Many of us live to travel, and travel to live. We pack our bags for all kinds of reasons: to relax, learn, visit family, and seal business deals. A good many of us simply thrive on a change of scenery—no matter where it is. In recent years, however, travel in certain parts of the world has become something of a political act, especially in face of terrorism, which has changed attitudes, whole economies, and lives to their very core. The recent train bombings on Mar. 11 in Madrid, Spain are no exception. The tragedy was real, and the wounds are fresh. Despite this horrific event, Spain remains an excellent travel destination, and according to the Spanish Hotel Owners Association and the Association of Travel Agents in Spain, there has been no dropoff in travelers' reservations. Reports from the European Travel Commission are the same. Spain is also one of the last places in Western Europe where your American dollar still stretches pretty far; we’ve found a few vacations that help you do just that. (We’ll get to those in a moment.)
No doubt we’ll hear from a few readers who’ll brand our advocating travel to Spain as irresponsible, but it would also irresponsible for us not to promote visiting such a worthy destination, one that’s also full of savings for the budgeteer. Some of you may remember that New York City was helped back on its feet after Sept. 11 by brave tourists who decided to visit anyway. Their motives were different but the result was the same: hope for the future. And if you’re skittish about being a victim of terrorism, remember that you’re 2.5 more times as likely to be struck by lightning. It’s important that we keep our heads on straight when it comes to travel, otherwise our worlds become very, very small—in more ways than one.
So many Spains
If you’ve never been to Spain, you’re missing out. Not only is the Mediterranean country as culturally as rich as its neighbors, it’s arguably more vibrant. The people are among the warmest and most passionate I’ve personally encountered—anywhere—and Spain’s nightlife, or movida, is legendary. Where else in the world do you dine at 11pm, and hit the clubs at 1am, only to stay out every night, all night until it’s time for a wake-up café con leche?
Each part of Spain offers something distinctly different—regional histories, traditions, cuisines, and well, reputation. In sunny southern Andalusia, you find old-fashioned conservatism and classic Old Spain: flamenco, sangria, red-tinged landscapes, orange groves, and Moorish influences galore. Castile, smack in the center of the country, is the government seat and home to the country’s capital, Madrid. There, you can still taste traditional Spain and attend bullfights, but you’ll also find cosmopolitan vigor, a proliferation of pocket-size tapas restaurants, and a lively café life that comes alive during the warmer months when the entire world sips al fresco on terrazas, or the many outdoor terraces that line the city’s grand boulevards. Of course, there are countless art galleries and museums in Madrid, with the sprawling Prado Museum, and its 4,000+ masterworks, at the top of the heap.
Barcelona, Spain’s second-largest city, hardly plays second fiddle. Just an hour from the French border on the Mediterranean Sea, the buzzing port city of Barcelona is Catalonia’s proud heart, and where Roman ruins collide with cutting-edge modernism. Barcelona is also Spain’s economic engine, and where design is taken very seriously. The ancient narrow streets of the city’s Gothic Quarter are fun to wander, and the city’s many Art Nouveau and drippy, trippy Gaudi buildings intrigue. But Barcelona’s artistry magic is everywhere. It’s even given birth to a new generation of Surrealists, except these artists are chefs and their medium is food. (Chef Ferran Adria of the restaurant El Bulli and other gastronomic ventures has been named by many with discerning expert palates as the best living chef.) Of course, there are other cities and regions of Spain—Galicia, the Basque country, Asturias, Extremadura, and the Balearic Islands to name just a few—well worth discovering.
Heart and Costa del Sol of Spain
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FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane
FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision
FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane
A good source for affordable travel to Spain’s southern coast—the Costa del Sol—is Visit Spain Tours. Throughout the spring and summer it’s selling what appears to be the sweetest priced vacation packages offer to that historic and resorty stretch of Iberian Peninsula. Visit Spain’s very best offers start at $499 (for one date only, singles add $240) for round-trip airfare from New York City to Malaga on a charter called Plus One, airport transfers, and six night’s accommodation in a full-service Vistamar Studio Apartment. There’s a pool for cooling off from Spain’s sometimes intense summer heat, and the complex sits a short walk from the beach, golf, and a casino.
