Travel Spain: A Sightseeing Tour of Madrid

Irose early on the morning of June 1, 2010 to leave for my drive to Madrid from Salamanca. I had lucked out with another gorgeous day and drove eastwards through the Spanish Meseta and over the Sierra de Guadarama Mountains into the capital Madrid. After a fairly easy search I was able to locate the airport and return my rental car shortly before noon. At the airport tourist information booth I asked about how to get to my hotel on the Gran Via and was given the explanation that I just had to catch the subway, change once at the Nuevos Ministerios subway stop and then exit at Plaza de Espana, one of Madrid’s most important squares. I was able to find my hotel quite easily: the Alcazar Regis is a simple 2-star property right on the Gran Via, Madrid’s most impressive grand boulevard. What surprised me is that the hotel was located on the fifth floor of a building as part of a former apartment. It features 14 bedrooms and mine was a simple, single room with ensuite bathroom, a perfect base for me two days in Madrid. After I had gotten settled I headed back out into the city and to get a lay of the land I embarked on one of the popular hop-on / hop-off double-decker bus tours called Madrid Vision. I figured this was one of the best ways of getting an overview of the city. Sure enough, our tour covered all of Madrid’s major sites: Plaza Espana, Palacio Real, Plaza Mayor, Puerto del Sol, Calle de Alcala, Gran Via, Paseo del Prado, Museum Row (Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, Museo
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Posted in Travel Tours Spain | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Travel to Spain, France and Italy

Travel to Spain, France and Italy

If you are planning to go on a vacation, you may wish to consider countries like Spain, France or Italy. In each of these countries, there are beautiful cities, towns and settlements. Each city has its own heritage, history, and story to tell. It’s easy to fall in love with the destinations once you get to know the place, the people, and the culture. Here are some highlights of the 3 countries.

Traveling in Spain.

Spain has many major cities that you can consider visiting. Some must see cities include Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville or Costa Blanca. Compared to other major cities, Madrid may not have the same beautiful architecture. However, it is rich in art culture, and is endowed with beautiful natural scenery. If you would like to visit magnificent churches and cathedrals, Barcelona would be a better option. This city started off as a tiny settlement surrounded by a defensive wall. It has evolved into a city that is bustling with activity.

Traveling in France.

When you think about France, you can’t help but think about Paris. Paris is the capital of France, and it’s also the largest city in France. This city is well known for the artwork that is produced by numerous famous artists. You must have heard of the famous landmarks – Eiffel Tower, the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Louvre Museum.

The Eiffel Tower is perhaps the most well known among the three. It is often seen in movies, magazines, and books. Everyone is saying that if you haven’t seen the Eiffel Tower, you haven’t been to Paris.

If you are into musical performances and plays, France has Moulin Rouge to offer. This is a world renowned venue for top class musical performances. Every night, two performances are scheduled. Be sure to book your tickets early so as to avoid disappointment!

Traveling in Italy

There are many cities in Italy that are worth visiting. Some examples are Venice, Rome and Florence. Powerful citizens once lived in Rome. In ancient times, it was a city that was without electricity or cars. Because many affluent families live in Rome, slaves were a common sight. Today, many of the magnificent manors, villas and sculptures still remain. The slaves are long gone though.

In Florence, the highlights are the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia. These places are usually flocked with visitors though. You may have to make reservations to ensure that you are granted permission to enter. Tourists visiting Florence like to visit the museums as well as the town center and markets.

Venice is relatively small compared with the other major cities. St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace are usually crowded by mid day. When in Venice, you can choose to explore the city in a tour boat.

To get around these cities and visit more destinations, you may wish to hire a car. Car rental services are available at the airport. You can hire a car way in advance so that upon arrival, a rented car would be waiting for you.

To find out more about our cheap car hire Italy service and our cheap car hire France service, please take a look at our resource site.

Posted in Travel Tours Spain | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Do we need a car to travel between cities in Costa Del Sol Spain? Is it better to have a car or take tours?

Question by Denice French: Do we need a car to travel between cities in Costa Del Sol Spain? Is it better to have a car or take tours?
There will be four of us traveling in March. Staying in Marbella area. We want to go to Sevilla, Rhonda, Granada, Cordoba, Gibraltar. We would like to see some of the smaller villages also. Would the bus system get us around easily?

Best answer:

Answer by gary o
I would rent a car………that way you can take day trips to all those places…stay as long as you want and move on. I have done it that way many times…..Much better than busing around that part of the country….Especially when you want to go back into the hilly country.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Posted in Travel Tours Spain | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Travel Spain: Girona and the Dali Triangle

Travel Spain: Girona and the Dali Triangle

Girona and the “Dali Triangle” are destinations known to the lucky few who travel Spain. This area in Catalonia is one of the undiscovered gems of Spain. Girona is about 100 km from Barcelona, but no one who chooses to travel Spain should miss this lovely area. Easily accessible by train, bus or even automobile from Barcelona, this destination recalls some of spain’s most interesting history and one of its greatest artistic minds.

Girona is an beautiful, quaint town with an long history. The town was inhabited by Romans, Jews and Moors at different times in Spain’s history, and traces of each group can be seen in this lovely city. The local dialect is Catalan, not Spanish, but the language of the lovely sights will speak to all visitors.

The Old Quarter is the center of the town’s historic district, filled with medieval arches and dark, winding passageways that recall a different era. Filled with churches, lovely old houses and cobblestone drives, this picturesque section of town has homes dating from the middle ages and several lovely cathedrals.

The old Jewish neighborhood, called El Call is particularly interesting to explore. An old roman tower and the Jewish History Museum are of interest to many, as is the town’s art museum featuring over 1000 years of artworks.

