallas, TX   USA   10/23/02


spain Oct 4-18
Had a great time, we really were apprciative to Ricks suggestions , a few more tips. Tapas crawling in Madrid --wonderful, tasty treats. We used the metro it was so convenient we took it in from the airport-took about 30 minutes, got a good map at the Airport metro station.

Having breakfast at the Museo de Jamon (there are several around) was a good value and great food. Also they do a take out picnic, cheap and wonderful, we took it on the train to Sevilla, it even includes a beer if you want.

Sevilla, stayed in the Barrio Stanta Crux area--great area, not too expensive. Hostal Bienvenido calle Archeros 655 was good deal with a roof top terrace. The cathedral is worth seeing with its tower.

Arcos De frontera--the best hotel we had was here at the El convento--right on the cliffside, we had a quick bus ride to Jerez to taste the 6 sherries at Sandeman, needed a nap after our return. the buses leave hourly back and forth.

Ronda was fun, we had one nite at a good, reasonable hotel San Francisco, then at the wonderful Alvera de los Banos--a great place with great garden and which included a big breakfast all for 58 Euros for the 2 of us.Our highlight was Las Alpujarras, 1 hour from Granada in the Sierras, we stayed at Caplleria, a hilltop town, wonderful clean place with lots of day or shorter walks, you feel like you are away from it all. Buses leave Granada 3X a day, the trip itself is spectacular.

Granada and the Alhambra were great of course. We recommend getting your tickets at any BBVA bank (you must do so 48 hours prior to your visit) that way you do not need to go to line up at the ticket office at the alhambra itself. We got a reservation over the internet which meant we had to line up (at the ticket office) at least 2 hours ahead of our alotted time.
Jeanette And Robert <email>
Victoria .BC Canada,    canada   10/21/02


Spain and Portugal trip
We recently returned from a four week trip to Spain and Portugal. We used Rick's book and the Lonely Planet books and found the combination worked well. Here are some of our thoughts.

In Andalucia we found Zahara and Grazalema very charming, but we also enjoyed Olvera. The view of Olvera from the road to Sentenil is stunning. There is a castle and a small museum at the top of the town. Proceed past the castle entrance to the tourist office. After paying a small fee, your are let into the castle and leaves a key for you to lock up after you're done. The museum has no English descriptions, and it seemed that English was not commonly spoken in Olvera. We had trouble finding a place to eat on the main drag. In Olvera and other smaller towns, people were much friendlier than in the bigger cities.

Regarding transportation, we decided to take trains and buses for most of our trip, and only drove between Seville and Granada. Our only significant problem occured on the train from Salamanca to Coimbra. Yes, we bit the bullet and took the only train at 4:45 AM. Unfortunately, we bought "tourista" class tickets without understanding what they were. This overnignt train from Madrid to Lisboa appeared to have compartments only. When we boarded, the small eight person compartment was already packed with six people and their luggage. There was absolutely no way we could squeeze in with our bags and we knew we couldn't leave luggage outside of the compartment.

The supervisor was very mean and really did not want to help. But after my wife bugged him long enough in Spanish, he finally sold us what appeared to be a second class sleeper for about 14 euros each. Our advice: Unless you are extremely frugal, traveling light enough to keep your gear on your lap for five hours, or are willing to gamble that your compartment will not be full, avoid "tourista" class on this train. Even better, there are bus options that are not mentioned in Steve's book. As I recall, they left in the late afternoon and were fast, but may not have been available all days.

In Granada, we made our advanced Alhambra reservation for 2:30 PM . We intended to get there earlier but got behind schedule and showed up when the gates opened for the afternoon at 2:00 PM. What a mess! Even with reservations we had to wait in line for about 50 minutes (make sure you're in the correct line!). That meant we had to literally run to the Palacios Nazaries to get in before our time expired. And we definitely had the feeling that had we missed our time we would get no sympathy from the workers. Make your reservation for the Palacios Nazaries not too near opening times, and pick up your tickets early.

We enjoyed Toledo, but it was quite touristy. The view of the town from the south across the river gorge is worth the trouble. Public buses do stop there, and the tourist train just drives by, but we had a very memorable time taking the little ferry across the river and walking up the hill. The landing is near the Hotel El Diamantista, and morning and afternoon hours were posted on the boat, but we weren't sure how reliable they were.
C and N
Portland, OR   USA   10/08/02


website address wrong
Please note that the website stated in Ricks' Spain and Portugal 2002 for the Hotel San Miguel in Ronda is not correct. The correct website for the hotel is: www.dmiguel.com. If you use the one in the book, you end up with a Mexican foods manufacturer's website!
Jenny Flynn
El Puerto de Santa Maria,   Spain   10/08/02


Tavira
Just spent 4 nights in the Algarve in the coastal town of Tavira, stayed at the Pension Bela Fria, comfortable. I took the train one day to Sagres, the fort at Cape Sagres is a must, the beaches down below are gorgeous and,yes,topless.

The next day I took a bus tour out of Tavira to Gibraltar, a day in Gibraltar is enough,the Apes were fun, cave well lit and the highlight for me was the beautiful view of Morrocco from Europa point, seeing where the Atlantic and Mediterrean meet, long day but worth it.

The next day took a bus tour of Seville, saw the Cathederal Giralda and walked the ramps to the top, also the Spanish Square is worth the stop, back to Tavira, should have spent a night in Seville to see the Flamenco dancing, hear it's quite good.

The next day finally got a chance to tour Tavira, the town really does have an ambience, very relaxing, visited the Castle ruins, the Santa Maria Church, the church near the TI is definitely worth a look, a ride to the beaches is definitely worth it,even just for the ride. The Praca Republica really rocks after about 10 in the evening lots of people, singing, and dancing.

I ate one evening at Patrick's. The lasagne was superb and the beer cold. I told Patrick that I found out about his restaurant in your book, service seemed to get better, try to get a table outside, if you are a people watcher. Ate at O Simao, the salad excellent, pork chops tasty, beer cold and prices reasonable.

Tavira is a great place to base yourself and make day trips to other locations in southern Spain and the Algarve. My accommodation was across the street from the bus station, with direct access, only three and a half hours by bus to Lisbon. Just to walk across the Roman bridge in Tavira , is an experience, try imagining whar the city was like many centuies ago. Tavira "Otimo"
Craig Ness <email>
Kuwait City,    kw   09/13/02


Portugal is amazing!!!
Ive been going to Portugal every year since I was a few months old and I have traveled a lot as well. Portugal is by far the prettiest and most exciting place I have ever been to. I stay in Salema and the people there are lovely and the men 1000 times more gentlemanly than any English men I have met. Never have I been treated badly or been short changed. In fact I get many discounts, and all the bar men and women are lovely. I am never happier than when I am in Portugal and that goes for many of my friends too, whose families go there year after year like mine. I feel safer walking around at night in Salema than I do in my hometown!

  USA   09/04/02


Spain recommendations
We organized our late May/early June first trip to Spain by flying into Barcelona as our first stop, then flying to Granada and using trains and buses to wend our way back to Barcelona. This worked well.

Stayed at Pensio 2000 (www.pensio2000.com)in Barcelona, just across the street from Palau de Musica (which is a three-star site in my book). We stayed in two different rooms, one with a private bath (51 euros) and one without (39 euros). We also spent a night at Hosteria Grau for 54 euros. Not luxurious places, certainly, but nothing wrong with them at those prices!

We weren't able to get reservations at Hotel Los Tilos in Granada several weeks ahead of our trip, but when we got there we were glad! Most times of the year it would probably be fine, but it was Fiestas del Corpus week and two huge tents with loudspeaker music were set up in the Bib-Rambla square. We were glad we had booked at Casa del Aljarife in the Albayzin (www.granadainfo.com/most; 84 euros and we had a suite). It was SO quiet there, although an uphill hike over cobblestones. The owner had great restaurant recommendations. Someone on this site said Granada was their least favorite city but, because we had such good luck with our lodging, meals, and the musical events taking place while we were there, we loved it.

In summertime in Nerja, be sure you get an air conditioned room so you can keep your windows closed; it's a very noisy place! Rick's recommended Hostal Lorca had its good points (price!), but it was far from quiet. Might be quieter in the pedestrian zone near the Balcony of Europe, but this summer a great deal of construction was going on in that area. The Parador would probably be best of all.

In Seville, we were glad we'd booked a hotel in Barrio Santa Cruz for quiet; we stayed at Hosteria del Laurel (84 euros) where the rooms were a bit characterless but the restaurant and bar were very atmospheric (www.eintec.es/host-laurel/ or www.hosteriadellaurel.com).

In Madrid, we stayed at Hostal La Macarena, very close to Plaza Mayor, quiet, family run, and well-priced at 63 euros per night (Cava de San Miguel 8, 913 659 221 or 666 111; fax 642 757). We loved Campo del Moro, the gardens of the Palacio Real but only accessible on the far (west) side; we combined this with our visit to the Goya chapel - both accessible from the Principe Pio station.

We spent one night in Zaragoza and enjoyed it, the town not being so full of tourists as our other stops. The huge Plaza del Pilar is a great spot, there are some outstanding ancient sites, and we enjoyed the public market there more than others we visited. Good stopover to break a train trip between Madrid and Barcelona! We stayed at Via Romana in a great location right on the plaza but characterless and 102 euros per night, including a large, German-style buffet breakfast (www.husa.es).

We were very careful and had no pickpocket problems anywhere and found the police in evidence most places, especially in Barcelona. Maybe they're really working on this problem. It was cool and my husband wore his jacket around his waist, which kind of prevents anybody getting into your pants pockets.

We read other guidebooks as well, but Rick Steves puts out "the bible" that we carry everywhere. The definitive information on transportation is especially appreciated.

See "Savory Spain" for our restaurant recommendations.
Janet Sims <email>
CO   USA   08/26/02


Portugal
I wonder if I was in the same country as the one in your guidebook? My wife and I just completed a two week vacation in Spain and Portugal and Portugal, to say the least, was a cesspool. We spent a few days in Lagos and when the sun went down, the local animals came out. My wife was constantly menaced. These males act as if they are 15 years old. She was fondled and harassed constantly to the point we had to leave Lagos. The locals would wait for me to go to the bathroom and would move in. Women should beware if they are out at night. Other female travellers we talked to had similiar experiences.

