travelling thru europe

[lucko]

Going on organised tours of Spain Portugal Morocco in May June. Would welcome any ideas on what we could do in our free time mainly in Madrid Barcelona Lisbon Seville Marrakesh.

 

[casanovawa]

When i was in Madrid i walked around the city and saw some of the sites but also did a day trip out to Segovia to see the Roman aqueduct and the castle/alcazar.. Barcelona was an interesting city, up around Mont Juic and up at that Gaudi Parc or Park Guil or whatever its called and Sagrada Familia etc... What sort of ideas are you thinking about, just what to see in the cities?? Going and seeing a Barcelona FC soccer game would've been good, but they often don't start till about 10pm, everything starts late in Spain which was one of the things i like...

Marrakesh, well there is experiencing the Jma El Fna or whatever the night market is, i met a dutch tourist at the hostel and we went there one night and had something to eat, then he thought it might be interesting to walk down and explore some of the side alleys and we got hopelessly lost as the house walls go up vertical so you can't get points of bearing, then he thought we were being followed so we started to pick up the pace... After about 15 minutes we finally came out into a larger street and could work out where we were... Next day he was sick in bed i assume from what we ate the night before, while i wasn't... So as always just be thoughtful about what and where you eat...

 

[RooFlyer]

There's another thread here, started yesterday about Spain and Portugal, so have a look at that as well. http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/destination-guide/any-advice-must-see-do-57044.html#post971859

Marrakech - the covered souq of course, and the Djemma el fna Square - day, and again at night. Wander the streets of the Medina - quite safe during the day at least - visiting perfume and spice shops. Saadian tombs are good, as is the Palace (and its gardens). At the Square, don't over pay for pictures (snake charmers, water carriers etc). Start VERY low and you'll be bargained up!

Been there 3 times and never a bad incident ( or problem with food )

Lisbon - the Castle (Castelo), old town etc, but your tour will probably take you there. Parc Eduardo VII gives great views after a gentle climb behind the old town; Panteao Nacional is the 'National memorial' in a converted church - great views from the roof. The Se is worth a visit just to see the excavations of the roman ruins behind in its cloisters.

The aquarium is good, but to the north away from the main tourist places. Trams can be fun to ride on, and you can get great views from the ones that go high

Seville - just wander round and soak it in. Your tour will no doubt take you to the main palaces etc.

 

[lucko]

thanks casanovawa and others. No have not been to madrid . Our tour starts and finishes in Madrid. Have free time in Madrid then off to Barcelona i think by train? After a few days there off to Paris thinking train because of the sight seeing thoughts anyone After a few days there its off to Turkey for another organised tour. Need ideas on how to get to Istanbul. Plane only i think? Thanks

 

[codash1099]

thanks casanovawa and others. No have not been to madrid . Our tour starts and finishes in Madrid. Have free time in Madrid then off to Barcelona i think by train? After a few days there off to Paris thinking train because of the sight seeing thoughts anyone After a few days there its off to Turkey for another organised tour. Need ideas on how to get to Istanbul. Plane only i think? Thanks

In Madrid, see the Prado Gallery and the Royal Palace. Also try for the Egyptian Temple transplanted there - I forget the name but it's worth a look.

I'm doing Barcelona myself in a week or two. Any hints appreciated.

 

[casanovawa]

I'd love to go back to Barcelona and do some more photography, specially time lapse photography like in some of these videos... Specially of the port area....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGkitFDFeSo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyEyojMvveY

These will have some of the things to see, Sagrada Familia is obviously one of the big ones, its been being built for over 100 years... You can take the cable car i think from the coast up to Mont Juic which is where the 1992 olympics stadium is, also quite a few parks, from there i think you can get a look down over the port area, from there you can walk across to is the National Art Museum (i think it is) that's the one in these clips i think that has those rays of light above it, from this you walk down some stairs and onto an avenue with fountains that comes down to round about with a big statue... When you see an avenue with like a couple of towers on either side that is like that avenue...

There is a big square type thing, Place de Catalunya which is worth a look... I think i was walking around here one time or one of the roads close and came across one of the buildings i think designed by Gaudi, looked very organic and rounded... Sometimes just walking the streets you come across things you aren't expecting... Park Guell is another interesting place up towards the hills surrounding Barcelona... From memory was it some sort of commune that was going to be the way of the future or something but didn't quite work out...

