Hi Wonderers,
As promised in my last post, Madrid, Spain Experience, I am going to share my itinerary with you. Mr. Lumberjack and I stayed in 5 cities. I will go over how many days I stayed in each city, how I arrived to those cities, and what (if any) I would do differently. I won’t list any attractions, because we didn’t plan those out. It was a spontaneous exploration.
Paris, France
I landed in Paris via plane, and stayed here 4D/5N. I wouldn’t have changed it any other way, because Paris is a major city, so there are more likely to be cheap flights to Paris. Also, for me, it was about taking a leisurely approach to this trip. Part of Paris’s charm is sitting on the grass, park benches, etc., and passing time. In terms of activities, I did almost everything I wanted to do, but I didn’t plan the Catacombs well enough. The Catacombs are not open on Mondays, so make sure to set aside some time on the other days if you’re interested in visiting.
Bordeaux, France
I took the SCNF train from Paris to Bordeaux. France’s train system is great. It’s fast and cheap, so I wouldn’t bother looking for flights from city to city. We stayed 3N/4D. Bordeaux as my favorite city, so I enjoyed all the time I had there. However, this town is small and you can see everything in even 2N/3D. Therefore, if you want to extend your stay in another city, I would look into reducing a day here.
San Sebastian, Spain
We took the SCNF train from Bordeaux to Hendaye. Hendaye is a French city that’s very close to the Spanish border. You can grab a bite to eat and hang around Hendaye for a little bit. Then, feel free to purchase a Euskotren, which is outdside of the SCNF train station, whenever you are ready to head to San Sebastian. The Euskotren runs often, so you don’t have to worry about purchasing tickets in advance. We chose not to do that and purchased our We stayed for 2N/3D. That was more than enough for me, but I know some people love beach towns. If that is you, extend your stay in this leg of the trip.
Vitoria, Spain
From San Sebastian to Vitoria, we took Renfe. It was actually supposed to be on a train, but there was some sort of transportation issue, so we were loaded onto a bus. You have options when it comes to the mode of transportation. I went to see some friends in Vitoria and we stayed for 2N/3D. There isn’t much to see or do here other than eat, but it was still a nice stop. I would recommend skipping this place if you wanted to visit another city or stay longer in one of the other cities.
Madrid, Spain
We took a Renfe train to Madrid and stayed 3N/4D. Madrid has a lot of life, but it’s small. You can walk that city in 2 days if you are really active. The amount of time we spent in Madrid was perfect for me; I saw everything I wanted and I was ready to head home afterwards. My recommendation is to find a place near the Puerta de Sol. We happened to choose a place there, but our Uber drive told us Puerta de Sol is the center of the city; It is considered 0 for the address.
Well, Wonderers, that is all I had to share on my itinerary. The trip was the perfect blend of sightseeing and relaxation. Anyone seeking to move around through Europe, you have itinerary here that stops by 5 cities, each one a little different. Enjoy!
Ciao,
Amy
amy 