Upon arriving in Lisbon we took a cab to Residencial Florescente. Whereupon the "good-humored" cab driver refused to give us change from a $20 for a $5 cab ride. The hotel staff seemed to really enjoy this fact. Hoping our experience would be better here than in the Algarve, we went out to dinner only to have the same kind of menacing behavior all over again. Needless to say we had had enough.

We decided to go to a movie to remove ourselves from these people. We went to a shopping center not too far away. While waiting near the food court, my wife went to the bathroom only to be followed in by yet another animal. This was our cue to get out of this country and warn any and all that the only thing underrated about this country is how unsafe it is for women.

I have to wonder if Rick travels with women or notices the danger women face here. We have travelled all over Europe and many countries around the world and this was the worst experience by far we have encountered anywhere including many third world countries. I wish someone had warned us before we went because this country is not worth it.

P.S. Count your change immediately and in front of them. No less than 5 times were we short changed.
Mike Dugan <email>
San Francisco, ca   USA   08/23/02


Spain Vacation
We just returned from a 9 day trip to Spain. We started our trip at the Hotel Europa in Madrid, which was everything Rick said it was... Great location, very nice staff, very clean. The only problem I had was that the hotel wasn't air conditioned, and it was very, very hot.

We went to Seville and stayed at the Hotel Donna Maria, which we enjoyed quite a bit. The location was awesome (right next to the cathedral), and the rooftop terrace pool was a lifesaver in the 97 degree heat.

We then rented a car and drove through the Andulusian hill towns of Zahara (could have skipped this one), Ronda, which was beautiful and had great shopping, and stayed in Arcos. The parador in Arcos was wonderful!!! It had a beautiful view, lovely staff, and great food. Rick's walking tour through the town of Arcos was a true treasure, and made the town come alive with history.

We made a side trip to Cadiz, to see to the beach, since it was so hot. Cadiz is a port town, and pretty much a dump. However, the parador there was great, and some locals gave us a tip on a good restaurant that was phenomenal! We were the only tourists in the town (or so it seemed), so we really got a feel for the real Spain away from all the tourists.

Lastly, we went to Toledo. It was very touristy and very hilly (make sure you bring your best walking shoes). We stayed at the Hotel El Cardenal, which I would not recommend. The staff bordered on rude, and although the hotel is beautiful with a lot of history, it wasn't worth the money.
Michell Haase <email>
Schaumburg, il   USA   08/22/02


Spain travel tips
Just returned from two weeks in Spain and we had an incredible trip. My teenage daughter was just as enthusiastic--which says a lot more! A couple of notes: We were very careful with our possessions thanks to all the warnings and never had a single problem. We worked together to watch and be alert and really that is all it took. In all our walking about, we only saw one man robbed when he took out his wallet to give money to a young woman and she grabbed the wallet and ran. Duh! So keep your wits about you and just enjoy Spain. We have at least as many problems in some of our US cities--you really need to be assertive about your personal safety everywhere.

Also, we stayed in a number of paradors. Don't let anyone make these sound too snooty or high class for you! We paid on average $150 for three of us, but we had incredible rooms in truly memorable, "once-in-a- lifetime" kind of sites. Almost always had balconies or private terraces, fabulous views, wonderful restaurants (although we preferred to go down into town and do tapas in the neighborhoods), all the little extras and amenities you would pay hundreds more for in the US. Another plus were the guarded parking lots which meant we could pack up in the morning, take a cab to sights from the parador, and return much later with no worries.

Every parador was memorable in its own way-our favorites were probably Siguenza (east of Madrid on the way to Barcelona) for its ambiance in this tiny medieval town, Malaga for the friendly staff as well as the amazing view, Granada for the ease of getting into the Alhambra, the amazing gardens where you can walk about the Alhambra at night, and the staff taking care of all our tickets, arrangements, etc., a huge plus for the parador in Ronda is not just its location right over the gorge, but the parking under the parador in a very crowded town. If you can splurge-do it!

We also loved the parador in Alarcon though we didn't stay there. This is a charming little village west of Valencia where we stayed at the delightful (un-air-conditioned) Hostal Santa Isabel. The whole walled town was charming. We walked down the hill to a restaurant where we were served local speciality tapas by the owner under the stars and a complementary sherry and wine just because he appreciated our attempts to speak Spanish. Unlike some posters, we had lovely, friendly people who chatted and truly tried to communicate when we faltered. Only a couple of taxi drivers were surly and they didn't get much tip! We got lots of local recommendations which added so much to our trip.

Another highlight was that not one of the many arrangement I had made ahead, both in the US and Spain, were messed up. We found the efficiency of the Spanish to be a real pleasure. They like to do things a certain way and if you respect that, they are very appreciative.

Finally, if you go to Toledo, be sure to stop in to see Mariano Zamorano's sword foundry and workshop. I just held out Rick's book and was rewarded with a tour of the shop, introduced to all the workmen, and was able to take pictures of work in progress to show those who were getting gifts from the forge. Another splurge-buy a real Toledo sword from Mariano. The ones in virtually all the shops are machine made and poor replicas at best. You will pay for the craftsmanship, but you'll have a real object of art. We brought back two swords which also have so many memories of the people we met and spoke with.

Shopping tip: in Granada, Ronda, etc. you will see so much marquetry for sale. On the little street coming down to the Plaza Nueva, Cuesta Gomerez, you will find a tiny shop on the right side as you face the Alhambra. The elderly gentleman, Manuel Morillo, makes all the marquetry sold there himself. He and his wife are delightful and will patiently explain the technique and you can watch as he works. His goods are superior and much cheaper. Buy your marquetry from him and it will mean so much more.
Kate <email>
Moorestown, NJ   USA   08/13/02


Great book...but include northern Spain!
I just returned from a four week trip in Europe. We spent nine days in Spain. Rick's chapters on Barcelona and Madrid were all I needed for those cities!! My only complaint is that Rick ignores northern Spain. We spent five days in San Sebastian/Donostia. It is the most beautiful I have ever been to and it is not real touristy. We also happened to be in San Sebastian when the festival of San Fermin was going on and took a day trip to see the running of the bulls. I think there is a lot to see in northern Spain and think Rick should include it in his next book! (The other tour books skimp on northern Spain too. Lonely Planet has a very short chapter.)
Lyzz <email>
Vancouver, WA   USA   08/11/02


Hotel Residencial in Salema
I agree with Jill regarding the Hotel Residencial Salema (different than the hotel mentioned by John Fey). Although Salema was great and the highlight of our trip, this hotel was horrible. It was extremely overpriced for the service. Don't be fooled by it's 3 star rating, I have stayed in better hostels. The rooms were small and smelly, the phones did not work, nor did the elevator. We had to carry our suitcases 4 flights while the owner watched. They also did not honor the discount. The rest of the town and country was great. Great food and great people. We spent a 2 weeks in Spain and Portugal and if I had to do it over I would have skipped Spain altogether. Although some of the smaller cities were beautiful (especially Segovia), overall the sights and people were much more interesting in Portugal.
Amy B
Long Beach , CA   USA   07/27/02


Reunion in Portugal
I returned to Portugal after 36 years for my high school reunion. I have never had quite this experience in my life. We 50 (classmates and spouses) bonded. One of our classmates is Mr.Disney for the Iberian peninsula. He put together the most incredible reunion culminating on 'prom' night at the Pena Palace in Sintra where we dined and danced to the music of the 50's and 60's until 3 am. Pretty good for us old folks. In other parts of the graffitti wall I'll share the top eating spots as well as a couple of sweet hotels my husband and I stayed at before and after the reunion as recommended by Rick Steves.

I'll add that Lisbon was a shock in its changes and graffiti and filthy streets, as was the growth and development across the Tagus River. Looks like Vacaville and Fairfield in California. I lived there when Salazar was dictator, we felt safe, and the country was clean and meticulous. BUT, go to Portugal! The people are as sweet as ever!
Eve Dorf <email>
Fair Oaks, CA   USA   07/27/02


Spain
My wife and I were in Spain the last week of May and first week of June, covering Granada, Sevilla, Madrid, Segovia and Sepulveda. A few comments on Rick's Guide's comments: We had no problem with thieves, but then we are pretty careful. The AVE train between Madrid and Sevilla was fine; the milk run between Sevilla and Granada was very slow but pleasant and the scenery was good. We booked our initial trip from Madrid to Sevilla via the web but handled the other trips when we got there because I wasn't sure from the website what we might be getting. Incidentally, I left my camera on the train from Granada to Sevilla and the RR people couldn't have been nicer about retrieving it after the train had headed back to Granada but before we had to leave for Madrid, despite some language uncertainties.

We flew into Madrid at the outset of our trip and had little problem getting to Atocha via Metro and train. The Hotel Europa in Madrid was everything Rick advised. We had a problem in Restaurante Puerto Rico: they had no paella of any variety! This was Madrid not London. We rented a car from Hertz for the trip to Sepulveda and Segovia. It took 1:15 hr. to pick up the car at the main place in Madrid on the Gran Via despite having reserved it in the U.S. Since the car had but a quarter tank of gas we needed that shortly but found it difficult to find a station and lost time looking.

We had a time in Segovia finding parking; it didn't seem to be where Rick described so we ended up worming our way to the Alcazar where we lucked out. Restaurant Narizotas was excellent. Not far from Segovia is Sepulveda, which is very picturesque and a jumping off place for the Valle del Duraton, 2500 meters deep at places. Sepulveda is ultra quiet during the week and it is hard to find any place to eat. Our hotel, the Valle del Duraton, was excellent with a restaurant across the street.

In Granada, I recommend visiting the central TI first thing. It will save a lot of grief over bus schedules out of town and sell you THE book on the Alhambra, which was all it was cracked up to be. We tried to get a reservation via the web without success so depended on a (future) relative in Spain to do it for us. Be sure to stick to their time requirements for admittance. Local bus service is good and cheap. The Hotel Residencia Macia was very good and we got the discount.

Arriving in Sevilla by train, we tried to find the bus to downtown Rick recommended but they seem to have been renumbered. We stayed at the Hotel Simon (fine) near the Cathedral and buses between there and the station drop you off a block or so from either destination. The Rio Grande restaurant was good. Next door, La Primera del Puente seems to be out of business; maybe prices were too good.