Barcelona does have an Arc de Triomf, but it is no where near as impressive as the Paris version, to me anyway... Cuitadella Park also has some stuff there...

I have used this lot before for tours in several European cities, you can do a 'free' tour which you usually just give a tip of whatever amount you feel appropriate and they then usually run a few paid tours in each city as well which they will try to sell to you while on the 'free' tour, but not ramming it down your throat, just say we also offer this tour and that tour... So for a reasonable price you might want to consider them, they offer tours in Lisbon, Barcelona and Madrid in terms of where you are going...

SANDEMANs NEW Europe | Home of the Famous Free Tour

You missed the xmas period so probably won't hear about the tradition of the pooping log, that might have to wait for another time...

 

[codash1099]

I'd love to go back to Barcelona and do some more photography, specially time lapse photography like in some of these videos... Specially of the port area....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGkitFDFeSo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyEyojMvveY

These will have some of the things to see, Sagrada Familia is obviously one of the big ones, its been being built for over 100 years... You can take the cable car i think from the coast up to Mont Juic which is where the 1992 olympics stadium is, also quite a few parks, from there i think you can get a look down over the port area, from there you can walk across to is the National Art Museum (i think it is) that's the one in these clips i think that has those rays of light above it, from this you walk down some stairs and onto an avenue with fountains that comes down to round about with a big statue... When you see an avenue with like a couple of towers on either side that is like that avenue...

There is a big square type thing, Place de Catalunya which is worth a look... I think i was walking around here one time or one of the roads close and came across one of the buildings i think designed by Gaudi, looked very organic and rounded... Sometimes just walking the streets you come across things you aren't expecting... Park Guell is another interesting place up towards the hills surrounding Barcelona... From memory was it some sort of commune that was going to be the way of the future or something but didn't quite work out...

Barcelona does have an Arc de Triomf, but it is no where near as impressive as the Paris version, to me anyway... Cuitadella Park also has some stuff there...

I have used this lot before for tours in several European cities, you can do a 'free' tour which you usually just give a tip of whatever amount you feel appropriate and they then usually run a few paid tours in each city as well which they will try to sell to you while on the 'free' tour, but not ramming it down your throat, just say we also offer this tour and that tour... So for a reasonable price you might want to consider them, they offer tours in Lisbon, Barcelona and Madrid in terms of where you are going...

SANDEMANs NEW Europe | Home of the Famous Free Tour

You missed the xmas period so probably won't hear about the tradition of the pooping log, that might have to wait for another time...

That's great. Thanks very much.

 

[astrosly]

In Madrid, see the Prado Gallery and the Royal Palace. Also try for the Egyptian Temple transplanted there - I forget the name but it's worth a look.

I'm doing Barcelona myself in a week or two. Any hints appreciated.

+1 for the Royal Palace in Madrid. The Temple of Dobod is worth taking time to see as it is in the middle of a park which the people use as a regular communal space so you see lots of families and pets milling around and a great spot to have a picnic.

For Barcelona the Gaudi works are the things to see: Parc Guell, Sagrada (though I didnt go in because of the lines!) and one or both the apartment blocks Casa Batllo or Casa Mila. There are a bit pricey to visit (15-18 eur and you generally only see the hallway and roof as they are private apartments) but I visited Batllo and felt it was worth the entry fee as you can see some rooms with furniture and the attic as well as the roof "spine of the dragon". You can spend at least half a day on Montjuic to see the castle and some roman ruins on the way down the hill (bus 193 or the cable car gets you to near the top). Also a fun experience is the Magic Fountain of Montjuic, a lot of the locals gather round the plaza on weekend evenings to see the water show set to music.

If you have time then I recommend a day visit to Figueres to see the Salvador Dali museum. You take the train via Girona and it takes about 2hrs each way from Barcelona, and the museum is only a 15min walk from the station. While in Figueres you see some other museums such as Museu del Joguet de Catalunya (toy museum, if that's your thing and I did not visit) and Sant Ferran Castle which has a very interesting history with the underground fortress stables quite eerie to walk through when there are not many visitors as was the day I visited in May 2012. leoluxford, if you are planning to go Barcelona to France I understand that this train stops at Figueres (though at the station called Vilafant on the other side town) so you may consider doing this as a stopover.