Madrid & Toledo: Spain Tour

My family and I just returned from an 11 day trip to Spain. We flew into Madrid and our driver met us at the airport and took us right to our hotel where our rooms were ready. Our travel agent was at the hotel and reviewed our itinerary and travel documents with us. Everything went very smoothly and continued this way throughout the trip. The following day our driver met us in the lobby for the drive to Toledo, where our tour guide was waiting. Toledo was a fascinating city, and we all wished we could have spent more time there. The following day we did a walking tour of Madrid. Our scheduled tour guide had to cancel last minute, but our agent arranged another guide, who was fabulous, extremely knowledgeable and also accommodating.

The following day we took a train to Seville. Our hotel was beautiful and within walking distance of all major sights. Our first night we went to a flamenco show, which included a great dinner. The following day we did a bike tour in the morning, had time to relax at the pool in the afternoon, while our teenagers toured the bull fighting stadium, which they loved. That night, we did a tapas tour, and experienced great local food and culture. Our tour guide was great. This was one of our favorite dining experiences.

The following morning, our driver picked us up early to head to Granada. Our tour guide in Granada was extremely knowledgeable and gave us a very detailed and personal tour. He even made dinner reservations for us. Our driver very was very friendly, informative, and had had cold drinks and snacks waiting for us after our tours. He made sure we were all settled in our hotel in Nerja before saying goodbye.

Our hotel in Nerja was beautiful, with easy access to the beach. We had a beautiful view of the sea from our balcony. Breakfast each morning was delicious and we great to sit outside with a view of the beach. Our agent made reservations for us nearby, the food and atmosphere was great.

We flew from Malaga to Barcelona, and again our driver was waiting for us at the airport. We had a nice tour of the highlights of Barcelona and a sunset cruise that evening.

I spoke with our planner early on in the planning process of our trip. She was readily available and open to all the special requests we had. We made some last minute changes to our itinerary and she was very accommodating. She was in another area of Spain when we arrived, but had our agent contact us before the trip. He was always available and made sure every aspect of our trip went smoothly. I would highly recommend this travel agency and will definitely work with them again when we return to Spain.

Our tour officially began in London when we boarded the EuroStar train for Paris and ended in Madrid when we boarded our flight to the U.S. We did see most of the sites on the requested itinerary, but there were a few surprises, glitches and disappointments.

The first surprise came when we were met by our driver in Paris. Our Paris itinerary had been rearranged. We were to visit the Louvre that afternoon and Versailles the next day. The change was probably the best arrangement of our schedule. However, the first glitch came when we were instructed to make our way from the hotel to the Louvre via the Metro and meet our guide at 3:30 p.m. at the exit from the metro.  The guide, on the other hand, had instructions to meet us at 2:45 for entry into the museum at 3:00. The Paris Metro station is like an ant nest of tunnels, and we came out at the wrong exit. We telephoned the only number we had (for the company that provided the driver) and explained that we could not find the proper exit. They contacted the company that provided the guide. Instead of telling the guide where we were and having him meet us we were told to try to find the correct exit which we finally did. We met the guide and got to the entrance to the Louvre at 4:00. Instead of two hours in the Louvre we only had one before they started closing. Our guide did an excellent job with the limited time and then took his time to escort us to the metro platform where we were to catch the train back to the hotel.

For the rest of our stay in Paris the driver took us everywhere and we did not have to fend for ourselves on public transportation.  Our guide for the Versailles tour was very good, although it was a small group instead of a private tour, and we only saw the building and not the grounds. The dinner cruise on the Seine was great, the food excellent. We enjoyed the catacombs, and the Segway Tour was great fun and a good ending to our visit in Paris.

We started working with this company last November planning this trip. We agreed on the itinerary and paid the deposit. Final payment was remitted on March 16th. We expected to receive the detailed itinerary 30 days before departure, but 10 days before we left for London we had not received anything and emailed a query. We had less than a week to review the itinerary and found a couple of discrepancies which we asked to be corrected. If we had had more time we would have found several other differences between the agreed itinerary and the final one.

The major issues were local transport and tour group size. In Barcelona we were expected to find our own way from the hotel to the start of the Gaudi Tour and the Tapas Crawl, both over 2.5 km from the hotel. After contacting the company they agreed to reimburse taxi fares.  For the full-day tour to Fugueres and Girona we were taken to the train station by driver. However, we were expecting to go by car and were not expecting to ride the train at all. On returning to Barcelona we had to take a taxi to the hotel.

Both the Gaudi Tour and the Fugueres/Girona Tour were with large groups rather than private tours. We specifically requested either private tours or small groups (no more than 4 to 6 people).  In large groups the tour guide uses a radio microphone with each tourist wears a receiver with earbuds to hear the guide. Mr. P wears hearing aids and cannot use the earbuds. Therefore he could not hear the guide.

