Catalonian Coast Itinerary: Barcelona and Costa Brava

This was the first time we had arranged a trip through a travel agent we contacted on the internet. But the trip through Spain that Esther arranged was one of the best vacation trips we have ever taken. We stayed in 3 different locations: Madrid, the Costa Brava region and Barcelona. And every part of the trip was luxurious, comfortable, and exciting.

Perfect! This was our first experience using Zicasso, and we were extremely well pleased with the concept, and with the company we selected. Our planning for this trip of 17 days in October began in January, when we first selected them among the companies we were referred to, and outlined our plans, desired itinerary, and interests in an extensive telephone conversation with the rep.He and we were in frequent touch by email and phone over the next two months to refine our program. We decided to drop one city from our itinerary; we altered our original flight plans for arriving/departing Spain, added/subtracted some activities; approved places where we might want a guided tour and those where we would not. Throughout, the rep was an effective and capable advisor, offering suggestions (include a visit to Toledo), using his expertise to recommend the best itinerary for the trip based on train/air times and choke points (how to include a stop in Ronda); taking local holidays into account, even quickly preparing an alternate itinerary at one point when it appeared our party would have to be just 2 rather than 4.We signed a contract and paid a deposit in March to finalize our plans. In ensuing months, the company worked to nail down the details: train and air travel within country; pickups/drop-offs at hotels/airports; car service for excursions by road; reservations at hotels we had chosen based on the rep's recommendations; tickets for museums or events, especially those that often need to be obtained in advance. We had chosen from the start to do our own research and selection of restaurants, but the company also offered an extensive list of possibilities in the various places were visiting; and once we made our decisions, the company kindly made all the reservations for us, fitting the exact times in with our schedule of other things. All this was magically and effectively done for us without a lot of effort or time on our part, so by October 1, there was little to worry about except boarding the plane.From the moment we landed at Barcelona, to the date we departed sixteen (actually seventeen) days later, everything went like clockwork. It became clear that the rep and his team were personally committed to ensure that things would proceed without a hitch. By reports from drivers and guides, they often knew before we did that we might be running a little late somewhere, and made small adjustments accordingly.  Of course, there were minor snags - in one case, due to a miscommunication between a guide and a driver, we couldn't find our driver, and he couldn't find us; and in the jammed ancient streets of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, we were surprised to find a vehicle could only get as close as two blocks from the front door of our hotel -- but those were rare exceptions.  In addition, we and the rep communicated as needed by phone and text, for example when we decided to cancel a reservation at one restaurant. More important, when our airline cancelled our departure flight with one day's notice, we of course had to work out our alternate flight with the airlines directly, but the company took some pressure off by getting our stay at our hotel extended (and of course adjusting our transport to the airport).Hotels: In the four places where we had set up overnight stays (Barcelona, Granada, Sevilla, and Madrid), for which the company had recommended the hotels, we were very happy with their choices. We had expressed a preference for smaller hotels  in a historic building, and the rep's recommendations did not disappoint - everywhere, we found wonderful accommodation with friendly, helpful staff (most also had their own restaurant). After the trip, we tried to agree on a favorite - but all were favorites, albeit with different features.Guides: Last, but most important, was the rep's success in selecting such excellent guides for our city, museum, and food/wine tours. In each case, our guide was a native of the city we were in; in each case, they were not only expert in their fields but had a lot of great, interesting information to impart about local customs and legends, shopping, and institutions. Our guides added immensely to our enjoyment and learning from the trip – they made a world of difference.The "bottom line" is that if/when we plan more travel in Spain, we will definitely work with Zicasso, and hope to have the chance to work again with this company and their rep.

We had an absolutely amazing time on our trip, a high-school graduation present to our son. Our family of five, including 14, 16, and 18-year-old kids, wanted to maximize the time in Spain, so we wanted an aggressive schedule. We were able to visit Barcelona, Girona, Granada, Córdoba, and Seville over nine days.

Our Zicasso agent and his company were fantastic to work with from the initial interaction. They were exceptionally helpful in going through multiple iterations of an itinerary until we landed on something that made sense and lined up with our desire to maximize our time in Spain. They provided great advice on how best to organize the trip, minimize travel time, and get the most out of the trip. The tours and guides they arranged were top-notch, and it was fantastic to have all the tickets and reservations made for us, meaning we did not have to worry about things selling out. The locations of the hotels were perfect, the restaurant recommendations were spot on, and the overall trip was seamless.

I appreciated the hard copy printout of tickets, itineraries, and recommendations waiting for us at the first hotel. I also liked how available and responsive our agent was any time we needed him on the trip. There were a few instances where we were unable to locate a driver at a train stop, but a message to our agent quickly resolved the issues.

Our family of four, with two teenage boys, had an incredible vacation in Spain, thanks in large part to our Zicasso travel agent’s expertise and outstanding customer service. He and I collaborated closely to plan a trip we thought the family would enjoy.

We spent nine days exploring Barcelona and Madrid, with two memorable day trips to Costa Brava and Segovia. Despite the packed itinerary, our agent’s careful planning ensured we never felt rushed or stressed. His professionalism was evident in his exceptional customer care, responsiveness, and thoughtful reminders while we were there. We particularly appreciated the app he provided, which allowed us to have each part of our itinerary right at our fingertips. It was a fantastic experience and we can't thank him enough for making it so memorable.