BootsnAll Travel Community

I have a few questions for all of you today!
First of all is this, how much would about 2 weeks in Spain cost during peak season? (July1-14th or thereabouts) I wish to go to Barcelona and Pamplona for San Fermin in this time and would definitely want a little extra as I'm big on partying.
Second of all after this I wish to rent an apartment in Madrid for a month before returning home. So I was wondering if I should try to arrange this before I leave since Europe will be busy with tourists, or will it still be fine to hostel it for a few days while I find something. Along with that how much would said apartment wind up costing? If there is any red tape or anything along those lines when renting in Spain could you please inform me of that too?
Thanks all for reading, and hopefully for some helpful replys.

while i can't help you on the cost of renting an apartment , i can help you a bit wt accommodation.

In Barcelona you would pay about 35 euros/night in a private room in a hostel. If you want to stay in a dorm -shared room-, the price is lower (about 25 euros/night).

This site would also help you a bit about what to do in Madrid and Barcelona: Spain Travel Guide

As for the apartments, just do a research and something will pop out on line.

one thing is for sure. book well in advance. Spain is crowded during summer b/c even Spaniards love to spend their vacations at home -unlike most of the other Europeans [me included lol]

Hi,
You should hurry booking a place. Barcelona will be full of tourists and the good places will be booked very fast. it's a very expensive city(especially the rents)but it's worth it! I'm living here for a few months now, and LOVE it! You'll have many opportunities for partying ;-)
When you're goning to Madrid, check here for accommodation: http://madrid.loquo.com/es_es
There are good offers and you will mostly live with locals. Is there a better way to get to know a city...
Wish you good luck

35e seems really inexpensive for a private room in high season, especially in barca. I am finding that I can hardly find anything at that cost (most I am seeing are closer to 40-50e in southern Spain. It has gotten so expensive!!

just look up some of the budget hotels or hostels and you'll find those prices. obviously those are not right smack in the city center ...but that's always the downside to finding cheap places to stay

i did mention those were at hostels

Ah, thank you all very much!
I've only once been to Europe and it was during the spring so it wasn't very difficult finding accomadation. I hadn't realized you needed to book quite this early but I have started looking at some places and will try to book up everything within the week.

I got that you said hostel...I am saying I am having trouble finding a private room anywhere for less than 40-50E. It is surprising to me! Even looking outside city center.

Outside of Barca, I haven't been to Spain in 10 years. Even when I went to Barca 5 years ago, it was more affordable. It has been an interesting experience, trying to plan this trip!

Hostel Bookers --i used that site to find acc in Vienna...cheap and super nice. That's one of the best places I've found so far.., and btw: booked in March for May

I know it's really hard to book especially if you wait for a long time and decide to book right b4 you leave.

Yes, book ahead.

2. one month in Madrid? I'm sitting here with a spaniard who lives in Barcelona, and he says that after a week, you'll be bored, unless you want to go on a tapas sprawl the entire time.

à week, most certainly.

Spend the other three in three other cities for a week if your budget can stand it. Granada, seville, cordoba, up north, Bilbao... Now thats a city that could be interesting, and perhaps less touristed as well.

Extremadura if you want to burn up and see how peasants live.

Besides that, your plan is possible....

Yah, I was thinking of cutting out Madrid and saving it for another time. The motivation there was to just spend as much time as possible in one place and mostly to just relax and practice spanish and write.
I took a quick look at the cities you mentioned and I like the sounds of Bilbao specifically since it is in the north near San Sebastian and Pamplona which are two cities that I definitely want to see. Can you perhaps tell me a bit why you say it's a city that could be interesting.
If that pans out, my itinerary would look something a bit more like this
Barcelona -> Pamplona -> San Sebastian -> Bilbao -> Barcelona -> Home

I lived in Madrid for about three months -
if you do end up there, I suggest a few day trips here and there.

