Enjoyable 8-Day Spain Vacation: History, Culture and Nature

We traveled to Spain for two weeks, and went to Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Sevilla, white towns in Andalucia, Ronda, Granada, and Barcelona.  Thanks in large part to the efforts of our agent the trip was fabulous.  His recommendations for sights, activities, and most especially guides and hotels, were spot-on.  In planning the trip, we would occasionally have a question or make a recommendation, and he was always thoughtful, responsive, and (most importantly) candid in replying to us.  We had a particular interest in exploring aspects of Spain relating to Jewish history and heritage, and he was careful to let our tour guides know this, all without neglecting the key sights of every city we visited.  Without exception, his hotel choices were wonderful.  Every place was situated in a neighborhood near key places, and we could explore any time of the day or night and see something fascinating.  Most importantly, perhaps, I was confident that we had access to our agent 24 hours a day while we were in Spain.  I have never met this agent, but I always felt like he was looking over my shoulder as a resource and protector.  I am incredibly grateful to him for the effort he made in listening to my wants and needs, and doing all he could to accommodate them.

Our trip planner was terrific to work with, provided a great itinerary and very good with communication both before and during our trip.  Would definitely recommend and wouldn't hesitate to use again.  We had not been to Spain previously and our trip planner provided us with a terrific trip, visiting Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Seville, Cordoba, Granada and Barcelona.  Very much appreciated having travel within Spain arranged (train, private car and plane) and appreciated the car transport arranged to and from airport for our arrival and departure.  We had private guides in each of the cities which was very helpful.

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.