Spain Luxury Tour Review, Historical Sites, Local Cuisine & Customs, Dance

Review by traveler

Denise C.

4.29.2019

General Info

Traveler Review

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Spain

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

This travel team was great to work with! Our trip planner from the agency was very prompt in response to my emails and I felt we communicated well during the trip planning process. The materials we received from the travel team before the trip were very clear and detailed regarding schedule, transfers etc. We had no problems as all with all the arrangements which included rental cars6, train ride, multiple tours, etc.
The itinerary our trip planner put together for our 18 day tour of the south of Spain reflected our request for a focus on smaller towns, two night stays in most towns, 2.5 hours or less drives between towns, and staying in Paradors and boutique hotels. All the lodging we stayed in was well-located, well-designed and great staff. We really appreciated the daily breakfast buffet that was included with lodging. So nice to go to breakfast right in the hotel as you prepare for a busy day of travel.
We had a tour guide in each town we visited and they were exceptional. Every guide was personable, very knowledgeable and well-versed in local history, as well as interesting to talk with about current customs of the local populations. In addition to tours of historic monuments, the Tapas and Flamingo tour was terrific as well as the Andalusian Cooking Class.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and appreciated the work our trip planner and the travel team put into the planning.

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

We happened to plan our trip to Spain during Easter Week. We did not appreciate how important Easter week is in Spain in terms of big religious processions and large public gatherings. It was a special treat to witness the processionals which were held in every town we visited during that week. There were processionals at all hours of the day and night and sometimes the noise from the bands accompanying the processionals and the church bells were distracting but the events overall were so very interesting. We also sometimes had delays getting to our lodging because the narrow streets were closed off for the processions, but this was not a problem to any extent.
Visiting ancient towns and learning Spanish history spanning back to the Romans and before was very interesting to me. There is just so much history and so many beautifully maintained historical sites to visit. I really enjoyed getting a sense of the past and the many layers of cultures that have contributed to Spain's history.
We also enjoyed getting acquainted with Spanish food and eating customs. The food was delicious in every tapas bar and restaurant we visited. We don't speak Spanish but had no problems communicating with waiters regarding our orders with a common interest in good food!

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

A couple of thoughts here. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip but did talk about what we might do differently next time.
1. Pacing your trip. We would stay longer in some towns and perhaps do day trips to other small towns. We often stayed two nights in one town but even that felt a bit rushed. You have to choose between volume of places to see and depth of experience in a single locale. It's just hard to know before you go which small town might strike your fancy for a longer visit.
2. Driving a rental car. Torn on whether we would do this again. We chose to drive a rental car which allowed us to visit towns we couldn't have reached by train. However, driving in a foreign country when you don't speak the language is challenging in terms of reading signs, adapting to different traffic patterns, etc. Also, maneuvering a car in some of the old towns with the VERY narrow streets was at times harrowing. But the upside was driving through spectacular countryside and having freedom to stop and explore if you want to.

Photos

Spain Luxury Tour Review, Historical Sites, Local Cuisine & Customs, Dance

General Info

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

Real Customer Reviews

Other Reviews for Travel Agency 2207762

Small Footer