Some good places to see : Toledo, El Escorial, Salamanca, Segovia. Toledo, in particular, is one of my favourites.

These charming little towns will break up some of the Madrid time well.

If you get the chance, head north to San Sebastian too....it's beautiful there, though I'm sure it'll be mighty touristy in the summer. ( I went over New Years)

Oh sorry, one more thing. If you want to practice Spanish..as much as people in Barca do understand and speak Spanish....they also speak Catala and that's the predominant language on signage etc.

San Sebastian is kind of a chilled out, coastish kind of town with Basque influence - so as much as they also speak Spanish...but they also speak Basque (I think that's the language..? but anyway, it's not Spanish that I'm sure of).

Politically, Barca and San Sebastian both are part of the regions of Spain that want independence and don't want Spanish to be the primary language or influencing culture...

All this to say, if you're hoping for a rich Spanish-speaking time...those two places might not be (not b/c the ppl aren't fluent, but b/c of political reasons)....

Wow, thank you I knew there were some regional dialects in Spain but I hadn't realized it was predominant. Oh well, at least I'll have more opportunity there than here.

Yes, if practicing spanish is your goal, Bilbao is not your place. They like to speak Euskadi there, but I'm sure you can make do with Spanish with anyone you meet there.

I mentioned it was interesting because it has some pretty impressive architecture and a good art scene. Its a very vibrant city, and is small enough to feel almost comfortable. Madrid, well. I was there for 5 days and I felt overwhelmed by its grand scale.

I liked Cadiz for just hanging around in. They speak plenty of Spanish, and theres a great beach. Its a very comfortable city.

I also liked Granada to hang around in, BUT, they have a crime problem. Pickpockets are everywhere, especially in the touristically packed summer, I'm sure.

So, if you pick any given city with a nice vibe, and hang out, you won't go wrong for that kind of living. Even Madrid, if you like huge impersonal cities.

The beaches by the north of spain have one advantage over the south and the center.. they're a bit more comfortable in the summer temperature wise, and they're not full on full of tourists.

So, unless you want to learn a high grade Spanish, you might do well in a Basque or Catalan speaking city. Now, barcelona. I could SEE spending a month in Barcelona. Spanish is close enough to Catalan for them to speak both fluently. Theres a beach in Barcelona. There is a movie theater, a huge one in Barcelona. Nothing like watching movies to improve your spanish, apart from a Spanish lover.

There is La Rambla, which never ceased to fascinate me.

There is an energy about Barcelona that I really liked.

The other option is to find a smaller town, like Burgos or Leon, or Pamplona, and just stick about and learn the life of a quieter place. Theres more room to make friends of Spaniards in such places.

No beach in Pamplona, sorry.

I AM told that the mediteranean is the best kind of beach, because if you go off the beaten track, you can find interesting and deserted stone beaches in combination with nice swimming.

I need to look into that.

Or you can do what I always wanted to do, and thats stay ohn the Canary Islands, that has a completely mediteranean island climate, hot, but with plenty of sea air. Not sure how CHEAP it would be, but if you spent a month there, you could speak Spanish in a multicultural environment in a relaxed island vibe. Surely there must be SOME smaller town that isn't packed with tourists. Can't find my Spain book, but perhaps the little canary island has some out of the way spots.

quote:

Originally posted by anniebanannie:
35e seems really inexpensive for a private room in high season, especially in barca. I am finding that I can hardly find anything at that cost (most I am seeing are closer to 40-50e in southern Spain. It has gotten so expensive!!

I see 28 euros at this place in Barcelona: http://www.pensioalamar.com/tarifas_i.htm .

Okay, now I was wondering about something else. In regards to sleeping in the parks and such in Pamplona that I've heard a lot about. Is there a big threat of theft or is it pretty safe? Is there any chance of a problem arising and me being stuck without a place to stay? Finally how many people do this? Are the parks just filled with people or is it just here and there?
Thanks everyone