SPAIN TRAVEL GUIDE
Review by Barb & Ron Kroll
Spain
(Fodor's) ISBN 978-1400004812 1400004810
Anyone planning trips to Spain can use this Fodor's guidebook as a comprehensive source of Spain travel information. You will find travel advice on everything from walking holidays in Spain and car rentals to Spain paradors and train travel times.
Besides travel information on Spain hotels, attractions and transportation, you will find travel tips on the foods and wines of Spain, Spanish language guides and nightlife, from flamenco to tapas bars.
For each city and region of Spain, this comprehensive travel guide describes hotels, restaurants, attractions, shopping, special events, when to go and tours. For example, Fodor's Spain suggests bike tours of Barcelona, Spain (Fat Tire Bike Tours and Un Cotxe Menys). The guidebook states that the best time to visit Barcelona is between October and June, because summers are very hot.
Charts provide travel advice. E.g., Best Bets for Madrid Lodging recommends the best Madrid hotels by price, and the best places to stay in Madrid for families and visitors wanting a centrally located hotel.
In Focus chapters contain detailed travel information. One discusses the Spain paradors: how many (nearly 100), history and restaurants. It recommends buying a five-night Spain Parador card for discount accommodation at paradores.
Fodor's Spain features many travel tips. E.g., ATM machines in Spain do not accept ATM cards with PINs longer than four digits. Shorten longer PINs before your trip to Spain.
Fodor's Spain has 75 city maps and regional maps of Spain. More than 340 color photos depict Spain vacations, from Barcelona beaches to the Balearic Islands. The inside front cover has a Madrid Metro map, showing Metro stations, transfer stations, railway lines and train stations.
A detailed map of Spain, attached to the back cover, can be removed for planning a trip to Spain or for use during your Spain vacation.
A Travel Times by Train map, with AVE stations and local train stations, helps you plan rail travel in Spain. It shows the shortest time between cities (e.g., one hour and 35 minutes between Seville and Cordoba) for train travel in Spain.
One chapter of Fodor's Spain discusses languages spoken in Spain, besides Spanish: Catalan, Gallego, Euskera, Asturiano, Aranes, Fabla aragonesa and Extremaduran. A map of Spain shows where you can hear Spain's other languages.
Walks in Spain are highlighted by A Good Walk insert for many Spanish cities. As an example, for Madrid walking tours, Fodor's Spain recommends a two-hour walk around Puerto del Sol. Besides describing Madrid attractions, along the route, it suggests alternative walks for rainy days and longer durations.
Other walks in Spain are described for Valencia, Granada and the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage (El Camino).
Contents
- Experience Spain
- What's Where
- Spain Planner
- Spain Today
- What's New in Spain
- Making the Most of Your Euros
- Spain's Top Attractions
- Spain's Top Experiences
- Spain's Top Museums
- FAQ
- Quintessential Spain
- Great Itineraries
- History You Can See
- Languages of Spain
- Madrid
- Welcome to Madrid
- Madrid Planner
- Getting Here and Around
- Eating and Drinking Well in Madrid
- Exploring Madrid
- Tapas Bars and Cafes
- Where to Eat
- Best Bets for Madrid Dining
- Where to Stay
- Best Bets for Madrid Lodging
- Nightlife and the Arts
- Sports and the Outdoors
- Shopping
- Side Trips from Madrid
- Toledo and Trips from Madrid
- Welcome to Toledo
- Toledo Planner
- Getting Here and Around
- Eating and Drinking Well in Castile and Extremadura
- Castile-La Mancha
- Castile-Leon
- Extremadura
- Galicia and Asturias
- Welcome to Galicia and Asturias
- Galicia and Asturias Planner
- Getting Here and Around
- Eating and Drinking Well in Galicia and Asturias
- Santiago de Compostela and Eastern Galicia
- The Costa da Morte and Rias Baixas
- A Coruna and Rias Atlas
- Asturias
- The Picos de Europa
- Cantabria
- Bilbao and the Basque Country
- Welcome to Bilbao and the Basque Country
- Bilbao and the Basque Country Planner
- Getting Here and Around
- Eating and Drinking Well in the Basque Country
- Bilbao and the Basque Coast to Getaria (Guetaria)
- San Sebastian to Hondarribia
- Navarra and Pamplona
- La Rioja
- The Pyrenees
- Welcome to The Pyrenees
- The Pyrenees Planner
- Getting Here and Around
- Eating and Drinking Well in the Pyrenees
- Eastern Catalan Pyrenees
- La Cerdanya
- Western Catalan Pyrenees
- Aragon and Central Pyrenees
- The Western and Basque Pyrenees
- Barcelona
- Welcome to Barcelona
- Barcelona Planner
- Getting Here and Around
- Eating and Drinking Well in Barcelona
- Barcelona's Best Beaches
- Exploring Barcelona
- Bars and Cafes
- Where to Eat
- Best Bets for Barcelona Dining
- Restaurant Reviews
- Where to Stay
- Best Bets for Barcelona Lodging
- Nightlife and the Arts
- Sports and the Outdoors
- Shopping
- Side Trips from Barcelona
- Catalonia, Valencia and The Costa Blanca
- Welcome to Catalonia, Valencia and the Costa Blanca
- Catalonia, Valencia and the Costa Blanca Planner
- Getting Here and Around
- Eating and Drinking Well in Catalonia, Valencia and the Costa Blanca
- Northern Catalonia
- The Costa Brava
- Southern Catalonia and around Valencia
- The Costa Blanca
- The Balearic Islands
- Welcome to The Balearic Islands
- The Balearic Islands Planner
- Getting Here and Around
- Eating and Drinking Well in The Balearic Islands
- Best Beaches of the Balearics
- Majorca
- Minorca
- Ibiza
- Formentera
- Andalusia
- Welcome to Andalusia
- Andalusia Planner
- Getting Here and Around
- Eating and Drinking Well in Andalusia
- Andalusia's White Villages
- Seville
- Around Seville
- Western Andalusia's Great Outdoors: Province of Huelva
- The Land of Sherry: Cadiz Province and Jerez de La Frontera
- Cordoba
- Side Trips from Cordoba
- Land of Olives: Jaen Province
- Granada
- Side Trips from Granada
- Costa del Sol and Costa de Almeria
- Welcome to the Costa del Sol and Costa de Almeria
- Costa del Sol and Costa de Almeria Planner
- Getting Here and Around
- Eating and Drinking Well along Spain's Southern Coast
- Best Beaches of the Southern Coast
- The Costa de Almeria
- The Costa Tropical
- Malaga Province
- Gibraltar
- Travel Smart Spain
- Vocabulary
- Index
- Maps
More things to see and do in Spain:
Northern Spain - Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and Basque Country Tour
Madrid Spain - Flights, Hotels and Museums