Sorry to be so long-winded. We had a great trip with only one day of rain, in Segovia.
John Fay <email>
Wheaton, MD   USA   07/27/02


Zaragoza, Spain
A city that is too often passed over is Zaragoza. It's half way between Barcelona and Madrid, and in the province of Aragon. Its old city center is amazing! A well preserved Arab castle, a Roman city, a huge cathedral called El Pilar (which has works by Goya), great restaurants, and such an explosive nightlife scene that you won't get to bed until 8 A.M. It is definitely worth 1 day and 1 night.
Paul Cortez <email>
SanDiego, CA   USA   07/23/02


Great Apartment in Nerja, Spain
We just got back from three weeks in Spain and are still in a glow from all the wonderful memories (well, a few not-so-wonderful). But the highlight of our trip was a week at Casa Charlotte in Nerja on the south coast of Spain. The three apartments are roomy, modern, clean, have great kitchen area, all the amenities and located in a charming house on a cobblestone residential street in the heart of downtown Nerja. This is a real Spanish neighborhood, with the bakery, grocery, cafes, and everything you need just a few minutes away - not to mention the beautiful Nerja beaches. Right next door is El Chispa, a great little seafood place mentioned in Rick's Spain and Portugal! Our hosts, Frans and Nuttee, looked after us like their own family, even giving us a personal walking tour of the town. Nerja is a popular European tourist town but has not been spoiled by the high rise mania of most of the Costa del Sol. Casa Charlotte is a real beauty and a super home away from home. Easy day trips take you to Granada, Gibralter, or the Pueblos Blancos. Check out their website (www.casacharlotte.com).
Susan Green <email>
Tucson, AZ   USA   07/22/02


Restroom Light Switches
One more warning....Many of the restrooms in Spain and Portugal (particulary Spain) seem to have a sensor on their lights....so if you are waiting to use the restroom and someone exits and you catch the door and go in, soon after you go in, the lights go out.! This leaves you fumbling for the switch or the door lock. Some light switches have a little round light to help you out, but you might want to check out the location of the light switch or switch it off and on when you go in.....
Nan <email>
CA   USA   07/20/02


ATMs in Portugal
Just a word of caution regarding ATM'S. Just returned from a trip to Spain and Portugal. I could get up to 300 euros out of ATM's in Spain with my Wells Fargo ATM/Debit Card. However, in Portugal the most I could get was 190 euros at a time from any of several bank ATM's that I tried. Once I returned to Spain, I could once again get 300 euros at a time with no problem. So you might want to plan accordingly.
Max <email>
CA   USA   07/20/02


Spain and Portugal in 3000 miles / Great Segovia Hostal
We just returned from a 25 day trip. Our best find was the Hostal Fornos (it's in the Lonely Planet book but not Rick's) in Segovia. For 51 euros we got a beautiful double room. Rosa gave us our choice of 3 rooms and they were all decorated with taste, flair and a bit of whimsy. They are air conditioned and the bed is heavenly with down pillows and comforter. Rosa does not speak English but we managed. Location was perfect, just down the block from the main plaza and we could see the cathedral from our balcony. While in Spain, use that phone card to call her at 921 46 01 98. Address: Infanta Isabel 13, Segovia 40001.

Other tips: We took the metro from the airport in Madrid to Plaza del Sol and Hotel Europa. Although you have to change metro lines twice, it is easy and doesn't take too long and you pop out of the metro station right in front of the hotel - cheap too of course!

We stayed at Hotel Continental on the Ramblas in Barcelona and loved it. It wasn't air conditioned, however, and it was hot when we were there. Barcelona is in the middle of a Gaudi Festival. Go to Barcelona if you can, as you will be able to go inside some of Gaudi's masterpieces that you wouldn't be able to see otherwise.

We were disappointed in the Picasso Museum but not in the Museo Dali in Figures. What a place!! We arrived mid-afternoon and didn't get to see it all so allow yourself plenty of time. It costs 9 euros now. In general, we found most places were more than in Rick's latest book.

If you stay in Cadaques, try the limoncello at Pizzeria Griffa. We'd been to Italy, but had never tasted it. The beautiful, warm and friendly owner brought some to our table. Everyone was coming in and hugging her. It gave us a nice feeling to eat there. They have more than pizza too.

Arcos de la Frontera - Stayed at Hotel Los Tilos - great place but would not honor the 20 % discount as it was high season - temporada alta. Also, we were not able to find any parking in Ronda at all!! We didn't even get to see the bridge although we drove over it twice. Arrive early in the summer - all streets and lots were full. Also very hard to park and drive in Sevilla as others have mentioned.

Lisbon - we stayed at Pension Geres. Very nice but all they had left was a very small small room, but they gave it to us for a very small price :o) We were in Belem on Sunday, when museums are supposed to be free. The monastery and coach museum were free, but the maritime museum and the towers are not (although it says they are in Rick's book).

We stayed at the Ribamar Hotel in Nazare and found it reasonable and we had an ocean view. We stayed at the Pensao Residencia in Tavira and found it restful and such a nice change of pace from busy Spain. We had a nice view of the river and a nice dinner on the river at Beira Rio Restaurant. We also saw a condom vending machine right on the street - interesting especially in a Catholic country.

Hotel Los Tilos in Granada was on a nice quiet plaza. The Alhambra was unbelievable. We didn't have tickets and got there about a half an hour before the ticket booth opened and we were 3rd in line - no problem.

We loved Salamanca. The Plaza Mayor is unbelievable. We stayed at Hotel Don Juan which had a great view of the storks nesting on the church bell tower right across the street. Cost was $72 for a double instead of $60 as stated in book. Also, they give you a basket of white bread crusts with breakfast. Send them back or you'll pay a half a euro - the other bread all over Spain and Portugal is heavenly and worth the extra euro or two.

Most memorable - $20 for a quarto in Salema.

It is a generalization, but we found people in Portugal a lot friendlier than those in Spain. I speak Spanish at a high intermediate level, but again, if you don't speak perfectly, they tend to not appreciate the effort. Our memories of Portugal are a lot warmer with the exception of Salamanca and Rosa at Hostal Fornos in Segovia. Take advantage of all the fresh orange juice for 1 euro. Also, the seafood in Portugal is great. I didn't know there were prawns as big as the ones we saw in Nazare!
Nancy <email>
Pollock Pines, CA   USA   07/18/02


Hotel Residencial in Salema Portugal
If you are going to visit Salema Portugal, don't stay at Hotel Residencial. It's overpriced for the old mattresses with springs poking through, service is extremely poor, the phones never worked and the owner did not honor the discount mentioned in the book. I highly recommend visiting Salema, despite our horrible hotel experience, we did enjoy the boat ride with Sebastian and loved the charming local fishermen. I would love to go back, but stay in Pension Mare instead. Book ahead though because we tried, but it was already booked.

We visited both Spain and Portugal and loved Portugal. I'm glad we did go to Spain, but don't think I would go back because the people are were not very friendly and theft is horrible. Don't go without a moneybelt. The historical sights are worth seeing though. Portugal on the other hand was beautiful, the people were warm and friendly and I felt more at ease not having to have my guards up as much as in Spain.

As far as cost, the Euro made our trip more expensive than orignally planned. If you were planning on going to Spain & Portugal because it's more affordable, you may want to rethink that.
Jill K
  USA   07/18/02


Tips from Spain
Just returned from three weeks in Spain and have a few recommendations:

If you take a taxi from the Madrid airport into town, don't ask them up front how much it will be. They'll quote you $30, which is way more than it should cost. Just get in the taxi and tell them where you want to go, and they'll turn the meter on. That way, you'll only pay what it truly costs (about $15-18 to the Puerta del Sol).

Don't drive in the old part of Seville. The streets are extremely narrow and labyrinth-like, they are not well-marked, and many go by more than one name, making following a map very difficult. Even the locals don't like to drive there. I suggest parking in a lot when you first drive into the city and taking a taxi in to your hotel. That will save you a lot of time and aggravation.

If you're in Seville, take a walking tour with Dan O'Beirne through Magical Spain. Dan's an American who lives in Seville now and leads an evening historical walking tour that ends in a bar for tapas and a drink. I took the tour and had a very fun, interesting and entertaining evening. You can call him on his cell phone in Spain at 615 29 17 36 or check out the Magical Spain website. They do other types of tours, too.

There is no longer a night train from Granada to Madrid. The only trains are at 7:55am and 4:40pm and take about 6 hours.

If you stay at the Infanta Isabella hotel in Segovia, they now have parking available. Just drive up to their door and a valet will park your car for you.
M. Campbell <email>
Seattle, WA   USA   07/15/02


Toll Roads
The toll roads in Spain are worth it versus single lane roads, but the tolls are expensive (They are more reasonable in Portugal). In Spain the tolls are about 1 Euro per 10 KM (thats 6 miles).
Rick and Carla
Manhattan, KS   USA   07/15/02


Spain & Portugal in 12 Days
My girlfriend and I spent 12 days in Spain and Portugal back in March. We flew into Madrid and stayed in the Hotel Mora across from the Prado. Clean, friendly, and reasonable. Madrid is a great city to walk around in. Rick's book has some great walking tours. The Stephen Drake-Jones tour is also very entertaining...you get to go to some great tapas bars. Madrid was also the first place we got "nun cookies". Folks, these things are addictive and highly recommended.

We took the train to Toledo. Toledo was a bit touristy but it packs a lot of sights in a little area. The views at the southwest end of the city are fantastic. Hotel Residencia Imperio is small but sufficient. One caveat: we stayed out past midnight and found our hotel locked when we returned! After lots of banging, we were finally let in.

The next day we took the train back to Madrid, where we picked up our car rental. We drove to El Escorial and saw the great palace there. While there, it started to snow, and continued to snow heavily as we got to the Valley of the Fallen. This is an impressive landmark (at least on the inside, outside we couldnt see more than a few feet ahead of us in the snow!!). Be very careful on the road leading up here in cooler months. We saw several accidents due to the ice on the roads.

Next we drove to Segovia, where it warmed back up. Segovia is a very pretty town and there are lots of places to just sit and relax. Note: the climb to the top of the Alcazar is treacherous, but worth the view.