A promenade similar to the one in Barcelona, “La Rambla” will bring to mind a simpler time. This lovely street with overhanging trees, shops, little cafes and great restaurants has changed a little since medieval times, but it’s charm hasn’t lessened.

Nearby, visitors can explore “Dali’s Triangle,” a region just north of Girona and continuing to several destinations important in the life of this controversial artist. In Figueres, visitors can tour the third most visited museum, the Dali designed Museum-Theater. Fancifully designed by the artist himself, this building features large white eggs on the roof, a bright red color and loaves of bread made of glazed ceramics on the outside walls. Inside, visitors can view several of Dali’s most famous works, including “Rainy Taxi.” Dali is buried on site.

In the fishing village of Port Lligat visitors can view Dali’s home. In this isolated hamlet, Dali built several homes together for himself and his wife, Gala. Some of the original décor is intact, including one of his famous “lip sofas.” Of course, the nearby Club Med was not built in Dali’s time, but it could make for an enjoyable stopover.

After visiting the home and Museum that Dali built, visitors touring the Dali triangle will want to stop by the castle in Pubol. Dali purchased the 11th century structure in the 1960′s for his wife, although she banned him from the residence for almost a decade in the 1970‘s. The golden throne that he installed for Gala is still there, and several unusual statues including elephants and other animals are in the gardens. A stuffed hourse guards the door, and several stuffed swans are installed inside.

If you are planning a visit to Spain, travel to Girona and the Dali Triangle for some truly beautiful and inspirational sights. This little-known area of Spain offers its tourists some of the most unique and controversial experiences that the region has to offer.

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.mileniumfinancial.com/ a blog focusing on the Financial resources and articles. This site provides detailed information on Finance. For more info visit his site: Financial

Posted in Travel Spain | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Travel Spain Barcelona

Travel Spain Barcelona

Groups of individuals looking for a wonderful destination for all purposes should travel Spain Barcelona. As one of the world’s oldest, most beautiful cities, Barcelona offers everything that one could possibly hope for in a vacation. Even above the leisure time, groups love to travel Spain Barcelona for the wonderful accommodations that are offered there in the form of conference facilities and other amenities. In short, it is a city that has something to offer for everyone.

Travel Spain Barcelona if you are looking for a place to hold a group meeting or corporate training courses. Not only are there a number of excellent hotel options in the city, but there are also resorts that cater especially to corporate groups. Holding company seminars in Barcelona has become a popular idea for many companies, as they are finding that resorts offer meeting space, good food, and all of the comforts that their employees demand. On top of that, nerves will be calmed by staying in one of the world’s most beautiful locations for an extended stay.

In business, one of the most important things to consider is how you treat your people. When you are holding an event that they are required to attend, it helps to put on a nice show. With some of the fantastic corporate venues in the city, Barcelona has become a haven for these types of events. Companies have figured out that they can hold corporate hospitality events for their potential clients in the nice resorts of Spain. Not only does that allow the companies to get their message across to the potential clients, but it also gives the companies an opportunity to provide their clients with the best amenities anywhere in the world. By making the clients feel at home, these businesses are able to land the big contracts and move forward with their operations.

It doesn’t have to be a formal business outing to work well in Barcelona, though. Many families travel Spain Barcelona to hold wonderful parties. From weddings to other large social gatherings, no event goes unnoticed in this city. When you travel Spain Barcelona, you allow guests to experience fine service at a nice resort and give them the opportunity to explore Spain’s crown jewel of cities. Even if you just need to find a great place to throw an award ceremony, there is a perfect resort in Barcelona. With so many different accommodations and resorts to choose from, there is bound to be one perfect choice that has everything you are looking for.

With the Mediterranean Sea sitting right by its side, Barcelona is also quite the social hub. When there is no business obligation for your guests or employees, they will enjoy the lively culture and fun times in Barcelona’s downtown. There, people of young age and old age join together in the name of fun and camaraderie. This will ensure that all of your guests, be they clients or employees, always have something to do when there’s a little bit of down time from the PR events, training courses, seminars, awards ceremonies, conferences, meetings and sales events they may be attending.

One of the other major reasons to travel Spain Barcelona for your business outing is the fact that it is highly accessible. If your clients are coming from somewhere in Spain or a surrounding European country, there are plenty of highways that lead into Barcelona. For those coming from afar, the city has one of Spain’s largest international airports, which services a number of different airlines. This helps to keep the cost of airfare down for those traveling to the beautiful city. There are also other options, such as train service or even arriving by boat.

Barcelona is one of the most interesting cities in the world, in that it combines the new with the old. There, you can experience some old Spain feel with the old harbour, but you will never be too far away from the modern conveniences that business meetings require. As the economic center of Spain and one of the leading economic cities in all of Europe, Barcelona has much experience with handling large numbers of business people who come for various different reasons. Simply put, it is a city that is well suited for any of your functions.

Travel Spain Barcelona with the family or with the corporate office. Because of the relatively high accessibility, it is a city that’s never too far away from anyone. The accommodations and resorts are perfect for hosting any type of business event that you can think of, including corporate hospitality events and conferences, and the city’s culture and nightlife is sure to be a great draw for employees and clients. There are few cities in the world that have the great spots featured in Barcelona, as everyone can enjoy the beaches, the shopping, and the beautiful accommodations. For the business traveler, there is not a destination in the world that can match what Barcelona brings to the table.

Corporate travel for people who book business trips from all continents Tel: 08700 490002 or +44 (0)1780 484824

visit http://www.jigsawconferences.co.uk/ or http://www.jigsawconferences.co.uk/Travel

Posted in Travel Spain | Tagged , , | Leave a comment