The French and Spanish trains were very good: on time, clean, comfortable. We enjoyed seeing the countryside of both countries.

Local transport in Seville was very satisfactory. The driver on the trip to Sanlucar de Barrameda was especially good. His local knowledge about the olive and grape industry was very helpful. Our tour of the sherry bodega was disappointing. The group was over 30 people and the guide spoke only Spanish! What happened to the private tour?  The original itinerary included lunch, but it was not included.

The trip to Granada and the Alhambra was also disappointing. The tour through the Alhambra was with a group of over 30, again with the guide using a radio-microphone.  I might as well have wandered around on my own.

In the original itinerary we were to have dinner and Flamenco performance in Madrid. However, it was rescheduled to Seville. We enjoyed both the very good meal and the show.

On arrival in Madrid we could not locate the driver for transport to the hotel. After several telephone calls and an hour waiting we finally found him. This leads to the final issue with the itinerary. The original agreed itinerary said: “Depart from Madrid with your guide as you drive to the nearby city of Toledo...   In the afternoon get a taste of the top attractions in the city [Madrid]...”   The final itinerary said: “Please go to Atocha Train Station... to take the 9:20 train to Toldeo... Take the 17:25 train to Madrid.”   The tour company did agree to provide a driver to take us to the station and show us where to get the train.  A guide for Toledo was also added for a half day tour.  The guide was excellent, perhaps the best one on the trip, but at 1:00 pm we were left on our own to wait for the train back to Madrid.  We never got the driving tour of the Madrid!

The hotels were all very good. Excellent locations, clean, modern, comfortable.  The hotel staffs were very friendly, courteous and helpful.

I don’t know where the ball got dropped on our requests for this trip.  It was obvious that the arrangements were made at the last minute. For example the Louvre guide and the catacomb guide both said they were only contacted the day before. The catacomb guide had to say we were her relatives to get us in. The catacomb reservations needed to be made two months in advance. 

We had a good time, but it could have been less stressful and frustrating and more enjoyable. At our age (both over 75) we cannot do the things we could when younger. We need the extra help and personal attention we thought we would be getting on this trip.

The trip was 5 star in every way. All of the drivers were on time at the airports, train stations and hotels. The accommodations were all wonderful and centrally located. The tour guides in every city were superb. The itinerary was 2 days in Barcelona where we enjoyed a tour of the city by bicycle and a wonderful tapas class, a high speed train to Sevilla where we stayed for 2 days and picked up a car. We drove all through Andalucia visiting Ronda, Granada(Alhambra) and the beach town of Nerja. We dropped the car off in Malaga and took the train back to Madrid where we spent a day in Toledo and closed with dinner and the finest Flamenco show in all of Spain. Our travel representative prepared a wonderful journey for my wife and me. I would recommend this travel agency with a grade of A+............Harold S

Words can't explain just how important this trip was for my 90-year-old Uncle.  In 1944, he was a  U.S. soldier in Germany, and during that time, he had one week's leave from the Army.  He decided to visit Spain for that week, and he absolutely fell in love with the country.  He promised himself that one day he'd return.   Nearly 75 years later, I had the privilege of helping him make that dream come true.  However, I could never have made that trip as smooth and absolutely enjoyable and free of all stress that it was if it weren't for our travel planner and her associates at the travel agency.  They were careful and thoughtful in their assessment of what and how we needed to travel the country, given my Uncle's age.   

The travel agency asked all the right questions, then created an amazing itinerary that encompassed all the cities and towns we wanted to experience without rushing from one place to another.  My Uncle did not want to be herded on a bus tour, nor did he want to sit on a bus with lots of other tourists and not be able to understand the tour guide.  He wanted private tours of major sites in each of the towns we visited and he wanted to be able to have resting time each day.  Additionally, he wanted four-star accommodations, rather than whatever accommodations a group tour was providing. 

Our travel planner and her team created the most incredible vacation for my Uncle, that included professional, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable tour guides who were also personable and fun-loving people.   They all spoke excellent English besides their native Spanish, and had tickets to the most popular sites, bypassing huge long lines to get us into the facilities ahead of everyone.  They also provided wheelchair accommodations and made sure my Uncle had access to bathroom facilities when necessary.   I made sure each private tour guide received a generous tip for their wonderful services. 

Additionally, I can't say enough about the accommodations that we had along the way.  They were all four to five star that all included an AMAZING delicious breakfast buffet each day.  I can still taste the wonderful cheeses, fruit, huevos, ham, chocolate croissants and perfect cappuccinos!  The presentation of each breakfast was outstanding! 