After Segovia we drove to Salamanca, via Avila to see its impressive walls. We stayed in the business-traveller oriented Hotel Imperial. Not much charm but it had a garage. Salamanca was nice, but not overly impressive.

The drive west from Salamanca is a little boring, but all that changes once you enter Portugal. The countryside is breathtaking. We were driving to Coimbra on E80/IP5 and decided to take a detour on IC6. The payoff was a delightful drive through the hills filled with tiny farms and vinyards. The route doesn't add too much time to your drive to Coimbra and is very much worth getting the true feel of rural Portugal.

Coimbra was a headache to drive in. Get a good map and park ASAP. We stayed at the Hotel Pensao Santa Cruz overlooking the Praco 8 Maio. It is a four-story climb to the office. We arrived there and the manager was out to lunch! We had to wait until he came back, so if you stay here, call ahead and let them know when you will be arriving. Also, request a room with a balcony for a spectacular view. Coimbra was very cool but also very hilly. If you are going to buy any hand-painted ceramic, this is the place. It is MUCH cheaper here than in Lisbon. There are good stores just up the steps of the Rua de Quebra Costas.

The next day we drove from Coimbra to Lisbon, stopping in several towns along the way. This was one of our most pleasant days of the entire trip. We first went to Fatima. There is a gift store on the right side of the cathedral (across the street) where you can also get beautiful ceramics for very low prices. We stopped in Batalha and Alcobaca next. There are some gorgeous cathdrals here. Alcobaca was our favorite. On to Obidos, where we ate lunch with a stunning view of the countryside. On to Sintra, another nice town with some great views. We drove to the Moorish Castle...don't park too soon because its quite a hike. The Castle is incredible and peaceful at the same time. It is like something right out of the movies. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to see the Pena Palace.

That night we got to Lisbon and parked right away. Rick's walking tours are an excellent way to see this city. Belem has a lot to see as well, and you will not want to miss the pastries at the Casa Pasteis de Belem. Also, a Fado show is a must. We found the Portugese people to be extremely friendly. We got a lot of mileage out of one word - obrigado - which means "thank you".

Our next stop was Evora. The Chapel of Bones is eerie but very cool. I dont think its worth staying the night in Evora...we continued on to Seville.

Seville was by far the hardest city to drive in. Park ASAP. It took us 2 hours to go 2 blocks because of the maze of one-way and pedestrian streets. Once parked, this city is full of wonderful sights. Following Rick's book was a big help. We were able to get more nun cookies here as well.

From Seville we drove to, but not into, Jerez. Instead we went to Yeguada de la Cartuja - the breeding farm for Hispanic-Arab horses. The tour was memorable and the show was even more memorable. These animals are magnificent. Highly recommended.

From there we drove to Gibralter. "The Rock" is rather underwhelming and dirty, but it is worth going once just to do it. The best part is walking around with the apes running all around you. Don't spend too much time here, there are much better places to see. From Gibralter we went to Tarifa...a pleasant town where you can enjoy a drink and gaze over the water to Morocco.

That night we drove to Arcos. Getting to the town was easy. Getting to the hotel was an adventure in driving. We stayed at the hotel El Convento, in the Rick Steve's suite! This was BY FAR the best hotel room in Spain. We had a massive private balcony that overlooked the valley below and the cathedral above. We had a bottle of their fine red wine as soon as we got there and drank it out on the balcony. Total cost of the best room in Spain, 3 bottles of wine, and breakfast: 77 Euros.

Fine as the hotel was, it was a pain to get to. The narrow streets gave our rental car two memorable dents, and the parking lot at the top near the Mirador was full. Our hotel arranged for us to park at another hotel for a small fee (8 Euros). If you are staying at the top of the hill, you should consider parking where you don't have to drive up there. The next day we refueled our nun cookies and headed off into the mountains.

The drive east is one of the most beautiful in all of Spain. We stopped at Zahara and Grazalema, but Ronda was the crown jewel. Ronda has spectacular scenery and a cosmopolitan eating scene. We ate at a restaurant across from one in Rick's book (Asador Santa Pola)...no gorge views, but a delicious 3-course meal for $10 and a table in the sun was too hard to pass up.

From Ronda we drove to the coast and then to Nerja. Our hotel in Nerja - the Paraiso del Mar - was very nice and had access to a gorgeous beach and a lovely outside eating area. The town of Nerja seemed quiet and unimpressive (it was mid-March). Lots of older British folks. Seemed like more of the action was down the coast in Malaga or Marbella.

After Nerja we headed to Granada. The Alhambra is incredible. Wandering the Albayzin is also a lot of fun. We found a great fondue restaurant that had postcard views of the Alhambra.

Spain is a wonderful and scenic country, but it helps to know even a little Spanish. Portugal is incredibly underrated. Spend a minimum of 4 days there if possible. The people are so friendly, prices are low, and scenery is gorgeous. br>

Jason Siegendorf <email>
Chicago, IL   USA   07/13/02


Nerja, Spain
Nerja, Spain Just got back from our short 7 nights stay in Nerja. This was our third trip to Europe this year, so we decided to take it easy especially in summer heat! My husband and I were looking for a beach vacation somewhere in Spain, and took Rick's advice and decided to stay in Hostal Marissal, Nerja! We were so happy we picked this town rather than the other "fancy" town in the Costa Del Sol Area. We were looking for that Spanish old town feeling, but also the basic modern accommodation--we found it all in Nerja!

The only problem we have encountered in Nerja is getting a taxi from the bus station! When we found a taxi, the driver told us that they cannot go to Balcon De Europa since the roads are closed for them during the summer months! Unfortunately, I did not listen to Rick's advise on packing light. I bought a huge suitcase because I thought since that I will not be taking the train and transferring to a different hotel this time, it will not be a problem-wrong! My husband was complaining while dragging my huge suitcase to the hotel and to the bus station! He said it was like dragging a dead body! So pack light!

Be aware of the lack of taxi service in Nerja especially when you are trying to catch the bus back to Malaga.

We also took a one-day tour to Granada and Gibraltar from Nerja with Jiame Tours. This tour company is very reliable and provides great service. You can get tours to Seville, Ronda, and other towns from Nerja---just look around for any travel agency.

Spain's public buses are so cheap--it only cost 3 Euros to take the bus from Malaga-Nerja--about 75 kilometers.

Don't Drive in Nerja--this town is not made for driving--your can get around by bus. Also, do not take the Nerja Cave tours and Frigiliana tours for 24 Euros each. You can easily catch the bus to the caves of less than 1 Euro!

The bus to Frigiliana is also very cheap! We were there from June 29th to July 6th--and it was hot--in the 90s+. However, the Mediterranean water is cold. The beaches are also topless(optional)! Not really a pretty sight since it's mostly the older women who are topless.

Rick was right on the money about Hostal Marissal, it has the best location for the money. There are two beaches around this hotel--you can even go the beach in Balcon De Europa hotel--which has a nice, soft sand.

Since Nerja is a place that is mostly visited by British tourists, you can have your dinner earlier than the usual 10PM Spanish time. The food is cheap compared to other European cities I have visited. However, Spain is definitely not made for morning people. Don't miss a flamenco show--it's well worth watching.

I cannot wait to read Rick's book for our upcoming trip to Rome!
June Von Sauers <email>
Fullerton, CA   USA   07/11/02


Notes from a Trip to Madrid, Granada, and Seville – June 22 - July 5 2002
Notes from a Trip to Madrid, Granada, and Seville – June 22 - July 5 2002 I carried my copy of Rick Steves’ Spain and Portugal 2002 in my pocket everywhere my family and I went during our recent two-week trip to Spain. Here are some notes.

In general the maps in Rick’s books are good for general orientation but no substitute for a fully detailed city map, which we bought at each location.

We used the Spanish rail system to move among our principal cities, and for day trips to Toledo and Cordova. Everything ran on time and saved us the cost and hassle of renting a car.

Since there were four of us, we took a cab as cheaply as we could have taken the metro everywhere we went in Madrid that wasn’t within easy walking distance.

We found Hotel Regente in Madrid very classy and comfortable, and a great value at 78 euros per night for large, clean doubles with bath. Note that if you check the hotel’s web site, they list these same rooms at 100 euros a night.

We had originally booked at Hotel Europa, but changed our minds after realizing that it isn’t air-conditioned, a critical consideration in Madrid the last week of June.

We found the menu de la casa at Restaurante Los Galayos in Madrid to be a great splurge -- roast shoulder of lamb with lots of extras for 24 euros each. The restaurant features a lovely terrace just off of Plaza Mayor and a very friendly staff.

The interior of Teatro Zarzuela is absolutely beautiful -- comparable to La Scala in Milan. The music, singing and scenery in the show was enjoyable, but the dialog was impossible for the Spanish-language-challenged in our group to follow.

Hotel Macia Plaza in Granada has a great location right on Plaza Nueva. Our rooms overlooked the plaza – somewhat noisy at night but offering spectacular views of the Alhambra on the opposite hillside. 60 euros a night for a good double with bath is a reasonable price. They honored the “Rick Steves 10% discount” without question.

We greatly enjoyed the Alhambra in Granada. Rick’s guidance on how to make reservations in advance was extremely valuable (we phoned 2 days ahead and had tickets waiting for us at the ticket office when we showed up at the appointed time). We bought a guide book and map, but used Rick’s write-up instead when we found that it added better to the experience.

We also found the Albayzin area of Granada to be charming, but felt that Sacramonte was too shabby and scary for our tastes even in the daytime.

The Hostal Picasso in Seville was an interesting study in contrasts. To the positive, it seems to have been recently redecorated using a very bright and cheerful color palette, which suited us fine, and the three-story, plant-filled central courtyard/lobby was charming. Rick does not mention that the rooms are air-conditioned (but they are), however we had to put down a 20 euro cash deposit to get the remote controls for the A/C and TV. The hotel was very clean, but the scent contained in cleaning solution and mop water was over-powering. The staff honored the “Rick Steves 10% discount” without question, but only if we paid in cash. The hotel is in a very convenient and quiet location, but the rooms are very small, the bathrooms are microscopic, and the place has no elevator. We liked it overall, but only because we appreciated its strong points and were able to live with its idiosyncrasies.