However, as we said before, there’s only one departure date at this special rate—Jun 18, and it's selling out fast. All other Costa del Sol promotions vary in price depending on departure day and property (but most start around $550, still a terrific price), and the company appears to have a relationship with quite a few. We suggest you peruse the options to find the date, accommodations and price that’s right for you. Keep in mind that prices can fluctuate depending on availability. One aspect of this offer that we're not thrilled about is that you need to be good and sure when you call that you want to go, because the company not only requires a 60-day advance reservation but it also charges $50 if it goes ahead and arranges the trip and you back out. Still, at these low prices, which are far below the seasonal norm, it's hard to complain.
We should also add that because Visit Spain uses a charter vacations are Friday to Friday only, so if you’d like to stay longer than six nights, you’ll have to book an entire extra week. (Visit Spain Tours, 866/878-4604)
Madrid, a capital idea
Travel to Spain during the summer months can cost mucho denaro, but established web discounter Go-Today.com is one of a small collection of tour companies defying normal seasonal trends. For travel through Jun. 7, it has a superbly priced air-hotel package to Madrid priced at $699 ($919 for singles), which includes round-trip airfare from Washington DC, six nights at the Principe Pio, a beautiful classically decorated hotel with views of the Palacio Real, with breakfast. Extra nights run $75 per person per double. (Add $30 from Philadelphia, $80 from Chicago, $120 from Newark (NYC) and Houston.)
Want to visit Spain’s capital between Jul. 1 and Aug. 31? You’ll pay $989 for nearly the same package (this time the lead price is from New York City), except stays are at the ultra-mod Suecia Hotel, located a short walk from the Prado. The price for additional nights here is $55 per person based on double occupancy. Summer supplements from other US cities are as follows:
- $80— Boston, Philadelphia, Washington Dulles
- $140— Chicago, Miami
- $180—Atlanta, Dallas-Ft Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco
- $220- Denver, Detroit, Phoenix, Seattle
- $280—Minneapolis, Burlington (VT), Buffalo, Manchester NH, Providence, Portland (ME), Charleston (SC), Cleveland, Charlotte, Columbus (OH), Cincinnati, Dayton, Grand Rapids, Greensboro, Greenville (SC), Knoxville, Lexington, Memphis, Nashville, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah, Louisville
- $320—Des Moines, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Madison, New Orleans, Orlando, St. Louis, Tampa, Austin, Omaha, San Antonio, Tulsa, Albuquerque, Jackson Hole, Rapid City, Salt Lake City, Burbank, Oakland, San Diego
Beautiful Barcelona
Go-Today.com also appears to have the most affordable bundled vacations to Spain’s number two city—Barcelona. Its “supersale” prices start at just $599 (singles $799) for travel before Jun. 7. Like the Madrid offer, this too includes roundtrip airfare from Washington, D.C., six night’s lodging with breakfast. Stays are at the modest but ideally located Hotel Coronado, which sits just steps from the bustle of Las Ramblas and the charm of the pedestrian-friendly Gothic Quarter. Here, you’ll spend $43 per person per additional night in this spirited city. (Add $30 from Philadelphia, $80 from Chicago, $120 from Newark (NYC) and Houston.)
Go-Today.com’s summer Barcelona options (Jul. 1 - Aug. 31) start at a base price of $949 ($1,149 for singles) with departures from New York City. Here’s a sampling of air add-ons for summer departures from other cities:
- $80—Boston, Philadelphia, Washington Dulles
- $140—Chicago, Miami
- $180—Los Angeles, San Francisco
- $220—Seattle, Denver, Detroit
- $280-Atlanta, Burlington (VT), Buffalo, Manchester (NH), Portland (ME), Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Birmingham, Columbia (SC), Akron-Canton, Charleston (SC), Cleveland, Charlotte, Grand Rapids, Greensboro, Greenville SC, Memphis, Nashville, Raleigh-Durham
- $320—Dallas-Ft Worth, Houston, Minneapolis, Bloomington (IL), Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Wayne, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Jacksonville (FL), Kansas City, Milwaukee, Madison, New Orleans, Orlando, Peoria, Southbend, Springfield (IL), St. Louis, Tampa, Austin, Wichita, Lincoln, Oklahoma City, Omaha, San Antonio, Tulsa
All of Go-Today.com’s offers must be purchased by May 13. To do this, call Go-Today.com at 425/487-9632.
Andalusian attraction
The $1,269 price tag (per person based on double occupancy) is good for these Friday departures: Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, May 7, 14, 21, 28, Jun. 4, 11. Tours don’t pick up again until September when prices increase by $100. (PetrabaxUSA, 800/265-4842)