We first visited Barcelona and had a two bedroom apartment that was absolutely perfect and located near food, fun and transportation. The staff was friendly and amazing, and everyone spoke English.   The apartment was five star all the way!  We had a wonderful tour with our guide where we got first class treatment, bypassing the long lines for the Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia, which was designed by famous architect Antonio Gaudi. Then she took us to the Old City of Barcelona where we walked on the same streets built by Romans.  My Uncle is still talking about that experience!  

The next day, we boarded a bus with a small group of travelers to see Monseratte,  a Benedictine monk mountain retreat.  It was one of our highlights of the entire trip, and was quite emotional for my Uncle.  The views from Monseratte are absolutely breathtaking and I was able to get some fantastic photographs from the top of the mountain.  Absolutely recommend this day trip.  After we left Monseratte, we enjoyed an afternoon of wine tasting and tapas at a family vineyard with our small group of about ten travelers.  We had so much fun and we all bonded as a group.  Such a wonderful way to end our day.

From Barcelona, we were flown to Granada, where we stayed in another fantastic five-star hotel adorned with Marble and decorative rod iron throughout the facility.  It was also in the heart of the town and easy access to shopping and sites.  We took a taxi up the mountain to the La Hambra where we met our next tour guide who gave us a wonderful tour of the city within a city.  What a site to see and such history to learn!   Later in the day, when we returned to Granada, we walked the city and shopped- lots of great shopping- and had a wonderful dinner at an outside cafe.  This is definitely a trendy, upscale shopping area.

Next, our travel agency arranged for a private driver to take us from Granada to Seville because the train was inoperable and we would have had to take a bus for part of the nearly three-hour trip to Seville.  Our private ride was smooth, relaxing and our driver was very personable.  He also had a very clean, comfortable car.  I highly recommend this mode of transportation!

Once in Seville, we checked into our hotel- yet, another spectacular accommodation- including a rooftop pool and bar that overlooked the entire city of Seville.  The rooms are spotless and I absolutely love the bathrooms, equipped with glass showers, large overhead showerheads and excellent craftsmanship.  Our evening Tapas and wine tour with our guide was so memorable.  She took us for a walk through her neighbourhood of narrow cobblestone streets and rod iron balconies to see various historical sites such as a Music museum and conservatory, an ancient breathtaking Cathedral that was still operational, and the town plaza where neighbours would meet and children would play.  The area was so quaint, we didn't want to leave.  Moreso, our guide had arranged for us to go from one Tapas bar to another in the neighbourhood- never waiting in any lines- and tasting the most exquisite Tapas and wine/beer we'd ever had on the trip!  She paid all expenses and ordered the food and drink throughout the night. 

Sadly, we had to leave Seville and take the highspeed train to Madrid, where we stayed for several days in an absolutely beautiful hotel on Jorge Juan Avenue.  Newly renovated with an old European flair of gorgeous white marble everywhere, beautifully decorated lobby and bar, a lower-level cellar that was renovated into this amazing kitchen, breakfast buffet with old brick and wood decor, including an old iron stove, and central to the whole hotel was a gorgeous rod iron cage-elevator that Europe is so well-known for.   Can't speak highly enough of this hotel!

Madrid is a very large city and quite majestic.  They have a large central park in the midst of the city and it's filled with people walking their dogs, scooters, joggers, and kayakers surrounding a beautiful small lake adorned with marble monuments.  We really enjoyed eating ice cream and walking in this park, and also saw a lovely art exhibit while there.  Our second day in Madrid included a 25-minute train ride to Toledo, where we met our tour guide who showed us all over this quaint historical town.  She grew up in Toledo and knew everyone, so we got private tours of little businesses that would make gold jewelry by hand, as well as a six-generation business that handcrafted amazing pottery with 24K gold inlay.  The town is also known for its steel and sword making.  We saw amazing swords and gold- lots of gold.  Absolutely a must for gifts of gold or steel products at amazingly low prices.   We truly loved the Cathedrals and narrow winding cobblestone streets of Toledo.  It's a small town with a rich religious history of various religious backgrounds. Now I know where "Holy Toledo!" came from! 

Overall, the trip was a life changer.  My Uncle shed a tear when we had to leave because he enjoyed this trip more than any other place he's ever visited in his life.  At 90 years old, he said he is now complete.  To our travel planner and everyone at this company, I can't thank you enough for providing such a memorable gift for an old man who wanted nothing more than to have one last trip to a beautiful country he has never forgotten.  Muchas gracias!

Wonderful trip, well designed with informative guides and drivers, In between tours at the Prado and The Royal Palace, we were able to spend time alone exploring Madrid. We traveled to Toledo, Sevilla, Ronda, Granada and then to Marbella for several days at the end of our trip.