I’m sure dozens before me have already pointed out that while Rick’s text correctly indicates that the entrance to the Cathedral in Seville is on the south side, the maps on pages 168 and 170 show the entrance on the north side, through the cloister. More significantly, the correct hours are 9:30 – 15:30 Monday thru Saturday (I don’t remember the Sunday hours).

We found the Alcazar in Seville to be the most underrated site of our trip. I feel the beauty and majesty of the interior and gardens are right up there with the Alhambra in Granada, and that Rick gives it much less of a build-up than it deserves.

We greatly enjoyed the flamenco at Los Gallos in Seville. The skill of the performers and the drama of the show were electrifying. We made reservations the night before, arrived 30 minutes early and got the best seats in the house. They honored the “Rick Steves 10% discount” without question.

I was under-whelmed by the number of Rick’s restaurant recommendations for Seville, so here are a couple to consider: Las Meninas at Calle Santo Tomas 3 (around the corner from Hostal Picasso) offers an varied menu including good gazpacho and garbanzos y chirozo, and is open throughout the day for lunch (but not for dinner). Corral del Agua at Calle del Agua 6 (near Los Gallos) is an extremely classy splurge, featuring great soppa ajoblanco and cajo de toro, and dining in a lovely walled garden under a canopy of grape vines.
Joe Matherne <email>
South Charleston, WV   USA   07/06/02


Comments on "Spain & Portugal 2002
Just spent three weeks in Portugal, with your 2002-edition book and have these comments:

We took the Bairro Alto and Chiado Stroll (p. 247+) and would not want others to feel that all the port samples are expensive. We had five different ports and it cost 7.50 Euros. There are many ports offered at 1E up. Worth much more for the classy surroundings.

Had a wonderful Chinese meal at the Armazens do Chiado shopping center "Restaurant Chines Grande Mund", on the food court floor. We saw how popular it was with the locals. Great for value, quality of food and service. Check it out for your next book.

We also did the walking tour suggested for Coimbra and ate at your recommended "Self Service Restaurant Jardim da Manga" and it was a joy - good food and service as you said plus being only with locals adds to the experience.
Earl Johnson <email>
Dowling Park, FL   USA   07/03/02


Seville: Sanchez Sabriego fleas and filth
Have been using Rick´s book and it has been a great guide. However, one hotel in Sevilla seems to have deteriorated since last visited by Rick. We stayed one night in Hostal Sanchez Sabriego. After being shown our room, we noticed debris on the floor. After asking it to be cleaned, the manager quickly swept about 1/3 of the floor. When our suitcase fell on its side, the side became covered with filth [after the sweeping]. At night, we noticed bites and turned on the lights to discover hopping fleas. Avoid Hostal Sanchez Sabriego. Rick´s recomendation accross the street, Hostel Sierpes, is a good and with a friendly staff. Ask for a room with an exterior window for greater privacy.
Ken Caldeira <email>
Livermore, CA   USA   06/25/02


Spain - Madrid, Nerja, Granada, Barcelona
We visited Madrid, Nerja, Granada and Barcelona. Rick's book is a "must have" - the street maps and directions really helped us navigate in every city.

Madrid was worth seeing - the Masones that Rick recommended are great. You can definitely spend an evening visiting the Masones and enjoying the local atmosphere.

We enjoyed the Centro Reina Sofia musuem more than the Prado - it is more intimate and the art is wonderful. All the great contemporary Spainish artists are there - Picasso, Dali, Miro, Delunay. It's worth the visit just to see Picasso's Guernica. At the Royal Palace, the armory is a must see.

We stayed at the Carlos V off of the Puerto del Sol, which is a convenient, central spot. The hotel had large, new bathrooms which was nice plus an inexpensive shuttle to and from the airport.

Madrid is an comfortable city to walk, and the subway is easy and convenient.

Segovia is a good day trip from Madrid - Rick's directions for the bus station were a definite plus. The Alcazar in Segovia is a fun site and the views from it are fantastic. Plus, the aqueduct is fun to see.

Nerja was our favorite city on the trip. The beaches were great and the town is quaint. We stayed at the Parador, which was worth the money. It is located on Playa Burriana - the a great, wide beach lined with cafes and restaurants. We had our best meals in Spain in Nerja. El Nino is very good - it's located at c/Cristo and c/Parras. The cafes on Playa Brurriana are great and cheap. Also, Nerja has a great nightlife -lots of small, lively bars.

Granada is o.k. - but we felt the Alhambra was overrated. The best site is the Royal Chapel, at the Cathedral. It features Isabel and Ferdinand's coffins, her crown and the jewel box she gave to Columbus to finance his voyage.

Barcelona was the most beautiful city we visited. The Gaudi architecture is fantastic - we especially loved Parc Guell. It offers great views of Barcelona and lots of fun Gaudi structures. It was a great afternoon break from the city. Barcelona is lovely at night - especially the Gothic quarter - it is definitely a wonderful city to stroll. We stayed at the Gran Via and found it overrated. The location was convenient, but the rooms and setting were not as great as we expected. The subway system is great and the airport shuttle buses, near Corte Ingles and Placa de Catalunya, is really convenient and cheap. The Picasso Museum is a definite must-see in Barcelona.
DL Magley <email>
Atlanta, GA   USA   06/22/02


Spain & Portugal
I just returned from a three week trip to Spain and Portugal. I have traveled through Europe several times before and have never encountered as much unfriendliness from locals as I did in Spain.

I was traveling with two friends and between us we spoke an adequate amount of Spanish. I have never been so ignored by hotel and waitstaff in my life, anywhere, so consistantly, and from places recommended by Rick. In Madrid, Hotel Regente turned out to give very indifferent service, so much so it seemed like guests were unwelcome.

Granada gets the absolute worst service at a cafe Rick recommended. I ripped out the page in my book and can't remember the name of the place, but it's on the same street as all the tetarias at the top of the hill on the way to the San Nicolas viewpoint. Our waitress ignored everyone seated at the outdoor tables. Repeated tries to get her attention were futile. We had to act as if we were going to leave to get the bill. Cafe Ole in Arcos had very similar service.

The last rude encounter was at Los Gallos, a flamenco show in Sevilla. The prices have gone up to 27 Euros a show from the 21 that Rick listed and when I asked about the 10% discount promised to Rick readers at the box office, and showe her the page in my book, the woman became very irate and refused to give the discount. She closed the curtain to the show and curtly said ,"completo" although there would have been room for us if we had given her 27 euros. All this wasn't so bad, because after the Los Gallos incident, we went to a bar across the river, Los Nuestros, and heard fabulous flamenco for free, though we bought a few very watered-down drinks, and got to mingle with the locals.

It was hard to separate all the rude people from the Spain experience, but we did encounter some friendly people, especially the owner of Los Farones, a fabulous Egyptian restaurant in Arcos and the wonderful little Hotel Santa Isabel in Toledo, a beautiful, inexpensive hotel with very friendly staff.

We found the locals to be much friendlier in Portugal. We had great service pretty much everywhere we went even though our knowledge of Portuguese was minimal. Standouts were Pensione Mare in Salema, Mira Mar for great food served practically on the beach, and in Lisbon, an eclectic reaturant in the Bairro Alto, Hell's Kitchen run by a very enthusiastic and kind woman,and an Indian restaurant that just opened down the street from recommended Residencia Roma, Curry House Indian Tandoori Restaurant- Rua da Gloria 43/45. This was the best Indian food I have ever had, eveything was prepared fresh to order and the owner was the friendliest person. Highly recommended!!!

A great improvement to the book would be to give more consistant information to drivers how to get to the center of towns, or to a TI from the expressway. The signs getting into downtown Sevilla from the expressway were very confusing and it would be nice to have some direction in the guidebook to know what to expect when you don't have a detailed map of the city yet.

Also, it's pretty imperative to have a few different guidebooks with you. We would have missed out on a lot of history and great vegetarian/ethnic restaurants if it weren't for our Let's Go and Rough Guide. Also, the maps are much more detailed, and I found, much easier to navagate by than Rick's maps.
Julie <email>
New York, NY   USA   06/21/02


Barcelona accomodations
Hosteria Grau, Barcelona: we cancelled our reservations after walking through this area (not as close to the Ramblas as we had imagined). We had walked from our group hotel to confirm our 'after tour' reservations and find out where it was situated, which we did. On returning through the unclean streets with many lingering souls, I did not have a comfort level with this part of Barcelona. The accomodations were homey and we were greeted by a very friendly lady...it was the area that I did not have a comfort level with, we could not imagine wanting to be out and about after dark here.
Cathy and Bob <email>
New Westminster, B.C.   Canada   06/21/02


Shorts in Toledo Cathedral
Rick is doing his warmblooded readers a major disservice by stating unequivocally that shorts are not acceptable in the cathedral in Toledo. Short shorts are not. Knee length shorts are. This has been validated with the tourist office there and by personal observation at the cathedral where 20 to 25% of the visitors the day we were there (a very warm one) were wearing shorts.
David S. McCahan <email>
Lafayette, CA   USA   06/20/02


Bad experience with Hostal Picasso, Sevilla
I just came from Spain and the trip went by very smoothly thanks to Rick's guidebook. The only bad experience I had was with Hostal Picasso in Sevilla. I made reservations one month earlier with credit card guarantee and all. I called them two days before scheduled arrival to tell them we will be checking in a day earlier. We got in at 11:00pm and they gave us the crummiest room ever! I am a petite person but I had to be a contortionist just to have a decent shower! The room was very tiny and uncomfortable. I complained to reception to request for a change of room but they said they were full. Next morning, I again asked for a room change and they said they were full.

We ended up checking into nearby Hotel Van Gogh which was much much better--- better service, better rooms, better EVERYTHING! (for the same price)

I told Hostal Picasso that it is unfair to book guests in ROOM 26. It was awful!!! SO BEWARE! Not only that, they didn't even give us a discount. They charged us the full rate of 60 euros. ASIDE FROM THAT, upon coming back home, we checked our credit card bill and HOSTAL PICASSO charged us Euros 64.20 for the first night. IN other words, we were charged twice!!! Now the hassle of having to run after them to credit my credit card!!! Rick, you should reconsider recommending this hotel....
Christina <email>
Singapore,    SG   06/19/02


barcelona misinformation
just finished a wonderful three week trip and our four days in barcelona were definitely the high point - even though rick's information is woefully inaccurate. his hours of operation listed for sagrada familia and the gaudi house were wrong, and the recommendation for a good restaurant strip appears like it hasnt been updated in decades - the strip he claims has good tapas places actually has only about three restaurants, two that are horrible overpriced with mediocre food.

the moral of the story: dont skip barcelona, its the best place you'll visit in europe. just make sure you check your lonely planet guide first to make sure you know what to do there. also: don't miss the chocolate con churros at the opera cafe on las ramblas.
sarah <email>
san francisco , ca   USA   06/16/02


Stephen Drake Jones
Scheduling a walking pub/history tour with Stephen is a must. Fascinating stories of Madrid's history with intermittant stops for tapas and beverages. We had a small tour group and my two hour tour turned into four. It's definitely an insider's view of Madrid.
David Walker <email>
Kirkland, WA   USA   06/11/02


Safeguarding your film in Spain
Sorry for the long-winded previous post, but I would be remiss if I did not mention my photography experiences since I was paranoid of x-ray machines. I followed another person's tip of putting my film in the clear Fuji containers and placing the film in a ziploc bag ... I was able to walk my film past a few airport x-ray machines this way. London's Gatwick airport is stubborn and will make you place your film in the machines; but I had some success with U.S. and Spain airports. Buying film in Spain is not a bad idea; there are plenty of photography shops as well as one-hour photo processing. I had my 800 film developed in Spain since that is more susceptible to x-rays. Finally, take note that Spain has x-ray machines at many major sights (especially in the Madrid area); i.e. the Prado, Royal Palace in Madrid, El Escorial, Valley of the Fallen monument, etc... and they will require you to put your camera through the machine! My solution: I planned in advance to leave no film in my camera; instead I put my film in my pockets and walked it through the metal detectors. X-ray damage to film is cumulative and I figured "better safe than sorry." I hope some aspiring photographers find this information useful.
Jim
San Diego, CA   USA   06/09/02


Spain Tips & Recommendations
Awesome trip to Spain! My wife and I spent nearly 3 weeks there.

FAVORITE PLACES: Segovia, Ronda, Toledo, Salamanca, Sevilla, Montserrat.

BEST HOTELS: Las Casas de la Juderia (Sevilla), Parador (Ronda), Hotel San Gabriel (Ronda), Los Linajes (Segovia), Hostal del Cardenal (Toledo).

THINGS THAT ARE OVERRATED (most people will disagree with us, but here goes):

1. Las Ramblas (prefer any Plaza Mayor).

2. Costa Del Sol (unless you worship beaches).

3. Arcos (we preferred Ronda).

4. Parador in Arcos (and good luck trying to get a room with a terrace--wish we would have stayed at El Convento).

5. Hotel Europa (great location, but spartan and incredibly noisy ... we were too tired to care and slept easily)

6. Tibidabo in Barcelona (there's a reason that Rick Steves doesn't give this a single star; the "fun" of getting there--it eats up a lot of time even by taxi--is NOT worth it, the view at Montjuic is FAR better).

7. Granada's Hotel America (okay, it's great to stay in a hotel where everyone walks by and goes "Wow, we should of stayed here; we didn't know there was a hotel here!" Well, most parts of the Alhambra close after hours, you still have to take a long walk to the entrance to buy your tickets, and the food is subpar. If you stay here, walk next door to the parador for a real breakfast. If you don't stay at this overpriced hotel (as Rick Steves points out), you won't miss anything. Remember, it is a 1-star hotel. "Cozy" and "cute" is often used to describe this place ... skip it and take a $5 taxi ride.

EATING: Restaurant El Convento was disappointing (although I hate to judge a place on only a couple of dishes). Best meal on our trip? The parador in Ronda ... BY FAR. Pricey, but memorable. Eating at Meson de Candido in Segovia alongside the Roman aqueduct was great also. Breakfasts and dinners at Las Casas de la Juderia were awesome.

PLACES TO LEAVE QUICKLY: Granada (see Alhambra, Royal Chapel ... and then get out). Cordoba (see the Mezquita ... and then get out).

OTHER OBSERVATIONS:

1. Montserrat is a fun trip from Madrid; the gondola and funiculars are nifty and there are all kinds of little (and big) hikes you can do. The boys choir only sings for about 10 minutes; get there at least 1/2 or even 1 hour early for a seat. The lines to see the Black Virgin were ridiculous when we were there.

2. La Granja is worth the trip from Segovia (or Madrid); it has a beautiful French-influenced palace, lush gardens, and huge tapestries.

3. The palace in Madrid blew us away. Not sure if I prefer it to Versailles, but it's close!

4. We loved the Alcazar in Segovia, even though it is a Disney-style remake. Kids love it! Most castles are just empty shells, but this one has neat rooms and furnishings, and great views of the city and countryside.

5. Salamanca is a zoo with everything going on there ... there was a large renaissance-style fair there that clogged up all the streets with parades and booths, but it was fun.

6. The white towns are fun to drive between and the views are spectacular. The direct route between Grazelema and Arcos (on A372) looks like you're driving through parts of Colorado - the trees and mountains are beautiful. If possible, do not take the A376 between Ronda and the coast; the A369 is faster, more scenic, less curves, and less cops.

7. Which brings me to maps ... everyone complains about the maps in Rick Steve's books. They are very helpful, but don't rely exclusively on them. Get free maps from TIs and hotels to supplement. The Michelin 400,000 maps are the best for driving ... better than the often confusing signs on the roads.

8. Compared to most other European countries, we found the Spanish people to be very friendly, although I have to admit that my opinions are skewed since my wife is bilingual. But TRUST ME: the Spanish that you have learned in the U.S., however simple it may be, will be extremely helpful.

9. DON'T drive in the cities. DO drive between the cities; like Rick Steves says, the countryside in a car is a JOY.

10. Use taxis to your advantage: to find things you can't find, to take you to your hotels so you don't have to struggle with luggage, etc. If you're limited on time, you can use them as a chauffeur at a reasonable price (since the waiting times are cheap) to take you around to several sites and take pictures ... and then you can say "I've been there, I saw that", etc.

11. Avoid McDonalds and Burger King (they are all over the place over there). Eat only regional food. The food is not greasy as alluded to by someone else on this forum. Follow the excellent restaurant recommendations on this website, and you will enrich your experiences on this trip. Try everything. Tapas are great, and a fun and easy adventure in a bar.

BEST LINE OF THE TRIP: My wife asked "What street is our room on?" at Las Casas de Las Juderias. If you stay there, you'll know what I mean. That's "Casas", not "Casa"!

Thanks to Rick Steves for my 3rd extremely successful Europe trip thanks in no small part to his advice. And ... thanks to all of you who have posted invaluable advice on this website. We followed many of your hotel, restaurant, and itinerary suggestions. I hope our opinions are useful to somebody!
Jim
San Diego, CA   USA   06/07/02


Update to Info in 2002 Spain & Portugal Book
One change to note (as of mid-May 2002) -- the price of food at Restaurante Chimarrao in Lisbon is fixed at about 20.50 Euros a person. The food and service were very good but a lot more than we had expected to pay. Highly recommend Artemisa 2 restaurant in center city Madrid. Food was tasty, portions ample, and the meals were SMOKE free! Rick's books are great. They've helped us have 2 enjoyable trips to Spain & Portugal. Also recommend Lonely Planet book on Lisbon -- the maps in the back show where restaurants, hotels, and noteworthy sights are located and you can pencil in other places, such as supermarkets and cybercafes to give you a handy reference.
Dennis & Lila <email>
Springfield, VA   USA   06/03/02


Spain lodging...
My wife and I just got back from two weeks in Spain. It was fantastic; but, I did want to mention a few hostals/hotels. In Nerja the young lady at the Hostal Marissal was very nice and helpful; it was a great place to stay. In Granada we stayed at Los Tilos, and throughly enjoyed it, especially the terrace on the forth floor over looking the plaza. Of all the places we stayed the Don Juan in Salamaca seemed to be overpriced, and the bathroom didn't seem that clean. Another couple we were with said they felt the same way. We both moved after one night to a very nice, clean hostal about a block or two away. The hostal Las Vegas was half the price, and a very pleasant clean place. In Ronda the Don Miguel was very nice, and it was worth a little splurge being on the gorge. The manager at Hotel Imperio in Toledo was very helpful and pleasant, even before we booked a night. There is more , but I wanted to mention these for sure. Thanks for your tips Steve. We went without reservations, and used your book as a helpful guide and reference. Thanks, Mike D.
Michael Duncan <email>
Louisville, KY   USA   05/28/02


Nice book
I had to do a project on Spain for History. We had to "go" to a certain country and visit at least for cities there. I chose Spain. This book helped me a ton. I got almost all my info except for flight info out of this book. I don't know what grade I got yet but my report turned out awesome. This book is so hlpful. I know that if I ever go to Spain this book is for sure coming along. It even has the main words and how to pronounce them. Now I know that I really want to visit Spain and all of its wonderful sites.
Heather <email>
Grand Rapids , MI   USA   05/25/02


Salamanca-lack of signs
Warning in finding your way in Salamanca. Signs on historical sites nearly non-existant & tourist maps difficult to follow. Not good in a city where most public buildings look like churches & churches look like cathedrals!
Norma Webb <email>
San Ramon, CA   USA   05/24/02


driving - portugal to spain
all of the places we stayed were fantastic from lisbon to seville. not a single complaint except that all of europe seems to be under construction. our big complaint is that the drive from the algarve to seville is not effortless at night. we did not glide as the book suggests. go during the day. lots of construction and fast european drivers on not so well made freeways. once we were there it was worth the effort, but my husband lost a lot of hair.
kathy
san francisco, ca   USA   05/14/02


Spain
Rick's hotel suggestions were right on the mark. We stayed at Los Linajes in Segovia--it was wonderful! El Cardenal in Toledo was just as good. El Convento in Arcos was in the same class. Staying in these three hotels is well worth the extra money. We also enjoyed Residentia Macia in Granada, Simon in Sevilla, and Europa in Madrid. These were a step below the other three, but still good, centrally-located hotels. Driving in the these cities is difficult. The street signs are seldom provided (I think only at the beginning and ending of the streets), making street maps virtually useless. Our solution--park and take a cab. Its a lot less stressful. Just remember where you parked. The best Pueblo Blanco in our opinion was Zahara; the view was spectacular. We also stopped for lunch at a little place that I think was called Los Naranjos, and sat under some orange trees in the main square. The tapas were great and you got a lot for the money. Had trouble finding a good restaurant in Granada, then found Pillar de Toro. It's across the street from Hotel Residentia Macia, hiding behind the big Justice building. Excellent food, a little pricey but worth it. We thought the Alcazar in Sevilla was more impressive than the Alhambra. In Madrid, the Prado was great, but the other two museums paled in comparison. The only thing worth seeing in Reina Sofia is Guernica--you'd be better off looking at it in a good art book. The big lake at Retiro Park is walled off for construction. Segovia is a must-see. Nothing special there, just the overall ambience.
Bill Thompson <email>
Ellicott City, MD   USA   05/13/02


Mesquita by Bus
Instead of trying to walk to the Mezquita in Cordoba (as suggested in Rick's Guide Book), take the bus. As you come up the escalator from the platforms at the Cordoba train station, exit the doors to the left (nearest the storage lockers) and you'll see the bus stop (lime green city buses--can't miss 'em). Take Bus #3, which does a loop around the city, and get off at the Triunfo stop, about a 10-15 minute ride in traffic. Walk thru the city gates and up the street about a block to the Mesquita. For .80 euros each, it was far easier than meandering thru the narrow streets of town.
Karl Zalazowski <email>
Salinas, CA   USA   05/11/02


SOUTH OF SPAIN
My tip for best use of time for exploring Spainwith only 5-6 days is to fly into Malaga- rental car to Ronda sleep 1N- explore white villages sleep in Arcos 1N drive to Sevilla 2N flamenco show, cathedral,alcazar palace and guided history-cultural tour with Dan O'Beirne www.magicalSpain.com -train to Granada for Alhambra palace1-2n - back to Malaga airport and don't forget to bring back a few bottles of Rioja wine!
Richard Santorini <email>
NYC,    USA   05/06/02


Guidebook for Spain and Portugal
EXCELLENt BOOK with great eating and sleeping suggestions. Very concise but yet complete. I used it and the "Backdoor" book as my "Bible" thru out our 2 week trip to Spain. His safety tips are excellent and theft should be taken seriously in this country! Calling cards are great but not all are best bargain. Some cost me 6 Euros ($6~) for a 3 minute call to the US some were $.10/minute to call US. No one knows any rates to anywhere. El Cortes Inlges dept store had the best ones. The Tabak stores and Internet cafes had the rip-offs. Nerje was adorable but we hated Tarif. Not what the book described as if we were in a different town. 1st class train service should be recommended over 2nd if you want quiet and clean, smoke-free travel. We tried both. We found even tho we were in a non-smoking 2nd class car, everyone was smoking, kids did not have tkts for seats so they were all over the car and litter all over. It was like a wild party. The conductor only verified seats in the 1st class section.
C Gottlieb
Binghamton, NY   USA   04/28/02


Madrid airport cab fare
On the whole the book was an asset, but cab fare from the airport in Madrid is $30. The book says that a cabbie asking for thirty bucks is ripping you off ... consequently, I was paranoid about getting ripped off from the moment I arrived in the country and that had a very deleterious effect on my trip.
ray houliihan <email>
Miami, fl   USA   04/21/02




  04/15/02


Portugal Lodging recommendations
Best recommendation: Pension Mare in Salema, Algarve. John was kind enough to call around and assist with reservations in Lisbon. Good Lisbon lodging: Residencial Londrina, Rua Castilho 61. ph 21 386 324
Marilyn Cornell <email>
San Diego, CA   USA   04/15/02


Barcelona Hotels
We just returned from two weeks in northern Spain and southwestern France. We spent the last three days in Barcelona and stayed at the Hotel Continental based on recommendations from this website. We thought it was a great bargain. We had a room overlooking the Ramblas, and we loved the view. Sat on our balconey for breakfast and wine every day. Loved watching the world go by on the busy, high-energy Ramblas. The hotel staff were very nice -- one night when my companion could not sleep, a staff member heated up water for chamomille tea for her. When we were looking for a recommendation for dinner, this same staff member made several phone calls to find a place he wold recommend. Loved having the Pyrenee dog behind the counter. The size of the room was fine with us. The beds were a little hard, and the paint needed work in the bathroom. But, the room was clean, equipped with a hair dryer, refrigerator and microwave, and very acceptable. The breakfast was just adequate, but again, the view, location, staff and price made it our best hotel on the trip. As for safety, definitely would recommend not carrying a purse or back pack in Barcelona. We carried neither, used the hotel safe for money and passports, put our money for the day, credit card and ID in zipped pockets and in a money belt worn next to the body(I also put folded bills in my shoe!). Two people staying at the hotel were robbed while we were there. We did not have any problem.
D. E. Millett <email>
Cleveland Heights, OH   USA   04/11/02


Barcelona (The Ramblas)
Rick, first I want to thank you for all you guides did to make our trip fabulous. My only concern is how much you make the Ramblas in Barcelona sound like it's more dangerous than being in Israel...Barcelona is one of my favorite cities in Europe, but after reading your book, my wife was virtually fearful of walking there. I've been there 3 times and have never seen anything or been bothered there (and I spend a lot of time on the Ramblas). It took my wife almost 12 hours to relax. Compared to Rome, where we scared off (daily) child pickpockets and thieves. I have to admit, sitting on the Ramblas eating lunch and observing the shell game scam was entertaining...
Tim Lemley <email>
Colorado Springs, CO   USA   04/10/02


Lisbon
After a short introduction last summer to Portugal I returned for a week-long stay in Lisbon. I stayed at the Pensao Residencial 13 da Sorte and love it. The people are so helpful and friendly. I felt like I had an instant neighborhood. Almost directly across the large main street is a shopping area : Tivoli with handy coffee and pastry shops (try a salgado or pastel de nata). The shopping area also has a handy supermarket. All of these are one floor below ground level (take the stairs or elevator). The Aero bus is handy and dropped me right by the metro stop -- just a few steps from the pensao. Lisbon is a delight and Sintra is an easy train trip from the Rossio station. It's an easy 10-minute saunter from the station to the center of town. I loved the Monastery in Belem (just an easy tram ride from the center of Lisbon). Great food and great people. Rick, your guide is great and thanks for introducing me to Portugal.
Jim Greene <email>
Las Cruces, NM   USA   04/09/02


Granada pension
If looking for a place to stay in Granada, check out www.granadainfo.com/most. We haven't been there yet, just made a reservation, but it looks wonderful, comes highly recommended, and the correspondence has been delightful. Only four rooms, though!
Janet Sims <email>
CO   USA   04/05/02


Great trip.
Just came back from two weeks in Spain and Portugal. Flew into Madrid and stayed at Hostal Cervantes. Our full first day there turned out to be a holiday March 18, Fathers Day (San Jose) so everything was closed, but we did get into the Prado before it closed. We then headed to the Plaza Mayor where we were cornered by "three sisters" who came up to us holding a map, scanning us to figure out where our wallets were. We backed away once and they kept coming after us and then we said NO and they finally left us alone. We did the tour with the Chairman, Stephen Drake-Jones, later that night and it was great fun!

Then we went off to Toledo and stayed at hotel Residencia Imperio. I would definately recommend paying the 4,80 euros to get into the Toledo Cathedral, it was well worth the cost to see it without the crowds.

Took the overnight train to Lisbon in a two person cabin, make sure to book early. It was a splurge but well worth it in the end. We were to pick up a car at Santa Apolonia station but found the office had closed at this location. Ccalled Auto Europe and they took care of everything and even got Europcar to pay for our taxi to the other office, Ger Oriente (the station built for expo 98).

Went on to Tomar(stayed in Hotel dos Tempolarios, not in book), Coimbra (stayed at the hotel Astoria), Porto, Nazare (stayed at Ribamar Hotel, beautiful corner room over looking the beach and friendly staff), and Lisbon (stayed in two hotels 1) Hotel de Torre, do not stay in rooms 221 and 121 these are right next to the elevator and the motor kept us up all night. Had to ask to get our rooms changed. 2) Raddision SAS near the airport because we had a very early morning flight, it was great!) Used the following to book a couple of hotels:
http://lisbon.nethotels.com/da_torre for hotel da Torre
http://www.hotelsportugal.com for the Radision SAS
Both worked out well.

Here are some tips: Do not buy rail passes for Spain and Portugal, trains are dirt cheap! I agree with Susan Beller posting, make an effort to learn some of the language before you go, most do not speak English, but our French did help a lot. Try to get the Red and Green guides from Michelin for both countries. Ricks recommendations were great. Thanks for the books!
Mei <email>
Oakland, CA   USA   04/02/02


Andalucia's Trip
I just came back from a trip to Spain. I was impressed with the AVE from Madrid to Seville. Only 2.15 minutes. Found a wonderful hotel in Sevilla, Casa de la Juderias, beautiful. Learned the best way to go is AmeX travel checks and cash them at the Amex office, as the commissions are huge in other places. Use your ATM VISA card, great exchange rates. Love your advice on going to local restaurants and having the day special for as low as 6 Euros and includes first place, second plate, bread, drink and dessert. We saved quite a lot of Money and ate very well. The White towns were beautiful. Thanks
Aida Toledo <email>
Herndon, VA   USA   03/29/02


Spain & Portugal
Thanks to your book on Spain and Portugal we had the best 10 days in Europe ever. We started in Madrid and ended in Lisbon and every recommended hotel and restaurant was great with few exceptions. We were unable to get reservations for the Alhambra (we arrived in Madrid on Saturday and the times available didn't mesh with our schedules) in Granada and it was the most disappointing of all the cities.

We rented a car from Avis and they were great. Even with the drop-off charge in Lisbon it was cheaper then a Eurail pass and much less restrictive. Salema was wonderful as was John and it was by far the least expensive part of our trip.

The Boia Bar had fresh fish every night. Your recommended secluded beach was the best. We fell in love with Seville and Lisbon. Our worst eating experience was at a restaurant in Lisbon- Gambrinus-Rua das Portas de Santo Antao 25- which is right off the the "eating lane". This was going to be our big splurge and it was very over rated.

We found a great little Italian restaurant off Chiado Plaza called Massimus(sp) Culpa which had wonderful pastas and was moderately priced. It was very small but fairly new and the service was excellent. There is also a cute little Tequila Bar that does perfect Margaritas and is owned by an english speaking couple from Mexico with a cuban bartender who specializes in Cuban drinks.

Our hotels were: The Villa Real in Madrid, Great rooms and half the published rates, The Casas Juderia in Seville was very nice although the bed was only a standard double ( a little cozy for 2 Americans), Granada was the Residencia Macia (very quiet and great breakfast), and in Lisbon it was the Avenida Palace which is very underrated and we got a good rate and it included a fablous breakfast and parking and there were no added taxes or fees. We couldn't believe how quiet all of the hotels were for being right in the middle of huge cities. Thanks Steve. We will use your books for all of our future trips!
Darlene Marinello <email>
Falls Chuch, , VA   USA   03/26/02


Spanish and Portuguese
Just back from a trip to Spain and Portugal. Overall loved it, especially all the Roman sites that we saw (some of the best I've seen outside of Italy!) Do have one comment on language use that I was not prepared for. Spain and Portugal were the first countries where I felt the need for more preparation--if I had known I would have built up more of a language base. Granted, we did not stay in the tourist regions a good part of the time (searching out Roman sites does bring you off the beaten path somewhat) but I found it much more of a struggle to communicate and found that even some three star hotels had no one who spoke English! So my word of advice is to prepare a little bit better for language problems than you might for the rest of Europe.
SUSAN BELLER <email>
Burlington, VT   USA   03/26/02


Madrid, Granada. Sevilla
Your guidebooks never fail to "guide" me to a most enjoyable time in a foreign country. So following your recommendations we went to Casa Toni in Madrid and had the best Gazpacho. Later we followed your directions for some late night churros and chocolate! Excellente! Your book helped us to zero in on the most enjoyable and affordable places.

The Alhambra is AWESOME! I spent two days there. I stayed at the Alhambra Palace Hotel which is only a 5 minute walk downhill from the legendary Alhambra. It was a very exotic and arabesque hotel, with a window that overlooked Granada.

I'm glad you mentioned the Capilla Real. It was a treat to see the powerful and history making Queen Isabella's final resting place. I walked to the Albaicin. The cobblestones tore up my feet (even though I had on walking shoes). But watching the sunset from the San Nicolas viewpoint was worth it.

I also followed your recommendation to see Flamenco in Sevilla. I went to El Gallo. This was the best Flamenco. I had seen one in Madrid, but the show at El Gallo far surpassed the show in Madrid. I really felt the "duende" the soul and passion.
E. Tovar <email>
Whittier, Ca   USA   03/20/02


Spain
My wife and I just returned from three week in Spain. We spent most of the time in Barcelona and on the Costa Brava. We did spend several days in Madrid and I want to recommend a resturant. We first learned of it on this Graffiti Wall page, so thanks to the person that suggested it. The resturant is the Platero, located at 20 Espoz y Mina street. It is about two block form the Plaza del Sol. The small (15 tables apx.) restaurant is very attractive, serves good food at moderate prices and the host/owner, named Ramon, is very friendly. He speaks English well and really tries to make one feel comfortable. He explains dishes and is a good source on information about Spanish food. It will be my first stop on my next trip to Madrid. Actually, I have found the Spanish to be very friendly and helpful, but Ramon was special.
Barry Cobb <email>
Pensacola, Fl   USA   03/20/02


Getting from Madrid to Northern Portugal
If you want to travel from Madrid to northern Portugal, consider the night train to Lisbon, but get off at Santarem and then change to the train going north to Porto. This is unknown by RENFE or Amex in Madrid, as they both told me that I had to go all the way to Lisbon to change trains (not true!) This will be much more comfortable than doing the route through Salamanca to Coimbra mentioned in Ricks' Spain and Portugal guidebook.
Peter <email>
Vancouver, BC   Canada   03/18/02


More Spain is great!
Next stop Tarifa. Had to check it out due to Rick's enthusiastic recommendation of the town. We stayed in Hotel Inglaterra - which was delightful (although very expensive). We'd gotten cheap one way tickets to Barcelona from www.europebyair.com. We stayed at the Hotel Continental (another Rick recommendation). A super good value and a great location. The rooms aren't much, but then again, you aren't paying much. When in Barcelona, don't waste your time and money taking the city bus tour (there are two tours and they each take two hours!).

Also in Spain, be sure to visit their "superstore"...El Corte Ingles. There's one or more in every city and they have just about everything you might need! You generally can't go wrong following the recommendations in Rick Steve's guides, but you must read carefully and decide for yourself. Learn a few words of Spanish. You may not need them, but a few words will take you a long way. Compliment anyone on their use of English, if their English is better than your Spanish. They went to a lot of trouble to learn English for their jobs and are sometimes self conscious about it. If they are doing great, tell them!
Maria <email>
Jackson, TN   USA   03/14/02


Spain was great!
We went to Spain for three weeks in December. The flights going and coming were nearly empty. We followed Rick's recommendations on the hotels. Stayed at the Hotel Opera in Madrid, great location, convenient to Metro and the Palacio Real. If you like opera music in the least, try their Singing Dinners. It's a group of very enthusiastic young opera-trained singers who put on a nice show. Very popular with locals, as is the Hotel's cafeteria. (By the way, we learned in Spain, if something is called a "cafeteria," they mean it is a restaurant with bar.)

We took the AVE train to Sevilla, first class, and the service was comparable to first class on an airline. For only a 2-1/2 hour train ride, it was sort of unnecessary but a nice splurge. We stayed at the A-C Hotel (NOT on Rick's list) which was in a nice suburban section of Sevilla. It was convenient to the public bus lines to get into the main part of town though. As far as the hotel, it is considered to be a "luxury hotel." They have the pricing down right...not much else.

From there we rented a car and drove to Granada. Stayed at the Hotel Inglaterra, very convenient location. Driving in Granada will make you crazy though! Hotel Inglaterra had safe parking for us right across the street (alley, actually) for about $10 USD per day.

Nerja. Stayed at the Hotel Balcon de Europa. It was a wonderful place, but the room itself was rather spartan. The view will take your breath away. They have a super buffet breakfast and their restaurant was excellent. Being mid-December, there wasn't much in Nerja that was open. If you want to stay at Balcon de Europa (or it's low cost next door neighbor - mentioned in Rick's book), follow the signs to the parking garage. Don't try to get near the hotel...you can't due to the one way streets.

Gibraltar. It was disappointing because of the weather. The cable car to the top of Gibraltar was closed (even if you were crazy enough to want to do it in the cold, wind and rain!). We stayed at the Queens Hotel, which I thought was fine despite the "characterless" comment in Rick's book. It was just nice to have a warm room and some good cable TV. We had dinner at an English pub a short walk from the hotel. The food was awful, but the atmosphere was fun, especially right before Christmas. There are unwarranted delays to getting out of Gibraltar by car (probs. with Spanish govt). There are signs on the Gibraltar side indicating that the time delays and hassles are deliberate by the Spanish govt and an address to write to and complain.
Maria <email>
Jackson, TN   USA   03/14/02


Travel times
I like the book. One of the things I can't seem to find in any book is a basic chart showin the travel times between the major cities by train, car, bus, etc. I've been able to figure it out by visiting the renfe.es site, but it would be helpful in planning itineraries if there was a simple chart with travel times.
Ray <email>
miami, fl   USA   02/26/02


Back from Madrid and Toledo
Just back from Madrid and Toledo. Plaza Santa Ana is under renovation with lots of construction noise. We used www.aerocity.com for transport from airport to our hotel at cost of 14 Euros total for both of us. We will use them for next trip. The lake at Parque del Retiro is totally drained and under construction of some sort. The Prado's north entrance has a much shorter line. At the Prado you must check backpacks, but they have no coat check area. Train to Toledo was about one hour and round trip cost 17.40 Euros for both of us. To find bus stop, walk out of Toledo station, turn right and walk maybe 60 feet.

Pickpockets---encountered two young women using the unfolded map routine while asking for help as the third approached from the rear (this was in Plaza Mayor). Toledo Cathedral---NO bathrooms there nor at the ticket shop. Rent the 3 Euro audio wand, worth it. Many of the plazas are crowded at night with people, especially on weekends--so, you may want an interior facing room instead of one overlooking the action.
M&J <email>
Atlanta, GA   USA   02/26/02


Spain and Portugal
In planning my trip to Spain, I found I needed to fly in and out of Lisbon and was going to Barcelona. Spanair has Spainpass which is $50 per segment...about the same as the train but better, more times in and out of Lisbon, and alot faster.
mark brown <email>
portland, or   USA   02/11/02


Winter in Portugal
After reading all the postings here, we deleted Spain from our 10-day trip at the end of January and spent the entire time in Portugal. Good decision! The weather was OK to great. We always travel in the winter because prices are much lower and we are often the only tourists around. We stayed in the super budget places recommended by Rick, and were actually surprised at how nice many of the cuartos were. A few suggestions for winter travel:

Salema was almost entirely shut down--none of the recommended restaurants were open, as well as most of the cuartos. There were few lights on at night. On the other hand... Tavira was great! A lovely town, and we had it almost to ourselves--rarely heard a word of anything but Portugese.

One of our most pleasant surprises was Fado in the street near Rossio Square in Lisboa. Several men just sang their hearts out, we stayed for about an hour, the listeners were treating the singers to jinjinia, it was really a great evening, not another tourist in sight, and all it cost us was the coins we dropped into the hat!

And, Rick didn't mention that the Alentejo Club, recommended for dinner, used to be a gambling casino in the 20's. Talk about faded splendor! The kind porter gave us a tour of the place, it was great fun--and the meal was great, too.
Geff and Susan <email>
Edmonds, WA   USA   02/11/02


Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar & Morocco
I spent a few months traveling through Iberia and Morocco around this time last year with my husband. I have received emails from dozens of Rick Steves